S
Stitcher
Guest
I was born in 1940 in Oakhill Crescent Acocks Green. I remember mom and dad taking me and my two brothers to the BSA Military Tattoo sort of thing on the sports ground next to the factory. Everyone knew everyone else in the road and when we went shopping at Lakey Lane shops, women sweeping outside their houses and men tending their gardens would all say hello and sometimes have a brief chat. All the shpkeepers knew all their customers by name. If mom was not well, a neighbour would get the basic shopping to save mom going out. Dad grew vegies and a neighbour one side had a plum tree and the other side had an apple tree. They used to swap a bag of each for some of dads vegies. Mom made plum and apple jam,pickled onions and pickled cabbage. We had about eight chickens for the eggs and us three lads had to dig the enclosure so the chickens could scratch and get worms. When a chicken stopped laying it went into the pot. We even ate the pet rabbit once when times were difficult. All this may seem a bit bizzare to younger people but you must remember we were a family. We went to the cinema as a group with our friends, we played with all the other kids in the street and non of us were allowed to be cheeky and we kept out of trouble. We had birthday parties in the house. We all had birthday and Xmas cards/ pressies from the nieghbours. Oh Happy Days.