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paul stacey
master brummie
hi all
In the 50's when quite small my dad took me to town I remember seeing a small band busking in the street with various instriments some with one leg missing some with an arm or hand missing, all wearing military medals dad said they were wounded from the great war.
Does any one else remember them and the occasional bootlace/match box seller or is my old brain playing tricks on an old man.
regards
paul
In the 50's when quite small my dad took me to town I remember seeing a small band busking in the street with various instriments some with one leg missing some with an arm or hand missing, all wearing military medals dad said they were wounded from the great war.
Does any one else remember them and the occasional bootlace/match box seller or is my old brain playing tricks on an old man.
regards
paul
OtherHalf
posher half
dont know about that but we have all seen pictures of men injured and trying to make a living in every major city between wars ...240.000 amputees alone according to figures from this site https://www.worldwar1.com/tlcrates.htm
hi paul
no there ain,t nothink wrong with your brain mate it was in fact a common
sight to see in those days especialy in the fifty,s these guys having to beg
by selling the laces and matches because they lost a limb or two
i know i most certainly remember it very vividly
for the kids of today its a rear sight indeed tosee so many people
best wishes astonian ;;;
no there ain,t nothink wrong with your brain mate it was in fact a common
sight to see in those days especialy in the fifty,s these guys having to beg
by selling the laces and matches because they lost a limb or two
i know i most certainly remember it very vividly
for the kids of today its a rear sight indeed tosee so many people
best wishes astonian ;;;
As far as I recollect wounded veterans of WW1 were given assistance to set up small peddling busness's so they could sell items on the street. Astonian was right they were plentiful in the 50's and 60's. As a child I remember regular pitches by the Town Hall, out side the Kings Hall Market. The last person I remember was a guy in New Street who sold shoe laces and sewing kits from a tray. By the early 60's he had a small car, and I think lived in Acocks Green, coming into work every day like everyone else.
The sad thing is I dont remember when they all went. Like all old soldiers they just faded away.
The sad thing is I dont remember when they all went. Like all old soldiers they just faded away.
paul stacey
master brummie
hi astonian and robert s
I do remember the band it was in paradise street, and I remember the man by the council house by queen vic's statue. my dad never had much in the way of money bless him but I remember he always bought or gave a few coppers to these men, telling me that the horrors seen by them should never be forgotten. losing his dad when a new born baby must have had something to do with it. He was born in 1915, and his name was Harry Kitchener Stacey.
regards
paul
I do remember the band it was in paradise street, and I remember the man by the council house by queen vic's statue. my dad never had much in the way of money bless him but I remember he always bought or gave a few coppers to these men, telling me that the horrors seen by them should never be forgotten. losing his dad when a new born baby must have had something to do with it. He was born in 1915, and his name was Harry Kitchener Stacey.
regards
paul
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Nice link Trebor. Did you ever read my 50's memories right here on BH? You can find them on the 'main sites' page under 'holidays', or click on this link https://www.birminghamhistory.co.uk/?article=misc/holidays/main I have some more to tell and will post them when I have the time.
Graham.
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Thanks Jenny and all is well, just got to catch up on all those things that I've neglected all summer!
Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
The old provi man, bless him.
paul stacey
master brummie
hi
if it wasn't for the provident many families would have been destitute in the 50's/early 60's these would not have been families on benifit, but working families, sometimes with two wage earners, as the pay was so poor if the family had three or more children which many did the wages could not provide subsistance.
paul
if it wasn't for the provident many families would have been destitute in the 50's/early 60's these would not have been families on benifit, but working families, sometimes with two wage earners, as the pay was so poor if the family had three or more children which many did the wages could not provide subsistance.
paul
E
Elizabeth Redmond
Guest
I was watching something on TV which referred to the 50s as the forgotten decade. Well women didn't go out to work,they didn't have too, they didn't have opinions on anything, nothing really happened.
This is what they were saying.
Well i was born in 51 so clearly i don't remember the first few years,but most of the women in my street went to work,out of necessity,usually fitted in around the school hours,and then come home and cook from scratch, cleaning, washing, and last but not least definitely had
opinions
This is what they were saying.
Well i was born in 51 so clearly i don't remember the first few years,but most of the women in my street went to work,out of necessity,usually fitted in around the school hours,and then come home and cook from scratch, cleaning, washing, and last but not least definitely had
opinions
Old Boy
master brummie
Hi All,
Until WW11 broke out married women, as a rule, did not go to work. In fact, female teachers and those in the civil service had to resign if they married. This all changed with men joining the services it was necessary to allow the married women to stay at work if they so wished. By 1945 it had become the norm and most young married women stayed in their jobs. Then there became a desperate shortage of houses to rent and many young couples had to take out mortgages to buy accomodation and the women had to stay at work to help pay the mortgage. That is, more or less, the position today. There endeth the first lesson.
Old Boy
Until WW11 broke out married women, as a rule, did not go to work. In fact, female teachers and those in the civil service had to resign if they married. This all changed with men joining the services it was necessary to allow the married women to stay at work if they so wished. By 1945 it had become the norm and most young married women stayed in their jobs. Then there became a desperate shortage of houses to rent and many young couples had to take out mortgages to buy accomodation and the women had to stay at work to help pay the mortgage. That is, more or less, the position today. There endeth the first lesson.
Old Boy
hi elixabeth
quite rightly what you are saying i wonder what year these people was born its complete nonsence
women had to go work in those years i certainly when my mother lost her husband my father whom worked two jobs
in 1958 my father died and my mother was in ill health went out to do two part time jobs to earn the rent money and food and try and clothes us
with the money she earned my father done releif jobs of all the pubs on around the aston cross his made one was at thegolden cross for the dodds
but he diedfrom cancer he worked in the blacksmogg of charles harris on the flat all his life as well right up until he died
never lost a days work in his entire life
but when he died in fifty eight and acollection from the work force from charles harris was all she had left
she went to the then in those days dhss summer row she struggled to get there because she could not walk
she was so embarrassed to go there in the first place but her father mr jelf of aston cross would not help her out is attitude was you made your bed lye in it
had her mother been around it would have been a different story she was the bussiness lady whom ran all the jelfs bussinees but she died in 1955
but any way getting back on track the dhss offered a book for ten shilling a week to keep eight kids and pay your own rent
she broke down and cryed in front of these people in the summer row office she torn it in front of them and gave it back there and then
she came home broken hearted and she went and found work part time in two job one in a little factory mr wilkinson
of angelsey st and my aunt fish and chip at spring hill
to make ends meat and her health got worse and she died there was no help out there for any body in those days
so yes women had to go out to work in those days and if some would tryand help themselves and there husbands and familys to survive
incidently the money she received from charli harris and work friends came to 1ooo pounds my mother knew charles harris as they was from the same village
mom was silly she did not have abank account and she kept the money in the kitchen food cuboard and therte was certain neibour whom was pretending to be
a good neibour releaved her of this money whilst out working and the neibour alledged to be looking after te kids
she suffered again the heartache lingered even more with the great loss of her money
that is why i said on another thread yesterday always check out your neibours always get to know whom they are i still do today and i tell my kids the same
but eliabeth they film makers always add a little extra or take away some part of truth to there making
i have two old friends whom used to run the sunday political programe on the sunday
quite rightly what you are saying i wonder what year these people was born its complete nonsence
women had to go work in those years i certainly when my mother lost her husband my father whom worked two jobs
in 1958 my father died and my mother was in ill health went out to do two part time jobs to earn the rent money and food and try and clothes us
with the money she earned my father done releif jobs of all the pubs on around the aston cross his made one was at thegolden cross for the dodds
but he diedfrom cancer he worked in the blacksmogg of charles harris on the flat all his life as well right up until he died
never lost a days work in his entire life
but when he died in fifty eight and acollection from the work force from charles harris was all she had left
she went to the then in those days dhss summer row she struggled to get there because she could not walk
she was so embarrassed to go there in the first place but her father mr jelf of aston cross would not help her out is attitude was you made your bed lye in it
had her mother been around it would have been a different story she was the bussiness lady whom ran all the jelfs bussinees but she died in 1955
but any way getting back on track the dhss offered a book for ten shilling a week to keep eight kids and pay your own rent
she broke down and cryed in front of these people in the summer row office she torn it in front of them and gave it back there and then
she came home broken hearted and she went and found work part time in two job one in a little factory mr wilkinson
of angelsey st and my aunt fish and chip at spring hill
to make ends meat and her health got worse and she died there was no help out there for any body in those days
so yes women had to go out to work in those days and if some would tryand help themselves and there husbands and familys to survive
incidently the money she received from charli harris and work friends came to 1ooo pounds my mother knew charles harris as they was from the same village
mom was silly she did not have abank account and she kept the money in the kitchen food cuboard and therte was certain neibour whom was pretending to be
a good neibour releaved her of this money whilst out working and the neibour alledged to be looking after te kids
she suffered again the heartache lingered even more with the great loss of her money
that is why i said on another thread yesterday always check out your neibours always get to know whom they are i still do today and i tell my kids the same
but eliabeth they film makers always add a little extra or take away some part of truth to there making
i have two old friends whom used to run the sunday political programe on the sunday
E
Elizabeth Redmond
Guest
Old boy/Astonian i don't know where they got their facts or opinions from, but certainly the women in my area worked extremely
hard, and as you said could not get any help, if they fell on hard times, but to hear them talk you would think they were the first women to go out to work.
hard, and as you said could not get any help, if they fell on hard times, but to hear them talk you would think they were the first women to go out to work.
B
BernardR
Guest
I grew up in a houseful of women who says that did opinions?
hi eliabeth
if you asked me they never done there research amongest the hard working class people
probaley up and coming actresss and wife of the multi big erners of bankers wifes and the proffessional people
the rich people always play the hard time stories of there life the ones with the big grand houses and live abroad
the ones with the nannies to look after there kids whilst they would rather work and not look after kids then send them to boarding schools
its quite obvisius they was not poor working class people or it was the people whom was living behond there means
if you asked me they never done there research amongest the hard working class people
probaley up and coming actresss and wife of the multi big erners of bankers wifes and the proffessional people
the rich people always play the hard time stories of there life the ones with the big grand houses and live abroad
the ones with the nannies to look after there kids whilst they would rather work and not look after kids then send them to boarding schools
its quite obvisius they was not poor working class people or it was the people whom was living behond there means
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Elizabeth, this could be a very good topic on Birmingham History I hope that you get some good replies.
I'd just like to add my bit saying that my mom was made a war widow left with 5 kids and though I think she could have got help her pride got in the way. She worked at the BSA most of her life to keep us kids even though she was very sick.
Here in Belgium the 50's are still in swing because the World Exhibition came to Brussels in 1958 and this was such a big event for such a tiny country that people got so sucked in. This resulted in the Belgians getting stuck in the 50's and they completely missed the fantastic 60's era. So here it is not a forgotten decade although I think that it was probably one to forget.
You can read my blog on the Belgian World Exhibition 22nd April 2008 here https://crazyaboutbelgium.co.uk/rider_blog/webb.htm
Graham.
I'd just like to add my bit saying that my mom was made a war widow left with 5 kids and though I think she could have got help her pride got in the way. She worked at the BSA most of her life to keep us kids even though she was very sick.
Here in Belgium the 50's are still in swing because the World Exhibition came to Brussels in 1958 and this was such a big event for such a tiny country that people got so sucked in. This resulted in the Belgians getting stuck in the 50's and they completely missed the fantastic 60's era. So here it is not a forgotten decade although I think that it was probably one to forget.
You can read my blog on the Belgian World Exhibition 22nd April 2008 here https://crazyaboutbelgium.co.uk/rider_blog/webb.htm
Graham.
Bernard67Arnold
master brummie
Hi Liz, I dont think the 50s were that bad, I got to meet my pen/friend in 1952, love at first sight, engaged on Coronation Day, married at
Castle Bromwich in August 54, best thing I ever did in my whole life, moved out of Brum on the overspill scheme in 1957, there you are. ten
years gone in a flash, Bernard ps. They say if you can remember the 60s you werent there.
Castle Bromwich in August 54, best thing I ever did in my whole life, moved out of Brum on the overspill scheme in 1957, there you are. ten
years gone in a flash, Bernard ps. They say if you can remember the 60s you werent there.
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