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Growing Up In Brum - Roy Blakey Inspired.

A BODGED UP PLAN ( 1940 ish ).
One of our mates in our group of nine to ten year old kids came up with the idea of collecting second hand useable and no further required Toys from around the area of Kingstanding with a view to handing them over to Maryvale Convent for the use of the orphaned children in care there.
We got to-gether a pretty good collection of toys and bits after a spell of successful canvassing.
On this particular morning four of us loaded up one of our Trolley's with all our ' Toys' collection and set off for the Maryvale Convent in Old Oscott Lane, Kingstanding/Perry Barr.
First hesitation came as we reached the lane entrance to the Convent. The reason being that we suddenly visualised that we would be confronting one or more of those ' Nuns ' that worked in the Convent. Nun's were a bit mystical to us kids and on top of that the odd one or two we had seen around the City from time to time seemed to have that stern look on their faces and not very approachable .
Change of plan. We circled the Convent perimeter and came upon a locked double gate leading into part of the grounds.
This will do. We unloaded our Toy collection and pushed it all under the gates and into the grounds ( someone will see them and take them in ). Job done, started to head back across the fields of the Davis Estate and home.
As we got to a spot around two or three hundred yards away from the Convent gates we are hearing, behind us ,the sound of other kids. What we see is a larger group of kids that have just arrived at the gates and are ' pinching ' the Toy's from underneath.
What to do ? Confrontation ? Would they understand ?
Basic questions when confronting opposing groups/gangs. Are their numbers greater that yours. Are their ages greater than yours. On both accounts the answer was clearly ' yes ' .
Also, the chances were that if things went wrong they would nick our trolley as well.
Not much left to decide. Let's go home.
If we do anything like this again we've got to plan it better.
 
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this is a great thread to post our memories of growing up in brum folks....so tell us what your memories are...look forward to reading them...

lyn
 
Re: Birmingham History

charabanc (or charabang as we kids called them) trips from your local pub. Sometimes we went to Blackpool but mostly it was fishing trips to the Ross-on-wye area. On one occasion someone lent me a rod & i almost caught a monster of a fish but it snapped the line and got away, but the most galling thing was, no one beleived me. They said " of course we believe you sonny, now go away and play like a good little boy" So frustrating when no one believes you. On the journey back to Brum most of the adults had downed a bevvy or two and all the favourite songs of the day were sung and i remember some sort of card was passed around with numbers on it, & you`d pick & pay for a number & when the card was full, the winning number was revealed & some lucky punter won a nice few bob. I also vaguely remember a curtained off area near the front of the bus which concealed a bucket which was for the use of ladies only? They really were the good old days.
 
Our local outings were organized by our local grocer Oscar Aldsworth in Turner St ,Sparkbrook and we paid in for so many weeks then you were off to wonderful places such as Billingsley Aquadrome or The Bearwood Theatre for the Christmas Pantomime. In this latter they had a dance group the Bearwood Babes, at the age of about 10 or 11 I fell in love with the blonde girl, 5th from the right with the dimples on her knees. Who knows maybe she grew up to be a Principle Boy, she had those sort of legs.
There were always a few cases of warm beer with screwtops for the men and maybe Baby Chams for the women. Yes the songs were sung and a whip round was taken for the driver and we all sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow, we kids had warm lemonade and Smith's Crisps with the blue bags of salt.
Oh Happy Days.
My neighbour here in Oz tried to Google my old address but its all gone, and maybe for the best but its hard to say.
Mind on the other hand I wouldn't like to be growing up these days.
Cheers I'm off to cry into my beer!!
 
lovely memories smudger and tim thanks for sharing with us...

tim what was your old address..there maybe an old photo of it on the forum...

lyn
 
There's definitely no age limit to this ' Growing up ' business. Picked up another skill over the last few years.
Done a few jobs round the house, had a it of lunch and now settling down to participate in me new skill. Turn the fire up a tweak, switch the Telly and the phone off and put me feet up and slip into me new skill " The Afternoon Nap ".
Later, having enjoyed the results of me new skill and fully refreshed, switch on the IPad and see what's happening on the Forum.
Yep, still growing up and still learning new skills.
 
That was a nice period when the existing ' Six day working week ' started to become ' The Five day working week '.
On the Saturday mornings it allowed the Dads to do those extra job bits around the house or help or join the ' Missus ' on a shopping run. It was great for the kids too because Dad could spend a bit more time with his children. It was probably , for example, the first time that he was able to go watch his Son play for the school football team or go watch his Daughter
play netball on those Saturday morning school match days.
He could pop into the Barbers for a Saturday morning short back and sides, he's needing also to get a new rear tyre and a set of brake blocks for his working bike. The Wireless needs a replacement valve from the Electrical shop and he needs to stock up on a few more nails and screws from the Ironmongers.
No problem, all the required shops are open on a Saturday and more or less situated close to one another. He can get all his shopping bits done whilst his Missus is completing her own shopping.
THERE'S STILL SUNDAY TO COME.
What's the plan ? Finish off a few house jobs OR take the family for a walk down the park OR take the family for a full circuit bus ride round the No 11 bus route OR cut the lawn, trim the Privet hedge and put that new tyre and those brake blocks on the bike.
Whatever, the family are all enjoying these longer ' time off ' week ends that Dad's getting.
 
Roy Blakey said:
That was a nice period when the existing ' Six day working week ' started to become ' The Five day working week '.
On the Saturday mornings it allowed the Dads to do those extra job bits around the house or help or join the ' Missus ' on a shopping run. It was great for the kids too because Dad could spend a bit more time with his children. It was probably , for example, the first time that he was able to go watch his Son play for the school football team or go watch his Daughter
play netball on those Saturday morning school match days.
He could pop into the Barbers for a Saturday morning short back and sides, he's needing also to get a new rear tyre and a set of brake blocks for his working bike. The Wireless needs a replacement valve from the Electrical shop and he needs to stock up on a few more nails and screws from the Ironmongers.
No problem, all the required shops are open on a Saturday and more or less situated close to one another. He can get all his shopping bits done whilst his Missus is completing her own shopping.
THERE'S STILL SUNDAY TO COME.
What's the plan ? Finish off a few house jobs OR take the family for a walk down the park OR take the family for a full circuit bus ride round the No 11 bus route OR cut the lawn, trim the Privet hedge and put that new tyre and those brake blocks on the bike.
Whatever, the family are all enjoying these longer ' time off ' week ends that Dad's getting.
Click to expand...

All these jobs you`ve got dad doing, he`d be better off at work! I was still working 6 days a week till i joined the army in 1960 & then i was on a 7 day week!
 
t the moment I can say "Ah but I still have my memories!" so that's a bonus.
Will catch up later in the week I was going to say but realize its Saturday Night, so it will be next week.
Must be having fun eh!
 
Well don't know what happened to the first 3/4 of my post 309,it seems to have gotten lost whilst I was having my supper, a nice bit of smoked cod , couple of poached eggs (from my mates own chooks, all brown shells) and home baked bread with canola marg (got to think of me figure !).
It was showing auto save but maybe I was timed out?
I was saying in reply to Lyn Astoness that I lived at 7 Tillingham St. Sparkbook B'ham 12. from 1938-1961 when I came to Oz.
When we were back in 1978 there was still Tillingham St. Motors which used to be David Dunnett's Garage. In 2004 all gone and now not in Google Maps.
As our national hero (or villain!) Ned Kelly said before the drop "Such is Life"
So that's it read this bit first Ha Ha!
 
tim eborn said:
Well don't know what happened to the first 3/4 of my post 309,it seems to have gotten lost whilst I was having my supper, a nice bit of smoked cod , couple of poached eggs (from my mates own chooks, all brown shells) and home baked bread with canola marg (got to think of me figure !).
It was showing auto save but maybe I was timed out?
I was saying in reply to Lyn Astoness that I lived at 7 Tillingham St. Sparkbook B'ham 12. from 1938-1961 when I came to Oz.
When we were back in 1978 there was still Tillingham St. Motors which used to be David Dunnett's Garage. In 2004 all gone and now not in Google Maps.
As our national hero (or villain!) Ned Kelly said before the drop "Such is Life"
So that's it read this bit first Ha Ha!
Click to expand...


hi tim i know without looking in my files that i dont have any photos of tillingham st (maybe other members do) but if i come accross any i will post them for you....

lyn
 
Not the bit you want , but this is the only picture I have labelled tillingham St 1935

tillingham_st_1935A.jpg
 
Thanks mikejee you are Legend. That was my end of the street and it didn't change much over the years. The intersection at the top shows the coal merchants and the bonfire on VJ night put a hole in the road about a foot deep. When the fuel was running low The Moyden family donated a van ,mabe a Morris 10 it had a plywood body and went up in a mass of flames.
The local Gas Man climbed the lamp post in his underwear, I was only about 7/8yrs but I remember some of it still.
The little shop that just makes it into the picture on the right hand sold half a loaf for tuppence, three farthings and if you didn't have the farthing one was put on the shelf in trust 'til next time, a sort of honour system to cope with the shortage of farthings as they went out of use in the 1940's.
In my mind I can walk up the street and see the people that lived there.
Thanks again mate.
 
Thanks jennyann for the link for the postcard. I think it is looking down from Turner St. because of the large building that I feel would have been in Ladypool Rd. and was a garage in my times.
My parents went to live in Tillingham St. in 1930 so no one in the picture would be known to us though maybe they are the young versions of folk in their later years.
 
Brought up in Brum ? What do you believe might have been your earliest childhood memory ?
Bit difficult this one but I guess a lot of folk have tried to pin down what they believe is their earliest memory.
I would guess the setting or story of anyone's believed earliest memory might not necessarily be particularly earth shattering but do you have one ?
For me I believe it was at the age of between 2 to 3 years old ( in which case it would have been around 1933 - 1934 ). It was a dark night and pretty cold.
Dad was holding me in the crook of his arms and with Mom we were waiting at a Bus stop, somewhere I believe , on the Coventry Road near the junction with High St, Deritend and Camp hill. I gather that since we lived in Kingstanding that we would have been trying to catch a Bus to the City Centre and then on a 29 or a 33 to take us back home. Why this little event seems to be the earliest memory for me I don't know but I have the feeling that the cold of that night registered it somehow.
Have you an earliest memory yourself ?
 
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My earliest childhood memory would be going down Sarehole Road, Hall Green, at night with my parents and seeing all the bonfires in the front gardens with people dancing and singing around them. They were celebrating the end of the war in Europe in early May 1945 and I would have been about 2 and a half years old. This memory has always stayed with me. Thanks Roy, very interesting topics on this thread. Dave
 
Probably not the earliest of childhood memories but as a young person you couldn't help but remember your first visits to the pre-war Bull Ring.
What might you have seen and experienced.
The Escapologist performer struggling to get out of his ' straight jacket ', ropes and chains. His hat eventually passed round to collect your appreciation pennies.
The street ' Orators ', stood on their home made little stages or on a borrowed wooden Egg box. They would spout their Politics, religion or general opinions to anyone who would care to listen.
There would be some times ' The Barrel Organ ' man.
There would be street traders galore. The open area at the bottom of the hill would have more or less a complete A to Z of products available ( Apples to Zippers ).
The indoor Market was ideal for picking up cheap meat providing you were around when the market was about to close .At this time of day the traders needed to sell the last of their days meat quickly.
The whole area was a bit of an ' Aladins Cave '.
The contrast of the church at the bottom of the ' cobble stone ' hill seemed to add a little sombre touch to the overall delightful and lively atmosphere.
You could never forget it once you had experienced it all.
 
Roy Blakey said:
To Smudge: Once a week Smudge. Small gas boiler in our kitchen fed through the wall into the bathroom and thence into the bath.
First ' boil up ' could just about half fill the bath. Friday night. First in, Dad, second in Mom ( same water, no top up available yet ). Third in, Aunt Daisy ( boiler still on so Aunt could afford to top up the existing water with a bit of warm water ). Fourth in, me ( same as Aunt, might be able to top with a bit of warm water). Last in, younger brother John
( same water ).
I was talking to our John recently and this subject came up. We had a chuckle about the possibility that at the time when we kids got out of the bath we had probably got more dirt on us than when we first got into it.
Click to expand...
. Missing your sketches recently, Roy. The topic "the weekly bath" inspired me to make my own feeble attempt at a sketch. I know that you could do much better. Best wishes, Dave
P1010944.jpg
 
This reminds me of our tin bath in the kitchen, I was always last in! The dog tried to get in once as he had walked by and dropped his bone in while he was being nosey! Dad used to like a good soak and smoke his pipe too.
rosie.
 
Waiting for Dad. ( Sketch ).
The Conversation :
Worro Charlie, I'm waiting for Dad , he's gonna bring me a bag of crisps out soon.
Lo Frank, our old man's gonna get me a chocolate biscuit bar I think and he will get some jelly sweets for our Mollie and he usually gets a Nutbrown to take back for our Mom.
How long you been here then ?
I dunno but they tek their time to come out doan they.
 

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The kids helped out. ( Early 1940,s ).
Im not sure how many schools across Brum were involved with helping out with ' War Effort Farm Cropping ' but I remember the Senior pupils at Peckham Road School were asked to volunteer to help out with harvesting the Potato crops at farms around Aldridge and Litchfield.
We were told that each working period would be for two consecutive weeks ( Mon. to Friday each week ).
We gathered at the Kingstanding Circle early each morning and awaited transport. An open farm lorry would arrive and we would all clamber on the back, sit on the floor and off we would go.
Land Army Girls were waiting at the Farms to get us organised and underway. The order of events were then that the Land Army Girls would shape us into groups/teams of 4 to 6 kids and take each group to our Potato row area in the field.
The Farmer had already turned the rows over with his Tractor and Potatoes were already exposed for picking. We each had a sack for collecting the crop and into battle we would go. In no time we had the first sacks full and grabbing another sack , in we went again.
The second and third sacks took a bit longer to fill because we were now clearing our area of sightable Potatoes. Job done
on our patch.
NO WAY.
Back comes the Tractor down the row and performs another turnover. More Potatoes appeared like magic. Fill another sack. Job done ?
Jeeze , the Tractor comes down again and there's still a few potatoes appearing. Fill half a sack. Have a short break and then move on to another part of the field and start over again.
Break for lunch ( Mom's sandwiches ).
In the afternoon we would repeat the mornings procedures but gradually clearing more and more of the crops from the field.
Late afternoon the Farm lorry arrives to take us back to the Kingstanding Circle. Tired legs but somehow fulfilled we head back home. ( There will not be any playing out to-night ).
I reckon it was probably the first disciplined labour experience that most of us kids had experienced up to then but it had an achievement side to it that I'm sure was another step on our ' growing up ' ladder.
Note : The Land Army ladies were great and we had lots of laughter during each day. They looked after us OK.
 
image.jpgWaste not, want not.
Nearly every street had at least one Lamp Post which during the war became virtually redundant ( Black- Out ).
A fair number of the kids around the estates used these lamp posts as ' climbing frames '.
The Girls were likely to be seen using the lamp post as a ' swing ' by throwing a piece of rope over one of the top bars and propelling themselves either backward and forwards or swinging around the lamp post.
For all this though they still had to keep their eyes open for the local patrolling ' Bobby '.
Sketch included.
 
I also did some spud picking, remember the tractor digging em up and them we had to bag em. Talk about a back breaking job. but for a good cause. John Crump OldBrit. Parker. Co USA
 
image.jpgTheir first baby and a new little Brummie is here.
For new Mom and new Dad a fast track learning curve and a new growing up experience begins.
Some of new Dads thoughts :
He's proud of his wife and thrilled at the arrival of his first little one. He's worked it out in his own mind as to how he will move forward and become a responsible Dad. He's been thinking about how he will be sharing his wife now and not having her full time attention that he's been used to and what he can do to help her out with the baby. He's decided that he is going to go for that possible promotion at work. He's wondering if his own family and the ' in-laws ' might be amenable for a little help and advice from time to time if necessary ( A bit of baby sitting now and again might be useful ). He's got the nursery ready for bringing the baby home ( gives himself a pat on the back for this one, lovely job he's done of it ).
He's weighed it up that his golf handicap is going to take a bit of a bending for a time, but so what, he's a Dad now and he's going to help build a lovely family.
Some of new Moms thoughts :
She's extremely thankful that the pregnancy is over and that the baby is fine and healthy. She's very much looking forward to going home and starting her ' motherhood ' duties. She's hoping hubby will understand that the baby is going to take up a fair amount of her time and that hubby will join in with a few of the ' duties '. She's had a word with her own Mother who has assured her that any help that she might need is there anytime. Best of all, she minds the first time that her hubby saw the baby and that look on his face told her that everything is going to be fine.
 
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A TROLLEY FOLLY ( 1942 ish )
One of the lads got his Farther to build a ' trolley ' that could sit Four aboard. It really looked good and we were eager to try out a fully laden downhill run on it. One morning Six of us of us set off to the Old Oscott Lane hill ( A Country like sloping ditch sided road that at the time had very little through traffic ). Arriving at the summit of the lane we decided on the ' crew' for the run and excitedly climbed aboard . Everyone in position we got a push off from the Two non crew lads and down the hill we started.
Good start and looking great. Drifting a bit to the left our driver tried a little steering correction. Too much correction so we needed another correction to bring the trolley back a bit to the left. Too much correction again and we are now Zig Zagging
to-wards the bottom of the hill at a fair old speed. It was now pretty obvious that we were completely out of control because the steering corrections were causing the Zig Zagging to become more intense.
Off the road we shot and straight into a ditch full of stinging nettles. We scrambled out of the ditch to find that we were all covered in ' nettle stings ' ( there's no way you could ever forget stings like that ). Anyway we found ' Dock leaves ' in the ditch area and tried the old fashioned rub it on the stings method to relieve the irritation . We recovered the trolley from the ditch ( not a scratch on it ), brushed ourselves down and decided to call it a day and headed back home to Kingstanding.
We had a go at the driver in no uncertain terms about his poor steering. It was some days later that we figured it out, that
it wasn't his fault. We realised that the fault was caused by the front steering foot bar sticking ( friction ) due to the weight
on it from Four beefy kids.
The trolley was re-designed to carry just one person and worked a treat on the same hill some weeks later. Just had to take it in turns for the ride.
Those ' Dock leaves ' on that day seemed to help a fair bit is my recollection.
 
Seem to remember we never had brakes on our trolley, you either stuck your foot out (my Mother always wondered why I wore my shoes out so quickly) or jumped off before you hit something.
 
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