I was born in 1935 in Yardley, Birmingham, but my parents moved to Sutton two or three years later, and I grew up in Station Rd towards the Boldmere Rd end.

Boldmere was really the hub of most of my activities in my boyhood. The first football club that I supported was Boldmere St Michaels, just behind the church at the end of our road.

Going down Boldmere Rd to the right was a building called the Parish Rooms and behind that was the youth club. Here I played my first competitive games, table tennis and football. Here I also received my first kiss from a lovely girl. Further on was a good variety of shops where my Mom did almost all the shopping. There was a greengrocers on the corner of Highbridge Rd, and further on Mr Fleetwoods butcher’s shop.

On the other side of the road close to Jockey Rd was a food store: was this the Co-op? At all events, my Mom did a wonderful job feeding us and keeping us clean through the war and beyond.

My Mom’s favourite activities were singing in a choir called the ‘Tudor Singers’, and ballroom and old-time dancing at the rooms attached to the church on the corner of Highbridge and Britwell roads. Just beyond there was a tennis court and a small field where I played with my pals. Needless to say, we also spent a lot of time in Sutton’s wonderful park.

My Dad worked mainly in Birmingham factories and Wylde Green was a beautiful place for him to return to every evening.

On one side of the Station was rough field which took to be an old abandoned allotment with banked-up areas: a great place to build ‘dens’ and play games with our dog.

This grassy area continued across to the other side of Silvermead Rd across to Highbridge Rd and there were times when cattle were brought there to graze: where from I don’t know.

Station Rd had its own shop right next to the Station: it was called ‘Voces’ and run by Mr Nuthall. One night a German plane dropped a bomb which narrowly missed the Station and blew a huge hole in the road just in front of the bridge.

Eventually the country was able to celebrate the peace and VE and VJ days with street parties taking place everywhere. The residents of Station Rd played a part for children in fancy dress (see photo).

I left Wylde Green for National Service, University and work elsewhere but will always have fond memories of that dear district in Sutton. My home is in Halesowen but I do pay an occasional visit and enjoy the memories.

VE Celebrations 1. was Judy Nuthall, (2 is me), 3. Geoffrey Theaker (as Montgomery), 4. Philip Webb, 5.Pauline Hawkes

Extract from Wylde Green Remembered

I arrived in 1935 at Yardley Birmingham, my parents being Harry and Maud Whadams. We were not to remain in Yardley as within three years the family had moved to Station Road in Sutton Coldfield. My dad was an engineer and had obtained employment at the Rover factory in Hay Hall Road Tyseley to work on car engine development. At the outbreak of war he was moved from motor car to aircraft development where he worked on the Merlin Engine. This would be the engine that would power the Spitfire, Hurricane and Mosquito aircraft over the course of the war.

Station Road had its own shop right next door to the railway station, it was called Voces but was run by Mr Nuthall and it sold almost everything. One night a German plane dropped a bomb on its way home and the bomb landed in the road close by the shop, there was a large crater just before the bridge.

The country celebrated VE and VJ day with street party’s music and dancing and Station Road was no exception. There was music and dancing together with a big party for children, Followed by a fancy dress parade, in the parade I was a cowboy

There was a big field by the station where we played football; it was a bit rough but it was our football pitch. I passed the 11+ and went to Bishop Vesey; sadly they didn’t play football which I loved but a friend invited me to play for Birmingham Stock exchange where I was spotted by WBA and invited to join their youth team.

One of our favourite places to play was a massive timber yard at the Corner of Goldieslie Road and Jockey Road, I can’t recall the name but it was always deserted. We had hours of fun climbing up and down the stacks of timber, no Health and Safety in those days.

My mom went to Wylde Green Church on the corner of Britwell and Highbridge Roads where she did old-time dancing and also sang in a choir which I believe was called the Tudor Singers. I also went dancing at Maney Hall, as they used to have what was called Coffee Dancing which took place in the morning. Behind the church was a field which we used to use as our cricket pitch.

There were a lot of Americans in the town as they had their central post office located there but what I remember most about them was their milk bar in Maney, it was called “The Doughnut Dugout”

We went to the Empress Cinema for Saturday mornings programmes as they were home of the ABC Minors which featured serials for children, but as we got older the Pavilion was our destination two or three times a week. It had gas lighting and I can remember the smell of the gas and the haze from cigarette smoke which at times made it difficult to see the picture.

For a day out we all made our way to the tram terminus at the Yenton where we took the number two tram taking us all the way into Birmingham.

I have very happy memories of my childhood in Wylde Green and although University and career have taken me to other places my retirement is spent close by in Harborne.

By G Wadhams