Childhood At Moreton Paddox

A Memory of Moreton Paddox.

My mother, Angela Joan Balsom lived at the Paddox from the age of 2 until she was 16 (1935-1951). Originally she lived at North Lodge.

Her father, Walter Henry Balsom, was Captain Emitt's butler. Upon the outbreak of WW2 Captain Emitt joined the life guards. As my grandfather did not meet the height requirement he joined the Welsh guards.

My mother remembers being taken to school in the head teacher's (Miss Charles) Austin Seven.

The Emitts sold the estate at the beginning of the war which was acquired by the MOD. In no time at all barrack huts were erected in the grounds. The officers lived in the big house. During the war all sorts of nationalities occupied the camp, arranging from Czechs, Belgiums, French Canadians and ending up with the Americans. The Americans always treated the kids with kindness and laid on a good kids party at Christmas. The American commanding officer also invited my mother and other kids on the saluting platform for reveille.

When the estate changed hands my mother and family moved into the flat above the garage. This is where her younger sister Rosemary was born. Later the family moved to the opposite flat, which was above the Tack Room. Her younger brother, Rodney, was born here.

One of my mother's daily jobs was to take the milk can to the estate dairy in the evening and collect it in the following morning. The dairy had since came under the ownership of the Birmingham coop.

My mother continued living at the Paddox until 1951 when my grandfather was discharged from the army. They eventually moved to the Lake District.

The big house became under the control of the TWA and my mother returned to work as a catering assistant. It was here were she met my father who was staying here with his father over the Christmas holiday.

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