Health and safety in the 1950’s
I had my grandchildren round for a birthday party in thegarden a week ago, I was watching the antics and I thought of the things thatwe used to do in 50’s when I lived in Gosford Street Balsall Heath. Fewexamples:
· Dropping walls, there were some beauties offBalsall Heath Road behind Gosford Street and Opposite Wenman Street intoKensington Gardens. A miracle we weren’t injured considering we were about 4feet tall and the walls were about 10 to 20 feet high.
· Down the hill on trollies/go karts, always agreat competition to build the best one, so we used to race down Balsall HeathRoad with no brakes and weaving between the cars (not too many). My big crashwas trying to turn onto Gosford Street at speed and hit the wall and road sign,a few cuts and bruises from that one.
· Wrecking and lighting fires in bombed buildingsbelow Kensington Gardens, Attics and cellars were favourite, very fewfloorboards, hop over the joists.
· Throwing Molotov cocktails at trees in the woodsbehind Cannon Hill Park, petrol came from my mates older brothers motorbikewhen he was at work. I bet the fuel consumption was terrible.
· Building dens on the bombsites and beingattacked with house bricks from the rival gang (all in good humour) still gotthe scar on my eyebrow where one connected.
· At a time of National Service there were oftenlive 303 bullets about, It was not me, but I remember a kid probably 10years old putting one in a vice and trying to detonate it with a nail andhammer, luckily it did not go off.
· On a similar theme railway fog detonatorsexploded with a brick in an entry, put them in a corner a lob bricks (blues werethe best), better than any banger always got the neighbours out.
Anyone else got any dangerous adventures to share? I grew upto be a normal adult honest.
I had my grandchildren round for a birthday party in thegarden a week ago, I was watching the antics and I thought of the things thatwe used to do in 50’s when I lived in Gosford Street Balsall Heath. Fewexamples:
· Dropping walls, there were some beauties offBalsall Heath Road behind Gosford Street and Opposite Wenman Street intoKensington Gardens. A miracle we weren’t injured considering we were about 4feet tall and the walls were about 10 to 20 feet high.
· Down the hill on trollies/go karts, always agreat competition to build the best one, so we used to race down Balsall HeathRoad with no brakes and weaving between the cars (not too many). My big crashwas trying to turn onto Gosford Street at speed and hit the wall and road sign,a few cuts and bruises from that one.
· Wrecking and lighting fires in bombed buildingsbelow Kensington Gardens, Attics and cellars were favourite, very fewfloorboards, hop over the joists.
· Throwing Molotov cocktails at trees in the woodsbehind Cannon Hill Park, petrol came from my mates older brothers motorbikewhen he was at work. I bet the fuel consumption was terrible.
· Building dens on the bombsites and beingattacked with house bricks from the rival gang (all in good humour) still gotthe scar on my eyebrow where one connected.
· At a time of National Service there were oftenlive 303 bullets about, It was not me, but I remember a kid probably 10years old putting one in a vice and trying to detonate it with a nail andhammer, luckily it did not go off.
· On a similar theme railway fog detonatorsexploded with a brick in an entry, put them in a corner a lob bricks (blues werethe best), better than any banger always got the neighbours out.
Anyone else got any dangerous adventures to share? I grew upto be a normal adult honest.
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