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We did. Margaret and Elizabeth Cooper.

Class 5 1965 with Mr Martin, and then out into the big wide world.

Class 1:1, 1962; at Kingsthorn juniors that me, Jeffrey Egan, top row far left. Teacher was Miss Mathews. Photo courtesy of Ray Turner, still my pal, next to me top row.

Hi Diane1947 Unfortunately, Christina passed away six years ago, after a long illness, quite young really . Marie is still going strong. I met up with Dorothy Thompson and Theresa Williams, last summer , with Marie. I recall Chris talking about Richard Reynolds and Steven Winwood, I remember...

Hi Viv, Those photos are great. You're quite right in the fact that none of us feared falling off the wall. It never crossed our minds that falling into the playground would probably result in broken arms etc. I remember a lad named Noel, falling off the monkey bars, or jungle gym, as we called...

The wooden huts I remember very well. The cookhouse was one side of the Tansley road entrance, the othe side was the nursery, where i was bundled into each day, aged about 4. The school dinners were trollied across to the halls in aluminium trays and tubs. The dinners cost 5/1d. Five shillings...

Hi Viv, Mr Martin was of the old school, firm but fair brigade. I too recall those spelling tests and the twists and turns of English grammar. I liked him and found him approachable. He wasn't a hard disciplinarian, but one day he pulled out this huge tennor recorder and started playing. Of...

Another, in the late 60's was Reggie Maudling. He worked in the tool room.

Oh yes the warmth of the school radiators. Kids arriving in wellingtons and Duffle coats along with balaclavas and wooly gloves. The caretaker, Mr Alderwick, would Stoke up the boilers early. They were coke fired under the infants school hall. I don't ever recall the school being closed on snow...

I spent many a weekends pocket money when I was about 10 going from Kingstanding circle to cannock and back. I loved those old AEC's especially there noises. Good old Harper bros, AKA to us Brummie lads as Harpers bazaar.

Such a shame. No doubt scrapped. I seem to remember the service cover at the bottom had the Birmingham coat of arms cast into it. Civic pride, even on the lamp posts. I've never seen an ex Birmingham gas lamp for sale but I did rescue a 1930's cast iron telephone kiosk. It's a pity nobody was...

Sadly, yet another trade lost in the mists of time. Like most chaps working for the public works dept, they wouldn't have earned much, but they had a job with a small skills allowance. Out in all weathers they just ploughed on cleaning, checking, setting and repairing covering about 40 lamps...

Those old gas lamps were often sport for some naughty boys who would throw stones and try to break the glass. All we ever did was climb up and swing on the arms. They had clockwork timers which the lamp lighter man would adjust as the year wore on. They gave good service, finally being torn up...

That would have been back in the days of the old Gas boards. As he says in the video, he was going to be put on electric lamps, and his boss, says the electric lamps are much cheaper to run and maintain. Birmingham Corporation maintained the street lamps. A chap with a ladder and a bike, in...

Thanks Viv, The names are none I know, but the faces are familiar. So probably a year or so, apart. Jeff

https://fb.watch/gYZw2oKc4b/ This has to be a rare interview of the last gas streetlamp attendant in Birmingham 1973.

Well that answers a question for me. Where I now live in Towcester, Northants , the previous occupants of my house removed the stink pipe and fitted an air admittance Durgo valve instead, which rattles when you flush the loo. Apparently it's there to allow air in, rather than let stink out.