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Murder ball and British Bulldog played in Smethwick in the scouts and at school. We played Pack Horses which seems identical to Polly on a Mopstick, except that one boy has his back to the wall and supports the boy's head who makes a back in front of him. You can make a back of three lads then...

BBC has a more realistic view of work that could be dirty, unpleasant and dangerous. There don't seem to be many photos of munitions workers on the shop floor in WW2, I guess only official photographs were allowed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39434504

Ruby Loftus screwing a Breech-ring, 1943, by Laura Knight. Loftus is at her lathe in the Royal Ordnance Factory in Newport, South Wales. IWM explains about conscription for women.https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-workers-that-kept-britain-going-during-the-second-world-war

Great to see Carl in action last night! Full of enthusiasm and local history. A sprinkling of younger folk in the audience too.

There is a lot of information about Kynoch, but I don't think there are workers records. http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/KOtherInformationKynochV2A.htm Kynoch has its own set of threads on BHF. https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/kynoch-imi-ici-searches.48350/

A graphic account of a bombing raid on BSA Small Heath.https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/32/a2116432.shtml

https://www.munitionsworkersassociation.com Samantha Webb is their historian There's also a Facebook group. With pictures of the recent installation of the Rotherwas Angel in Herefordshire. https://www.rotherwas.com/news/2024/3/9/the-rotherwas-angel-has-landed As opposed to Rotherwas which was...

Some abbreviations used above: Coys companies LG Lewis Gun ORs other ranks Bn or Bttn battalion

Thank you Heartland. You seemed to want to refer to the existing building as Curzon Street Hotel which is not the conclusion of Historic England. I'm not a rail expert, but pragmatically if we want to preserve the building then I'd say Curzon Street Station would carry more weight. Alas Grade 1...

Good luck in tracking your nan down, Deb. My post # 2 gives some of the main places. Do you have any names or addresses or descriptions of her work. The promised database of munitions workers seems not to be on line yet. Some of the factories like Kynoch's in Perry Barr were vast and employed...

I see in Scotland they do have £100 banknotes issued by the retail banks. New English notes with the King's portrait will be issued this summer, but the existing notes will continue in circulation.

Ann, £50 is the current largest denomination. It features a picture of Alan Turing. I have not seen one since an international student was unable to spend one several years ago. I sent her to the bank to get it changed into smaller notes. People won't accept them in the Midlands as they fear...

You are welcome Stu. My grandmother Sarah Maria Clarke was born on a boat in Tipton basin, but when she grew up she came to Birmingham. Her father was a carter by occupation. It is always a challenge to trace canal people. I found Samuel's marriage certificate in the family tree, so worth you...

Stu, Samuel Boaz married Annie Ashley while Mary Jane Boaz married John Cliff 16 Aug 1891 in a joint ceremony at St Alkmund's Parish Church, Whitchurch, Shropshire, England. The men are canal boat men as is Samuel Boaz's father (also named Samuel Boaz). There's a family tree on Ancestry and some...

Thanks Lyn, I note the 2017 Act that enabled this section of HS2 included “Old Curzon Street Station building and wall to be retained” This is before the structural issues that paused work on the building. So fingers crossed. Derek

It would be good to attempt to reconstruct the usage of this site in a chronology. I think the census returns and Historic England's report can be reconciled. I noted your 1851 census returns at the start of this thread which is illuminating. Rail Engineer wrote an account in...

Many thanks MWS, clearly my search of British Newspaper Archive could have been improved by searching the individual likely paper titles. Lesson learned! Derek

I've sent you a private message, Mike. You should find a red mark in the envelope at the blue top of the forum to the right. Between the bell and your green M icon. I can see if there is anything else in the archive if you would like. Check that messages from BHF don't go to your junk file. I...

Thanks Janice, appreciated. I don't think they would need a note to come to that formulaic conclusion. Suicide was then regarded as self-murder because no sane person would attempt it. No history of mental illness was required. To attempt suicide was a criminal offence before the Suicide Act...

Thanks Mike. I'd edit your post though to remove your email as having this on line may attract the wrong sort of attention. The scammers skim the internet for such information. Derek