Hi Solihull Chic, I forgot little Jimmy Williams, he was youngest but one wasn't he?, Stuart being the youngest, he had blonde hair when he was young, and we nick named him Loobyloo, (after the character in Andy Pandy) George being the oldest, if I remember rightly he had a good job at the GPO on the phone installation side. Yes as I said in my post a Mr & Mrs Palmer did run a hardware shop on the left hand corner of Jackson Road, but they were no relation to my Grandparents who lived on the right. When we used to play in the Williams back yard Mrs Williams on looking at the time would say to us all "AWAY AND PLAY YOURSELVES THE NOO, YOUR DAD WILL BE HOME IN A MINUTE" We all were very wary of "Jock" Williams, he was a bit fearsome, and sure enough as we exited the entry into the road there was "Jock" peddling up the road on his bike coming home from work, (I think he worked at Fishers in Washwood Heath?). There was one occasion when he had given us grief and me and my little gang all tiptoed up the entry and "Jock" was in his shed, he had a magnificent 6 foot corrugated iron fence painted dark green running the length of the garden, when we had all gathered at the top I armed the "gang" with some sticks and on the count of three we ran hell for leather down the entry shouting at the tops of our voices with our sticks dragging along the corrugated fence making a noise like a dozen machine guns going off, we flew out of the entry into Jackson Road followed by "Jock" who raced out of his shed armed with a piece of 3X2 timber which he let fly at us, at the same uttering those immortal words "WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON THAT BLEEDIN' CHRISTOPHER, I WILL KILL HIM" I lived at both 410 and 387 Alum Rock Road (not at the same time lol) 387 rear entry exited into Jackson Road along side Mrs Lamb's house , so she also told us off for running up and down making a noise. My Dad used to say to me when I was talking to him "DON'T SHOUT" to which I replied I was born in a noisy age (1943 war etc) and his response was "AND YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED A LOT TOWARDS IT". I went to Anthony Road J&I school and because I didn't like school dinners on some days I would climb over the school wall onto the alum Rock Road and nip round to Granny Palme's and have some nice stew or whatever they were having and then back to school over the wall and into the playground.
Give my regards to Malcom and any of the others who are about.
All the best Chris Bryan.
I have a photo taken at Anthony Road School for the Coronation Party if I can find it I will post it another time, I am Sure Malcom and Jimmy are on it.