大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jabulani Chwaula from WM CSV Action Desk on behalf of Arthur Musson and has been added to the site with his permission. Arthur Musson fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

Until the clean Air act came in after the war, we frequently had dreadful smog caused by smoke from the factory chimneys and coal burning house fires. Unless a person has experienced these weather conditions, it is almost impossible to describe. Visibility could be reduced to about one meter, your hair, eyebrows, nostrils and clothes would be covered in black soot.

On one occasion, I was motor cycling down Queens road Yardley on my way home from Mary鈥檚, when I realised I was not on the road. I stopped, put my foot down, and found that I was in a field. This was before all the houses had been built, and there were still fields on the side of the road in places. I had no idea where the road was, so I sat there until I heard foot steps. I called across and asked them if there were on Queens road, which they confirmed, so I joined them. There were about six people walking, several on cycles and me on a motor bike.

We carried on down on Queens road and into Whitington Oval, where there was a man standing by his gate, and having little idea were we where, we asked him the way to Lea hall road. He directed us and we carried on. After a short distance, the rest of the party felt we were going wrong and decided to change direction, but I considered the man must know where he lived and carried on, eventually finding my way home.

I have often wondered what happened to the rest of the party.

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