Aston, Newtown & Witton.

[Phil]

Sandrac

Like yourself I know full well the trials and tribulations of trying to get someone under the age of 30 to comprehend what life was like back then.

From what you have said previously I would guess that you are in your mid 50's. I am a little older than that but it sounds like we had more or less the same sort of childhood and very similar to others on this forum.

I tried explaining to my grandchildren about being topped and tailed four in a bed. Also about gas lighting, outside Loo's, no bathroom, cast iron open fire cooking ranges. I even tried explaining about accumulators that had to be took to be recharged every week so that granddad could listen to the Archers and Nan to Mrs Dale. All I get are looks of incredulity and the impression that they think I am telling fairy story's.

Phil

[sandrac]

Hi Phil, yes you're right I am in my mid fifties, infact I am having a 55 and still alive party on Friday 13 November to celebrate the fact I've foxed the Grim Reaper - Again!!
Bet you remember the rag and bone man and his goldfish pressie that did'nt live long.
Dad and Mom used to take us out most Sundays to feed the sheep on the Clent Hills, or would it have been Clee Hills? Dad had a van ,he would put a double mattress in the back for us girls to lie on and off we'd go, no seatbelts, well there were no seats! He would boil water on a little gas heater to make tea in a layby,he did this in a biscuit tin to shield the flame from the wind. Mom made cheese and tomato sarnies in the layby,using the biscuit tin lid to spread the bread and butter, we asked her years later why and she said she hated soggy sarnies. We went to Nottingham forest often but never found Robins Oak. Holidays at Weston Supermud in a caravan with gas lighting and oh those fish and chip suppers, waking up in the morning the dew on the grass, too sleepy to walk to the wash rooms, so having a wee behind the car!! Wherever we'd been we'd always stop off at a pub on the way home for a bottle of pop and a bag of Walkers crisps with the little blue twist of salt . We were never allowed in the pub in those days.

[chas35]

Hi Sandrac your childhood sounds exactly like mine - altho I am 65 and 66 in Jan,  (see that folks would like a happy b'day message then)  I used to sleep in the attic and it was so hot in the summer only a tiny little square for a window - but it was MY room yes the bathing and the loo and the po also mom doing the washing in the yard with the maid and tub and wringer (used to hate washdays - but I bet mom hated it more).  Our holidays were fishing holidays at Bridgenorth and the like not too far away on a sharra.  I think the crisps we had were Smiths with the little blue bag.  Wonder why we are so proud to look back and feel so happy to see all the old piccies is it because we have come so far now.  I never thought I would be living in the country now my dad would be so chuffed for me.  I think it was also because we had a lot of love and laughter.  My dad used to play with us chasing us round the house  thro the front door up the entry into the back and so on and we would all end up out of breath and laughing.  The pubs used to close early in those days not sure what time but I remember dad saying closing time is going to  be 10.0 now.

[sandrac]

Chas 35, Yes they were Smiths crisps thanks for reminding me. My Dad my hero, didn't have lots of money but boy did he love us! He couldn't see much without his glasses on, but taught us all to swim at Erdington Baths despite all the splashes making him almost blind anyway, he looked so funny swimming in his glasses!
I think we yearn for days gone by because life seemed much simpler then and certainly more neighbourly, everyone was aunty or uncle though not being related to us. The pubs shut at 10 and if you were out after that you were up to no good according to my mom. I had to be home before ten, right up till I got married. Dads taxi service was great! Saturday night was treat night, my mom worked at Perry Barr dogs and after dropping her to work dad would bring us back crisps chocolate and lemonade we'd eat these whilst watching Bonanza, Dickson of Dock Green or Z-cars.
used to love Emergency Ward 10 as well.

[chas35]

Yes I used to have to be in by 10.0 too, like you we never had much money and I remember mom taking me to a shop called Zelda'z opposite C.&A. and bartering for a coat saying "I didn't want to pay that much really" and I think they knocked 10/- off talk about embarrassing!

[sandrac]

Can recall wanting a blue denim skirt like my friend Linda's,but mom said it was out of a catalogue and she would not buy anything she couldn't afford, I think I sulked for a week but she wouldn't budge, she said it would be worn out before it was paid for and was quite right. I think she took out a Provie loan once to buy us all new winter coats at C&A. Remember queing up the stairs at Lewis's to see Uncle Holly and Father Christmas? I always seemed to come home with a John Bull printing set, but am not complaining, kept me occupied for hours

[chas35]

Gosh remember the john bull printing sets and having a toy typewriter that you had to turn a wheel round to get the right letter to print, and my very favourite toy was a mobo scooter absolutely loved it, in fact my granddaughter brought her scooter over to our house and we were arguing whos'e turn it was next.

[sandrac]

remember the terrier dog on wheels, walking aid for babies, my sister Pam loved it and bought the real thing when she got married , she moved back to Aston with her husband who she met at Holte Grammar they lived in villa rd, got posh now and moved to new oscott.
We also had one of those typewriters and a record player in a carry case, could only play one record at a time, we had loads of my grandads old 78 our favourite was the singing dogs barking out songs. I hated pinky and perky and that horrible Charlie Drake  'ello my darlings  uggggh! but always loved Morecombe and Wise  still do ,maybe because my dad looked so like Eric

[chas35]

I disliked those songs as well, I used to love my dad to sing I believe for every drop of rain that falls.  Coronation st. in our house was a favourite with Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner, Z cars and maigret, can remember sitting on the floor in front of the telly and then we used to get the epilogue and turn off.

[sandrac]

am still a fan of corrers , the theme tune at the end was our signal that it was bedtime when staying with nan and grandad,  up the wooden hill to bedfordshire, tucked in with a hot water bottle and the final "night and bless ya" before the kiss on the forehead, then all alone in nans double bed listening to the tick of the clock in the dark. Grandad had his own room and double bed but we never slept in there. Wake up in the morning beside Nan who must have crept in whilst I was sleeping, Loved Nans porridge and the smell of her 1 woodbine fag which she smoked after breakfast when reading the huge Evening Mail from the night before which she got from Auntie Lil next door in exchange for her morning paper. Aunty Lil (no relation) would make us a treat of Apple pie, she never knew we hated it because she put cloves in it, we thanked her politely and put it straight in the bin!! No- one can make cakes like my nan's ! Grandad was in both world wars but would never talk about it,  saying "you don't need to know me babbie" I do know he was evacuated from Dunkirk,but his army records appear to be amongst the burnt records (1914-18) We have his number and medals so we are trying to trace his story, find out where he was and what he was doing with the Staffs. Am hugely proud of him and all those lads and it's been my priveledge to nurse many of them over the years from all the services, very few would tell you anything but funny stories

[Phil]

Aston clock tower that stood at Aston Cross on the site where a wooden cross had stood since medieval times. By the time of the 19 century this cross had rotted down to a stump.

The stump was removed and now stored at Aston Church in 1854 The tower was built but it stood for less than 40 years as it was itself demolished in 1891. The reasons being that the clock never kept good time and the dilapidated state of the tower. I don't know whether this was due to poor workmanship or inferior materials.

It was replaced by the metal cased clock that stands there today donated by the Borough Chairman Mr Lewis Richards.


Phil