Old Swinford, The Castle, Church Road c.1960

Photo ref: O51003

My mother was raised as a child in the Labour In Vain public house in Oldswinford, Stourbridge from about 1910. It was owned or “kept” by my Great Grandparents.

After our fine glass of bitter, Dad spoke to the landlord. "Excuse me," Dad said, "but do you know anything about a mouse on the gates of the parish church?" The landlord was most genial and tried to help but had to admit that he had never noticed any mouse even though he had lived in the parish all his life and had even been married at the very church. We finished our drinks and went off on a mouse ...see more

Many years ago, I promised to buy Dad a drink in the "Labour In Vain" public house in Oldswinford, a hostelry that the family has talked about for generations. I had driven past it once before in the 1980s but at that time it was being refurbished and was not open. Our ancestors had left Oldswinford in the 1890s to settle in the South Wales valleys. In 1994 I had the opportunity to fulfil my promise. Dad ...see more

Now a busy crossroads controlled by traffic lights and with a Tesco garage/shop on the near right hand corner. Whilst many of the shop-fronts have changed the upper half of many look just the same.