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When I served at Steelhouse Lane Police Station it was often said among ourselves that if you stood at the junction of Corporation Street and New Street for long enough you would see the entire population of Birmingham, Looking at the various photographs of this junction on different threads I...

Hi All, I have recently been discharged after a ten day spell in hospital. Today I fell asleep over lunch. My wife woke me and said, " Remember you are still convalescent" This reminded me that twice before when I have been ill I went to convalescent homes to recover. I went to Weston...

Hi All, Whilst browsing the BARRA website I came upon the following. Joan Gertrude May Russell, aged 14 years was killed during an air raid on 19 November 1940. She was on King Edward Sports Ground at the time. No other person is recorded as killed or injured at that location. She lived in Holte...

Hi All, My brother Arthur George Beresford was a Flight Sergeant in the RAF. He had already completed 30 missions when, after a 6 month break he was allocated to another crew. I have recently found the copy of a letter he had written to a researcher about the events of June 22nd...

Hi All, When a major incident occurs an emergency telephone number is broadcast so that anyone requiring information about a particular person can ring and ask for it. It so happens that at the time of the Birmingham bombs the number was given out and we opened up what is called The...

Hi All, My wifes father was born in 1892 in Noahs Ark Yard Bloomsbury Street. He was Arthur White. Does anyone have any knowledge of this strangely named place? I doubt if any photos exist but my wife would be delighted if there were. Old Boy

Hi All, I do not think that I am jumping the gun to suggest that Villa are about to be relegated. Although I am a Blues supporter I am not about to castigate Villa. After all what have we got to shout about? To stay up Villa must win their remaining 6 games and Norwich lose all theirs...

Hi All, I am a Blues supporter but last night on TV I learned something about Aston Villa that warmed my heart. They are, in fact, the last team to field a team consisting of all English players in the Premiership. I missed the exact date but it was a match against Coventry City about...

Hi All, I am fairly sure that prior to WW2 there were no such things as care homes. Old people either fended for themselves or were looked after by their children.. Now every city and town has care homes usually privately owned and run for profit. What does this indicate? Were children of...

Hi All, Once again the pages of The Birmingham Mail are full of photographs of young people dressed for their School Proms. When did this American mockery arrive here? They never had proms when I was at school, not even school leaving parties. You just said cheeio to your classmates and...

Hi All, There has been recent discussion on the Forum respecting the Coat of Arms of the City of Birmingham. This reminded me that for many years B'ham City Football Club proudly carried the badge on their shirts. This was probably from the time they changed their name from Small Heath...

Hi All, In my younger days 3 or more singers were called a group. A large group was, of course, a choir. Now, however, a group is called a band eg Boys Band or Girls Band. To me a band is a group of musicians getting together and playing martial type music. When did it change . why ,and...

Hi All. When I was growing up everyone I knew pronounced the word forehead as forrid. Now on TV etc the word is being pronounced as it is spelt i.e 4 head. I still say forrid. Am I wrong ? Old Boy

Hi All, In both wars women often took up posts normally occupied by men. In WW1, for instance, many postmen who went to war were replaced by women. This photo is of five such women. The lady holding the cat was my wifes' mother (then Clara Giddings). I never met her as she died, sadly...

Hi All, I cannot understand the modern practice of calling a group of singers (male or female) a band. We never referred to the Beatles as a band they were a group and a good one at that Who can sing or whistle a tune that a modern group yells out at us? I think that it is an...

Hi All, I was born and brought up in a terrace house in Small Heath. In the back garden we had a tall pole with a wire attached that led to the window(Through the frame) and then to the radio or wireless as it was called then. Almost all the houses in the road had the same set up. I am...

Hi All, Another thread has been discussing sunlamp treatment at school clinics. It has made me think "What has happened to school clinics?" Are there any left? If they have completely disappeared I think it is a shame. Whilst they were not popular with the children attending them they did...

Hi All, I hope that it is fair to include the Salvation Army in the churches forum They have citadels in many parts of Birmingham but also on Sundays, after the service in the citadel, they took to the streets with the band, played a couple of hymns, knocked on doors with a collection...

Morning All! My uncle , Arthur John Beresford, was in the above unit of the territorial army. I have a card for the unit entitled 'Programme of Drill and Training for 1913. The only names are those of the officers.:- Captain F M Chatterley - Lt Kenneth R Davis and 2Lt W Martineau...

Hi All, I have enjoyed the TV series "The History of Game Shows" featuring our dear Wendy and look forward to the fourth episode on Sunday. It reminded me of my few TV appearances. First was a game show produced in Glasgow and shown at teatime on Sundays. For the life of me I cannot...