大象传媒

V.E.DAY (1945)

369 Kings Road
Kingstanding
Birmingham

For many weeks prior to this eagerly anticipated day, our mom who had been employed for some months as an insurance agent for 鈥淭he Pru鈥� (Prudential Insurance Co) used her bicycle, bookwork experience, and well-known integrity to collect subscriptions (whatever folks could manage) towards the cost of a 鈥淪treet Party鈥�, in our case Kings Road from The King Charles up to the junction with Harringay Road, (Kings Road being about 1 mile long from The Beggar鈥檚 Bush to The Trees at Queslett Road, and too much for a 鈥榃hole Do鈥� practically). It fell mostly to our age group to collect the fuel for the bonfire, to be sited on the grass verge opposite the Bowen鈥檚 house (No. 329?) 鈥渁h Rode bein鈥� a jewel carrigdway鈥�.

鈥淥ur gang鈥� leader Gordon S Bennett (and yes, the S truly is for Samuel) gathered us early, for we had a very important part to play, outside the Bennett鈥檚 back door. Jeffrey Kenning, Bobby Swingler, John Newnham, Kenny Bowen, Alf Bowen and yours truly helped to set up a 鈥楾able鈥� from the 6鈥�0鈥� x 3鈥�0鈥� (approx) section of corrugated steel from Uncle Jim鈥檚 鈥� unused (so clean) Anderson Shelter, on top of some of the upturned orange and 鈥渟pecky鈥� apple boxes (these having been obtained from Stone鈥檚 fruit and veg shop, somehow or other) complete with apples. Aunt Daisy and willing ladies were boiling toffee in a huge pot, using the sticks we lads were fashioning from the other boxes (I don鈥檛 recall any accidents from axe wielders). The skilful dipping of the raw product, with a whirl and a flourish, ensured that the cooling result on a flat table top left just that right amount of crunch-bit at the edge of the flat bit! We then lined up all these goodies on the ridges of the Table, and at the appointed hour our two heavyweights 鈥� Newnham and Kenning at each end we triumphantly marched this up the path and along to the point where the tables of food were laid ready; a Toffee Apple for every kid on the street.

After the 鈥淏un Fight鈥� and the glasses of Tizer (remember those corona bottles with the wire spring stoppers?) there were all sorts of activities before the Bonfire was lit. Bobby Swingler, whom I have not seen for at least 55 years, but am to meet fairly soon, told me on the phone last evening 鈥渢he only thing I remember of V.E. Day was the Bonfire, and during the crazy races tripping over in the 鈥楤ackwards race鈥� banging my head on the tarmac and knocking myself out.鈥� Shame! He doesn鈥檛 remember a single toffee apple!

After the fire was well away, an impromptu procession was formed, and we paraded noisily around neighbouring streets, Carshalton, Hurlingham, Crayford, Sidcup and Finchley Roads to see if anyone had a bigger or better fire than ours!! As the night drew longer, the regulars (adults) retiring to 鈥淭he Charlie鈥� and some of the older kids 鈥渢ekkin the empties back to the Outdoor and cashin in wiv Nut Brown Ale鈥�, the Charlie being an Ansells outlet, things got even more hysterical, I was amazed to see Kenny Bowen struggle out of his jacket, albeit an 鈥渁usterity-class鈥� coat of the era, and throw it on the dying embers when our supply of timber ran out.

The very occasional car we saw from then on, fully headlighted black tape thrown away, black-out curtains torn down (to be made into makeshift working clothes) drivers waving and blowing horns, really proved that at last, Hubert Gregg鈥檚 song, so emphatically performed by Carroll Gibbons in 1943, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to get Lit-up when the lights go up in London鈥� was to be enacted by everyone 鈥� even 鈥淪omewhere in the Midlands鈥�. To adjust the words of that song a little, we didn鈥檛 鈥淗ave to turn the Fire Brigade out on the Littest, Upest Night you ever saw鈥�.

[For Brian Noden's further reminiscences see "Wartime Memories of Kingstanding, Birmingham" and "Evacuation from Kingstanding, Birmingham to Derbyshire]

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This story was contributed by Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service, Solihull Libraries by kind permission of the original contributor. It was originally contributed to Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service's collection in 2005 (Ref: NC Solihull Historical: Reminiscences 2005/8).

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