Hi Phil,
Sorry, I never knew any Wheelers, Wooly's or a Campbell. From 13, I was hardly ever in Ombersley or Brum for that matter, although the final split came when I spent a few days there just before I was 16.
A faint bell suggests that there might have been some Woolley's(?) with a shop almost opposite the Birds' shop - Angela Bird was in my class at Clifton Rd.
I remember Larches St - there was a coalman who lived/was based there, decent bloke. I had a friend in Scotland like you who never wanted to travel, and I understood his rationale, but I'm so glad that I have, and will probably (almost never say never) live in UK again, although I'll probably visit next year. Apart from bad things like those I mentioned in my last post, I'm glad to have been inside the Great Pyramid, seen the Taj Mahal in the moonlight, climbed Ayres Rock (only took 10 minutes) and seen a glittering sea of diamonds sunrise in the Sahara - it's the condensation evaporating, and other things spent time with a lot of decent and beautiful people. I didn't move around that much as a child as there were few relatives, 2 WWars saw to that, so I had the same crap most of the time - later it makes you so determined that your own children won't have it - though oddly enough not everyone reacts that way as an adult. Statistically, children from violent homes are much more likely to be violent parents.
I agree about fending for oneself, but I never had this 'making a home out of where you are' thing that you mention, as apart from enjoying travelling to somewhere new, for most of my life I've had itchy feet (at least) every few years, a wanting to 'see what's on the other side of the hill' - this has absolutely nothing to do with ''a grass is greener'' thing - not only have I never moved 'blindly', I've moved on for less money a few times, and right now, although I have my own company, I make less than I did in the early 80s. Furthermore, that was the most I've ever earned, and I left Scotland for Papua New Guinea in 1984 for less, and then went on to Tonga, and then New Zealand, in each case for still less, and I've stayed happier in these last 25 years than at any other times in life (short episodes excepted). After the 2 years that Sandhurst took in those days (although we had 4 overseas trips), I moved 18 times in the following three years, including moves back to various bases. A year after I left the army I was again, Marks & S were more regimented than the army, and Unilever in Sierra Leone offered sun, sand and nearly 3 times the pay (and some of the highest rainfall in the world, but they don't tell you that, or that it is called ''the White Man's Graveyard").
Once again I've 'gone on a bit' - apart from trying to write what I think, I live and work in Spanish, so it's refreshing to have the opportunity to use English, the more so as on the forum we have folks who are glad to have the same roots, so it's especially good to join you all.