Bachpann

A Memory of Smethwick.

I remember as a child flattening out card boards boxes, as we lived on Great Arthur Street, Smethwick, the gardens led onto the canal banks and my brother and my cousins used to slide down to the bottom - what a thrill - and trying to get back up before our father came home!
There was a type of pub shop on the corner that sold miltray chocolate in a bar and my uncle used to buy this on his pay day if we had been good. I went to Brasshouse Lane Infants school in 1968.
There was also a church I remember on Cambridge Road. I remember one Christmas my mother had sent us to give the Padrey a christmas card and a cigar!! I can't find this church on google?? Also I had been to the house adjoining this church - it was magnificent, walnut and oak finished flooring I remember because every step creaked (1970's).

I remember the horse and cart delivering our eggs and we would save the weeks chappaties for the horse. (maybe from Rabone Lane? 1970's)

There was Mrs Hardings shop on cambridge road, sweet lady but hard of hearing! Never ask for kit kat and then you were offered Kit e kat (cat food) - once had to buy that!

The houses on Cambridge and towards Lewisham Road had been knocked down and my father had bought this swing from there. It was more of metal tubing put together that went up across and down. This, he said, if we remained good he woud put it up in the summer 1972. My brother and I hatched a plan to hurry this up we needed to get some sand ? to erect the swing. So we knew of the houses being put up on Middlemore Road when the constructors would go home we went across and put some in a bag - this took several attempts as 6 and 7 year olds don't carry much. My mother was alarmed when she found it in the garden and read our rights!! When shown to our father he frowned but we hugged him so tight that he smiled - soon we had the best swing and had children lined up in the alley and our garden. My father painted it silver!

I share this nostalgic trip down memory lane but also the fact that none of the persons mentioned are alive today.

---

---