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Jack Milroy took over the vacant tenancy of the farm in the late 1930s from Birmingham Corporation and farmed it until all the land was developed for housing much later, in the postwar years. My partner spent her childhood there but unfortunately I know nothing of its earlier history. Chris

Throughout my life I've tried to keep the sight of what's on my plate and the image of living creatures as far apart as possible. Either my Mum and Dad had similar sensitivities despite the need to feed a family in the most difficult circumstances, or they recognised them within me. At some...

Before the war, my family always had holidays on a farm in the South Hams area of Devon. The outbreak of war and rationing led to a mutually beneficial arrangement between us and the farmer's wife. She would select the plumpest bird out of whatever flock they had – usually goose, sometimes...

We do indeed!! Chris

My mother had a method of adhering to the torch masking instruction. Her torch had a flat, slab type of battery and a domed lens. You could unscrew the lens as I found out when fiddling with it, and once I had discovered that I realised that her practice was to insert a little disc of newspaper...

Technology in the wider world marches on and the Forum does its best to keep up with it. Sometimes, a new post in a thread does absolutely nothing more than express appreciation of what has gone previously. Often that's good, can be taken at face value and is appreciated. Sometimes these days...

So sorry to read a second bit of very sad news in as many days. Another of the Forum stalwarts no longer with us. Deep sympathy to Rob, Vicki, Kelly and other members of her family. Chris

I am really very sorry indeed to hear this. Di was a wonderful Forum member of very long-standing and contributed much. She once provided me with a lot of fascinating information about her father-in-law, Harry Poppit, and his life in Birmingham during WW2, as Works Manager at M.B. Wild, in the...

SVR, Lyn?

A Very Happy Birthday! Chris

Jack Milroy, a farmer (of Freers Farm, Woodgate), is on his daily milk round in Ridgacre Road, Quinton, delivering the product of his own herd. It's the 1940s or1950s. "Lady" is doing her job up front and on the trap there are crates of milk bottles and perhaps other items. Somewhere there on...

Welcome to the Forum, Wilfred, and thanks for a great (and happy) photograph. Any information about your working life there? Chris

A Very Happy Birthday, Lyn! Chris

Thank you for your courtesy, Garry. It doesn't always happen! The main thrust of the Forum has always been the collection and sharing of aspects of the history of Birmingham - people, places, events and so on - and we always welcome any additions to that. So, if in the future you discover...

Welcome to the Forum, Hat1. If you could tell me your grandfather's name and where he is in which photograph, I'll be happy to mention him, in memory of his life and service. Chris

Don't know if Moturn has found out much about his acquisition yet but there's an image of one online which appears very similar (historylinksarchive.org.uk) and has this description: WW2 gas mask Date Added: 11 March 2009Year: 1939Institution Name: dnhhlCat No: ◀ | 2001_247 | ▶Picture No: 7381...

Have something similar, but different - once belonging to an Walsall ARP warden. Part of this collage but unfortunately not readily to hand so that I can't provide a better image. Don't know whether this was civilian issue or ARP but it looks rather more eloborate and better made. Chris

I have to assume that somewhere in the pipeline on this advert-approval thing - perhaps beyond the Forum's scope - there ARE some filters and controls to protect those exposed to the intrusion of advertising into a site like this. And that the stuff which appears is therefore essentially...

One of the ways in which the Forum is currently set up is for adverts to appear randomly and, from time to time, to fill the entire screen. I'm sure that we - or, at least, all regular Forum users - have all encountered this and have become adept at immediately going to the top r.h. corner of...

Yes, for me, memories of childhood. A late winter's afternoon, a Saturday or Sunday probably, dusk approaching, us back home from wherever we had been, black-out frames put up in the window, curtains drawn, the outside world shut away and forgotten about. And Dad or Mum would appear out of the...