Harry backed away; where would the children play? Ellen wouldn’t allow them out of the house into such an area. He walked on and saw a man in a shabby coat and bowler hat with a bag strapped across his shoulders come out of a nearby court. Rent man, he thought. He’ll know.

‘Excuse me, sir,’ he shouted, and the man stopped as if frozen in his tracks. Warily, he turned round, putting his hand on his bag.

‘I’m not carrying money,’ he grunted. ‘Nobody’s paid me owt today.’

Harry’s mouth opened and closed. Did the man think he was a thief? He stopped and held up both his hands to show he had nothing in them. ‘Sorry,’ he called out. ‘I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m looking for a place to live, somewhere decent to bring my wife and bairns.’

The man pushed his hat up his forehead; as Harry came nearer he saw the headgear was several times too big for him. ‘Sorry,’ he said again. ‘You are a rent man?’

‘Might be,’ the fellow said. ‘What’s it to you?’

‘I just said. I’m lookin’ for a place to rent.’

The agent looked Harry up and down. ‘Where ’you living now?’

‘Holmpton,’ Harry said, knowing that no one would have heard of Rysome. ‘It’s in Holderness. Near Withernsea.’

The agent’s face suddenly lightened. He’d obviously heard of Withernsea, though Harry couldn’t understand why. Withernsea was only a small village on the coast, although bigger than Holmpton.

‘Oh, aye. I knew somebody once went on a train to Withernsea. It’s going to be a seaside place, isn’t it?’

Harry gave a little frown. ‘Erm, yes.’ He wondered how such a man could be trusted to collect rent. ‘Withernsea is a seaside place already,’ he explained. ‘It’s a village near to ’sea. Trains have been running there for a few years.’

‘Yeh, I know. Where do you want to rent?’

‘Somewhere decent, wi’ a small garden if possible.’

The man’s face split into a grin. ‘Hah! Made o’ money, are you? There’s nowhere wi’ gardens round ’ere. If you want a garden you’ll have to go further out, Beverley Road or somewhere like that … and there’s a park.’

‘Look, do you have anything?’ Harry was becoming impatient. ‘If you haven’t I don’t want to waste time, yours or mine.’

‘I’ve got a couple; don’t know if they’ll suit. Come wi’ me.’