Aldridge, West Midlands

Getting locked in the Arboretum

I remember when I was 14 my friend Josie Weston and I rode our bikes along Broadway West to the Arboretum. We were walking along the paths and around by the lake when we met two boys and one of the boy's mothers worked for Josie's mother at Dawson's coaches. They asked if we would go on the lake and we... [more]

As it was

I left Walsall at the age of fifteen, at the time of the date of this picture. I loved the trolley buses and watching the trolley conductor change the rails. I remember the Bridge well, as shown in this picture. It was my task on a Saturday to collect and return my younger nephew every Saturday morning from my older sister,... [more]

I Lived There ....

My parents were landlords of the Littleton Arms in the early 1960s era. I was around three years old or so then. Can remember the Saturday nights when bands played down in the bar, wooden beer barrels large and small being delivered into the cellar and Dad hooking them up. Bottles of "BabyCham" on shelves, the odd bag of crisps or... [more]

Aboretum

I was born just around the corner from this photo, in Ward Stree, it's now a car park. This junction is going through yet another re vamp.
As a teenager I would visit the Aboretum with friends and race the boats across the pond and get told off by the staff. We would visit every year for the lights, many now... [more]

christmas time

This photo always reminds me of christmas as a child, there used to be a policeman sitting in the upstairs window of the bank, watching you cross the the road,he used a loud speaker to tell you when to cross and when not to the road, he used to tell you off if you crossed the road when it was not... [more]

how things have changed

oh mi how things have changed in this photograph i was 12 then 40 yrs on it was so peacefull then arbo has we called it i can remember going there during school holidays. we be there all day with our bottle water and our jam sandwiches we wouldnt go home till dusk or till the man came round with... [more]

First Love

I meet my husband, who was my first boyfriend, at Walsall and Staffs Technical College in 1970, we would often go into the George for a drink at lunchtimes. It holds special memories for us both, still together after 33 years of marriage, and we were horrified when they pulled it down.

Growing up in the Avenues

I left school in 1965, Ogley Hay Girls' School, my maiden name was Kathleen Cooper. My birth father was George Kelly although I was brought up by my grandparents, Nell and Gerald Cooper. I loved the avenues, everyone knew everyone, you could leave the doors open when you went to the club, nobody ever stole from their neighbours, helped more like.... [more]