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Kyrwicks Lane
- Thread starter Shortie
- Start date
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Shortie,
This probably only answers half your query.
Some time ago I posted about how my brother-in-laws family living in Kingstanding had to let a 'bombed out' couple from Handsworth use the front bedroom and front room of their house, other facilities shared.
My brother-in-law says it seemed quite normal in those strange times, if bombed out people could not move in with relatives, they were found somewhere to live with families having spare rooms.
Our next door neighbours had a spare bedroom and a young woman from Cornwall was 'billeted' with them. The young woman was 'directed' to work in Birmingham. She eventually became a long standing good friend of our neighbours, even visiting up to 30 years after she first came.
Shortie
master brummie
Hi OldM, that's a great answer, thank you. There were some relative in the area, but not sure if anyone was actually in contact - they might have been a bit 'distant' but not deliberately if you know what I mean. Mike found two of the family in Moseley, but I don't know who they were living with, the names so far mean nothing to me. War is something I have always blocked out, I hate war and anything to do with it, but I can see I need to alter my ideas as it has affected my family, where they live and probably to an extent, how they lived. You have given me more to think about, thanks again.
Shortie
Shortie
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Some more information about my post #2.
I chatted with my brother in law today and he thinks houses with spare rooms had to be registered. A bedroom became spare because he and his sister were evacuated for a short time during the bombing, but due to problems with their evacuation, they came back, but by then the bombed out couple were 'billeted' in the front bedroom, so his mother, sister, and himself had to sleep in one bed in the back bedroom. His father had been called up into the army.
How's that for 'war effort', we certainly knew 'there was a war on' in those days.
I chatted with my brother in law today and he thinks houses with spare rooms had to be registered. A bedroom became spare because he and his sister were evacuated for a short time during the bombing, but due to problems with their evacuation, they came back, but by then the bombed out couple were 'billeted' in the front bedroom, so his mother, sister, and himself had to sleep in one bed in the back bedroom. His father had been called up into the army.
How's that for 'war effort', we certainly knew 'there was a war on' in those days.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Shortie,
Yes it was known as 'billleting'. The European Post Office for American forces was located in Sutton Coldfield and many people had to take American soldiers. Some people used to get relatives to move in quickly so they could say their houses had no spare rooms. If you haven't already done so have a look through the thread link below where a whole estate was requisitioned, and people about to move into newly built houses could not.
https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4180&page=1&highlight=Pheasey
oldmohawk.
Yes it was known as 'billleting'. The European Post Office for American forces was located in Sutton Coldfield and many people had to take American soldiers. Some people used to get relatives to move in quickly so they could say their houses had no spare rooms. If you haven't already done so have a look through the thread link below where a whole estate was requisitioned, and people about to move into newly built houses could not.
https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4180&page=1&highlight=Pheasey
oldmohawk.
Used to walk along Kyrwicks Lane from Highgate Rd to go to The Alhambra picture house on Mosley Rd and went past the back of Hawley 's Bakery. When the bread was just out of the ovens they would bring out on large trays onto the loading bay for the vans to take it away.
Hi Tim, I do remember the Hudson family; my mother was friendly with Barbara's mother. They lived on Kyrwicks Lane, on the same side as The Hereford Arms pub, between Priestley Road and Erasmus Road. I was 7-8 years old at that time. But, I do remember my Dad referring to Barbara as "buxom", and got a very disapproving look from my Mother. It was a term I didn't appreciate till years later, and to keep on theme, the smell of steam trains always takes me back to Kyrwicks Lane.
Regards Roy.
Regards Roy.
This thread brings back some memories. I lived in a back house in Auckland Road for 10 years from about 1954 to about 1964. Our garden was the bottom of the bank to the railway line. Don't know about the smell of the steam but they were noisy! Especially when they were stationary at the signal which was nearly level with the garden!
My mother also used to send me to get a loaf of bread from Hawleys Bakery on Kyrwicks Road, can't remember how much they cost but a penny springs to mind. Used to walk up to Long Street, along Kyrwicks Lane to play with my school mate stopping sometimes to play on the bomb site along there. I remember the street lights still ran off town gas although they were lite by automatic ignition. They were a very happy ten years. Dave H
My mother also used to send me to get a loaf of bread from Hawleys Bakery on Kyrwicks Road, can't remember how much they cost but a penny springs to mind. Used to walk up to Long Street, along Kyrwicks Lane to play with my school mate stopping sometimes to play on the bomb site along there. I remember the street lights still ran off town gas although they were lite by automatic ignition. They were a very happy ten years. Dave H
I also used to go to the Alhambra House on the Moseley Road on a Saturday morning to watch the ABC Matinee's, and Highgate Park was the best park around there with its manicured bowling green and its trim flower beds. The only thing that was frustrating was all the 'Keep Off The Grass' signs everywhere! Very frustrating for a couple of lads carrying a ball! 