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Childhood Memories

Eric,

I guessed you'd add your memories and probably the only reason we didn't meet up was because we never visited on a Sunday. Dad worked a five & a half day week at first - making packing cases for a pittance - and my mother would be a tote operator at the greyhound tracks on Wednesday & Saturday evenings, split between Hall Green and Kings Heath, so Sunday was our only family day. That was generally a choice of a ride around the Outer Circle (only a walk up the road to Addison Road), Cannon Hill Park, Botanical Gardens, Earlswood Lakes (on the train), or the Lickeys on the tram. When Dad was still alive we would sometimes on a Saturday afternoon go fishing in the canal at Alcester Lanes End while Mom was working. I vaguely remember that dog, though didn't come into close contact with it.

Pete,

Never salmon AND cucumber sandwiches, just salmon. Mom would sometimes make a big dish of cucmber and onion sliced up and put into vinegar, water and sugar. That was a bad move for me because I adored drinking Sarsons Vinegar staright out of the bottle, when no one was about. Mixing it with sugared water was sacrilege to me, but that was how Mom liked it. Other alternatives were chocolate sandwiches, or sardine & tomato paste sandwiches (I still like the latter now). I hated Battenburg cake too. And it was made to last two or three days and the cake would go dry. Yuk, I'm not really a cake man and never have been.

Maurice :cool:
 
Bob,

The dad of one of my mates, Ronnie Bridgewater, had one of the allotments in Knowle Road that went right down to the River Cole. We'd frequently go down there just to reach a different part of the River Cole, where it was quite fast flowing. Our favourite trick was to try and dam it, or at the very least form a sort of waterfall - never very successful I might add. If we'd been down to the old claypits at Greet, it was quite often a place to wash the clay off of our shoes before Mom spotted us. Not that successful either at times, because the Knowle Road entrance to the allotments was almost opposite our house. As we were always late back for tea, she was generally out looking for us and she didn't need Specsavers! The only thing in our favour was that we could run faster than she could! Who'd be a parent? I know because I had four of my own. :)

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
Pete,

Never salmon AND cucumber sandwiches, just salmon. Mom would sometimes make a big dish of cucumber and onion sliced up and put into vinegar, water and sugar. That was a bad move for me because I adored drinking Sarsons Vinegar straight out of the bottle when no one was about. Mixing it with sugared water was sacrilege to me, but that was how Mom liked it. Other alternatives were chocolate sandwiches, or sardine & tomato paste sandwiches (I still like the latter now). I hated the Battenburg cake too. And it was made to last two or three days and the cake would go dry. Yuk, I'm not really a cake man and never have been.

Maurice :cool:
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mom did cucumber and viginer it was loverly on a sarnie. but no sugar in it.yuk..... Some times it was cheese fingers and treacle tart. now that was worth going to aunties for.
 
Vinegar and cucumber salad my pop calls it a " wet " salad one of his favorite things

The river Rea ran at the back of our house and yes just like every kid we would build a dam.

The allotments were at the top of our cul de sac but we could get to them from the field at the rear of the house, we would pick and eat the goosegogs and blackberries through the fence.
 
Well, if you drink enough of it , Bob, it certainly wouldn't help the lining of your stomach, but blood?

Maurice :cool:
 
Edifi said:
As a child my parents would go to a travel agents by the Beaufort Cinama called Scattergoods an book a day trip to Skegness.My mom would always do Cucumber & Onion in vinager sandwiches.By the time we had got to Skeggy I was always sick on the coach
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I had to chuckle when I read Skeggy I have never heard it called that.
But that must have been a long ride back in the day, even now headed to that part of England from Birmingham can't be good.
I remember day trips to Western Super Mare home of the mud flat beach when the tide was out.
We would call it Western Super Mud
 
Just sitting doing a crossword,took me back to my childhood.My Mother loved to do them.One day she was sat there with pencil in mouth thinking.I said what's up Mom,she said I'm stuck on this question.She said it was 5 lettersTo Eg on.All of a sudden she said got it TOAST.:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Edifi said:
Just sitting doing a crossword,took me back to my childhood.My Mother loved to do them.One day she was sat there with pencil in mouth thinking.I said what's up Mom,she said I'm stuck on this question.She said it was 5 lettersTo Eg on.All of a sudden she said got it TOAST.:rolleyes::rolleyes:
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Not really a childhood memory but one from work......
Me to a fellow crossword addict: "I'm stuck on this one"
He: "What's the clue?"
Me: "Overworked Postie"
He: "How many letters?"
Me:" Bloody thousands!" ..... :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
I had to chuckle when I read Skeggy I have never heard it called that.
But that must have been a long ride back in the day, even now headed to that part of England from Birmingham can't be good.
I remember day trips to Western Super Mare home of the mud flat beach when the tide was out.
We would call it Western Super Mud
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Slightly off post I know but we went to Lincolnshire last year and were surprised that the journey didn't take as long as we'd thought it would. Don't remember going to WsM for holidays, only day trips.
 
SOSPRI.Was the canal up by Happy Valley .Fished there many times for Stikle Backs.Even fell and broke my wrist tripping up under the canal bridge and then went home on the bus & Tram to Vauxhall & my dad taking me to the General Hospital.back on the tram.This was in the late 40s.
 
Edifi,

I'm not even sure where Happy Valley is or was. We just went south along Alcester Road South until we came to the canal and went down onto the north side of the canal. On the opposite side was a pub, and I can't even remember it's name. Not much further on was the Kings Heath Greyhound Track - now a housing estate I believe - and the Alcester Lanes End terminus for the 49 route. Fish were sticklebacks, minnows and roach, none of them big enough to eat. But it was peaceful and a chance to spend a bit of time with Dad - he died little more than a year later. I'm talking ot the period 1950 ro early 1952.

Maurice :cool:
 
Lady Penelope said:
The smell of cucumber and onion in vinegar takes me back to my Nan's house in Bridge Road, now under Spaghetti Junction, Friday evenings and Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Lovely!
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now theres a blast from the past pen...i had forgotten all about the cucumber and onion in vinegar...we used to have it in a large cut glass bowl...thanks for jolting my memory

lovely memories maurice...pretty sure you must have seen the barton bank photos i posted ages ago...at least i think i posted some..i must check that as it could have been photos of near to barton bank:rolleyes:

lyn
 
yes snap bob.... our bowl was also used for many things such as a fruit bowl...also used to make jellies and trifles...happy days

lyn
 
sospiri said:
Edifi,

I'm not even sure where Happy Valley is or was. We just went south along Alcester Road South until we came to the canal and went down onto the north side of the canal. On the opposite side was a pub, and I can't even remember it's name Not much further on was the Kings Heath Greyhound Track - now a housing estate I believe - and the Alcester Lanes End terminus for the 49 route. Fish were sticklebacks, minnows and roach, none of them big enough to eat. But it was peaceful and a chance to spend a bit of time with Dad - he died little more than a year later. I'm talking ot the period 1950 ro early 1952.

Maurice :cool:
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Happy Valley Pleasure Grounds
 
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We grew mustard and cress on the nature table at school when I was 7. And told to bring in bread and butter in. Our teacher Mrs Davies brought a big sliced loaf and butter as some children couldn't afford it. Nan told me that and not to ask them why.

My uncle was given bread and butter by his gran and told to find something in the garden to put in it He says they had wild garlic dandelions and clover.
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
Vinegar and cucumber salad my pop calls it a " wet " salad one of his favorite things

The river Rea ran at the back of our house and yes just like every kid we would build a dam.

The allotments were at the top of our cul de sac but we could get to them from the field at the rear of the house, we would pick and eat the goosegogs and blackberries through the fence.
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When mum was courting dad she and nan and grandad got invited to his mum's house for tea. Nan's story was, "she (gran) come out with this tin a salmon open, and slopped it on our plates. Oooh she was common! shuddering as she spoke.
 
Nico said:
We grew mustard and cress on the nature table at school when I was 7. And told to bring in bread and butter in. Our teacher Mrs Davies brought a big sliced loaf and butter as some children couldn't afford it. Nan told me that and not to ask them why.

My uncle was given bread and butter by his gran and told to find something in the garden to put in it He says they had wild garlic dandelions and clover.
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mustard cress on a cheese sarnie yum. There is a lot of wild garlic (Stinking lilies) in my garden, some times the dogs stink when they have been mooching amongst it
 
I take mine to France, my hovis and my Irish soda bread. I have a white flour allergy I must have always had it. Explains a lot now!
 
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