Coronation 1953. Your brother John on left, Isobel Morrow, right of centre with sword, my now wife Eunice 2nd from right. Not sure of the others but may include Valerie and Trevor Hughes.George Morrow and I won the three legged race on that day. Reg Povey lived next to the midwife's house. Midwife was very busy on a post-war estate. Mainly home births in those days!
I think the grammar school system whereas it did encourage some social mobility did at the same time separate you from your local mates as by the time you had travelled home sometimes an hours journey plus there was homework to be done each evening.
As you say mom and dad did split up in about 1951, in later years dad kept a pub in the city, The Clarendon in Temple Street. Mom died 1994 and dad 1995. I probably have half siblings somewhere but I don't really know for sure.
I am still in touch with Len Pow who was a class mate at Blakenhale and lived in Sheldon Heath Road, but now lives in Abertillery S Wales, another one married to a Welsh girl. I remember a Christmas party in your house perhaps 1960. Dave Boswell's sister Valerie was another that went to Camp Hill.
Eunice's sister Thelma lives in Minehead, Somerset, their younger sister who went to Sheldon Comp Jo died at 39 from cancer. My two brothers live in UK, Ray who survived leukaemia with the aid of fantastic stem cell technology lives in Hall Green and David lives in Ipswich.
We were right vandals as kids remember the bonfires on the island at the end of the road, we thought nothing of taking axes to chop down trees on local farm land to build the fire, and the dens roofed with corrugated iron dug in the fields at the back of Blakenhale.