Hi Bernard
Yes you are quite correct in what you are saying because we lived next door to the local chimney sweep
Whom was the main man for sweeping the houses around our particular area in ladywood and he used to do the same
He would stock pile his soot accumulation by the sacks full and stock pile every two weeks they would pick up his sacks in a lorry
He was also the number one top flight pigeion flyer for the local and nationional
And along time friends with watty green
The chimney swep was called bonna. Lived in kingedwards road but between is rounds he worked for Lucas,a in grt. King. Street
Until on evening at work he fell from a ladder he got compo, for his accident but he became wheel chair bound
And as he was great friends with watty and his family and its is local just as much as the college arms spring hill
Where quite often you would see his butchers bike and rods for the chimneys parked out side the front doors
They was a well known family and very middle class people but not stuck up when my father died his wife helped my mother to get through his death
I was also friends with there sons from a very early aged Billy and Philip they had an older brother called Johnny Holland
Whom was a fanic fans of Mario lansor john could sing like him as well
But getting back on course he had the biggest allotment down holdford drive perry Barr he owne lost of the plotts
And he used the sutt there on his plants they grew giants and everybody wanted his soot so did we had a plot as well there
Old bona wattys long time friend bought the cross keys pub from watty with his money from the accident for his daughter and his son in law Ron
But after awhile they moved on for some reason or another
Kathy and Ron used to be care takers of flats down at Salford reservoir by Aston hall hall red before taking on the cross keys steward street Ladywood
Best wishes Alan,,,,,, Astonian,,,,,,,,