Hello Alan,
nice to hear from you and thanks for your kind words and wishes. I did at one time start spending far too much time on internet forums and had to cut it back a bit, but now back on course I think.
I never entered that billiard-hall in my life - if I ever had, and my old man had found out, that would have been my lot! One of my long-gone uncles was a frequent visitor and got pretty good at snooker, but all that came to an end when he got hitched. By the way, did you know a chap called Derek who lived a few doors away from the billiard-hall? He was a real genuine old-fashioned Teddy Boy, but a lovely bloke. I knew him from my time at Foseco in Nechells, where he worked in the experimental foundry. I've often wondered if he's still around - once encountered, never forgotten.
As far as I can recall don't think I ever went into either the Witton Arms or the Aston Hotel. My dad occasionally used the latter, but not very often. The Shareholders I remember - they used to put on "Men Only" evenings back in the 1970's, very naughty..... I never was a gambler - never backed a horse, don't know how to play any card-game, never bought a Lottery ticket...what a bore! I used to play darts for money occasionally, just two bob a game, and usually I won more than I lost. I remember a guy in the Brown Lion in the Jewellery Quarter who won a small fortune on the old ITV Seven - several thousand quid, I believe, and this was in the late 1960's. He could have bought a decent house with his winnings. One week later, guess what? - he was skint and scrounging money for a pint...
Regarding running a pub, that is one job I've never fancied. As I think I once mentioned, another uncle of mine was a publican for most of his life - he had The Lion And Lamb in Sparkhill, The Brittania on Lichfield Road, and finally The Antelope in Sparkhill. He was dead before he was 60 from a massive heart-attack, probably nothing to do with running pubs, but I'm sure it didn't help.
My knee's up and running again (pun), thanks Alan, and I hope you're enjoying good health at the moment - what a drag it is getting old, eh?
All the best,
Graham