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I remember wanting a new bike and my parents telling me that I had to pay for it myself. On trying to get a paper round I was told that I had be 13 and had to have a medical. (A spin off from the medical, I was told I needed glasses !). I ended up being taken on by Westwoods at the Maypole...

I don't remember the shop's name but I think the owner was a Mr Vaughan.

Blimey !

Great ! I wonder what the 69 grenade was for ? (The only bakelite thing I ever saw was a wartime trip flare).

I never realised there were so many grenades ! The 36 grenade was the most used and could be launched from a rifle. The 68 was anti-tank, (good luck with that one !). And the 76 was an incendiary.

Junior Leaders Regt RA, 1958. I can hear the drill instructor now, bellowing 'GUN ? That's not a gun that is a RIFLE !' And pointing to a distant, very shiney 25 pounder, 'THAT is a GUN !'

I agree with all of the above. Safety with weapons became paramount in the 70s, particularly in Northern Ireland. My first Personal Weapon was the .303, it would've been possible to leave that rifle's action open but it never was.

My Gran lived in Norman St. When my Dad took my brother & me to see her, he'd drop us with her and go off on a round of the local pubs. The Smithy was his first stop. (No trees or grass in those days !).

I went to Highters Heath school. I never understood why I wasn't sent to Grendon Rd. That gulley was a handy short cut, a mate of mine lived a couple of doors from it.

The names aren't familiar. I was in that area in 1954-55.

I remember this factory well, I lived nearby when I was a kid. In my day the building had a large clock fixed in a bracket on the wall.

No, there was a girl who lived in Westfield Ave, a couple of houses down, on the right. Sadly, I forget her name. My mate, Colin Booth, lived (I think) at the bottom end of the road in Courtway Ave.

Thanks, I was told that the guns in the park were Light AA. Perhaps they were defending the balloon site in Maypole Lane.

My thanks to both Dinger and mikejee for the above. It's of great interest to me as my Dad was part of that Battery when it was manned by the Home Guard. He was a L/Cpl, (fuze setter).

Thanks for the interesting information. I used to frequent the area mid- 50s, a couple of my friends lived in Westfield ave. in those days.

Now that's an interesting photo ! In my memory there were a couple of bungalows built in the field, next to the factory. I couldn't figure out what those blurred areas in the park were, then I remember being told that there were AA guns sited there. The censor must've been active.

Hiya, I grew up in Sladepool Farm Rd in the 40s & 50s. The only factory near Westfield Ave, that I can remember, was a moderate sized building, I think with a curved asbestos roof. I can't remember a name but there was a German Embassy - type shield fastened to the front wall of the factory. Baz.

Hiya, This was the entry in the War Diary of 10 Bn RWR for Sat 21 Sep 18. 'SUPPORT. Quiet. Vicinity of Bn HQ shelled. One or two casualties amongst companies owing to the fact that artillery were in action in the immediate vicinity.' It looks like your relative was one of the unlucky ones...

True, my Gran lived in 2/19 Norman St. (I was teriffied, going down that entry !)

I've never seen this badge before but to me it looks like a snake, entwined around the upright of a letter 'B'. I have seen a similar thing, related to the medical profession, which is a snake entwined around a staff and am wondering if this is a trade badge for some sort of medic. Most trade...