I was born in Balsall Heath in 1954 and can honestly say when i was a child it was fine a normal place like any other area, i lived in wenman st very close to Balsall heath rd and varna rd, it wasnt until i was about 9 that the council started moving in big (poor) familys because the houses were so big they could accomadate large familys , these familys did bring the area down, but the prostitutes stayed mainly at the bottom of balsall heath rd, they started pulling down the houses around wenman st when i was about 14 you cant imagine what this was like all around you were half demolished houses ,but we had bought our house so we were one of the last to move , the council finally bought our house under the compulsary purchase agreement we got paid £600 and re housed by then i think we were the last ones to go i was 17 then and guess were mom wanted to go.............bottom of balsall heath rd in the new houses 2 doors away from a very busy prostitute who didnt bother with the streets , they just knocked on her door and formed a line !!!!!!!! It was varden croft i think it was named after varna rd..