• 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
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Ex Pats and Brummies abroad

Your mention, Bob, of Pebble Beach reminded me of my Rolls photos sent to me by the San Francisco buyer, these were taken of its entry to the Pebble Beach Concourse. After he had it resprayed 'Midnight blue and black leather upholstery.' He said it didn't win a prize because it still needed some work under the 'hood'
Rolls in colour 1 001.jpgRolls in colour 1 001.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Rolls in colour2 001.jpg
    Rolls in colour2 001.jpg
    139.6 KB · Views: 26
wendylee said:
Hi Robert I hear you when you say you felt selfish at times, I also thought "how could I leave my family for new life in Oz ".
However my husband lost his job in 1971 and it was a hard time finding work so we decided to give Australia a go and see how things went. My hubby got a job within a week and we bought a house within three months, it was a new start for us and our two young children. My dad wouldnt talk about us going , I think he thought if he didnt talk about it , it wouldnt happen, however 3 years after we emigrated, mum and dad visited us. We all had a wonderful 4 weeks and my parents enjoyed sightseeing and seeing us all, especially the grandchildren.
The year after they visited my dad died suddenly.... I was shattered.... A little later my sister told me dad told her that we did the right thing, that we had a wonderful life in Australia.... I knew then we had done the right thing. I had my mum for another 20 years and we also chatted every week about life and family etc.

How lovely your pop spent many months each year with you. Its lovely to hear the good life you have had racing over the years and that you chat weekly with your dad.
Keep enjoying that sunshine Robert and wearing your shorts.
Thank you for sharing your story.

Wendy
Click to expand...
Great story...……...
 
My wife is mixed race, half Cornish, half Devonian and came to Birmingham to teach, met her at a Saturday night Jazz Club at The Golden Cross, and married her later that year, 1959, she taught at Upper Thomas Street, I worked at Cannings and had a Dad who dreamt of a country cottage in Devon with roses round the door. Unable to buy a house within the Birmingham boundary, the only choice was Dawley (later Telford) which was three hours by train from Birmingham at that time. Then Cannings had a rationalisation, no overtime, so time for us to move on and live my Dad's dream, I moved August 1962 to Plymouth (living the other side of the Tamar with my inlaws), jobs hard to find and much lower paid (I dropped £7.00 per week), eventually my wife got a teaching job and joined me, bought a house, had children, moved around Devon, my Dad died at 53 shortly after we moved and in a way we lost touch with my mother, except for quite unpleasant short visits, us to her or her to us, my sister had moved to Bristol and we lost touch with our friends, because at that time Devon was a long way from Birmingham and it once took us from 9am until 6.30 pm to motor the A38, no motorways, just traffic jams, Exeter, Taunton, Bristol & Gloucester. Twice during this time we looked at the Antipodes and Canada, but for one reason or another were not brave enough to chance it. I missed Birmingham, because I was a City boy, but began to enjoy the rural life, I've seen my children grow up and succeed, one son the director of a local large building company, the other son a director at Apple with a remit that allows him to cover Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
I still love to visit Birmingham and am glad that it is now so easy to do, either by road or train. One thing I do find sad, is the friends we have whose children have moved to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US of A, who have never seen their grandchildren and blame travel costs. Being a constant traveller myself, I know there are bargains available if you put yourself out to fly at strange unsociable times and by odd routes and I am sure if any of my family was abroad, I would be there twice a year at least as a consequence I wonder if there is a jealousy that the youngsters have done something that the parents were prevented (remember what our parents were like in the 50s/60s) from doing by family ties. At 83 I am doing the best job I have ever had, still on the road regularly, wheeling and dealing but also with qualifications now. However I have to admit that after I took off from Manchester on a 21 day holiday in Australia and Dubai, my 98year old mother passed away and I could not get back to the UK for the funeral..

Bob
 
Some excellent stories so far...I left Aston in 1956, just 6 weeks after leaving school (MSA) My family moved to Crawley, Sussex, which was one of those "new towns". My dad got a job that came with a house...yes a real house with indoor plumbing, a front and back garden and my own bedroom. Can you imagine how that felt after living all my life in a back to back in Paddington St? The euphoria lasted about a year and the reality of living in a very boring town, a Brummie accent and no mates, sunk in. However, once I got wheels, I would go up to Brum as much as possible and when the MI opened, I was one of the first to use it. I was a regular visitor but didn't go to Aston that much as many of my friends had moved out of the area during the slum clearance period. I moved to Toronto, Canada in 1966, just after England won the World Cup (for the last time). I met a girl in Crawley about a year or so before I left and her family were also moving to Canada and subsequently became my first wife in 1967. We divorced in 1985, having a son Dave Jr, who is now 51 and I have 2 grandchildren. I met my second and present wife Pat in 1985 and married in 1987. She has 4 children and now I have 6 grandchildren...no great grandchildren, it seems that many kids these days are not having children, preferring dogs or cats. I have to say that moving to Canada was a quantum leap in terms of standard of living. A lifestyle that people back home would have to wait another 10 or 20 years to attain. My mom & dad, who were very skeptical about my move, visited for the first time in 1969 and loved it here and truly acknowledged that it was the right move. As most of you know, we have a very long and cold winter and after I retired in 2015 at age 75, Pat & I decided to become "snowbirds", spending much of the winter in SE Georgia, close to Florida.
Dave A
 
wendylee said:
Hi Robert I hear you when you say you felt selfish at times, I also thought "how could I leave my family for new life in Oz ".
However my husband lost his job in 1981 and it was a hard time finding work so we decided to give Australia a go and see how things went. My hubby got a job within a week and we bought a house within three months, it was a new start for us and our two young children. My dad wouldnt talk about us going , I think he thought if he didnt talk about it , it wouldnt happen, however 3 years after we emigrated, mum and dad visited us. We all had a wonderful 4 weeks and my parents enjoyed sightseeing and seeing us all, especially the grandchildren.
The year after they visited my dad died suddenly.... I was shattered.... A little later my sister told me dad told her that we did the right thing, that we had a wonderful life in Australia.... I knew then we had done the right thing. I had my mum for another 20 years and we also chatted every week about life and family etc.

How lovely your pop spent many months each year with you. Its lovely to hear the good life you have had racing over the years and that you chat weekly with your dad.
Keep enjoying that sunshine Robert and wearing your shorts.
Thank you for sharing your story.

Wendy

Sorry guys had to amend the date on this post it was 1981 my hubby lost his job we left for Oz in 1983...
Click to expand...
This thread is I find one of the most interesting yet, many of us left Brum why? The reasons are varied as the ones writing them, we all had our reasons, what if we had NOT left??? ever think about that. Would we have been that bad or good off? But that is what makes the world go around. My leaving has caused so many other people, wives, kids grandkids inlaws outlaws you name it some divorces, remarried more kids, It is amazing what leaving Brum did and how much we have added to the world by doing so. I will bore you more, with my tales later. Thanks, to BIRMINGHAM HISTORY FORUM for letting this all been told, by so many to so few? Just how many members are there I wonder???
 
Some very interesting stories indeed. At present it seems that only John and Maurice have moved to non-English speaking countries.
 
Pedrocut said:
Some very interesting stories indeed. At present, it seems that only John and Maurice have moved to non-English speaking countries.
Click to expand...
That's a good one!!!! When I arrived in the USA in 1957 it was amazing to me. how many different dialects there were, very hard for a Brummie to understand them at times, now I have the same problems when I return to England.
 
Pedro,

At one point I was on the point of moving to Pennsylvania, but language is a minor problem. Those who have land on Crete are either subsistence farmers, farmers exporting tomatoes, bananas or sultanas for a living, are involved in the tourist trade. 16% of Greece's GDP is from tourism, so most of those selling some commodity or other to tourists speaks English. And, of course, English is the prime foreign language taught in Greek schools, and since many Greek kids don't want to be stuck in low paid tourist or agricultuaral jobs, they want to become proficient in English. Their passport to working anywhere but on Crete.

About a third of the houses in this village are vacanct. The old folks have died and the kids have left the island in the hope of making a better life for themselves. So whilst houses are cheap here, they are ruins and you'd better be prepared to at least double the price on revovations and quickly learn the ins and out of the Greek system if you plan to buy here.

I would imagine the situation in Thailand is not dissimilar, but will leave John to answer.

Maurice :)
 
sospiri said:
Pedro,

At one point I was on the point of moving to Pennsylvania, but language is a minor problem. Those who have land on Crete are either subsistence farmers, farmers exporting tomatoes, bananas or sultanas for a living, are involved in the tourist trade. 16% of Greece's GDP is from tourism, so most of those selling some commodity or other to tourists speaks English. And, of course, English is the prime foreign language taught in Greek schools, and since many Greek kids don't want to be stuck in low paid tourist or agricultuaral jobs, they want to become proficient in English. Their passport to working anywhere but on Crete.

About a third of the houses in this village are vacanct. The old folks have died and the kids have left the island in the hope of making a better life for themselves. So whilst houses are cheap here, they are ruins and you'd better be prepared to at least double the price on revovations and quickly learn the ins and out of the Greek system if you plan to buy here.

I would imagine the situation in Thailand is not dissimilar, but will leave John to answer.

Maurice :)
Click to expand...

Do you have similar problems to Lesbos with illegal immigrants?
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
Well it is a small world spent many a holiday in that part of Cornwall in fact both my pop and me intend to have our ashes spread at Trevone beach
Click to expand...
Bob We went to Falmouth every year for years, Late 1940 early 1950s took my bike in the boot of the Rover and rode all over the lanes in Cornwall always stayed at the same BB run by a South America lady great cooking fresh homegrown everything, I would take a sketch pad in the saddle bag and draw as I stopped I was about 13or so. Happy days Photo was taken at Falmouth beach, funny how they dressed up at the beach those days, I had my cycling shoes on ready to go riding17211930_1580928261935022_2026985647781923555_o.jpgJohns painting 1950s 001.jpg60025665_1806519846114710_6856070407867334656_n.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 43063173_1522551461178218_245474144223756288_o.jpg
    43063173_1522551461178218_245474144223756288_o.jpg
    195.8 KB · Views: 16
Last edited:
Pedrocut said:
Do you have similar problems to Lesbos with illegal immigrants?
Click to expand...
Is it "political" to tell the truth I wonder? It does seem to be nowadays in UK. Anyway, most of my family come from Birmingham going back before the Industrial Revolution, that's as far as I've been able to track them. I left Birmingham for the 2nd, and last time when we moved to Southern Ireland in 2002. The weather was atrocious there most of the time, and we were too remote, so lots of mistakes made. We then moved to Somerset, which is where my husband's family's from. Birmingham now largely belongs to others.
 
oldbrit said:
Bob We went to Falmouth every year for years, Late 1940 early 1950s took my bike in the boot of the Rover and rode all over the lanes in Cornwall always stayed at the same BB run by a South America lady great cooking fresh homegrown everything, I would take a sketch pad in the saddle bag and draw as I stopped I was about 13or so. Happy days Photo was taken at Falmouth beach, funny how they dressed up at the beach those days, I had my cycling shoes on ready to go ridingView attachment 134420View attachment 134422View attachment 134423
Click to expand...
That looks like one of my folks and sister along with me, ha ha
 
Having seen that pic I wonder if a holiday picture thread would fly, may be the mods could set the rules in keeping with history, after all I have no interest in seeing more Disney Land pictures from two years agp
 
I was going to write a long dissertation about my leaving and going to the States, but methinks this thread is getting off topic after all this is the BIRMINGHAM HISTORY FORUM I welcome anyone to contact me at [email protected] or visit my facebook page John Crump athlete. if they want to chat. My thanks to the staff at BHF for there understanding and patience
 
Bob Davis said:
My wife is mixed race, half Cornish, half Devonian and came to Birmingham to teach, met her at a Saturday night Jazz Club at The Golden Cross, and married her later that year, 1959, she taught at Upper Thomas Street, I worked at Cannings and had a Dad who dreamt of a country cottage in Devon with roses round the door. Unable to buy a house within the Birmingham boundary, the only choice was Dawley (later Telford) which was three hours by train from Birmingham at that time. Then Cannings had a rationalisation, no overtime, so time for us to move on and live my Dad's dream, I moved August 1962 to Plymouth (living the other side of the Tamar with my inlaws), jobs hard to find and much lower paid (I dropped £7.00 per week), eventually my wife got a teaching job and joined me, bought a house, had children, moved around Devon, my Dad died at 53 shortly after we moved and in a way we lost touch with my mother, except for quite unpleasant short visits, us to her or her to us, my sister had moved to Bristol and we lost touch with our friends, because at that time Devon was a long way from Birmingham and it once took us from 9am until 6.30 pm to motor the A38, no motorways, just traffic jams, Exeter, Taunton, Bristol & Gloucester. Twice during this time we looked at the Antipodes and Canada, but for one reason or another were not brave enough to chance it. I missed Birmingham, because I was a City boy, but began to enjoy the rural life, I've seen my children grow up and succeed, one son the director of a local large building company, the other son a director at Apple with a remit that allows him to cover Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
I still love to visit Birmingham and am glad that it is now so easy to do, either by road or train. One thing I do find sad, is the friends we have whose children have moved to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US of A, who have never seen their grandchildren and blame travel costs. Being a constant traveller myself, I know there are bargains available if you put yourself out to fly at strange unsociable times and by odd routes and I am sure if any of my family was abroad, I would be there twice a year at least as a consequence I wonder if there is a jealousy that the youngsters have done something that the parents were prevented (remember what our parents were like in the 50s/60s) from doing by family ties. At 83 I am doing the best job I have ever had, still on the road regularly, wheeling and dealing but also with qualifications now. However I have to admit that after I took off from Manchester on a 21 day holiday in Australia and Dubai, my 98year old mother passed away and I could not get back to the UK for the funeral..

Bob
Click to expand...
Who hasn't got a Exeter by pass story getting caught there with all the same folks having the same fortnight holiday time in Brum
 
Pedro,

No, none at all. A few landed on the south coast one day a couple of years ago, but pretty soon scooted off to Italy.

Maurice
 
9
sospiri said:
Pedro,

At one point I was on the point of moving to Pennsylvania, but language is a minor problem. Those who have land on Crete are either subsistence farmers, farmers exporting tomatoes, bananas or sultanas for a living, are involved in the tourist trade. 16% of Greece's GDP is from tourism, so most of those selling some commodity or other to tourists speaks English. And, of course, English is the prime foreign language taught in Greek schools, and since many Greek kids don't want to be stuck in low paid tourist or agricultuaral jobs, they want to become proficient in English. Their passport to working anywhere but on Crete.

About a third of the houses in this village are vacanct. The old folks have died and the kids have left the island in the hope of making a better life for themselves. So whilst houses are cheap here, they are ruins and you'd better be prepared to at least double the price on revovations and quickly learn the ins and out of the Greek system if you plan to buy here.

I would imagine the situation in Thailand is not dissimilar, but will leave John to answer.

Maurice :)
Click to expand...
Maurice, The housing situation in Thailand is odd!, to say the least. Would take too long to fully explain but the basis is that foreigners can not own land. Housing is cheap, unless you want to live in Bangkok or on the beach! Many buy a house in their wife's name, and regret it later!
Renting long term is my preferred option. Supply is plentiful, rent is cheap, and take your pick from Thai or western style. If you must buy, you can find Bungalows or Houses, with a pool, for £40k to £100k, and upwards.
The military govt and general corruption in every part of life are the biggest downside, at the moment numerous annoyances in that direction are causing much unease and a drop in expat numbers. But i think we may be straying off topic and into the realm of whispers and dark glasses. If anybody wants an insight pm please.
 
Oldbrit, Your musical progress in the USA has been an interesting read. I more or less gave up professional drumming in the late 70's, when i realised that fame and fortune had passed by! But once every 5 years or so i would persuade some unsuspecting soul to let me have a knock! Like riding a bike, you dont forget.
I often visited friends in Memphis and Mississippi in the Duck Hunting season and one time we went to Beale st to see the sights. My buddy had a relative who played trombone with the Memphis Jazz Orchestra and we went to their lunchtime practise session in one of the clubs. Of course, one thing led to another and they let me sit in for a couple of numbers," Get on the right track, baby", and a version of" Black Betty".
My buddy didn't know my history as a drummer and the look on his face was hilarious! He got me back though, he told me we were going Hog hunting in Northern Arkansas, right now, c'mon, let's go!
We drove to a little airfield and put our stuff in a small Cesna, waited 15 mins, and when no pilot showed up he says, " Oh Hell, we gonna be late. How does this thing work? I'll fly it!"
With that, he started it up, taxied, and took off!"
After a few minutes, he says " Here, you wanna fly? I need to look at the map"!
Of course, he had flown his own plane all over the USA as a Real Estate promoter for many years, but i didnt know that. We had a great few years of pranking each other.
 
For the past 11 years we have lived in Highlands, North Carolina. Previous to that we lived/worked for 22 years in in Atlanta, Georgia. We moved from Harborne to the US in 1986, so that my (US born) wife could spend the last few months with her father who was dying from prostate cancer. We have no regrets about the move, but as time goes on I find myself missing Brum and Britain. I visit a Malvern page on Facebook and that serves to give me my Brit therapy. Like Wendylee, I miss pork sausages, Harvo, autumn leaves and in addition, black pudding. I also really miss the countryside; the green fields, birdsongs, summer evenings. Language here is not a problem, although sometimes Shaw's “England and America are two countries separated by the same language” does come into play.
 
Most of you ex pats probably would not recognise a British pub now, the few that still survive, if they have not become a gastropub serving pricey high end food, they are now empty desolate places lacking atmosphere. Those that are busy are usually in University cities and towns with the snowflakes whingeing about anything and everything, especially their six to seven hours of learning each week, because apparently they no longer have 9 to 5 lectures. In the summer some of the country pubs manage to continue as they once did and provide gardens etc, but the once cosy pub is a thing of the past,.
Eric what is an RSA place?

Bob
 
Bob Davis said:
Most of you ex pats probably would not recognise a British pub now, the few that still survive, if they have not become a gastropub serving pricey high end food, they are now empty desolate places lacking atmosphere. Those that are busy are usually in University cities and towns with the snowflakes whingeing about anything and everything, especially their six to seven hours of learning each week, because apparently they no longer have 9 to 5 lectures. In the summer some of the country pubs manage to continue as they once did and provide gardens etc, but the once cosy pub is a thing of the past,.
Eric what is an RSA place?

Bob
Click to expand...
I think Eric might mean an RSL which stands for returned and services league, they support men and women who have served or who are serving in the military, there like bars which serve food and have areas called pokies where you can gamble on horse racing etc or play fruit machines all night. Very popular in Australia, a bit like weatherspoons with ladbrokes in the corner
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top