• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Birmingham in 1960s

I just missed the 60s (born in 59), but my memories from this decade all seem to be in Black and White, the 70s were a better decade for me, everything I remember from this era is in full blown 3D Technicolour.Lol
 
Jean - I can remember drinking Barley Wine but it was pretty strong stuff! When we used to go to parties we used to take a bottle of Barsac as it was the cheapest wine we could buy. It cost under a £1 a bottle in those days!
 
Jayell said:
Jean - I can remember drinking Barley Wine but it was pretty strong stuff! When we used to go to parties we used to take a bottle of Barsac as it was the cheapest wine we could buy. It cost under a £1 a bottle in those days!
Click to expand...

hi judy i used to drink barley wine but in the 70s..god you are right it was strong...too strong..had to knock it on the head lol..

lyn
 
hi phil...fancy forgetting the day we won the world cup...i remember it well...

lyn
 
Short run down of the 60s for me.
1960. Started work, Woolworths in the Bull Ring, stock room boy.

1961. First "Proper" Holiday. Two weeks in Margate, in a tent, on a field next to Manston Airport??. Beer in the local pub up the road was 11p a pint!! It seemed like all the patrons of the West End, Casino, and the Ritz had decamped to Margate.

1962. Margate again, this time in a B&B in Dalbey Square. Dancing to the "Moddenaires" on the Pier. Butlins Vinery Bar for a few drinks ( Black Velvet - Cider and Mackison ) and entertainment. Again all the Dance Hall Patrons were there. Arranged for a date with the girl who would be my wife on our return to Brum.

1963. Got engaged. Valentines Day no less. Ooh you old romantic.

1964. Passed my driving test. Bought my first car. Brand new Mini Super De-lux, £464. Thanks to the discount that my "fiancee" got because she worked at Fisher & Ludlow.

1965. Wedding Bells. We were married at St Giles Church Sheldon. Grand affair. Honeymooned at home in our new house in Polesworth which cost £2995. I was left with 4s/8d.

1966. England- England-England World Cup. No more to be said.

1967. Patter of tiny feet. Birth of our son. Mother and Baby both fine. Home birth, which was the norm if you had a spare room and everything was OK with the Pregnancy.

1968. Lots of cleaning up after a very greedy baby. I hate the smell of sick!!

1969. Moved house. Bought the house we still live in for the astronomical/outrageous sum (well it seemed like it at the time) of £4500. Wife pregnant again. Beautiful baby Daughter born at The Women's Maternity Hospital ( QE ) 1970. Mother and Baby just fine.

Ain't life Grand. I think anyone who was lucky enough to be part of the 60's had the best of most things, Music, Entertainment, Pubs, Schools and a happy environment.

You could go and see the likes of The Everly Brothers, The Crystals, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran,The Stones, Jimmy Jones, Wee Willy Harris, Sam Cooke, Little Richard etc at the Odeon, Town Hall, or Hippodrome for the princely sum of 12/6 and NO BOOKING FEE.
jimbo
 
I was just ahead of you on the marriage steaks Jimbo, March 1963. We needed the tax rebate. We also had to leave the big city to find cheaper housing, we went to Lichfield. I was working at Fisher & Ludlow at the time and had to commute each day and night. Our first house was £2650, we were there for 6 years, before moving back towards Coventry, when I changed allegiance and went to work for Rootes. I had to commute to Coventry from Lichfield for six months, while we sorted another house out. Finally settled in a village called Harbury, just 12 miles from work. We lived there for 38 years.
 
Watched Prince Charles's investiture from a TV shop window where us children were invited in to seat actually in the window, in Haverford West. We were holidaying in Kilgetty in a caravan. They had a pig roast in the village and I bought a pork batch which was fantastic. I didn't have enough money and the old chap would have let me off 'if I was in the parish'. I told mum as I didn't know what that meant, she sent e back with the difference. They had fireworks and a mass rough and tumble of a sort of rugger game.
We got off lessons to watch the 1st man on the moon, I was bored rigid. Sitting cross legged in the hall. Dad said it was important though.
President Kennedy got shot. Dad said that was a terrible day and when Martin Luther King was murdered. I have a dream. They named a school here after the President. Anne Haydn wone Wimbledon. I ended up working with her son Mike Jones. He was chuffed I rememered his mum. Made me feel bxxxxy old. I also worked with Steve Ogrizovitch's son. And I rollerskated with Sandra Bullcock (Brookside's Mandy Jordash) in the 60's at Wyken Roller Skating Club. I played a Rabbit there, in Cinderella. A fat rabbit....on wheels.
Sandy Shaw sang Puppet on a String and Mary Hopkin sang Those were the days. Mum worked with her later on for THF remember Fortés (Forties) Mary was in Cardiff mum was here. Mum and the keep fit, remember that, ladies went on a day out in London and they met Frankie Vaughan after his show. Those were the days! We had field days. Maybe they still do.
I joined the cubs to please mum, hated it . She enrolled me to please me. Then we found out. Took piano lessons. Grandad died. That was a shock, I found him. Nan took a lodger who she later married. I hated him.
People went to church and Sunday school.
People dressed up more.
 
All good stuff Nico, gives you a taste of all the things that were going on in that time.Glad to see the grey matter hasn't faded.
 
The Odean Cinema was one of my favourite haunts. I remember going with my mates Dad in his new Zephyr Six, whilst my mate was slaving away at his apprenticeship down in Bristol. I remember the films, Ivanhoe & The Student Prince. Great films at the time.
 
Bikeral72 said:
The Odean Cinema was one of my favourite haunts. I remember going with my mates Dad in his new Zephyr Six, whilst my mate was slaving away at his apprenticeship down in Bristol. I remember the films, Ivanhoe & The Student Prince. Great films at the time.
Click to expand...
I remember a scary play for children, The Demon King. Loved the Student Prince with John Hanson, Drink Drink Drink tra la la la la la lal etc.
Dad took me to see Carry On Screaming in 1966 at The Empire. I was scared. The Flea Pit was still going then (The Alexandra) gran went and found loads of money on the floor when wveryone had gone. She was the last out as she walked with 2 sticks. The we went to see Carry On Cowbot and Diamonds are Forever and EEEEEEEEEEEEEVAAAAAAAAA!
 
Let me add my belated thanks for the posted video....good job. It brought back great memories of a great city at a great time in my life. Speaking from a purely chauvinistic standpoint, it was so nice to see women of all ages wearing dresses again, and of a sensible length....sigh!
 
Eutrino said:
Let me add my belated thanks for the posted video....good job. It brought back great memories of a great city at a great time in my life. Speaking from a purely chauvinistic standpoint, it was so nice to see women of all ages wearing dresses again, and of a sensible length....sigh!
Click to expand...
What do they wear in Calif now then?
Nico
 
Eutrino said:
Let me add my belated thanks for the posted video....good job. It brought back great memories of a great city at a great time in my life. Speaking from a purely chauvinistic standpoint, it was so nice to see women of all ages wearing dresses again, and of a sensible length....sigh!
Click to expand...

I didn't see this video, could you post it again, cheers.
Bikeral72
 
Didn't see it either. Was in when ladies wore hats? I was just saying we used to take our shoes off and wear slippers (bedroom or carpet ones) in the house. And men wore little ties and ladies wore high heels on the beach?
 
Nico, Regarding women's clobber in the US. Other than advertising/media/celebri-slut etc., mainstream gals seem to live in jeans so legs are rarely seen other than pool, beach or boudoir!
 
Correct me if I am wrong ladies but when I force myself in to town the common attire here seems to be leggings and tight trousers as we are colder than you, or denim very short shorts on top of tights. Dresses are around too here all lengths and shapes. I noticed in france that the maturer ladies wear cut off trousers with dangly ties on the leg bottoms and layered voile skirts. But what I did notice is however outlandish someone is there, no one bats an eyelid.
 
At school in the sixties we had current affairs. The teacher asked what we knew about the Tower of London. Who were the men who guard it. This lad got up and said beefburgers! Made us all laugh and the teacher. Then one day she asked us to tell her what was in the news and a girl put her hand up and said the dossers are on strike. Got another belly laugh. She meant the dockers so maybe someone could work out when that was. By my memory it would be around 1968 or 9. It was about the time Woolworths sold plastic parrotts on perches. I bought mum a plastic gondola one mothering sunday with flowers in the middle. And Colin Cowdrie the cricketer injured his cartiledge and eveyone at school said they had one.
 
Wikipedia gives the date for the Dock strike as 15/7/1970 although there were others especially in the late 1800's but doubt if that's the one you mean :)
 
The Colin Cowdrie Cartiledge incident was when I was in the last year of the juniors and the strike was the year after when I was a fuzzer in the seniors. So maybe it was 70 and not qualifying for the Sixties post. I started school aged 4 and a half others were five. Did you ever get fuzzerised?
I wore a tie on elastic in the 60's to school, Nan and auntie had kept all my school photos. I was very smart then. Hand knit pullovers vests and baggs underpants. We also wore short trousers except when it snowed. Some still had short trousers in the snow.We must have been healthier then.
 
I started school late as my birthday was the beginning of September, unfortunately my Mother found it very difficult to keep me without me helping to pay towards my keep so I missed the third year at senior school, totally out of my depth in the fourth and unfortunately my behaviour reflected this, still things worked out for the best in the end.
 
So you are naughty Nick too then?
Well we had to stay on till the end of the fifth year. If you chose not to take exams you ended up on toilet duty, minding classes stock taking car park duty or in the nursery if you were a girl.Just before that you could leave after the fourth year. I took exams and wanted to do another year but it turned out that my parents needed my income too as dad got made redundant and mum loat her job. As I got a job I left 6 months earlier than the others. Of the ones who did stay on they said it was useless. They went on to Technical college which they said was useless too. I wished I had gotten a better education though.
 
Yes I was a very naughty boy, in the words of Monty Python. I left when I was fourteen and started work on the following Monday, I was extremely fortunate and worked for the kindest boss I have ever known ( Sir Frank Griffin) without his financial help and guidance I would have ended up as just another numpty. Being in the right place at the right time and learning my trade (mechanic) certainly helped and resulted in my early retirement when I was 50. I retook my PSV/PCV test after twelve months of extending my new cottage in Cornwall and then worked for a further five years full and part time bus driving as I felt I had retired too early.
 
Well Naughty Nick. I wasn't a naughty boy but one of my colleagues called me that as I loved a bit of irony. I used to write a 'secret' periodical.
I am not retired although my job was taken from me, a couple of years age wise after you retired. As I said to big G I have been renovating too and learning in the process I als do a bit for folk here and then and occsassionally have had expenses or get paid in Easter eggs for example.
A mechanic is a good trade. There would have been a lot of work in the sixties for you I expect.
 
Well Naughty Nick, as I was saying to Big G, I am not retired I just don't have a job that pays a salary. I did my place up and learnt a few things doing that. I do other things and I somtime get expenses or I got paid with an easter egg for example.At least you tried and got another skill.
 
My real lucky break was getting a job with Shell Mex & BP (as it was) in the late sixties, started as a mechanic and finished as a manager.
 
Sorry for repeating myself, Nick, must be me age. Remember when all the big firms had children's parties and pantoes. I went to both my parents' ones. I think I missed the boat all round. The sixties was still the time of family businesses. So My 2nd job which I stayed in was family owned. I started early 70's and was the last year they had a massive Christmas Tree outside on the balcony which dominated the street. With lights. It must have been going down then as the year before was the last year they had a Christmas Party at the locarno, free drinks food and taxis. Although my first Chritsmas salary I was beaming as they gave us all an ectra week's wages. Some folks must have ben raking it in. I was over the moon with my £14 and it heloed a lot. I was earning as much as mum then. My mate was an apprentice and he only got £5 a week. And he had to have a Christmas Hamper instead of the extra week's wage. When he lost his full time job he was on double what I came out with and his brother 3 times more than me. He who laughs first I suppose. I could have stuck my head above the loine and become a manager but they never lasted long, in the end. when the company sold out, so many times, so many dodgy MD's and then got involved with Maxwell's mob.
Maybe we should have a thread for the disappearing garages. There used to be a little one on every corner in the 60's.
Nico
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top