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Growing Up In Brum - Roy Blakey Inspired.

Wish I could draw like you can Roy. My drawing efforts look like a very big spider has walked across the page - my writing too for that matter
 
mikejee. Let you into a little secret ( I almost let it out of the bag with that last but one post ). I do me little drawings standing on me head, but don't try it at home ). Best wishes. Roy.
 
We had fishing nets made from Mom's old stockings on bent wire. I loved to walk up to "The Rezza" (Edgbaston Reservoir!) to catch tiddlers and bring them back in a jar. Then they were put in the old small tin bath in the garden.

The Reservoir is still a lovely place, we go regularly and sit in the car with a picnic. The car park is by the Tower Ballroom.....that should bring some more memories. I remember going to a dance there in a long dark wig!
rosie.
 
We used to go to the "Rezza", too Rosie, the Frankly Reservoir, Bartley Green, we slipped through the fence and go to the large pump pit, slide down and lie on the pipe in the hot sun. We would catch stickle backs and newts, the same as you with mom's stockings, over a bent/shaped wire coat hanger, a little jam jar with a string handle and take them home as prizes, they weren't always best pleased though.
 
ONLY WHEN THE SUN CAME OUT.
Came the time when we discovered another use for the ' Magnifying Glass' . One day we got hold of a Magnifying Glass, the Sun was nicely out and we learned how to concentrate the Sun Beam and create the ' Hot Spot '.
We used the effect of the hot spot to burn our ' initials ' into the surface of pieces of wood ( various degrees of success )
it was a very slow process and needed time to achieve a presentable finish.
Another form of publicly displaying your initials was the old favourite ' Carving your name on a Tree ' this was the technique, using a Pen-knife, to cut small area's of Bark away from the Tree Trunk and leave your initials cut into the trunk.
It was noticeable that the younger participants were quite satisfied to just create their ' initials ', whereas the older boys
( and girls I'm sure ) would do that " Sweetheart " logo, you know, that one that had the Heart with the Arrow piercing it
and ' his ' and ' her ' initials at either end of the arrow.
First Loves ?
 
Mention of The Tower Ballroom (later, for a while The New Gay Tower!!!) sure does bring back some memories, Rosie. One of our contributors, Eddie, used to play drums there, in the Cliff Deeley band before he spread his craft far and wide, working with some world-famous artists in the States and elsewhere. Imagine that....

I wish I could say that I had played the drums there...all I managed was to dance, and hope for a girl to walk home (mostly without any luck!), many times at the Tower. Later, the Waterworks Jazz Club was near the reservoir, too. Happy days...
 
Shawross - you've just awoken memories. Yes! The Cliff Deeley Band. I remember it well from my Saturday nights at the Tower with my friend Jean Thomas. It seemed a vast place or is that just how I remember it? We used to come from Handsworth on the bus or sometimes we used to walk part of the way, going past Winson Green prison. I remember the bopping, the Creep, and the boys!! Other nights it would be ballroom dancing at Hawleys on Dudley Road and more serious stuff!
 
HE'S A YOUNG MAN NOW.
Just a touch of ' Show off ' whilst trying to adapt to his new status in this new era for him.
He's developed his technique now of catching the eye by alighting from the Buses whilst they are coming to the Bus stop, but are still moving. He stands on the back platform of the ' Double Decker ' , holds the vertical passenger bar, judges the relative Bus speed and then jumps off hitting the ground running. He's been building up the ' alighting ' speeds and is sure that this is catching the eye.
He's also been demonstrating his balance capabilities on the ' Standing Only ' Bus trips by ignoring the ' strap hangers' and hand in pockets just sways in the gangway in unison with the buses motion. He's convinced that this is noticed with some
envy by some of the other passengers.
He's been practising tossing his cigarette up into the air and then catching it in his mouth ( needs a bit more practise with this one before he goes Public ), he's also been practising blowing ' smoke rings' whilst having a smoke ( still can't guarantee to get this one right either ).
He's started reading the Newspapers and started to try and talk ' politics ' with his mates Dads, not doing too good on this
one ( he's decided he needs to read a bit more than the Sports pages ).
He's not sitting on the front door step or the front gate or hanging about on the street corner anymore , he's doing the
' Monkey Run' with his mates of an evening, he gets ' spruced up 'and has started to carry a comb as well now.
The job that he started after leaving School is going well, he thinks that there might be a ' promotion' in the offing.
All in all he thinks that he is shaping up OK.
Note : Not clear what the equivalent route was for the young ladies. They had their conjurations too I'm sure.
 
Roy Blakey said:
HE'S A YOUNG MAN NOW.
Just a touch of ' Show off ' whilst trying to adapt to his new status in this new era for him.
He's developed his technique now of catching the eye by alighting from the Buses whilst they are coming to the Bus stop, but are still moving. He stands on the back platform of the ' Double Decker ' , holds the vertical passenger bar, judges the relative Bus speed and then jumps off hitting the ground running. He's been building up the ' alighting ' speeds and is sure that this is catching the eye.
He's also been demonstrating his balance capabilities on the ' Standing Only ' Bus trips by ignoring the ' strap hangers' and hand in pockets just sways in the gangway in unison with the buses motion. He's convinced that this is noticed with some
envy by some of the other passengers.
He's been practising tossing his cigarette up into the air and then catching it in his mouth ( needs a bit more practise with this one before he goes Public ), he's also been practising blowing ' smoke rings' whilst having a smoke ( still can't guarantee to get this one right either ).
He's started reading the Newspapers and started to try and talk ' politics ' with his mates Dads, not doing too good on this
one ( he's decided he needs to read a bit more than the Sports pages ).
He's not sitting on the front door step or the front gate or hanging about on the street corner anymore , he's doing the
' Monkey Run' with his mates of an evening, he gets ' spruced up 'and has started to carry a comb as well now.
The job that he started after leaving School is going well, he thinks that there might be a ' promotion' in the offing.
All in all he thinks that he is shaping up OK.
Note : Not clear what the equivalent route was for the young ladies. They had their conjurations too I'm sure.
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Roy, is this purely observation or maybe more autobiographical as i suspect?
 
To Smudger : Yes a bit of the ' Auto ' as you say Smudger.
To brummie nick : Yes, but only on the occasions as shown on the Video nick.
 
Just a young lady now.
She's developed the technique of trying to get on and off the bus without falling over. Skirt very tight, white high heels very high, turning sideways to get on/off hoping that this ladylike maneouvre catches the eye of the hunk on the the bus who is looking a bit like Billy Fury with a comb in the top pocket of his jacket and nub behind his ear.

Calls into the newsagents to get her copy of Roxy to see what the latest fad is and turning to the last but one page to read the agony aunt. Meeting up with her mate to discuss would it be the Plaza or Laura Dixons for their Friday night out and discuss hairstyles and what to wear. Calling out to mom when coming through the door, opening up the weekly pay packet to handover housekeeping and working out where was the best place to get Miners lacquer, usually Woolworths. (Musn't forget to get some more borax unless can persuade mom to buy).

Looking forward to the weekend, but hoping that before soon promotion would be in the offing from being a copy typist to a clerk typist with an increase of 2/6d.
 
carolina said:
Just a young lady now.
She's developed the technique of trying to get on and off the bus without falling over. Skirt very tight, white high heels very high, turning sideways to get on/off hoping that this ladylike maneouvre catches the eye of the hunk on the the bus who is looking a bit like Billy Fury with a comb in the top pocket of his jacket and nub behind his ear.

Calls into the newsagents to get her copy of Roxy to see what the latest fad is and turning to the last but one page to read the agony aunt. Meeting up with her mate to discuss would it be the Plaza or Laura Dixons for their Friday night out and discuss hairstyles and what to wear. Calling out to mom when coming through the door, opening up the weekly pay packet to handover housekeeping and working out where was the best place to get Miners lacquer, usually Woolworths. (Musn't forget to get some more borax unless can persuade mom to buy).

Looking forward to the weekend, but hoping that before soon promotion would be in the offing from being a copy typist to a clerk typist with an increase of 2/6d.
Click to expand...
I think most of the girls i went out with used to have a certain night off to wash their hair. Is that really what they did? When i was working as a wages clerk, i had to take documents into the typing pool & to feel those 20 pair of eyes looking at you was most embarassing. Took ages for the blushing to wear off.
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To carolina. With reference to your last post on this thread. Good input, I think it tends to weigh-in and counter balances
well with post# 218 and makes for a decent read.
 
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Yes Smudger we really did have to take the night to wash our hair! Long hair and no hair dryers in those days. I used to sit in front of the gas fire for hours drying mine which was put up in rollers!!

Carolina - my sister and I were only talking about Borax the other day. It was a nightmare getting the Rosedale hair laquer out of your hair. When wet it used to leave white sediment that you could only get out with rubbing the Borax through it. The Rosedale laquer came in a pink plastic tube which you would cut the top off and put into a squeezy bottle. This came out in large squirts, not like the fine spray of today's hairsprays!
 
carolina. I think we guy's had a fair clue. You girls were frequently late on those dates and the ciggy butts were near ankle high around our feet by the time you girls arrived.
 
Jayell said:
Yes Smudger we really did have to take the night to wash our hair! Long hair and no hair dryers in those days. I used to sit in front of the gas fire for hours drying mine which was put up in rollers!!

My wife had beautiful long hair, down below her waist. That was one of the reasons i was attracted to her, that plus the fact she didn`t smoke & i could cadge her cigarette coupons off her (You had to have coupons to buy ciggies in Germany ). She no longer has long hair & after 49 years of marriage i guess it`s too much of a hassle to have it longer than neck length. I`ve tried to tice her to get the "Audrey Hepburn" look but she says she`ll need a wig for that!
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Thinking back to schooldays, we used to have "Houses" at Slade road school. Eagles, Seagulls, Kestrels & Falcons. I hated being a Seagull, but i seem to remember that thru the school week, the houses could collect points for certain things, which were tallied up on a Friday & the top house could leave school 15 minutes earlier than the rest. I can`t remember how points were won though:-{
 
You girls didn't have to work hard to look good to me...lipstick, facial make-up, all that stuff was not what most lads found attractive...it was the lovely, natural girl underneath the 'face paint' that we (or certainly I...) fell for!!!! Can you imagine that, falling in love with a bag full of make up? Give me the lady as nature intended any day.
I'm still telling my wife that after 60 years together.... but I'm not sure she believes me. She still 'works hard' to look good as an octogenarian!
 
Shawcross said:
You girls didn't have to work hard to look good to me...lipstick, facial make-up, all that stuff was not what most lads found attractive...it was the lovely, natural girl underneath the 'face paint' that we (or certainly I...) fell for!!!! Can you imagine that, falling in love with a bag full of make up? Give me the lady as nature intended any day.
I'm still telling my wife that after 60 years together.... but I'm not sure she believes me. She still 'works hard' to look good as an octogenarian!
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Shawcross, i`m with you for the natural look on a woman, though It`s not just the girls that look like a bag full of makeup, the guys are as bad at preening themselves. Mind you, i could never resist a glance in the shop window just to make sure i looked presentable. I could not for the life of me grow sideburns, so i used an eyebrow pencil to get the proper teddy boy look. Were we peacocks or what!!!?
 
Smudger said:
Thinking back to schooldays, we used to have "Houses" at Slade road school. Eagles, Seagulls, Kestrels & Falcons. I hated being a Seagull, but i seem to remember that thru the school week, the houses could collect points for certain things, which were tallied up on a Friday & the top house could leave school 15 minutes earlier than the rest. I can`t remember how points were won though:-{
Click to expand...
We also had "Houses" at Camp Hill Grammar School. They were Howard, Beaufort, Tudor and Seymour, all based on the time of King Edward VI (reigned 1547-1553). I was in Howard House, which when I was there (1954-61) excelled in chess but not many of the contact sports. Quite a few posts have been from Camp Hill people so they may have different experiences. Dave
 
We had houses at "Ilmington Road County Sec/mod School, in1959 they were Stephenson, Watt, Brunel, Telford. I was in Brunel.
 
I went to Camp Hill, when it was in Camp Hill before the move to King's Heath. We had the same four Houses then...my brother, Tony, two years ahead of me, and I were in Seymour House and as I recall they were mostly for sporting events, cricket or rugby with inter-house competitions. I was caught red-handed by the sports master (Taffy Davies), up an apple tree in a garden adjoining the sports field, scrumping apples and tossing them to mates on the other side of the back garden hedge. To illustrate that such behaviour was not allowed all the lads were summoned to stand in the area in front of the pavilion, I was ordered to bend over and touch the second step, or whatever, and my backside was spanked with a length of hose pipe. I never scrumped again nor did I feel that I had been cruelly treated. Imagine the reaction today.
 
Funny Shawcross, I was brought up with the fact that "Scrumping" was a national sport for all kids in the 50's, and was a an absolute must do, in Brum.
 
Quite right, Paul....unfortunately 'Taffy' Davies wasn't a good, civilised Brummie like us....can't think what his nationality might have been...!!!!
 
I never had the nerve to go for the Teddy Boy look but I wouldn't go to a dance without pressing a sharp crease in my trousers first and combing my hair into place (helped by a touch of Dennis Compton brylcream) with a little quiff. And, like you, never missed a chance to look in a shop window reflection to see if I looked like Alan Ladd. Fat chance...

Eyebrow pencil, though. M-m-m-m. Not sure about that. My wife still gives me stick 'cos I won't use moisturiser or even shower gel....a good ole bar of soap is the nearest I get to male cosmetics. Too late to change at 81 and I'd still be an old wrinkly if I tried otherwise....
 
paul stacey said:
Funny Shawcross, I was brought up with the fact that "Scrumping" was a national sport for all kids in the 50's, and was a an absolute must do, in Brum.
Click to expand...

Scrumping was a national sport as far as i`m concerned. I once got caught scrumping (got snagged on a fence) & received a clip round the head by the owner who said " If you want apples why don`t you knock on the door & ask for some" All very civilised but there`s no fun in that.
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