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My Mother, Elsie Hartley worked on the switchboard of the Central Fire Station during WW2 with her friend Dora Powell. She walked there and back all the way from Witton to go to work.

Re: Pension Record My Mother's sister (nee' Hartley) married an Alfred Chiles during the 1930's at Aston Parish. They lived in Brantley Road, Witton until Alfred's death around the late 70's. Maybe a new avenue ?

There was a Swingler family living in Witton during the 1950's/60's. I believe the father worked for Birmingham Buses and lost a leg in a traffic accident. There was a son called I think, John. Any help ?

Re: Birchfield Secondry Modern School Does anyone recall a Mr.Cherrington at Birchfield in the late 50'/early 60's, who I think taught Geography ?

Mike, Many thanks for that. I can see those trains as if it were yesterday - dead right too it was dinner time then and still is in my memory.

Hope this thread will unearth the memories. The annual 2 weeks in the summer, when almost all the factories shut down and Birmingham was off on holiday. Lots could not afford to go away, but many will have fond (or otherwise) memories of lugging the suitcases onto the bus and from there to...

I'm sure you railway experts can answer me a couple of questions. During the 50's on my way back to school at lunchtime an express used to roar through Witton Station and over the bridge. I was always told it was The Pines. Is this correct ? and if not, any ideas as to what it was. At the...

Macca thanks, Where she got it from I can only guess, The family as far as I know had no Irish connections and as far as I recall she was the only one I ever heard use the word. Also, when she was really angry with me, "I'll give you a thundering good hiding"

Carolynn, I have that book but thanks for the info. The book you need is "The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren" by Iona and Peter Opie which contains many references to Birmingham. It is available from Amazon in paperback.

My mother would say this if she was concerned for my safety, as in :- "Don't climb that tree, you'll break your thundering neck !" I think the word is a substitute adjective for something more fruity, although I don't think my Mother had any obscene words in her vocabulary.

Carolynn, The ambulance superstition is common all over the UK and you may recall you could only be released from the spell if you saw a four legged animal. A rhyme that went with it, and particular to Brum was :- "Cross my fingers, Cross my toes, I hope I don't go in one of those"

Does anyone have any memories or reminiscences of this school ?

Thanks for your responses. Some of your memories made my stomach churn. I can also recall that distinctive smell of school milk - ugh ! I remember returning to school after the summer holidays and was there when a boy opened his locker to find a half bottle of milk he left there 7 weeks...

Our junior school (Yew Tree) milk in the 1950's had always been delivered when we arrived in the morning. So it had possibly been standing outside for at least a couple of hours. In the summer, in full sun and in winter, in the freezing cold. It's already making my throat constrict..... Summer...

Jean, It was the photo you posted in Nov 2008, the one with the unamed lady teacher with the flared skirt.

Jean, We had trials for the long jump on a games morning at Grove Lane. I thought that John Swingler would win because he was quite tall. Much to my suprise I won and was entered in the Aston Sports at Perry Barr. Again much to my suprise and delight I won and I remember Mr. Liggins was...

DaveG I did "The Outer Circle" many times in the school holidays sometimes clockwise sometimes anti-clockwise for a change. I think it made a 10 year old realise how large The City actually was. Passing through areas you only knew of from the destination boards on buses that you saw when you...

Hello everyone, I wonder if you remember the school caretaker called Mr. Tirebuck. He always used to come rushing into the hall with a bucket of sawdust when someone was sick in assembly !! I think he had a son called Tony who went to the school. There is a picture post of the school...

Bus tickets held a mystical significance when we were kids. You had a lucky ticket if the numbers added up to 21 or if they they read the same left to right as right to left. A real prize ticket was one with all the same numbers. Of course the opposite was true if the numbers added up to 13...

Ray, Thanks for that info. In fact after the war my father returned to the GEC site and worked there well into the 1950's. Alfred Chiles married my Mother's sister Marjorie Hartley. They lived in Brantley Road (just off Electric Ave) and had 3 children; Robert, Avril and Paul. Alfred worked at...