D
Dorothy Dodson
Guest
In the unlikely event that Michael Aspel will ever call with his RED BOOK - thought I'd do a send-up the following is "WOT A LIFE !" 
April 19 1924 - this was the day that Francis Sheargold and Violet Beckett were married, at St James Church Aston., she was 21 he was 22. They had met 2 years previously, he was the only child of a second marriage, she was the 2nd daughter of a family who lived in Summer Lane. But when they met,Violet's parents were dead. And so that was how she finished up in the home of her in-laws at 110 Tower Road, Aston. :lol:
February 1937, and Violet, aged 34, was expecting her first child, she decided to scrub the front room lino, to be sure that everywhere would be clean before her confinement, and as she finished, and was struggling to her feet, she knocked the bucket of water over the floor. She went into labour that night 23 Feb, and her daughter was born the next morning 24 Feb - so this was my introduction to Tower Road. I was a 9lb bouncing baby, nearly killed my mom, as she was a petite lady. But what she lacked in physique she gained in mental agility.
Across the road was the newsagents, Perrys, at 107 Tower Road* and i remember that they would make a great fuss of me. Elsie their neice who lived with them, would take me out in my pram on Sunday mornings, usually she walked as far as Perry Hall Park, where I seem to remember that the soldiers were practicing on their rifle range.
* See Dennis Moody's Memories of Tower Road - the Perrys were in residence 6 times before his mum and dad. :!:
Sept 1939 Hitler :evil: starts his European tour, 1940/41? Tower Road along with most of Aston and Birmingham, take to the Anderson shelters. I dont remember being frightened at this time. In fact my mother used to pretend it was a game. But after the 11 hours raid over Birmingham, my mom decided that we would leave for the country, and she took me to Ashby de la Zouch, where my Aunt and two cousins joined us. I think we would have been there for about a year.
1942 I started my schooldays at Upper Thomas Street School. I went into the reception class, where Miss Ackrill was the teacher. I remember she called over a little girl named Joan Reynolds and told her to take care of me, which she did. I have just caught up with Joan again, but we have not actually met, but that is on the agenda. Hopefully for this year (2003). Miss Quartermain was the headmistress, and after the reception i went into Mrs Bowens Class, who we all loved. Then into the top class - Miss Rhodes of the sausage curls hair style, I also remember that she would pull up the trouser legs of the little boys and smack them soundly. I remember that the school was opened in the Summer holidays, for games and fun, to cheer us kids who were upset by the nightly visits from the Lufftwaffe. :cry:
May 1945 the war is over, and we all dance in the streets, I was 8 yrs old, and i remember the bonfires, and the bands and the celebrations, however we had to wait until August for Japan to surrender, when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. How could we know what we had gotten into? :!:
September 1948 - I start my secondary education at Vicarage Road Secondary Modern Girls school. Some of my friends from UTS also went there, Joan Reynolds, Anne Taylor, Colleen Faragher, to name but three. We were all friendly and happy. We still are. Anne lives in Aberystwth married to Dai for the past 44 years, Colleen lives in Quinton married to Tony for the past 25yrs (her second marriage). Sadly Joan is widowed (recently) but she was happily married to Ken. I have been married to Bill for the past 44 years, and we now live in North Wales. :lol:
November 1955 - I meet Bill at the Palace Dance Hall Erdington. He didn't know it, but i decided that night that he was going to marry me. :wink: I was wearing a teddy girl suit, Oatmeal with velvet collar, and I carried one of those long umbrellas, Bill mugged me for the umbrella and ran off down the High Street, with me chasing him, taking care not to catch him until we were at the bus stop. The rest is history. Bill lived in Erdington, but he got on the bus with me, and when we alighted at Aston Cross, the mixture of Ansells and HP sauce was a bit of culture shock for him, but he pretended not to notice. And asked me to go out the next night. We have been together ever since.
March 1958 - We get married at St James Church Aston. :lol:
Feb 1959 - Our first child makes his appearance - Stephen !0lb 3 oz - a rather difficult birth. But he was and is gorgeous. He is now a divorced father, with one daughter aged 16 who lives with him at Walsall. 8)
March 1962 our second son Michael is born - another hefty babe. He is now a colour sergeant in the Royal Marines. Married and a dad of Natasha aged 15 and Ben aged 10. 8)
June 1973 - and what a surpise! Robert is born, idolised by his brothers, and adored by all of us. He is presently living in London, a Civil Engineering Graduate with a masters. 8)
April 19 1924 - this was the day that Francis Sheargold and Violet Beckett were married, at St James Church Aston., she was 21 he was 22. They had met 2 years previously, he was the only child of a second marriage, she was the 2nd daughter of a family who lived in Summer Lane. But when they met,Violet's parents were dead. And so that was how she finished up in the home of her in-laws at 110 Tower Road, Aston. :lol:
February 1937, and Violet, aged 34, was expecting her first child, she decided to scrub the front room lino, to be sure that everywhere would be clean before her confinement, and as she finished, and was struggling to her feet, she knocked the bucket of water over the floor. She went into labour that night 23 Feb, and her daughter was born the next morning 24 Feb - so this was my introduction to Tower Road. I was a 9lb bouncing baby, nearly killed my mom, as she was a petite lady. But what she lacked in physique she gained in mental agility.
Across the road was the newsagents, Perrys, at 107 Tower Road* and i remember that they would make a great fuss of me. Elsie their neice who lived with them, would take me out in my pram on Sunday mornings, usually she walked as far as Perry Hall Park, where I seem to remember that the soldiers were practicing on their rifle range.
* See Dennis Moody's Memories of Tower Road - the Perrys were in residence 6 times before his mum and dad. :!:
Sept 1939 Hitler :evil: starts his European tour, 1940/41? Tower Road along with most of Aston and Birmingham, take to the Anderson shelters. I dont remember being frightened at this time. In fact my mother used to pretend it was a game. But after the 11 hours raid over Birmingham, my mom decided that we would leave for the country, and she took me to Ashby de la Zouch, where my Aunt and two cousins joined us. I think we would have been there for about a year.
1942 I started my schooldays at Upper Thomas Street School. I went into the reception class, where Miss Ackrill was the teacher. I remember she called over a little girl named Joan Reynolds and told her to take care of me, which she did. I have just caught up with Joan again, but we have not actually met, but that is on the agenda. Hopefully for this year (2003). Miss Quartermain was the headmistress, and after the reception i went into Mrs Bowens Class, who we all loved. Then into the top class - Miss Rhodes of the sausage curls hair style, I also remember that she would pull up the trouser legs of the little boys and smack them soundly. I remember that the school was opened in the Summer holidays, for games and fun, to cheer us kids who were upset by the nightly visits from the Lufftwaffe. :cry:
May 1945 the war is over, and we all dance in the streets, I was 8 yrs old, and i remember the bonfires, and the bands and the celebrations,
however we had to wait until August for Japan to surrender, when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. How could we know what we had gotten into? :!: September 1948 - I start my secondary education at Vicarage Road Secondary Modern Girls school. Some of my friends from UTS also went there, Joan Reynolds, Anne Taylor, Colleen Faragher, to name but three. We were all friendly and happy. We still are. Anne lives in Aberystwth married to Dai for the past 44 years, Colleen lives in Quinton married to Tony for the past 25yrs (her second marriage). Sadly Joan is widowed (recently) but she was happily married to Ken. I have been married to Bill for the past 44 years, and we now live in North Wales. :lol:
November 1955 - I meet Bill at the Palace Dance Hall Erdington. He didn't know it, but i decided that night that he was going to marry me. :wink: I was wearing a teddy girl suit, Oatmeal with velvet collar, and I carried one of those long umbrellas, Bill mugged me for the umbrella and ran off down the High Street, with me chasing him, taking care not to catch him until we were at the bus stop. The rest is history. Bill lived in Erdington, but he got on the bus with me, and when we alighted at Aston Cross, the mixture of Ansells and HP sauce was a bit of culture shock for him, but he pretended not to notice. And asked me to go out the next night. We have been together ever since.
March 1958 - We get married at St James Church Aston. :lol:
Feb 1959 - Our first child makes his appearance - Stephen !0lb 3 oz - a rather difficult birth. But he was and is gorgeous. He is now a divorced father, with one daughter aged 16 who lives with him at Walsall. 8)
March 1962 our second son Michael is born - another hefty babe. He is now a colour sergeant in the Royal Marines. Married and a dad of Natasha aged 15 and Ben aged 10. 8)
June 1973 - and what a surpise! Robert is born, idolised by his brothers, and adored by all of us. He is presently living in London, a Civil Engineering Graduate with a masters. 8)
