Before our time

Weeklies cottage at the end of Forge Lane (c1880) (APS)

Blacksmith John Webster with his three sons Jim, Jack and Harry (c1884)

After the father's death, Jim became the smithy and his two brothers worked for him (APS)

Round about our time

(APS)

Although the tree does not appear to be in the middle of the road, we all remember seeing it  there as we came into Forge Lane

(APS)

In 1940 attendance at the school above doubled, with the arrival of five double decker bus loads of evacuees from West Bromwich . They were accompanied by three teachers, two female and a Mr Pearce. To cater for this influx of pupils, we had to split the school day into two half day shifts and then go helping on farms or collecting items for the war effort for the rest of the time. (This was a great hardship (not too many)) The last thing to be done before the end of your short school day was to mix all the books up for the next lot in, mind you they did the same so we all lost time while sorting it out.

Other names connected with the School,  are: The Vicars who are listed with the church below. Miss Glover, the first infant teacher. Mr Reynolds (Daddy Reynolds) the attendant officer. (We were told his motorbike had a sound you could recognise for miles.) Mrs Fletcher (school caretaker), lived opposite the girls gate. Names best forgotten, The School Dentist and Nit Nurses.

An easy quiz that perhaps one of todays bright young students will answer: What fiftieth anniversary affecting the above, will come up in 2004? (RSD)

Sturman's garage and houses in Clarence Road in the mid 1950's.

Note, Mr Cooksey little black Ford 8 van on the far left, that he used todelivered papers round the village. (RSD)

St.Peters Church

Roman Road Little Aston

Vicars, during our time span.

Reverend A H Powell

A very nice man (in my eyes) who always bought me one of Parmley's (garage) big homemade ice cream's, each time he visited during the ten weeks I was in bed with Rheumatic fever. One of the things he was noted for was his Sunday sermon's, so much so that after he died of a heart attack in early 1939 they buried him just outside the Pulpit window.

Reverend Guy Cranwill

I can remember being in church on the morning of September 3rd 1939, when he announced the outbreak of war and asked for volunteers to go to Mr Bartlett's builders yard to help fill sandbags.

He was always intent on getting a full Sunday choir, even in wartime. My talents in this field, placed me as the organ pumper! This lasted until I was spotted making the choir laugh during a sermon, so the organist (Mr Hough) played the last two pieces with all the stops out. I was on my knees with Asthma, to go home. It was some years latter while delivering the then organists (Mr Stanbridge) Lanchester Car back to his home (next door to Miss Proud) that he told me how I would have been seen in a rear view mirror they had fix up from the organ seat.

Reverend Henry Follis

To help this new young vicar get round the village with only his small basic petrol ration, he acquired a scooter. Trouble was, Corgi had not got his sort of weight in mind when they designed their small wheeled scooter. So we at the garage were always trying to keep it on the road. (RSD)

Our local bobby, PC Cartwright

No photograph have so far turned up for this character, but suspect you will all have plenty of memories. The only ones I have, is being ticked off for scrumping. (RSD)