Jack's Story Growing Up in Balmain by John Thomson

This slim little self-published memoir has become an instant best seller in Balmain. Our local Indy book shop can barely keep up with demand and Jack has to stagger his book signing sessions to avoid writers cramp!

Jack's Story is a collection of vignettes as remembered by Jack, a local Balmain resident since 1927.

He has grouped his recollections together loosely in chronological order and scattered a few old family photos into the mix. The addition of of a few old photos of Balmain from the public archives gives the book particular interest for anyone currently living in Balmain, or for anyone with a connection to Jack and his extended family.

Jack's Story is the kind of book you want to have in your pocket as you walk the local streets.

You want to check the addresses, parks and corner shops mentioned throughout to see what it looks like now and to try and picture what it looked like when Jack was growing up.

I got so carried away one weekend, that I tracked down all the houses he mentioned that he had lived in at one point or another.

11 Ann Street

I imagine that some of these homes have barely changed their external features at all since Jack lived there, whereas others would be changed beyond Jack's wildest imaginings!

25 Vincent Street

66 Short Street

12 Grove Street

13 Grove Street

Jack's parents were married in the Presbyterian Church in Campbell St (below) in February 1927.

Jack married Marcia in August 1954 in St John's Church (below) just around the corner from where they lived their entire married life in Cove St.

Cove Street

Looking down Thomas Street into Grove Street

Corner of Rowntree and Cameron Streets - one of the areas that still gives a hint of what old Balmain may have looked like in Jack's youth.