Cathcart Street

[ameliajane]

Anyone know anything about Cathcart Street? I believe it was in Nechells. My mum brought up four children there until around 1971/2 when i think the houses were demolished. I was born there in 1970 (on the sofa, i think) but was obviously too young to remember a thing about the house. We were eventually rehoused in Chelmsley Wood.

Would love to know what the house and the area was like.

(very new to this Birmingham history stuff - friend at work keeps talking about it and now i've got the bug...)

 

[mikejee]

Cathcart st was off dollman st. Her is a map of 1902
Mike

 

[ameliajane]

Thank you! I had searched via Google for a map but couldn't find anything.

A long time ago i was told (by another family member) that the house had only cold water, no bathroom and a toilet outside (possibly shared?). My memories of what i was told might not be great. Given the quite late period (1960s - early 1970s) could this have been correct?

And i think remember being told there was a church near by - any idea which?

 

[dek carr]

Hi there welcome Amelia I lived not far from Cathcart St you are correct there was no hot water, no bath ,outside toilet frost on the windows INSIDE. We all lived in the same conditions so everybody was equal so nothing felt odd.The nearest church to your old house was i believe St Annes in Deven St this was directly opposite Inkerman St,Which you can just see it on that map it is no longer there it was demolished earlier There a lot more people on this site with a lot more knowledge than me just wait a bit i,m sure you will get more help photo,s and all. Dek

 

[ameliajane]

Thank you. Wasn't sure how much was memory and how much myth. Seemed very late to still not have hot running water.

I remember my nan telling me that when mom was rehoused to the house in Chelmsley Wood she thought she'd moved to Buckingham Palace...

Were the houses back to backs? I read something about how, in later times the back to backs had the dividing walls removed and were turned into one dwelling - is this what they were like? Or were they 'single' terraces to begin with? I assume if they were once back to backs they weren't by the late 60's/early 70's...

 

[mikejee]

In the map of 1902, before anything would have been done to them, it looks like there were 4 back to backs on the south side between Dollman street (on the left ) and Inkerman St.
mike

 

[ameliajane]

Thanks. I can see them now!

My nan used to say the house was a back to back but I was never sure how correct this was or whether she was just refering to the era the house was built in. It does now look as though she might have been right, although i would imagine they would have been converted into single dwellings by the 1960's/70's... wouldn't they?

How could i go about finding out more about the houses, street and area? Have tried Google but found nothing (apart from this site - which is fantastic, by the way).

 

[dek carr]

Amelia if you want more imfo on the area, go to the top of the page click on the search word type Gosta Green and Duddeston thers a 160 pages to go for .Dek

 

[lesg128]

hi amelia
I lived in Cathcart St. between 1942 -1957.
The house I lived in was at the lower end towards the river Rea.The house had a front room then thro to the living room. Which had an old fashioned grate and a door leading up to the second floor which had 2 bedrooms. One of these bedrooms gave access to an attic, where me and my brother used to sleep. From the living room you went into a tiny kitchen which had a shallow brown sink and a big copper boiler. Outside there was a small garden where the outside toilet was. I always tried to keep very quiet when I went to the toilet. The woman next door if she was in her toilet (they were only seperated by a single brick wall) would call out to see how things were!
The house also had a cellar which had been strengthened with steel girders so we could go there during the air raids.Strictly speaking these were not 'back to back' but Villa type houses.
To me it was very posh and we only went there because we were bombed out from our 'back to back' in Lawley St.
On the corner with Inkerman St. there was a small outdoor or 'Offie'. On another corner diagonally opposite was a small grocery shop. The owners name was Bill and a nicer man you could not hope to meet. He helped us out quite a lot during those years of rationing. I wonder what the name of the shop was?
'Ha sweet memories' playing hopscotch or 'tip-cat' or what ever it was called on the street.
I too would like to know if there are any pictures of Cathcart St. knocking around.
Lesg128

 

[ameliajane]

That's great - thanks! (And to Dek for the pages search too)

I was reminded of something else when you mentioned the attics - mom once said that all the attics ran into each other, so it was possible to walk through the attics from one house to another - she commented on occassionally hearing footsteps walking across the ceiling.

My nan told me i was born on the sofa in this house with my brothers and sister running around. The distracted midwife sent my dad out, with some of her own money (he was broke), to buy something for the children to help keep them quiet. He made it as far as the nearest pub from where he was hauled home by a neighbour after i was born...

I like the idea of the houses being posh!

 

[drako]

hi i live in cathcart st at the bottom from 1961 to 1969 from the age of 11 to 19 let me know what it is that you wish to know

 

[lesg128]

Hi Drako. Pleased to meet you. See my notes about Cathcart St. Oct 27th 2009. You say you lived at the bottom of the street. What was the name of that street running alongside of the river Rea. I seem to remember there was some way of getting down to the river or was that somewhere near the bridge on Duddeston Mill. I moved away in 1957 but my mom and Dad lived at No. 47 till about 1969. My Mom used to be a part time barmaid at the 'Vic' on Inkerman Street. They moved to a small shop at the corner of Devon street and Duddeston Mill Rd. Do you know the name of the shop on the corner of Cathcart St and Inkerman St?
It was years ago but I still remember lying in bed at night listening to the whistles from the railway engines on the otherside of the Rea.
lesg128

 

[Phil]

Hi legs

The name of the street was Galton Street (see map), My family lived in Inkerman Street for about the last eight years before it was demolished and I never ever was in Galton Street. I remember that one of the shops on one of the corners was an outdoor more than that I cannot remember.

 

[drako]

hi there my mom drank at the vic and she cleaned there in the mornings, i lived at No 37 on the corner if you look at phil's photo next post down that is galton st if you look at the pic the wall on the right is the back garden wall to our house thank's very much phil never thought i would see it again, yes i know the shop you said it was our local shop can't rember there name but we never did steel from them, and as for the cut as we called it yes you could get up and down by the bridge on the other side there was a steel lader there if you did not get court by the railway men, if not we climbed by the snow shoot by our house and dropped down the wall ,to get back up we used a crack in the wall down by the bridge opposit the ladder. over the other side of the cut was the wagon repair place we played over there all the time when no one was about, did you know of a michael watts he lived in the back houses at the bottom end if not thats ok i wish i had more photos of my street i lived there for 10 yrs and do not have any if enyone can help me on that would be great. mark.

 

[drako]

hi phil thanks for the photo the wall on the right is the garden wall to my house went back 3yrs ago all gone miss my good joung yrs mark.

 

[Phil]

Hi drako,

I'm only glad I could help, here is another photo for your album. A photo of the Vic on the corner of Inkerman Street and Duddeston Mill Rd. Not a pub I used very often but I tried to collect match boxes for the gaffers collection that he had on display behind the bar, so anytime a came across an unusual one I popped in there to give it to him. This would have been in the mid 60's.

 

[drako]

thanks phil, i rember outside the pub with our guy falks we got more money at the end of the night because they were all drunk by that time, great days,would liv it all again, many thanks. mark.

 

[gardengerald]

Thank you. Wasn't sure how much was memory and how much myth. Seemed very late to still not have hot running water.

I remember my nan telling me that when mom was rehoused to the house in Chelmsley Wood she thought she'd moved to Buckingham Palace...

Were the houses back to backs? I read something about how, in later times the back to backs had the dividing walls removed and were turned into one dwelling - is this what they were like? Or were they 'single' terraces to begin with? I assume if they were once back to backs they weren't by the late 60's/early 70's...

Hi there welcome Amelia I lived not far from Cathcart St you are correct there was no hot water, no bath ,outside toilet frost on the windows INSIDE. We all lived in the same conditions so everybody was equal so nothing felt odd.The nearest church to your old house was i believe St Annes in Deven St this was directly opposite Inkerman St,Which you can just see it on that map it is no longer there it was demolished earlier There a lot more people on this site with a lot more knowledge than me just wait a bit i,m sure you will get more help photo,s and all. Dek

Hello Everyone
Some of the houses in Cathcart Street did not have electricity until 1951. I lived at 59 and we only had gas. Some of the people I remember were the Lawrences, Bells, Davies, Fodens, Dixons, Cartwrights, Burns, Doyles, Burns, Standens, Thompsons, Crowes,
Whites and Boulstridges. The four shops at the cross roads of Cathcart Street and Innkerman Street were an Outdoor run by The Forbes. a Clothing Shop, Bills Grocery shop and a Greengrocers. Bill took over the Grocery shop after the lady that ran it was caught dealing on the Black Market ...Best wishes..GardenGerald

 

[Astoness]

hi gardengerald and welcome to the forum...thanks for your memories please keep them coming

all the best

lyn

 

[lesg128]

Hello Everyone
Some of the houses in Cathcart Street did not have electricity until 1951. I lived at 59 and we only had gas. Some of the people I remember were the Lawrences, Bells, Davies, Fodens, Dixons, Cartwrights, Burns, Doyles, Burns, Standens, Thompsons, Crowes,
Whites and Boulstridges. The four shops at the cross roads of Cathcart Street and Innkerman Street were an Outdoor run by The Forbes. a Clothing Shop, Bills Grocery shop and a Greengrocers. Bill took over the Grocery shop after the lady that ran it was caught dealing on the Black Market ...Best wishes..GardenGerald

 

[lesg128]

hello gardengerald
I lived in Cathcart Street between 1943 - 1956. My families surname is Green. The 5 of us Mom (ANNE),Dad (JIM), sister Sheila, brother Bill and myself Les. Moved to No.47 after being bombed out of our back-to-back house in Lawley Street. No. 47 was next door to what seemed to have been a car repair shop. As far as I can remember it was never occupied. I used to climb over a very high wall onto a flat roof and nose around inside but it was empty except for a car which may have belonged to the absent occupier.
No. 47 was one of 4 houses which had a small extension at the back, which was the kitchen with a large brown sink and a copper boiler, heated with firewood from underneath. There was no hotwater but there was a lead covered electric cable, leading into the rest of the house, so it had a ceiling light. It was as someone previously said two rooms on the ground floor and two bedroms together with an attic. It was in good condition except sometimes rainwater would get past the slates on the roof and leak into the attic,where my brother and I slept. The house had a cellar and for some reason steel girders were installed there and I believe it was intended to use the cellar as an air raid shelter. I remember us using it a few times.
Thanks for the list of names I can only confirm is that of Mrs Foden (may have been called Nellie) who lived next door with her daughter who was a nurse. Nellie used to stand on the front doorstep to pass the time of day with people she knew and when ever anyone used the outside toilet she would start a conversation thro the brickwall! I was very embarrased. I can also remember Bill's Groceries on the corner.He was was a great man, in an emergency he would let my mom use his phone.
At the back of our house we had a small garden and behind that there was a small row of about four more back-to-back houses seperated from us by a small gully. In one of these houses was a family called Trouton their son was a big friend of my brother Bill and our two families got on very well.
Does anyone recall at the back of all these houses was an area called 'The Tip' where children from Inkerman St,Cathcart St and Galton St used to gather to play. Bill was playing there one day jumped off a wall and hurt his leg. I had to carry him on my back to our house ( I was about 14). Mom came home and had to carry him to the Accident Hospital where they diagnosed a Greenstick (what an appropiate name) Fracture.
Ahh!! Sweet memories.

 

[gardengerald]

hello gardengerald
I lived in Cathcart Street between 1943 - 1956. My families surname is Green. The 5 of us Mom (ANNE),Dad (JIM), sister Sheila, brother Bill and myself Les. Moved to No.47 after being bombed out of our back-to-back house in Lawley Street. No. 47 was next door to what seemed to have been a car repair shop. As far as I can remember it was never occupied. I used to climb over a very high wall onto a flat roof and nose around inside but it was empty except for a car which may have belonged to the absent occupier.
No. 47 was one of 4 houses which had a small extension at the back, which was the kitchen with a large brown sink and a copper boiler, heated with firewood from underneath. There was no hotwater but there was a lead covered electric cable, leading into the rest of the house, so it had a ceiling light. It was as someone previously said two rooms on the ground floor and two bedroms together with an attic. It was in good condition except sometimes rainwater would get past the slates on the roof and leak into the attic,where my brother and I slept. The house had a cellar and for some reason steel girders were installed there and I believe it was intended to use the cellar as an air raid shelter. I remember us using it a few times.
Thanks for the list of names I can only confirm is that of Mrs Foden (may have been called Nellie) who lived next door with her daughter who was a nurse. Nellie used to stand on the front doorstep to pass the time of day with people she knew and when ever anyone used the outside toilet she would start a conversation thro the brickwall! I was very embarrased. I can also remember Bill's Groceries on the corner.He was was a great man, in an emergency he would let my mom use his phone.
At the back of our house we had a small garden and behind that there was a small row of about four more back-to-back houses seperated from us by a small gully. In one of these houses was a family called Trouton their son was a big friend of my brother Bill and our two families got on very well.
Does anyone recall at the back of all these houses was an area called 'The Tip' where children from Inkerman St,Cathcart St and Galton St used to gather to play. Bill was playing there one day jumped off a wall and hurt his leg. I had to carry him on my back to our house ( I was about 14). Mom came home and had to carry him to the Accident Hospital where they diagnosed a Greenstick (what an appropiate name) Fracture.
Ahh!! Sweet memories.

Hello Les
I was born a couple of doors from you during a bombing raid because the cellar had more protection with the metal supports. The houses that made the square of Cathcart Street, Inkerman Street, Dolman Street and Alma Crescent suffered bomb damage but all the houses inside that square were destroyed. Yes we did play football and cricket on that site You are spot on about the Fodens, I think they were the first family in the street to have a TV. I was allowed to pop in and see some programmes on this new machine from time to time. Did your brother suffer any head injuries when he fell off the wall. I remember a small boy falling off the Clarkes wall and the next time I saw him his head was bandaged. Do you remember David Davies. .
Lots of good memories. Keep in Touch GardenGerald

 

[lesg128]

Hello again GardenGerald
No I don't think Bill suffered any head injury although he was noted for being a 'scallywag'. Unfortunately for some reason I can't recall anyone named David. Although I do remember playing something called 'tit tat' and hopscotch out side No. 47. Another memory is of bonfire night when we gathered in the street. The 'we' were children from Galton street opposing children from our street and unfortunately fireworks were being thrown around.One of the fireworks went down the open neck of one guy and we were all trying to beat it out. I think he must have suffered bad burns. Another memory I have was when we had a snowfall overnight and I was out clearing snow when a man knocked on the door of 47. Mom came to the door and I could just hear him saying he was the School Board Inspector and was enquiring about my attendance record. Boy did I keep quiet and carried on with snow clearing,further down the street.
As I mentioned before I can't remember names too well ! Are you the David mentioned above? I did have one friend who lived opposite us and we got on quiet well. One day we were in his house and remembering that I liked to build aeroplanes from self build kits he told me he had a kit, I think it was a Wellington. Anyway he asked me if I could build it. It was quiet a big kit. Anyway I built it taking about two weeks using lots of araldite glue and gave it to him. The next day his mother came across and gave me a halfcrown and thanked me.
I was very proud but still cannot recall his name.
Did you ever go up Duddeston Mill road to the railwaystation. I was a train spottter and had a book listing all the numbers of trains which I marked off when seen. I used to play among the carriages in the sidings.

Must go, my wife is afflicted by Alzheimer's and I must go and attend to her. Thanks for the info you have given me it has certainly woken up some of my brain cells. Will keep on reminiscing and be in touch.
Cheers!

 

[gardengerald]

Hello again GardenGerald
No I don't think Bill suffered any head injury although he was noted for being a 'scallywag'. Unfortunately for some reason I can't recall anyone named David. Although I do remember playing something called 'tit tat' and hopscotch out side No. 47. Another memory is of bonfire night when we gathered in the street. The 'we' were children from Galton street opposing children from our street and unfortunately fireworks were being thrown around.One of the fireworks went down the open neck of one guy and we were all trying to beat it out. I think he must have suffered bad burns. Another memory I have was when we had a snowfall overnight and I was out clearing snow when a man knocked on the door of 47. Mom came to the door and I could just hear him saying he was the School Board Inspector and was enquiring about my attendance record. Boy did I keep quiet and carried on with snow clearing,further down the street.
As I mentioned before I can't remember names too well ! Are you the David mentioned above? I did have one friend who lived opposite us and we got on quiet well. One day we were in his house and remembering that I liked to build aeroplanes from self build kits he told me he had a kit, I think it was a Wellington. Anyway he asked me if I could build it. It was quiet a big kit. Anyway I built it taking about two weeks using lots of araldite glue and gave it to him. The next day his mother came across and gave me a halfcrown and thanked me.
I was very proud but still cannot recall his name.
Did you ever go up Duddeston Mill road to the railwaystation. I was a train spottter and had a book listing all the numbers of trains which I marked off when seen. I used to play among the carriages in the sidings.

Must go, my wife is afflicted by Alzheimer's and I must go and attend to her. Thanks for the info you have given me it has certainly woken up some of my brain cells. Will keep on reminiscing and be in touch.
Cheers!

Hello Les
David Davies lived within two or three doors of you. My name is Gerald White and in he last year at Loxton Street School I was a prefect and captain of the Red House. The last house down Cathcart Street from your house had an odd number. Thirty seven and a half. We knew that one of the railings at the bottom of the street was loose and if we moved it sideways we could lift it up and get on the bank of the River Rea. It was a bit frightening because of the drop into the water but I have seen the water lapping the top of the wall. Did you know David Green who lived round the corner in Inkerman street. his birthday was yesterday, mine was the day before. If you crossed the street from your house and went down the entry you came to a concrete air raid shelter and we used to play there if the weather was wet. What school did you go to ?
I did a lot of train spotting at Vauxhall Station. Every day at lunch time Terry Bishop and I would run from school to see The Pines Express, Manchester to Bournemouth, go through, it was often pulled by the engine Ajax . These are great memories of happy days.

Look after yourself...GardenGerald.

 

[lesg128]

Hello Les
David Davies lived within two or three doors of you. My name is Gerald White and in he last year at Loxton Street School I was a prefect and captain of the Red House. The last house down Cathcart Street from your house had an odd number. Thirty seven and a half. We knew that one of the railings at the bottom of the street was loose and if we moved it sideways we could lift it up and get on the bank of the River Rea. It was a bit frightening because of the drop into the water but I have seen the water lapping the top of the wall. Did you know David Green who lived round the corner in Inkerman street. his birthday was yesterday, mine was the day before. If you crossed the street from your house and went down the entry you came to a concrete air raid shelter and we used to play there if the weather was wet. What school did you go to ?
I did a lot of train spotting at Vauxhall Station. Every day at lunch time Terry Bishop and I would run from school to see The Pines Express, Manchester to Bournemouth, go through, it was often pulled by the engine Ajax . These are great memories of happy days.

Look after yourself...GardenGerald.

 

[lesg128]

Hi Gerald
Thanks for the names of people living close to our house in Cathcart St. Unfortunately they still do not strike any memories. Probably because I was older than most of the children living there. My brother Bill ( sadly no longer with us) would have been closer.
Your remarks on accessing the banks of the Rea brings back memories. I used to go to the bottom of the street, when it was in full flood, it was awesome and frightening! Wasn't there a gate which, sometimes in the winter, was opened to allow lorries carrying snow empty their contents into the river. I assume the snow was collected from the main roads that had tram lines. I used to go down Duddeston Mill to the bridge and get down to the river via a gate and steps to walk alongside it when it was low. Stopping to think about it I realise that no one would have known where I was if I had an accident!
Do you rember the sort of brick built canopy outside some of the houses. It covered the grating of the cellar the idea being that if the house was bombed the canopy would keep the emergency exit clear of the rubble. We didn't have one,they only seemed to be on the upper part of the street. Some of them had a red firebucket on top of them.
At one time I had a paper round (weekends only) covering Inkerman street and Alma Crescent. I can vividly remember, on a Sunday delivering boys magazines (such as Adventure) to houses in the Crescent and being amazed at how quiet and peacefull it was. I could hear the birds whistling and because it was Sunday no noise from the railway shunting yards. I used to read the magazines before delivery! Where we lived there seemed to be no birds and I recall at nightime listening to the whistles on the shunting engines coming from the railway sidings on the opposite side of the Rea.
Will keep trawling my brain for more memories.

 

[gardengerald]

Hi Gerald
Thanks for the names of people living close to our house in Cathcart St. Unfortunately they still do not strike any memories. Probably because I was older than most of the children living there. My brother Bill ( sadly no longer with us) would have been closer.
Your remarks on accessing the banks of the Rea brings back memories. I used to go to the bottom of the street, when it was in full flood, it was awesome and frightening! Wasn't there a gate which, sometimes in the winter, was opened to allow lorries carrying snow empty their contents into the river. I assume the snow was collected from the main roads that had tram lines. I used to go down Duddeston Mill to the bridge and get down to the river via a gate and steps to walk alongside it when it was low. Stopping to think about it I realise that no one would have known where I was if I had an accident!
Do you rember the sort of brick built canopy outside some of the houses. It covered the grating of the cellar the idea being that if the house was bombed the canopy would keep the emergency exit clear of the rubble. We didn't have one,they only seemed to be on the upper part of the street. Some of them had a red firebucket on top of them.
At one time I had a paper round (weekends only) covering Inkerman street and Alma Crescent. I can vividly remember, on a Sunday delivering boys magazines (such as Adventure) to houses in the Crescent and being amazed at how quiet and peacefull it was. I could hear the birds whistling and because it was Sunday no noise from the railway shunting yards. I used to read the magazines before delivery! Where we lived there seemed to be no birds and I recall at nightime listening to the whistles on the shunting engines coming from the railway sidings on the opposite side of the Rea.
Will keep trawling my brain for more memories.

Hello Les

You are quite right snow was dumped into the River Rea. Again you are right there was a gateway in Duddeston Mill Road that gave access to the other bank of the river. I went through the gate one day and there was a dog at the waters edge, I went down the ladder but the dog was very frightened and kept running way. Like you it was a bit scary. I have a picture of myself taken sitting on a cellar canopy,in Cathcart Street, its over 70 years . I worked for Harold Hicks, corn and seed merchants at the corner of Vauxhall Road and Newdegate Street from the age of 13. Did you work for George Austin delivering papers. As I remember Duddeston Mill Road had two newsagents, one chemist, two butchers, one pork butcher, two grocery shops, a shop that only sold tobacco. Billinghams the glass man and a fish and chop shop plus two pubs. When were you born les and what school did you go to. Do you remember the Ellis family moving into Cathcart Street. Chat again soon.
Best wishes...GardenGerald.

 

[lesg128]

Hello Les

You are quite right snow was dumped into the River Rea. Again you are right there was a gateway in Duddeston Mill Road that gave access to the other bank of the river. I went through the gate one day and there was a dog at the waters edge, I went down the ladder but the dog was very frightened and kept running way. Like you it was a bit scary. I have a picture of myself taken sitting on a cellar canopy,in Cathcart Street, its over 70 years . I worked for Harold Hicks, corn and seed merchants at the corner of Vauxhall Road and Newdegate Street from the age of 13. Did you work for George Austin delivering papers. As I remember Duddeston Mill Road had two newsagents, one chemist, two butchers, one pork butcher, two grocery shops, a shop that only sold tobacco. Billinghams the glass man and a fish and chop shop plus two pubs. When were you born les and what school did you go to. Do you remember the Ellis family moving into Cathcart Street. Chat again soon.
Best wishes...GardenGerald.

 

[lesg128]

Hi Gerald
Together with my brother I had quite an incident relating to the canopies. We were returning from school (incidentally that was Loxton St.) when Bill found an old shoe in the road, he picked up the shoe and threw it into one of the fire buckets. It made quite a noise because the bucket fell off the canopy. Immediately a man came out the house and started shouting at us to which we shouted back. His face was red and he shouted I'll give you a thick ear. With that we started running down the street with the man running after. Bill was 5 years younger than me so his legs had to go faster. Because the street was on a slope and we were going downhill we were all going at a tremendous pace. We got to the gully leading to the back of our house with the irate man close behind. At the back of our house we had a substantial gate, which we shut and bolted. The man poked his red face over the gate and began bellowing at us. This bought mom out and she started shouting back. Mom was always abit of a tartar and the man went away shouting as he went. I don't know what would have happened if he had caught us. Phew that was close! You may have been sitting on the very canopy where the man lived. Guessing the date I estimate it have be 1944 when we had our escapade.
Your question how ancient am I? The answer 10 years senior to you.
The shops you mention on Duddeston Mill Rd (remember the "Vic" on the corner). Well on the opposite side was a little corner shop which was sold to my mom and Dad. My Dad was made redundant from a steel forming company. They purchased it with his redundancy money in about 1959. They stayed there until they retired and then my brother took over until the demolition notice.

 

[gardengerald]

Hi Gerald
Together with my brother I had quite an incident relating to the canopies. We were returning from school (incidentally that was Loxton St.) when Bill found an old shoe in the road, he picked up the shoe and threw it into one of the fire buckets. It made quite a noise because the bucket fell off the canopy. Immediately a man came out the house and started shouting at us to which we shouted back. His face was red and he shouted I'll give you a thick ear. With that we started running down the street with the man running after. Bill was 5 years younger than me so his legs had to go faster. Because the street was on a slope and we were going downhill we were all going at a tremendous pace. We got to the gully leading to the back of our house with the irate man close behind. At the back of our house we had a substantial gate, which we shut and bolted. The man poked his red face over the gate and began bellowing at us. This bought mom out and she started shouting back. Mom was always abit of a tartar and the man went away shouting as he went. I don't know what would have happened if he had caught us. Phew that was close! You may have been sitting on the very canopy where the man lived. Guessing the date I estimate it have be 1944 when we had our escapade.
Your question how ancient am I? The answer 10 years senior to you.
The shops you mention on Duddeston Mill Rd (remember the "Vic" on the corner). Well on the opposite side was a little corner shop which was sold to my mom and Dad. My Dad was made redundant from a steel forming company. They purchased it with his redundancy money in about 1959. They stayed there until they retired and then my brother took over until the demolition notice.

Evening Les.
I have got a couple of questions for you. Was the corner shop straight across from the Vic or on the diagonal. Did Joe and Ena Dixon live in the house in Cathcart street before you moved in. Do you still live in Birmingham. When we left Cathcart we moved to Castle Bromwich, I saw cows in a field every day but missed the trains and the great friendships we had in those days in Vauxhall.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon..Take care..GardenGerald.