Hi Bridget, welcome to the forum.
We must have been neighbours......Our old house was to the left of the gully you mentioned and to the right the houses were indeed reserved for the Fire and Police services...
If memory serves me right the Peach family lived in number 50, Humphries in 52,Niven in 54, pickard 56 and across the gully the Harrison family (Fireman) 58 and the George family (police) 60....
I remember the Church Hall and The Ash Meadow pub being built, the Church burned down and was rebuilt some years ago and the Pub demolished recently. We moved to Druids Heath in 1965 and, like your parents, mine always regretted it. What was your house number?
Bobby.