My First Day

A Memory of Rubery.

It was the 19th June 1955 when the lorry arrived at the end of our entry in St Mark's Street, Ladywood. Neighbours came out to say their goodbyes and help carry our chattles out to the lorry. I took a last look at the yard I had lived in for the last 9 years, there were 15 houses in the yard all cramped together, the sun hardly ever reached the ground. I was sorry to have to go but go I must, piling into the back with mom (Gwen), my twin sister Christine, and my younger sister Janice (aged 18 months). Off we went to Rubery wherever that was. I remember Mom being fretful as to whether we were doing right as the rent on our new home was 30 bob (£1.50) and our old house was only 10 bob (50p). My dad Albert, a painter & decorator, was earning £8 per week, he told her not to worry as we would manage somehow.

We arrived outside 216 Callowbrook Lane on a lovely warm sunny day. Chris and I looked at each other agog, a new house and all ours. We got off the lorry and ran along a slab path layed on building rubble and thick wet clay and into the house. We couldn't believe the kitchen, two taps, and a gas boiler for washing clothes, no more lighting fires in the Brewhouse. The lounge was the biggest we had ever seen.
Now upstairs, in front of us a toilet, no more walking across the yard with a candle in a jar to the lav. "Alan", shouted Chris from the next room, "we've got a bath wi'v two taps, an a sink," no more bathing in front of the fire on Friday nights, and Mom & Dad could bathe whenever they liked, not as before, which meant going to the slipper baths on Monument Road where the attendant filled the bath for you then took away the knob so you couldn't put in any more water (Dad had it cracked though, he took a spanner with him!). Chris and I used to sit on a bench outside the cubicle while Mom had a bath.

Now into the bedrooms, Mom & Dad had the large bedroom, Chris and Jan the medium, and me the small, it was great to have a room of my own, not sleeping in a cold damp dark creaky attic where in winter the ice was on the inside, no more candles and gas mantles, here was light.

Mom needed to go shopping but where were the shops? Looking out across the road were some private houses which ended almost opposite, then there were fields you could see right across to Windmill Hill and Hoopers farm on the Waseleys. Mrs Holmes lived in the last house and was in her garden. Mom asked her the way, so with Janice in the pram off we went to Rubery Village.

Walking down the lane, the skyline was filled with the Lickeys, Beacon Hill with its viewpoint betwix two great oaks (only one now) standing proud and Chadwich Woods to the right. What a place to live, I thought. After passing the end of the row of houses there was a lane to the left called Narrow Lane which was being developed, it was later renamed Deelands Road. Across the road was a cottage with a tall hedge and a fir tree in the garden, also a well, I had never seen a well before, in fact I realised I had never seen anything before. The cottage was lived in by two sisters.

Carrying on, we came to more new houses being developed set back in a cul-de-sac, next to which was a large house with a hawthorn hedge guarding an orchard. I was amazed, I had never seen a thorn tree before, only a picture of Daniel taking a thorn from the lion in the Bible at Sunday school. Next to which stood the farm, Callowbrook farm I think, in the garden were three goats tethered to stakes, I couldn't take my eyes off them, we had never seen them before, Chris and I were amazed. There was also a great barn in which was farm equipment.

We then came to a gully, on one side was a large newish house where lived Captain Cheadle, on the other side of the gully was the army barracks with a large garage, the doors were open and two soldiers were working on a tank, boy I was in my element. The gully opened out into a large field with long grass and wild flowers. Butterflies were dancing around over them, I had seen a moth in the wardrobe and a Bobhowler fluttering round a light but had never before seen a butterfly. Walking through the grass, grasshoppers were springing all around, a magical sight for someone from Ladywood. At the bottom of the field was Callow Brook, this was crossed by a small bridge, over the bridge sharp left then right and you had arrived in Rubery village.

We crossed the road in front of the old wooden church of St Chad, the vicar was Father Lacy. We walked up the village to Chatwins the ironmongers where Mom brought mops and a bucket, then across the road to Whitfields for greengrocery, then down to George Masons for grocery then on to Palethorpes where I would later work for meat. I noticed the pub, the Rose & Crown, I must tell Dad, I thought, then with Janice cramped in the front of the pram and the rest loaded with goods it was off home.

When we got home Dad had put up the beds etc. I told him about the pub but he said there was a nearer one, the Cock, I think he was proud I was thinking along the right track!

I have many memories of Rubery, and this was only my memories of the first day.