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One favourite fact about Birmingham

When I was a child I couldn't wait for the rag and bone man to come round with his goldfish and yellow chicks My mom and dad would only let me have a goldfish as we had a very posh pond. [An old white sink]. One day I was at my aunt Nells who once again let me have my own way. [A little chick]. My dad after giving me a right telling off built him a little mesh pen and hut at the back of his shed. When he started to get a little too big for the pen I was told he had gone to a good home with other chickens. I found out a few years later he made a good meal for someone. Bye. Jean.:cry::cry::cry:
 
Gee Gee Jean, I remeber him well. we always had the toys although they were never any good. Dad always kept chickens and we were bought up not to look on them as pets because when they stopped laying they went in the pot. We had about six hens and two cockerills. Dad would get two new cockerills every year and we would eat the old ones, one for Xmas and one at Whitson. Our pet rabbit went missing once and years later we learned we had eaten it because times were hard just then. Do you remember when we only got presents and sweets if dad got some overtime.
 
Stitcher we wern't too badly off as dad used to mend watches after work most nights and weekends. Mom also worked. I was fortunate because my aunt Nell and uncle Harry who lived down the road had no children but spoiled me rotton. My dad became very poorly and had to give his job up but had the watch repairing to fall back on. Someone on the site asked me if it was my dad who had the little shed in the garden where he worked mending watches. Bye. Jean.
 
Gee Gee Jean, I also repaired watches. It came about because I had a friend in The Jewellery Quarter and one of his friends introduced me to it in about 1965, a little later than your dad I suppose. He first allowed me to use his workshop and tools to make my wife's wedding ring. He gave me the gold then allowed me to copy him step by step as he made one for an order. He said I was talented and offered me a job as a helper and run-around but I declined the offer. He then told me to find the broken part in a pocket watch he gave me. I did so and he sent me to Meeks's shop when they were on Gt Hampton Row/St. I cant remember. I got the spare part and repared the watch. I found it rewarding and relaxing so bought the basic tools required and started. We had a brick built coalhouse at home so I treated the walls and laid a new floor, put a window in and decorated it out. We had gas fires by this time and did not need the coalhouse so it was very useful. I ended up making parts for old clocks with my lathe, re-stringing pearls and other neck jewellery, re-sizing rings in fact I became a jobbing jeweller on a small scale. Then another friend of mine bought the garage in Caroline St, Diamond Service Station. I would have a pint in the Brown Lion with him and became friendly with many of the older craftsmwn. Including John Lunt who sadly died quite a few years ago. I had quite a good trade mending watches for staff at Midland Red Digbeth, and WMPTE staff at Mosely Rd.Harbourne, Quinton and selly Oak.
 
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