abstract
| - Ronnie Lawson was the youngest son of Betty Lawson and brother of Ronnie, who together made up a family of squatters who were found inside a vacant 3 Coronation Street by Ena Sharples and Jerry Booth in June 1967. The Lawsons had been originally evicted from their home for not paying their rent in mid-1966, after which the boys' father cleared off. Betty, Ronnie and Clifford ended up living in a basement off Rochdale Road for 25 bob a week, with Betty taking whatever casual work she could get and keeping the boys off school to avoid the risk of the council putting them in care. When that sum proved too much for Betty, the family were again thrown out and, finding No.3 empty, they installed themselves there. Clifford was a cheeky lad who deferred to his even more insolent big brother. When they were found by Ena and Jerry who had let themselves into the house with landlord Alfred Wormold's permission, Ronnie became angry and defensive, telling the pair that it was their house. After getting the whole story from Betty, Ena voiced her disapproval of the boys being kept off school, enquiring whether "Georgie Porgie" could read, commenting on Clifford's chubbiness. Betty admitted that he couldn't as Clifford was off a lot before she took them out of education. Ena was right to worry as was quickly proved when the lads failed to recognise her reference to the popular nursery rhyme. The Lawsons were moved on by the council after being reported by Len Fairclough. Ronnie and Clifford were then taken into care.
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