大象传媒

I was born in Loveday St hospital Birmingham in February 1937. My parents had moved from Liverpool to Birmingham in search of work.
My father had joined the Merchant Service in 1916when he was 15 years old and continued in the Merchant navy after WW1 working for White Star Line later to be merged with Cunard. He came ashore in 1934 when his parents became ill.
He met my mother and they married at Southport in 1936 , but due to the depression he came to Birminham .
He was offered a job with GEC Landor St, my mother joined him from Liverpool shortly after.
They lived in several rooms and flats and were eventually offered a house in Kingstanding
123 Hurlingham Rd.
The GEC encouraged its workforce to join the Territorial Army (TA)and my father joined becoming Gnr Wall 1455454 495 HAA Regiment

My earliest memories are of a man in a khaki uniform and how rough it felt on my skin.He would bring his rifle home and lean it in a corner and I would try to lift it , so I was told.

In 1939 my father was with his unit camped in Swanhurst Park ,B'ham, he and another were told to take over the local phone box and prevent its use ,while waiting for an important call,
this call informed the unit that war had been declared, but not before an irate Head Postmaster wanted to know on whose authority the public were bei ng denied access to his telephone system

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.