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Growing Up In Brum - Roy Blakey Inspired.

" HEY, LOOK AT THAT, IT'S A ROLLS ROYCE ".
Thinking about how we kids viewed cars and car makers. There wasn't too many cars to be seen at the time that I'm talking about.I recall that we kids would see a few cars of the likes of the Austin 7 ( that was a little one to us ) there was the Ford 8 HP and the Morris 8 ( middle size ) and a big one would be some thing like a Wolseley.
The cars that we did see would mainly only be used for ' essential purposes ' at that time ( wartime petrol rationing ).
I don't think that any of our kids group ever had a ride in a car until we became young men and women and that would be well after the war.
I do recall that there was one occassion when we saw a " Rolls Royce " on the car park of the " Kingstanding " pub.
Wow, did we think it was posh. Thinking about it now, I reckon it would have probably been some high officials transport or even some posh persons hire car for a wedding.
It impressed us anyway. We recognised a bit of quality.
Photo : Might have been this one.image.jpg
 
Back in the 50`s if you were lucky enough to own a motor car, when parking your car at night you had to attach a battery operated parking light to your side window, sometimes you had to crank the engine to get it started, change the engine oil every 3 months, crawl underneath to grease various nipples, the indicators were little arms that sprang out or you had to wind down the window to give hand signals (very enjoyable when it was wet & windy ) All in all, todays cars may not have the "character" of yesteryears cars but they are a lot more user friendly.

Don`t click on image below, it doesn`t work.
 

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Back in the 50`s if you were lucky enough to own a motor car, when parking your car at night you had to attach a battery operated parking light to your side window, sometimes you had to crank the engine to get it started, change the engine oil every 3 months, crawl underneath to grease various nipples, the indicators were little arms that sprang out or you had to wind down the window to give hand signals (very enjoyable when it was wet & windy ) All in all, todays cars may not have the "character" of yesteryears cars but they are a lot more user friendly.

Smudger:

You forgot the 'decoke'!!

Eddie
 
" CAN I MIND IT FOR YOU MISTER ".
(Period : Around 1974 ). A Saturday car trip to the local ' pro ' football ground. You would find yourself looking for a parking spot to leave your car. Get in as close to the Football stadium as possible. Yes, this will do ( a street parking spot not far from the ground ).
It was now that the local kids would appear from out of nowhere and suggest that for a ' small tip ' they would keep an eye on your car whilst you where at the match.
For some reason, it always seemed probably better to pay it than not pay it ( you car owners will know what I'm talking about I think ).
So ' tip ' paid and off to the match you would go. Match enjoyed. Back to the car. No problems, there it is, no damage,jump in and drive home.
There was just this one occassion,when taking my two Sons down to Villa Park,that I approached the ground from a different direction. Getting close to the ground I spotted an obvious parking spot ( just under the M6 flyover and right next to Witton Cemetry). Ideal. Parked up ( no kids ' attendants ' to be seen ), OH well, saves a couple of Bob I suppose.
A lengthy walk down to the ground. Watched and enjoyed the match. Made our way back to the car.
IT WASN'T THERE.
Yes, as sure as houses, it had been STOLLEN. It was never found,we never saw it again.
From then on I was glad to go for the " CAN I MIND YOUR CAR FOR YOU MISTER " option, No hesitation, just get that couple of Bob out and go and enjoy the match.
 
Now come on Smudge,!! don't tell me you don't miss joys of yesterday driving??, the old "Double de clutching", large steering wheel without power steering, just shoe brakes, so bad that when you had to pull the hand brake as well as foot braking, when traveling down a steep hill. The joys of night driving with 6 volt head lamps, the stopping of the windscreen wipers when in heavy rain, the no heater in winter, when the inside windows were frozen solid, ho, the joys of 50's motoring. Paul.
 
Smudger:

You forgot the 'decoke'!!

Eddie
I didn`t forget Eddie, I just didn`t have a torque wrench.

Running in, please pass.

Statistically 100% of all divorces started with marriage. I married Miss Right: I just didn`t know her first name was always. I haven`t spoken to her for 18 months - I don`t like to interrupt her.
 
Now come on Smudge,!! don't tell me you don't miss joys of yesterday driving??, the old "Double de clutching", Good exercise for the left leg.
large steering wheel without power steering, Good exercise for the arms. just shoe brakes, so bad that when you had to pull the hand brake as well as foot braking, when traveling down a steep hill. Good exercise for the heart. The joys of night driving with 6 volt head lamps, Makes you drive slowly, good for road safety. the stopping of the windscreen wipers when in heavy rain, Stick your head out of the window, enjoy the fresh air. the no heater in winter, That`s where the girlfriend comes in handy. when the inside windows were frozen solid, Again, that`s where the girlfriend comes in handy. ho, the joys of 50's motoring. Paul.
We were tough in them olden days!!
 
What about traficaters? The arm that came out of the body of the car to signal the direction your going? Dad had a Rover that had them. John Crump
 
STUCK IN THE HOUSE . The steamed up Window. Perfect to do a little drawing on.
Pre Double Glazing period.
I wonder how many times would the kids get told off for doing this.
Weather outside unsuitable for ' playing out ', the kids are getting a bit bored. A few back and forth visits to the front windows to see if any of the other kids are out and about on the street.
A finger wipe on the steamed up window to clear a patch. No, nothing doing out there yet. Let's draw a few faces and images on the windows then, will pass a bit of time.
Mom eventually arrives in the room and a few words are said reminding us that she will have to clean wipe the windows again now and that she has far better things to do than tidy up after us.
Jeez, how come we always seem to get into some sort of trouble, with Mom , when we have to ' stay in '.
It was the same a couple of weeks ago, when we had to stay in and we where up in our bedroom and we were building a tent and a cave with our bed sheets. Mom wasn't too pleased with that either.
Sometimes ' Grown Ups ' are real spoilsports you know!
 
Reminds me of the time my friend Arthur and I decided we wanted a swimming pool at the bottom of our garden, took us all day to dig this enormous hole but unfortunately my Mother spotted us up to mischief and made us fill it in. We were forever digging tunnels, it's a wonder we weren't buried alive, neither of us became miners though :)
 
Nickee101. True enough that, I wonder what it was with the kids digging holes. The deeper the better and as you say didn't bother too much about a cave-in neither.
 
Maybe you were trying to get to Australia.....my dad always said if you did a hole deep enough you would end up down under...and guess what l believed him....Brenda
 
Re: Birmingham History

" HEY, HANG ON A BIT. THIS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD ".
Period : 1946.
One afternoon, as a group of young blokes, we were on a visit down Perry Barr, just having a general 'nose around '.
Having exhausted our interest in walking up and down the Birchfield Road we decided to make our way home. Our route back required us to pass-by the Alexander Stadium . Approaching the Stadium we began to pick up the loud sounds of unsilenced motor bikes being run.
We discovered as we came to the Stadium that some sort of building work was being carried out and that the perimeter fencing around the Stadium was missing in parts and that these sounds were coming from somewhere within.
Naturally we wandered in to find out what was going on .
What we saw was a crushed cinder racing track and leather clad helmeted men practicing and racing on these unusual motor bikes.
Looked pretty exciting to us.
We stayed on until it was obvious that all the practice racing had finished. We found someone to ask the questions. What was it all about and when would be the next racing session. We were informed that the men that had been racing would be forming the Birmingham Speedway team and that the Stadium would be opening for official Speedway racing within a few weeks.
The noise of those roaring bikes, the smell of the burnt high octane fuel, the clouds of cinder dust from the ' broadsiding ' and the exciting races was something truly gripping.
That was it for us. We lads from then on never missed that Saturday Speedway night event down there at Perry Barr.
Like most Motor Racing events the Speedway meetings were ideal, and socially safe, to take all the family without any worry.
Photo : Speedway, of the period, at the Alexander Stadium.image.jpg
 
Roy,

Visited Perry Barr track a couple of times. Never rated it, found it boring. Four men on motorbikes chasing each other for about two minutes. Then it was repeated about twenty times over, the same evening, with the same routine.

Stood on a corner, got covered in cinders. That was enough. Although I agree, it was safe for the spectators, and yes, it was a family sport. Still is in East Anglia.

I remember Graham Warren (an Australian). Bit of a star. Also the scarf everyone wore. Was it red and yellow?...... or something like that.

Eddie
 
Eddie,

That's the difference, my mates wanted me to go to the speedway, but my mother would never let me go. The thought of the excitement of it all made me want to go all the more, but I never did get to go. Having seen it several times on TV now I have come to the same conclusions as you - BORING. But it's the thought of the forbidden that makes it so intriguing.

Maurice
 
Speedway was never boring. Its like everything else, when you are actually there its the atmosphere and smell and noise of the machines that are exciting. We went every other Saturday night standing at the barrier until the bikes were so close us kids had to duck as sometimes you would get grit in your eyes. My mom actually won supporter of the year in the 50s.
 
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