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Growing Up In Brum - Roy Blakey Inspired.
- Thread starter Roy Blakey
- Start date
Maria Magenta
master brummie
Did any one else's relatives use the expression "flying your kite," meaning to be out having a good time (sometimes with the implication that the kite-flyer should be doing something else)?
e.g. Where's X?
Oh, she's flying her kite somewhere.
e.g. Where's X?
Oh, she's flying her kite somewhere.
maypolebaz
master brummie
One of the kids in our gang used to be called in by his Dad.
Dad was ex-army and he would stand on the step and scream " MaurIIIIIICE !
The kid used to take off like a rabbit.
Dad was ex-army and he would stand on the step and scream " MaurIIIIIICE !
The kid used to take off like a rabbit.
Talking of ex-army, I remember a summer day in Sutton Park in 1946 or 47. I was in woodland, just near Blackroot, with a couple of friends of mine, brothers. Birdsong, from near and far. In the middle of that, one of the brothers suddenly said, "That's Dad!" I had heard nothing whatsoever which sounded unusual and was more than somewhat sceptical. It took us about ten minutes to link up, and, blow me, they had been right. A carry-over from the Burma jungle, I have always assumed, which the father had survived. And hugely impressive!
Chris
Chris
maypolebaz
master brummie
Roy Blakey
master brummie
TOFFEE-NOSED.
I mind a few times that our group of kids would ' label ' someone that we came into contact with as " Toffee-nosed'.
Later we would learn that this mistakingly came about by ' judging ' much too quickly.
Toffee-nosed, as we perceived it, would be a person ( Grown up or fellow kid ) who appeared to be a combination of :
" Stuck Up " , " High and Mighty " , " Too quiet " , " Poshly spoken" and " Poshly dressed ".
Bit by bit I guess it began to dawn on us :
TOO STUCK UP : Well, if we weren't prepared to go " Half way " ourselves we would not be going to sort that one out.
HIGH AND MIGHTY : Perhaps they do know what they're talking about.
SOME TIMES QUIET : So what's wrong with NOT endlessly talking Gibberish.
THEY SPEAK A BIT POSH : Us lot are a bit prone to thinking that the use of ' slang ' is clever and a form of toughness, maybe it isn't really.
POSHLY DRESSED : Maybe they just look after their clothes better than us.
Hmm, Worth a think about.
I mind a few times that our group of kids would ' label ' someone that we came into contact with as " Toffee-nosed'.
Later we would learn that this mistakingly came about by ' judging ' much too quickly.
Toffee-nosed, as we perceived it, would be a person ( Grown up or fellow kid ) who appeared to be a combination of :
" Stuck Up " , " High and Mighty " , " Too quiet " , " Poshly spoken" and " Poshly dressed ".
Bit by bit I guess it began to dawn on us :
TOO STUCK UP : Well, if we weren't prepared to go " Half way " ourselves we would not be going to sort that one out.
HIGH AND MIGHTY : Perhaps they do know what they're talking about.
SOME TIMES QUIET : So what's wrong with NOT endlessly talking Gibberish.
THEY SPEAK A BIT POSH : Us lot are a bit prone to thinking that the use of ' slang ' is clever and a form of toughness, maybe it isn't really.
POSHLY DRESSED : Maybe they just look after their clothes better than us.
Hmm, Worth a think about.
farmerdave
master brummie
I wonder if the term "Grammar Grub" was another aspect of one set of kids seeing another set as toffee-nosed. Dave.
Roy Blakey
master brummie
THE DINNER DANCE.
The Post-war period seemed to gradually provide for more entertainments for the working class folks. Amongst them came the offer of the " DINNER DANCE "
Here was the opportunity to enjoy an experience previously available only to the upper classes during formal occassions held in Stately homes and Town Halls
These events now were particularly ideal for young couples and their friends who could now book and look forward to
" Poshing up " for a complete night-out.
Large Hotels, Assembly rooms in large Public Houses and Civic Centres began to lay on these events.
On offer, there would usually be : A four or five course dinner, Dancing to a quality Big Band with it's Singers and a drinking bar with waiter service.
Bearing in mind that up until this time many folks nightly entertainment had mainly centred on such things as : Listening at home to the radio, going to the Cinema, eating out occassionally at Cafes or Reasturants , going to a dance at one of the larger Dance Halls, or for the younger men and younger ladies, " Doing the Monkey Run ", here was this great new experience.
I mind the first one that I attended and observing the array of " eating tools " set out on either side of the eating mat in front of me having to ask as to which ones I should use for each ' Course ". A whispered " Start from the outside and work you way in " did the trick.
Now nicely fortified with some lovely food and drink the assembled folk would be invited by the ' Band Leader ' to " Take you partners for a Quick-step please ", the Band would start up and now everyone could demonstrate their ' fancy steps '
and dance the rest of the night away.
Yeah, a really good addition to an alternative night out ( had to save your pennies up a bit prior to going on this one though ).
The Post-war period seemed to gradually provide for more entertainments for the working class folks. Amongst them came the offer of the " DINNER DANCE "
Here was the opportunity to enjoy an experience previously available only to the upper classes during formal occassions held in Stately homes and Town Halls
These events now were particularly ideal for young couples and their friends who could now book and look forward to
" Poshing up " for a complete night-out.
Large Hotels, Assembly rooms in large Public Houses and Civic Centres began to lay on these events.
On offer, there would usually be : A four or five course dinner, Dancing to a quality Big Band with it's Singers and a drinking bar with waiter service.
Bearing in mind that up until this time many folks nightly entertainment had mainly centred on such things as : Listening at home to the radio, going to the Cinema, eating out occassionally at Cafes or Reasturants , going to a dance at one of the larger Dance Halls, or for the younger men and younger ladies, " Doing the Monkey Run ", here was this great new experience.
I mind the first one that I attended and observing the array of " eating tools " set out on either side of the eating mat in front of me having to ask as to which ones I should use for each ' Course ". A whispered " Start from the outside and work you way in " did the trick.
Now nicely fortified with some lovely food and drink the assembled folk would be invited by the ' Band Leader ' to " Take you partners for a Quick-step please ", the Band would start up and now everyone could demonstrate their ' fancy steps '
and dance the rest of the night away.
Yeah, a really good addition to an alternative night out ( had to save your pennies up a bit prior to going on this one though ).
Roy Blakey
master brummie
THE MAN IN THE TURBAN.
( 1937 ish ).
Just a little unusual event that happened and got us kids well entranced at the time.
A bunch of ' little uns ' gatherered out on the street, generally going about our play, when one of our group spotted this man who was progressing along our road knocking on the doors and talking to the ' Moms ' as he made his way along the street to-wards us.
What caught our attention was that this man was wearing a real ' turban ' on his head and he also had a long black beard around his chin.
If you can imagine, this was the first ' actual ' real life person that any of us had seen who was just like some of the men we had seen on the films at the Cinema.
For starters we had all recently seen the film called " The Elephant Boy " and we had all been enthralled with the story and the sights of these men who were all wearing Turbans on their heads and all seemed to have black beards as well. The young star of the film was a young boy called " Sabu " who instantly became one of our heroes. He also wore one of these Turbans.
Bit by bit this Turbaned man got close enough for us to see that he was also carrying a suitcase from which he was offering the ' Moms ' small items for sale.
Eventually he passed us as he made his way further up the street and as he did he looked at our bunch, he smiled and nodded to us in a nice kindly sort of way.
That did it for,us because up to that point. I think that we had all been pretty apprehensive as to whether he was a
' good un ' like Sabu's family and friends or whether he was one of the ' bad Man villains ' like we had seen in the film.
Yep, we decided he was ' okay '. ( He could have been Sabu's Dad said we ).
Back to our games we went.
Photo : Some of the senior folk would remember this.
( 1937 ish ).
Just a little unusual event that happened and got us kids well entranced at the time.
A bunch of ' little uns ' gatherered out on the street, generally going about our play, when one of our group spotted this man who was progressing along our road knocking on the doors and talking to the ' Moms ' as he made his way along the street to-wards us.
What caught our attention was that this man was wearing a real ' turban ' on his head and he also had a long black beard around his chin.
If you can imagine, this was the first ' actual ' real life person that any of us had seen who was just like some of the men we had seen on the films at the Cinema.
For starters we had all recently seen the film called " The Elephant Boy " and we had all been enthralled with the story and the sights of these men who were all wearing Turbans on their heads and all seemed to have black beards as well. The young star of the film was a young boy called " Sabu " who instantly became one of our heroes. He also wore one of these Turbans.
Bit by bit this Turbaned man got close enough for us to see that he was also carrying a suitcase from which he was offering the ' Moms ' small items for sale.
Eventually he passed us as he made his way further up the street and as he did he looked at our bunch, he smiled and nodded to us in a nice kindly sort of way.
That did it for,us because up to that point. I think that we had all been pretty apprehensive as to whether he was a
' good un ' like Sabu's family and friends or whether he was one of the ' bad Man villains ' like we had seen in the film.
Yep, we decided he was ' okay '. ( He could have been Sabu's Dad said we ).
Back to our games we went.
Photo : Some of the senior folk would remember this.
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norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
I recall seeing Indian born residents around the Alexandra Road area of Belgrave Road before WW2, and I have Birmingham based friends who still do not believe me when I tell them that an Indian population was in Birmingham for many years before the large influx of the fifties and sixties.
Sadly, many of them were called 'Sabu' by the locals. Not funny in my opinion, especially when one considers that many Indians, and Sikhs fought, and died, alongside our own men, during the Middle East and Far East campaigns.
I have no problems with Roy's posting, because he tells it as it was, and as kids, we all loved Sabu.
Eddie
Sadly, many of them were called 'Sabu' by the locals. Not funny in my opinion, especially when one considers that many Indians, and Sikhs fought, and died, alongside our own men, during the Middle East and Far East campaigns.
I have no problems with Roy's posting, because he tells it as it was, and as kids, we all loved Sabu.
Eddie
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I remember, from the 1940's an elderly turban wearing Indian gent who regularly visited our road selling things he carried in a large suitcase.
One other thing I remember is the 'Gypsy Women' carrying large baskets who regularly knocked on doors offering to sell wooden clothes-line pegs and 'lucky' sprigs of heather. They were very persuasive and never happy if you did not buy something.
One other thing I remember is the 'Gypsy Women' carrying large baskets who regularly knocked on doors offering to sell wooden clothes-line pegs and 'lucky' sprigs of heather. They were very persuasive and never happy if you did not buy something.
farmerdave
master brummie
September 3rd. Hope this is relevant to this thread but Growing up in Brum I do remember that when September 3rd came along people would comment that it was e.g. 10 years, years, 15 years etc since world war 2 began. I was born during the war, so after September 3rd 1939, but the date must have been of huge consequence to our parents and grand-parents. Today is 76-years since WW2 began but I have not heard it mentioned anywhere. Dave.
paul stacey
master brummie
How very true Dave, even us born after 1945, were consumed with the war through our parents, and grand parents, my father took me every year from my cradle to the hall of memory on 11th November, and told me stories of lost pals and actions. May the country never forget, no matter how long, and we younger ones never forget, the sacrifice made , abroad or at home by our parents generation. Paul
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Dave,
The date may have more memories for those a few more years older than me. I was two years eight months old at the time and my first memories relate to going down into my grandmother's coal cellar when the sirens went, so by then I was was at least four probably five years old. It is more memorable to me as the day after my father's birthday!
Maurice
The date may have more memories for those a few more years older than me. I was two years eight months old at the time and my first memories relate to going down into my grandmother's coal cellar when the sirens went, so by then I was was at least four probably five years old. It is more memorable to me as the day after my father's birthday!
Maurice
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
Strangely enough, I was going to put a posting on here earlier today, but thought, as it is being brought up all the time, maybe it is better, for once, to give it a miss. However, the date was always going to be very much in my mind.
On September 3rd 1939, I was nearly seven years old, and I remember the day clearly. I well never forget many days, dates, or experiences of those terrible times. Bombed out of our home, losing my father for six years, school friends killed. We suffered, but many suffered much more.
Some like to remember it publicly, some quietly. Each to their own.
Eddie
On September 3rd 1939, I was nearly seven years old, and I remember the day clearly. I well never forget many days, dates, or experiences of those terrible times. Bombed out of our home, losing my father for six years, school friends killed. We suffered, but many suffered much more.
Some like to remember it publicly, some quietly. Each to their own.
Eddie
devonjim
master brummie
It was essential to cross their palms with silver to escape the gypsy's curse!
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Robb Wilton hear him here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=775DE0YkT3U
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
The full phrase was: "The day war broke out, my missus said to me", or, "I said to my missus" and then followed by something like "We need top get some carrots planted in the garden". Most of it, on stage, said with his left arm resting on his right arm, and his little finger in his mouth.
I saw Rob Wilton a couple of times. A funny man, from the old school of comedy.
Eddie
I saw Rob Wilton a couple of times. A funny man, from the old school of comedy.
Eddie
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Eddie,
When younger we spent hours listening to the radio before the advent of TV. Dad & I would scan the Radio Times and the list of artistes appearing on programmes like Monday Night at Eight, Variety Bandbox, etc., and if Rob Wilton was listed, would always tune in. You almost knew what was coming with his usual catchphrases and much the same with several of the other comedians. Although we have satellite TV here, the set hasn't been turned on for more than two years. Most modern films are awful, and I have quite a few decent old films on the computer if I really want to watch them. TV is now geared towards the younger generation. Whenever I see it on my occasional UK visits, it just does not hold my attention and if I turn it on in a hotel room it is mainly to catch up with the news, but I can equally catch up with the news on the laptop. Reality TV, talent shows and pop music shows bore me silly, and I still yearn for the likes of Rob Wilton. This modern stuff is so "plastic" and unreal.
Maurice
When younger we spent hours listening to the radio before the advent of TV. Dad & I would scan the Radio Times and the list of artistes appearing on programmes like Monday Night at Eight, Variety Bandbox, etc., and if Rob Wilton was listed, would always tune in. You almost knew what was coming with his usual catchphrases and much the same with several of the other comedians. Although we have satellite TV here, the set hasn't been turned on for more than two years. Most modern films are awful, and I have quite a few decent old films on the computer if I really want to watch them. TV is now geared towards the younger generation. Whenever I see it on my occasional UK visits, it just does not hold my attention and if I turn it on in a hotel room it is mainly to catch up with the news, but I can equally catch up with the news on the laptop. Reality TV, talent shows and pop music shows bore me silly, and I still yearn for the likes of Rob Wilton. This modern stuff is so "plastic" and unreal.
Maurice
Smudger
master brummie
Gypsy`s curse`s & prophecies are not valid. One told me I would live long & prosper (no she wasn`t from Vulcan) I`m still waiting for the prosper bit ! When on holiday in Spain I found the Gypsy`s curse`s very dramatic, so I would refuse to give them money just so I could be cursed.
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
Maurice,
I totally agree. As a musician, I used to love TV, the music, the shows, the singers, the comedians. Real entertainment, by talented people that had learned their trade, and knew how to play to an audience. Of course much of their experience was honed by variety theatres, dance halls, working men's clubs, playing to live audiences .
Sadly that has all gone out of the window. Any experienced musician, singer, entertainer, having spent years in the business, will all say the same thing. 95% of todays so called entertainment is rubbish.
It is TV for the younger generation, much of it, as you say 'plastic'. The majority of modern films bore me, with very little constructed story, made more for impact than substance.
There you go. Many younger folk will call us boring old so & so's, but I sometimes wonder whether we really are. Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Elgar are still going strong, so maybe there is hope for a return of good variety.
Eddie
farmerdave
master brummie
Sometimes one can be surprised and like a modern film that you didn't think you would like. I watched recently "The Hunger Games". It's supposed to appeal to a late-teens audience and involves 24 young people in a futuristic competition where only one will survive. It was on TV and I was enthralled. It stars Jennifer Lawrence and she was superb. She is now the world's highest paid actress and earned £32 million during the last 12 months. She was also the second-youngest actress to win an Oscar, for Silver Linings Playbook, at the age of 24. I don't know who the youngest actress to win an Oscar was. Recent films like "The Imitation Game" and "The Theory of Everything" were also very good. Dave.
Roy Blakey
master brummie
After reading the latest posts on this thread there's a couple that include comments that I bet coincide with the thinking of a fair number of folks these days.
Examples: By sospiri ( Post #893 on this thread ) which includes his comment " Most modern films are awful " and then there's norfolk brummie ( Post #895 on this thread ) which includes his comment " The majority of modern films bore me , with very little constructed story, made more for impact than substance ".
So if I assume that in both cases that many folk would concur with these comments, the question would follow " What's going on then ? ".
If I then place myself in the position of being a modern Film Director/ Producer and then visualise what might be on his list of " musts " for his next " off the conveyor belt " cheap film, might his thoughts and notes run something like this.
STORY LINE : Not too bothered about this, so long as we get plenty of ' Booms' and ' Bangs ', an abundance of ' Shouting' , ' Arguing ', ' Confrontations ' and ' Fights' in it with plenty of the ' Red Stuff ' flying about. Throw in a few " Flash Backs " and " Flash Backs of Flash Backs ' , should be Okay.
OPENING FILM INTRODUCTION AND TITLES : Make this last as long as possible ( Gives the film a cheap extension ) and make sure that one way or another that MY name comes up at at least four or five times in this intro sequence.
SELECTION OF ACTORS : Not a problem. The background music that I shall be running throughout will ' Drown out ' their voice lines anyway.
SCENE SHOOTING : Shoot as many scenes as possible in the dark ( Saves on cost of setting up backcloth scenery and props ).
MUSIC : Continuous background Electronic music, loud enough to drown out any speech lines ( cuts down on the cost of script writers ).
EXPECTATIONS : Oscar Nomination ? No, not worried about this. So long as I can get the ' Brits ' to buy and show this, that will do me. Will keep me in a position to maintain my life style, keep my Porsche, my Roller and the Landrovers, maintain the Swimming Pool and treat the Missis to a couple of surgical Face lifts a year, that will do me fine.
TREATED MYSELF TO A BIT OF ' CYNICISM ' HERE FOLKS! BUT FEELING A LOT BETTER FOR LETTING IT OUT
TIME TO GET BACK TO A DECENT BOOK.
Examples: By sospiri ( Post #893 on this thread ) which includes his comment " Most modern films are awful " and then there's norfolk brummie ( Post #895 on this thread ) which includes his comment " The majority of modern films bore me , with very little constructed story, made more for impact than substance ".
So if I assume that in both cases that many folk would concur with these comments, the question would follow " What's going on then ? ".
If I then place myself in the position of being a modern Film Director/ Producer and then visualise what might be on his list of " musts " for his next " off the conveyor belt " cheap film, might his thoughts and notes run something like this.
STORY LINE : Not too bothered about this, so long as we get plenty of ' Booms' and ' Bangs ', an abundance of ' Shouting' , ' Arguing ', ' Confrontations ' and ' Fights' in it with plenty of the ' Red Stuff ' flying about. Throw in a few " Flash Backs " and " Flash Backs of Flash Backs ' , should be Okay.
OPENING FILM INTRODUCTION AND TITLES : Make this last as long as possible ( Gives the film a cheap extension ) and make sure that one way or another that MY name comes up at at least four or five times in this intro sequence.
SELECTION OF ACTORS : Not a problem. The background music that I shall be running throughout will ' Drown out ' their voice lines anyway.
SCENE SHOOTING : Shoot as many scenes as possible in the dark ( Saves on cost of setting up backcloth scenery and props ).
MUSIC : Continuous background Electronic music, loud enough to drown out any speech lines ( cuts down on the cost of script writers ).
EXPECTATIONS : Oscar Nomination ? No, not worried about this. So long as I can get the ' Brits ' to buy and show this, that will do me. Will keep me in a position to maintain my life style, keep my Porsche, my Roller and the Landrovers, maintain the Swimming Pool and treat the Missis to a couple of surgical Face lifts a year, that will do me fine.
TREATED MYSELF TO A BIT OF ' CYNICISM ' HERE FOLKS! BUT FEELING A LOT BETTER FOR LETTING IT OUT
TIME TO GET BACK TO A DECENT BOOK.
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Roy,
When my kids were youngish teenagers, the oldest two would frequently say "Let's go down the video shop and get a video, but we'd better pick one with lots of mindless violence otherwise Dad will fall asleep"". Off they would go, bringing back either a modernish war film or something like robocop or a violent space thing. They knew that I had already tired of James Bond and didn't find modern so-called comedies (Woody Allen & later) very funny. But there's one thing that they could be sure of was that I would be asleep in the chair within 30 minutes of the film starting!
As a film director, DON'T do remakes. Each one is worse than the last. Take Ïnvasion of the Body Snatchers", the original black & white version was very scary, had reasonable actors, and would keep your nerves on edge. I looked forward to the first remake in colour, but how disappointed I was, and the second remake was even worse. I love the black & white war films generally based in the North African desert - plenty of action and suspense, and very believable. Also in black & white from 1971 Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" had so much atmosphere and I was looking for the tumbleweeds from the old westerns rolling down the main street.
John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart never failed to keep me awake and enthralled in every film that they made. And they didn't need masses of computerised effects.
Maurice
When my kids were youngish teenagers, the oldest two would frequently say "Let's go down the video shop and get a video, but we'd better pick one with lots of mindless violence otherwise Dad will fall asleep"". Off they would go, bringing back either a modernish war film or something like robocop or a violent space thing. They knew that I had already tired of James Bond and didn't find modern so-called comedies (Woody Allen & later) very funny. But there's one thing that they could be sure of was that I would be asleep in the chair within 30 minutes of the film starting!
As a film director, DON'T do remakes. Each one is worse than the last. Take Ïnvasion of the Body Snatchers", the original black & white version was very scary, had reasonable actors, and would keep your nerves on edge. I looked forward to the first remake in colour, but how disappointed I was, and the second remake was even worse. I love the black & white war films generally based in the North African desert - plenty of action and suspense, and very believable. Also in black & white from 1971 Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" had so much atmosphere and I was looking for the tumbleweeds from the old westerns rolling down the main street.
John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart never failed to keep me awake and enthralled in every film that they made. And they didn't need masses of computerised effects.
Maurice
Smudger
master brummie
Whilst i agree that many modern films contain lots Booms' and ' Bangs ', an abundance of ' Shouting' , ' Arguing ', ' Confrontations ' and ' Fights, it`s a case of "different strokes for different folks". If you don`t like that kind of film then don`t watch them. There are still plenty of good films out there. A few of the recent films i`ve watched are.......The Reader, The fault in our stars, The book thief, & plenty more if you take the time to look for them. My all time favourite is The Shawshank Redemption, closely followed by One Flew Over The Cuckoo`s Nest & To Kill a Mocking Bird ( and don`t forget Laurel & Hardy, an example of how to make people laugh without swearing & simple story lines)