Author Topic: Castle Bromwich airfield  (Read 94321 times)

townie

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #253 on: August 12, 2019, 02:48:08 PM »

Hi Gerald. Yes I can believe you, but where did these ruffians come from? They weren't born in Chelmsley Wood in your day.


All the best townie.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

GardenGerald

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #254 on: August 12, 2019, 09:24:02 PM »
They were imported from various place in Birmingham. They would get front gates off their hinges and put in the middle of the Road.
Smash windows..Roll cars over. Saw through childrens swings and just leave a seat hanging on a thread so if the a child was put in a seat the  little one would fall to the ground.
Smash shop windows. Break into sheds and The Parish Hall in Water Orton was broken into and the toilets smashed up.
The powers that be thought 2 Policeman could handle this but this changed to more Warwickshire Police and a good number from Birmingham.
A group of us young men used to go behind the Police Line as back up.
Many nights we were up until 2 or 3 in the morning trying to clear roads and repair damage, Water Orton Hall was often damaged and would need windows replaced and toilets repaired. We kept a supply of other people cast offs.
A big moment was when I got a hydrant stand pipe and a good length of pipe from the County Council. We could now soak them and they would run. At times we would round a few up and put them on the bus to Green Lane Castle Bromwich, we would escort them and we would get a lift back from the men in uniform.
It was like being back in the war. It did cool down a bit when  a murder was carried out.
Times we will never forget but we formed a great group and lasting friendships.
Gerald.

townie

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #255 on: August 12, 2019, 10:31:25 PM »

Gerald what years are you talking about as Chelmsley Wood wasn't started until 1966. I should imagine that area 1 was the first to be build and that is off Cooks Lane near Tile Cross.


All the best townie.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

mike mancott

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #256 on: August 13, 2019, 07:25:03 AM »
Blimey, Gerald, a bit different from my memories of picking bluebells there.
Mike


mike mancott

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #257 on: August 13, 2019, 07:30:50 AM »
Looking back at your August 7th post, Gerald. I too remember the tanks screeching along past the Fox & Goose.
And also the bus chassis (from Metro?) with the block of concrete on the back end to hold it down, the driver perched on an open-to-the-air seat clad in goggles.
On their way to Daimler in Coventry for bodies?


frederick

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #258 on: August 13, 2019, 11:04:07 AM »
Before Chemsley was built I used to go down lovers Lane, is it still there.      ;)
Failure to Prepare is to Prepare to Fail

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #259 on: August 13, 2019, 11:31:22 AM »
Blimey,it was like Paradise in Kitts green in the 50s.Had the chance of a house in Shard End ,glad we never moved.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

Sidecarsid

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #260 on: August 13, 2019, 01:13:58 PM »
Being a slightly older git I can recall when they had flying displays by all the ww2 fighters and bombers at the Castle Bromwich aerodrome as it was then. It wasn't long after that the Aerodrome closed. I also recall the barrage balloons though.If you went along the Chester rd to the Tyburn Island from the Coleshill Rd and turn right onto the Tyburn Rd towards Minworth to the second bridge over the canal there was a fenced off area with the wrecks of many of the small combat l planes and if you found a hole in the wire fence you could sneak and have yourself a piece of a relic off a plane, I knew several lads that had clocks out of the cockpits. BUT Gord elp U if U were ever caught!!
My Father worked in several of the Aircraft factories during and after the war, I remember me and a mate of mine being taken on a tour around the Armstrong Sideley or Whitworth at Baginton where the Argosy where built.

Phil

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #261 on: August 13, 2019, 01:46:23 PM »
Before Chemsley was built I used to go down lovers Lane, is it still there.      ;)


Fred


If you are talking about Park Lane off Kingsbury Road, then its been gone since the early 60's when I helped to build houses over it.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Sidecarsid

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #262 on: August 13, 2019, 02:01:40 PM »
Hi Garden Gerald.
In 1954 we being my parents and my big brother moved to a new house in Briddsland Rd Tile Cross, growing up there was great with Chelmsley wood being across the Tile Cross Rd and down a farm track, across several fields and across the small bridge by the Bluebell wood. In those early day we didn't appreciate what we had, Then going past this same wood in the late nineties it looked absolutely beautiful with all the Blue bells in full bloom. Going back to the earlier days, I do recall lots of trouble with gang fights from the Shard End area plus damaging properties, there was also the Glebe Mob and the Lea Hall Mob. Yet in Tile Cross there was never any trouble, OK I've had a clip around the ear by Sergeant Ferris but that was  par for the course but never anything serious, Then when he retired there was a bobby who just manned the station a few times a week until Sergeant Clive Ollins arrived by which time we were all in our early teens and got on well with Sargeant Ollins.
By this time I only had one interest which was motorCycles and in the late 60s started road racing as a sidecar passenger and then also raced my own bike too. Our Milk man Mick Casey was a passenger to the BSA legend Chris Vincent, then he went into the sidecar GPs.

townie

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Re: Castle Bromwich airfield
« Reply #263 on: August 13, 2019, 03:07:06 PM »
Blimey,it was like Paradise in Kitts green in the 50s.Had the chance of a house in Shard End ,glad we never moved.



What was wrong with Shard End?  ;D
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?


 

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