The Driffold

A Memory of Sutton Coldfield.

I lived in no. 3 The Driffold. I attended Town County Primary and then John Willmott Grammar School. I have the happiest memories of living there with Sutton Park just down the road. We used to play near the duck pond identifying all the ducks and fishing- trying to catch pike. We cycled everywhere. In the summer we'd cycle to the outdoor swimming pool and spend all day there swimming in the pool and the lake. Our mother would wheel the pushchair with the latest baby and a picnic lunch there later. Such wonderful happy times. I sang in the choir at Holy Trinity. It was my whole life. Three weddings on a Satuday with the red carpet equalled 7/6d which was a lot of money then. I loved Sutton Coldfield. The best days of my life. Now living in Newmarket. Lovely but very different. The best years were spent in Sutton. Very nostalgic!. We had such fun as children. The Guides every Thursday night in a corrugated iron shed, choir practice on Friday evening at Holy Trinity with Harold Gray, director of Music. Christmas was magical. Can remember going really early in the morning to Kings College Cambridge for the Christmas Eve service of 9 lessons and carols with my theory master and his girlfriend Fiona from Fairfax and then being allowed to sing at midnight mass later. My hymn book still bears the processional candle wax forty-six years later. A truly WONDERFUL childhood.