Recent content by erc809

Hi - interesting thread, I've been trying to research my Father who was and is a mystery to my sister and I, have learned from a helpful Veteran details of Dad's siblings six in all and a revelation to us, this thread has prompted me to say Father was in the Warwickshire Reg as a kid I recall...

Hi Phil/Di I'm very late as usual, as a lad growing up around Witton I recall us referring to the grassy area on the hill between Deykin Avenue and Brookvale Park as 'The Barrage Balloon field' we used to catch field mice and release then in what must have been the Concrete Balloon Mooring...

Nice Ariel pic, remember as a young Gas Board apprentice working for two weeks in The Crocodile Works -2 very long weeks. I married a Pat Burford who worked in Griffins Greengrocery Shop in Newtown she later worked up above the Bartons Arms at a Firm called Ingalls Parsons & Clive where they...

Could that be the a rear view of The GEC Magnet Club? next to Brookvale Park and the M6 I believe it's now a Greek Community Centre, many times I have practiced running on the track there for Deykin Ave School sports Day at The Alexandra Sport Stadium. Anyone any other ideas. Eric

Hi Charlie, your Grand parents would be in the next terrace to ours they would live at the far end being No6 while we lived at the rear of the Street house 222 being No 1, we lived there around 1960 as a young married couple and had some great times in that little place, a cellar, living room...

Hi Seabird, new Frank Bluck for years, older than I we worked out of the same branches at the Gas, Lord St nechells and then in the 60s at Sherbourne St Ladywood, believe he was a keen cricketer in his day as well, didn't know Frank hailed from S Heath but as I say knew him so well in the work...

Hi Seabird, what was your Dad's name, I worked out of Lord St on No 3 District {Aston-Newtown-Lozells) as an apprentice around 1949 - until my N Service in 52. If your Dad was called out to Parkinson-Cowan Stechford he would probably be No 4 District but we all congregated in the same area for...

Sorry Seabird - so many fitters dotted around the City at District Branches, I could ask my Pal from those days (Dave Gilmore) possible to work a life time and never meet up with others. I worked at Lord St Perry-Barr and finally Central Fitting in Ladywood before leaving to work for myself...

On my travels working as a gas-fitter with B'ham Gas Board I once had a fortnight at The Crocodile Works Alma St converting their huge walk in Ovens to Town Gas. Talk about Dante's Inferno, the heat and noise as rows of men toiled sharpening long Knives -the word Panga comes to mind or pehaps...

Re: Edge Tool Makers.(A F Parkes Dartmouth St) Hi GER22VAN, glad you identified with my memory from my brief time in AF PARKES all the more poignant for you having a Great Grandfather work there so a vested interest in our City Heritage and your DNA to prove it, so please feel proud of that...

Re: Edge Tool Makers.(A F Parkes Dartmouth St) As a young Gas fitting apprentice at Lord St Nechells in the late forties I once had the opportunity to witness the skills of the employees at A F Parkes' in Darmouth St while doing some work there. I was mesmorised to see a blob of molten metal...

Well done Kenh for the pic's of Icknield St shops, I was shocked to see the B'ham Mint gone when I last drove past, our first place was 1/222 dead opposite and they went years ago, sad to see a car occupying the space where we had so many good times. It was a bustling area in the early sixties...

Clifton Road Hi Lindy, we were glad to have somewhere to live when were married at Aston Church in 56, my wife's Gran (May Reynolds) lived down the Yard behind Jackson's chippie and in fact May used to go and help out there tearing the B'ham Mail and Evening Despatch in to wrapping for the...

I grew up around Deykin Avenue in the 40's and lived in Brantley Rd next to it, Williams' family ran the Newsagents shop after the war and must have sold millions of fags to the workers around there. The school reached it's Century this year and a few of us oldies were there a few months ago to...

A schoolmate at Deykin Avenue School, Witton was an Alec Onions or I should say O'nions he would be about 72 now and I see him at the school reunion every year, if there's any message I can pass.