Round about the year 1890, Ted Scales went to school with Albert Pickett. One day the teacher upset Ted so much that he threw the slate at his teacher and rushed home. His parents knew there would be trouble, so they packed him off to Potters Bar where his aunt lived. It was while he was staying there that he came to love the country so much.

Much later, Ted Scales' parents lived in a house in Gillespie Road, and his mother looked after 8 or 9 of her grandchildren (Rene's cousins) in the basement. One of Ted Scales' sisters married a man with a German name (Gerry Keim) and they lived in a flat in the same house in Gillespie Road. He was a patissiere. Another sister, Daisy, also lived there. She never married. She was in charge of one of the Mayfield Laundry shops.

Ted and Nell Scales were the parents of Rene (Irene), their only child. When Rene was born, the first person to nurse the baby was Ted's friend, Albert Pickett. (Twenty four years later, that baby became Albert's daughter-in-law.) They lived at 38 Canning Road, Finsbury Park.

We don't think that Ted was called up during the First World War. Ted's friend, Albert Pickett, did serve from the beginning of the War. One of Albert Pickett's sons has a childhood memory of his father being cross that although he was in uniform, his friend Ted wasn't. Also, there is the following certificate, which indicates that Ted joined the London Underground in 1912. Perhaps the work he did on the railways was considered to be a reserved occupation.

"LONDON PASSENGER TRANSPORT BOARD CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE Presented to Edward G Scales Chief Mech. Engineer's Dept. Railways on his retirement after 35 years of service. Ashfield Chairman of the Board August 9th 1947".

In World War I (1916) there was an air raid. They were allowed to shelter in the basement of the police station at 38 Canning Road. When they went back home, the front of their house (and two or three others) had been blown off. Their daughter Rene, who was about six years old, and a friend of hers, were sent to Blackpool for the rest of the war.

The house they moved into later, in Arnos Grove (80 The Limes Avenue, New Southgate), was built for them by Albert Pickett.

During Ted's work in the London Underground, he finished up as an engineering (electrical) foreman on the Piccadilly line from Leicester Square to Cockfosters. Rene and Horie were on a train one day and the door opened between the carriages and Ted flew through and he said "Hello mate, can't stop". He was on the way to a breakdown. He had an office in Leicester Square station. If visited, he would say, "Do you want some tea, it's fresh made". Everyone know that it had probably been boiling for several hours.

Ted and Nell Scales moved down to Swalecliffe in about 1947. Nell had had a heart attack and was told to pack up work. They had bought the bungalow there before the war. Ted died in about 1952. Nell died in 1962.