As a kid did you ever have a White Mouse as a Pet ?
I did.
I found mine on the corner of Thornhill Rd and Percy Rd just outside Boddintons Papershop in Sparkhill.I was just coming out of Jordans Grocery shop when I spotted the fugitive rodent.You remember Jordans don't you ? Their son Peter was The Projectionist at The Odeon in New St for years.
The mouse was about to go down the drain so it was my humane duty to save the creature.Returning home with my capture,a packet of sweets and The Birmingham Mail for some reason Mum was none too pleased.Perhaps it was the Racing Results on the back page of The Mail.
News of my latest addition soon spread.I was the envy of Percy Rd. My best mate Tone got one and Tommy who lived up the road joined the increasing membership of the Sparkhill Zoology Soc.Tommy had a younger brother Sid. You know I don't ever remember Sid wearing a shirt but he always wore braces .Funny that.Back to the Rodents. Unfortunately Tommy's mouse escaped from the cage in his bedroom. His Mum said that she would not have it the house.The escapee disappeared under the floorboards and even the prospect of Tommy's Dad's Cheese Ration would not entice it out.We never recovered Tommys pride and joy Sid did not help matters balling and shouting down the hole in the floorboards.As much as it upsets me to say I have visions of a Fat Ginger Tom with a head the size of a coconut having its evil way with Tommys beloved pet.
Meanwhile my own Mouse was showing the same escapology tendencies.He [?] would surely have been right up there with Steve MacQueen and Richard Attenborough when it comes to escaping although his/her speciality was trying to eat its way to freedom rather than tunelling.So Tone my best mate thought a good idea to take our Mice out for the day and decided that the Lickeys a suitable destination. With our mice secure in our jacket pockets [where else under me cap ?] .The Bus journey into to town was uneventful.There we joined the 63 tram,think it was the 63 or was it the 61 no doubt Phil will put us right. Do you remember trams ? The Leviathans of the Bristol Road . All went well until we reached Longbridge and The Austin .It was a this point my Mouse made his break for freedom.Tell me have you ever chased a mouse around the top deck of a corporation Tram rattling down the Bristol Rd ? Some of the passengers were no help shouting , screaming and the like but by we reached the Lickey Terminus our quarry was recaptured and returned to my pocket.
Tone me and the two Mice had a lovely afternoon up and down Brum's favourite hills however my joy was short lived as a few days after our Lickey expedition I got up one morning only to find that he/she had made good their escape from the cage.I just hope that my mate Tone's Ginger Tom Cat was not responsible but he did have a very smug look on his face come to think of it so did my Mum.
