Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Billy Platt aka FINGERS

Does anyone know Billy Platt. He lived on First Avenue between Wellington and Lasalle Boulevard. One of his friends, Jackie McArthur lived right next door to him.
 
 

22 comments:

shirleyb-h MSN said...

Did he have sisters Eileen and Violet?  I started grade one with a Violet Platt her sister Eileen was older - then I heard that they had moved to Verdun to live with the Grandmother and they probably went to St Willibrod's but I think that would have been after grade 5 for Violet.

sandy19465 MSN said...

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shirleyb-h MSN said...

Yes I started grade one with Violet at St Anthony's and I had a group picture from grade 5 and she was in it - it was after a skit that we did to honour our grade 1 nun who was retiring after teaching grade one for decades - she taught my mother's oldest sister as a rookie and my sister and I had her late in her life - I think that we were celebrating 50 years as a nun - I once wrote a letter to Eileen Platt her sister who still lives in Verdun I am told - I never got an answer.  Violet lived upstairs from the Corrigans and I went to school with Grace in grade one - she later worked as a nurse at the Dougie and I also had her older sister Bev in my grade 7-8-9 class after Bev had to repeat grade 7.  It was their older sister Marjorie who told me that Eileen lived in Verdun so I wrote but to no avail. I dont know what happened that they had to go live with the grandmother when they (Violet and Eileen) left St Anthony's - they had lived on St Antoine upstairs from a dress shop and a diagonal from St Anthony's Church.   Bill Platt
1625 Rue Galt
Montreal, QC H4E 4J7
(514) 487-5680
 

shirleyb-h MSN said...

Well I just checked Lovell's directory for 1958-59-60 and no Platt's between Verdun and Bannantyne on 5th avenue - so it is likely that they went to live with Violet's maternal grandmother so her name would not have been Platt.  I guess I must have had fun times with Violet from grades 1-5 even though we did not live close - I mean I can close my eyes and see her tanned skin and brown hair parted on the side - straight and she wore a barette  white blouse and square neck tunic- I am going to scour my pictures on the computer and see if I can find that photo. Of course she probably would have felt right at home with the congregation of Notre Dame nuns since that is what we had at St Anthony's and later at D'Arcy McGee they also taught at St Patricks.

sandy19465 MSN said...

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shirleyb-h MSN said...

No I went to St Anthony's ( St Antneys) from grade 1-9 then to D'Arcy McGee - my sister went 1-9 then to St Pat's and youngest sister went to St Anthony's 1-7 then James Lyng.  I lived in Verdun on Egan then 770 Osborne until 1978 - my kids went to St Thomas More then VCHS I located the Platt family briefly on St Antoine where I know they lived - her father was Charles Platt and he died in the 70's the mother was Dolores Burton - I am going to email my friend Linda Larkin she married Earl Daly and they went to VCHS she went to St Anthony's until they demolished all the houses on that side of St Antoine and the little side streets that went north of St Antoine including St Anthony's Church.  They moved to Verdun - her brother Glenn Larkin is a member of VC.  Linda and Earl live in Calgary about 10 minutes from me by car. What I remember about Violet - was from grade 5 - and Mother St George was going up and down the aisles asking us what we had for lunch (it was Friday)  I remember Violet said that she had creamed peas on toast - I had never heard of that - we often had fish and chips from the corner of Chatham and St Antoine or home made french fries and fried eggs or Creamed Salmon on Toast - funny the things that you remember. I dont remember if Violet had any other siblings other than Eileen and God knows why I remembered her she was a few years older than us.  (Wonder if she disgraced herself at school or something) Sister Eileen looked like Violet only thinner.  Not that Violet was ever fat but she wasnt stick thin like Eileen. Mind you we all were sporting baby fat back then. 

shirleyb-h MSN said...

Ok so there were just 4 girls in that Platt family.  Eileen, Tessie, Violet and Gail.  Eileen was 5 years ahead of us in school.  Then Tessie and Violet and Gail.  Gail may not have had the same father she was very blond and white skinned compared to the other girls.  Eileen went from St Anthony's to St Pats for grade 10 and dropped out.  So only Tessie and Violet and Gail would have gone to St Willibrod's.  While at St. Anthony's they lived with the Grandfather mom and dad and the kids and often visited Grandmother in Verdun - guess the grand parents were separated.  The family who lived next door to them on St. Antoine said that Tessie had a limp - gee I didnt remember that but I did remember her name.  Violet's mom also came from St Anthony's and lived near the CND convent on Coursol I think - my mother's family lived on the same street.

sandy19465 MSN said...

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sandy19465 MSN said...

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shirleyb-h MSN said...

Sorry I dont know Helen and yes I graduated in 1963 but I was only at D'Arcy grade 10-11 unlike the majority of kids who had been there from grade 8.  There was 4a-b-c  I was in 4C.  Helen was not in either 3c or 4C with me.  Funny there was 1a-b-c-d-e but by 3rd year high we were down to 3 home rooms with about 25 or so kids in each class.  Same on the boys side.  I am sure that it is the same Earl he isnt very tall and worked for the Northern - then ended up in Kingston before moving to Calgary - they have 2 daughters Carolyn and ?? Earl could have been very blond his hair is snow white now.  I kind of think that Eileen Platt lived on Valiquette - Linda Larkin's sister was chummy with her at St Anthony's so Barbara might know more about the Platts.  I have not heard from Linda today - she would have graduated in 1964 she is 6 months younger than me. I think that she and Earl lived on Rolland before moving to Kingston. Linda's brother was an usher at St Anthony's his son lives out here not 10 minutes from me.  We are all in the North West end of Calgary. Mother St George was Mother St George of Sion very dark hair and eye brows and almost black eyes - not too tall either if I remember correctly and she was grade 5 teacher for a few years at least before I had her and she was still there years later.  In fact when they moved St Anthony's church further along St Antoine and on the opposite side of the street Mother St George looked after the Chapel.  I dont think that we had any nuns from St Willibrod's.  Mostly the nuns came and almost never left especially the really strict ones.  Mother St George was merciless to the slower students - I remember she spanked a girl who lived on the next street to me - I remember because the girl Eileen O'Connell was wearing bloomers and I bet she didnt weigh 65 pounds. Most of us were between 65-75 pounds and 9-10 years old - We had 3 kids in the class who had their birthdays in the winter - so when we started grade one we were 5 for 4-5 months. Funny it was all the kids who's family had lived in the parish for decades otherwise you had to be 6 by end of September. Did you know Diane Verge Archer - she passed away last week - she also came from same area and moved to Verdun - she lived on Rolland near Linda and Earl.

shirleyb-h MSN said...

Here is a link to St Anthony's school photo album that I put up http://photos.classmates.com/user/photoalbum/photo.tf?album_id=138147;type=hs;offset=3;profile_reg_id=;profile_name=

sandy19465 MSN said...

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shirleyb-h MSN said...

We will probably go for fish & chips Good Friday and I will probably make crepes for breakfast then that will be it till dinner.   My friend who lived next door to the Platt family said that they were like 2 families - there were 3 older ones then the next 4 - the older three had left the house by then working while the others were still in school - one girl then a boy then another girl that girl was Kay Platt perhaps the Billy that this thread was looking for might be the only boy - cant imagine 7 kids plus the mother and father and grandfather.  Mostly the granny in Verdun bought all the kids clothes - funny about the dress because Violet's first communion dress was a white with raised polka dots - and my sister had the same dress in light blue.  It was like an organza fabric - I bought some of that fabric last year to make my grand daughter a dress of course it would need a slip or lining.. Funny about the creamed salmon - my mother often made it and served it over mashed potatoes and a side of tiny peas - left overs were served for lunch on toast but Violet's lunch only was creamed peas no salmon. When I make it I buy the skinless boneless sockeye salmon so that I dont have to pick out the bones.

shirleyb-h MSN said...

The Lovell's directory lists an L Platt at 112 First avenue back in 1958.

maggiemck MSN said...

Lovell's Directory 1958: Burton,  A. (Mrs) 759 Allard Burton,  Art 1038 Argyle Burton, Clifford 3476 Verdun Av. Burton, Frank 1442 Valiquette Burton, J (Mrs.) 328 1st Ave      "      K 1194 Valiquette      "      Ken 1188 Crawford     More.....Have a look for more:  http://bibnum2.bnquebec.ca/bna/lovell/src/1958/5.Annuaire_alphab%E9tique_montr%E9alais/B/Br/110773_1958_0739.pdf    

shirleyb-h MSN said...

OK small world - Eileen married ?Watson and they live on Valiquette in Verdun - Violet Platt dated Earl Daly off and on during highschool and she moved out West and Earl married Linda Larkin they lived on Rolland now in Calgary.

sandy19465 MSN said...

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shirleyb-h MSN said...

Sandy - email me at boultonhall@shaw.ca    

shirleyb-h MSN said...

Anyone have a 1963 VCHS grad picture????   Well my sister was 2 years behind me at St Anthony's and her grade 6 class has kept in touch with Mother St Imelda now Sister Imelda Strachan - she works probably at Holy Cross or somewhere in Ville Emard - one of the grade 6 girls had older sister Alda McCaffrey who taught at VCHS - she would have graduated in 1960 perhaps.  My grandkids go to school in Verdun  Riverdale and one of my cousins works there Vicky(Violet) Doyle and knows the kids. Funny think Vicky and my D-I-L Carolle went to Dawson together - we were looking through picture album and I saw my cousin - rotflol Carolle sure was surprised.

oldverdun MSN said...

Billy now lives in Cote St. Paul. Was a good friend of mine.
Ron

shirleyb-h MSN said...

Ron - do you know or can you find out if Bill is related to Violet, Gail, Tessie, Kay, Eileen.  If so where is Violet?? I know Eileen is still in Verdun.

carolyncloakehanslie1940 MSN said...

Okay and from what I have gathered so far, there must have been  two Platt families in Verdun. In the case of Billy Platt, none of the threads except for the last one from Ron relate to him. Bill had no sisters or brothers. He lived on first avenue between Wellington and Lasalle Boulevard. His Mother was Edna and his Father was Leonard. He lived next door to the McArthurs and I think the Davidson's were also neighbours. He is my first cousin.