A filthy alleyway, a run down cold water flat, a determination for a better life and the adventures of a dreamer are what this story is all about. Neighbors and eccentric friends combine to make this a very interesting and humorous read. Even though the author was employed, it took him several years before he was in a position to move his family out of that cold damp apartment and into what was then, in their eyes, a little bit of heaven. In the mean time there was fun, hope, excitement and more fun, as well as a little bit of despair thrown in. It shows that hard times are not necessarily bad times but they are what you make of them. It is a true story.