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Birmingham in 1950s

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Strange how much we British are so hung up on our colonial past, you don't find this in France, Spain, Portugal, we seem to suffer from a colelective hang over of massive guilt. We happen to have been one of many colonial countrys no better no worse, it is a fact of history move on, a very good Indian friend of mine always says , was'nt to bad really for goodness sake we could have had the Spanish.
paul
 
Harald McMillan did not make his " Winds of Change " speech until 1960 so Colonial rule was still expected to continue in the fifties. I feel no guilt as regards colonialism, it was allover bar the shouting by the time I was an adult. I have no rights to apologize for other peoples actions.
The Fifties carried on the need for change , both at home and abroad, that was felt at the end of WW2. The music , dress and leisure adopted by the young people reflected this. But while at work nothing seemed to have changed. These movements in the 50s made the 60s explosion of teenage freedom possible. Being a teenager in the 60s I thank everyone who made it possible because I had a great time.
 
Like Rowan I suppose I look back to the 50's with Rose Coloured Specs on,,,:)
Thinking back to what did concern me in the 50's

Terrible damaging floods in Lynmouth.

Devastating floods fron the North Sea on the east coast.

First Hydrogen bomb test in 52 ... some papers said it might 'ignite' the atmosphere..

Standing in a long queue after work for a Polio Jab ...panic very worried at the time.

Barber at Lewiss's told me I was going bald and I needed 'electro treatment' ...Today I can prove he was wrong.

Suez Crisis .... what can one say ?

Serious radioactive leak into atmosphere at Seascale Nuclear Power Station.

Asian Flu Pandemic 1957 ... 30,000 deaths in UK ... no panic I can't remember being worried.

Rose Coloured specs going back on....:)
 
like every decade when one looks back one only remembers the good times.I can say the I am glad I was born when I was as to have the carefree teenage & full imployment of the 50s Then the HAPPY TIME of the 60s (married best friend, first & second kids born, played my best loved sport, had the best of friends to share lifes fun times)
THE 50s were good to me not a care in the world.
I would not have liked to be a teenage in to days mad world.
 
View attachment 59344View attachment 59345View attachment 59346View attachment 59347View attachment 59348So it would seem the 50s was a good time, in many ways for lots of us, maybe the beginning of teenagers in a way, fashion certainly took off in a way it never had before, here's a little taste
elvis-11.jpg
50sfashoin.jpg
 
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Something that some would prefer to forget about...Edwardian clothes with winkle picker shoes and impossibly narrow drainpipe trousers...yech. Was a flick knife part of the ensamble also. I am not sure if the above picture is supposed to represent this but the shoes are not pointed so maybe this was a sensible shoe offshoot.
GB had some outstanding singers and entertainers also...Shirley Bassey...Bruce Forsyth...Pet Clark...Morcambe and Wise...Tony Hancock and many others that do not come to mind at the moment. Maybe I was the only teenager back then who did not like R&R and the strange fashions that were foisted around...I don't know. I don't like the current Rap either which makes some of the old 'unappreciated' stuff, by me, seem positively artistic
 
RUPERT,Do not forget TOMMY STEEL, CLIFF RICHARD,GERRY MARSDEN, JIM DALE,JOE BROWN,MARTY WILDE,& Many many others to many to mention. THE SHOW "O BOY" put lots of these on the road to fame.
Stood for hours to see BILL HALEY at the Odeon in New St & again at the back of the Birmingham Hip;stalls to see both TOMMY STEEL ,JIM DALE & DES O'CONNER on the same bill.
Imust not forget meeting the great ALMA COGAN out side the stage door, Now that was a LADY!.
 
Yes Rowan, I remember it like you do too..Happy music, safe street's, and oh those stilleto shoes etc and lovely clothes.
 
Funny I do remember Jim dale but only as a comedian, in the carry on films, never as a singer, doe's anyone remember what songs did he sing and what year's
paul
 
Hi Liz hope you and yours are well, yes he does I think at this time if not immeadiatly successful you went into acting, hence Jim and possibly Tommy steele.
regards
paul
 
The Baron said:
Liz that blonde lady in your group of pics is the fantastic KATHY KIRBY no longer will us sad to say.
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Yes its amazing how you forget these people until something nudges your memory, she was very good,
 
paul stacey said:
Hi Liz hope you and yours are well, yes he does I think at this time if not immeadiatly successful you went into acting, hence Jim and possibly Tommy steele.
regards
paul
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Hello Paul, Tommy Steele was in something called half a sixpence i think, loved little white bull, do you remember that song,
 
The one I remember most from TOMMY STEEL is ROCK WITH A CAVEMAN flip side BUTTER FINGERS. He started at the 2IIs Coffee Bar in LONDON.
 
I'm in the thread for the 3rd time with nice memories of driving to the Dudley Hippodrome on Sunday nights - Ted Heath with Lita Rosa and Dennis Lotus - Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine - Ronny Scott - and many more no one would have heard of these days.
Sunday afternoons with a large crowd at the Gaumont Cinema.
When I got home very late at night , just walked in the unlocked back door, we only had one key.:)
 
Hi Phil, that got the old grey cell going, but I remember them at the Birmingham Town Hall along with many more name some now long gone,Buddy Holly,Eric Delaney, Louis Armstrong, Frankie Lane, & many of the old skiffle groups including the one & only Mr L D (can you tell me who?)
Trad Jazz was my loves at that time & still is: Kenney Ball, 2nd City Jazz Band , the great Humph Littleton. there are many more just need that nuddge from you guys .
Any one remember running down to Jimmys in New St to get a drink in the intermition to save having to stand in the crowd around the Town Hall Bar.
I think we had the best of times to remember.:)
 
paul stacey said:
Funny I do remember Jim dale but only as a comedian, in the carry on films, never as a singer, doe's anyone remember what songs did he sing and what year's
paul
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Jim Dale only had a few hits if I remember rightly before giving up his singing to consentrate on his acting. "Be My Baby" was his biggest hit and he also did "Crazy For You" & "Don't Let Go". He was infact a very good singer.

Lets not forget some of the other great British Rock & Rollers not yet mentioned. Adam Faith, Billy Fury, Dickie Pride, Vince Taylor, Shane Fenton, Johnny Kidd, Cliff Bennett, Don Lang, Tony Crombie and Neville Taylor and The Cutters to mention just a few. What a wealth of talent we had back then.
LONG LIVE ROCK 'n' ROLL;)
Chocks
 
The Baron said:
Hi Phil, that got the old grey cell going, remember the one & only Mr L D (can you tell me who?)
.:)
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Hi Keith,
I think L D was Lonnie Donegan.
I bet Liz didn't expect all the nostalgia that has come up in her thread, but I think memories of each decade depend on how old we were at the time.
I saw Frankie Laine at the Theatre Royal, he was fabulous, and I seem to remember Frank Sinatra at the Birmingham Hippodrome when his career was a bit down. Also there was that famous old building in Spring Hill.
I wonder if a 'Remember the 60's' thread will start and then the '70's', if the forum server can stand it !
Phil:)
 
My favorite english singer for all time when I was young was "Billy Fury", and I named my youngest son William but always call him "Billy", he's in Afghan at present, I have all his songs on disc and play them often, together with the shadows when I want to get nostalgic, yes Liz i do remember Tommy's little black bull my sister had an EP of it and played it endlessly.
regards
paul
 
Grace Slick said "if you remember the 60's, you weren't there" or was it Robin Williams? I forget.....
 
All these names that are coming up see i remember their faces, its the names i forget, and weren't they good, Lonnie Donegan i seen him in Hurst St, i was with my mom and little brother i was about 10yrs old,you can imagine i was staring at him, he was off the telly, he came over and said hello. Adam Faith loved him he went on to act, Billy Fury died before his time brilliant singer,now these were real singers and actors.
Aiden that saying if you remember the 60s you weren't there, i was and i remember it and have never known anyone who said they can't, lol i think the whole drug thing was exaggerated, most ordinary people never touched the stuff.
Yes i reckon there was something very special about the 50s amazing amount of talent, lovely fashion for ladies.
What were the cars like i only remember black cars.
 
Fabulous now i remember the Ford Popular, and the Moriss Minor, my brother had a green Moriss but much later in the late 60s, i loved the Morris Traveller not sure if that is the correct name, and my husband had a Morris van. these are great thanks,
And i remember the jag but never owned one
 
Liz, there were other colour car's in the fifties. My boyfriend's family had a cream Anglia in 1957.
 
I was there in the 60's and remember it, and I knew Adam Faith's brother.:)
Love those cars in chock's post, especially the Sunbeam Rapier.
I suppose those sharp back wings and headlight hoods wouldn't be acceptable today.:rolleyes:
 
Anyone remember the little "Austin Metropolitans" very colourful for the late 50's early 60's always in "twotone", Vauxhall Cresta's the Ford Consul's/Zodiac's, Austin cambridges and MG magnets usually red and white.
paul
 
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