James Brearley born 8th July 1946I was born, one year after the war, at home at 15, Foleshill Road Coventry,we rented a house that ajoined a shop facing the main Foleshill Road, the access to our house was via Lincoln Street.
The shop was rented seperatly to various traders. I was the forth child to be born, my parents already had one girl and two boys so I guess maybe they hoped for another girl, the next child to come along, Christopher, yet another boy. So when I was born my parents had, David aged 2, Arthur aged 4 and Christine age 6, all born during the Second World War years. I am not to question the logics but that is how it was. This is the earliest photo I have of me at going on 4 years old in 1950. The Second World War had only just ended when I was born and although I guess there was a feeling of optimisum things were still very tough. Many food items were still on ration, money was tight for most people and basically we lived in a poor area, did'nt know we were poor because everyone around us was the same. I can only imagine how difficult it would have been trying to bring five children up during the 1950's. Coventry was so badly bombed during the war many buildings, we called bomb sites, were still around into the 1950's. There were lots of bomb sites around us as we lived very close to the City centre and they were used as playgrounds by most children. This was the City centre less than 6 years before I was born and only half a mile away from 15, Foleshill Road. The aftermath of what happened in 1940's continues to this day as Coventry still has living survivors of the bombings.
I recall that many conversations during my childhood would begin with " during the war" it did have an impression on me as I was often worried about the return of war. Even at the age of ten I remember being worried about the Suisse Canal conflict although I did not understand what was happening I feared the return of what I had heard about wars. This photograph was at a special event like a fete in the Summer of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. I believe my uncle Ron ( mothers cousin) had visited from Huddersfield. We all looked smartly dressed and in good health. The thing about having an older brother is I knew what I would be wearing next, see David and Arthur are dressed the same so no one will know David is wearing Arthurs cloths in 6 months time. Father always dressed well, he had good dress sense and I never remember him not shaving or looking untidy. As for Christine's dress well I guess that was the fashion in 1952. Christopher looks to be enjoying a lollipop or candyfloss, but nobody else, is he finishing a shared one or are the rest of us fast eaters. |
Having two older brothers helps you to grow up quicker as you learn from them.
Brother Arthur taught me to swim by pushing me in the swimming baths when I was about seven years old. He also taught me to go scrumping as we called it ( stealing apples) he could climb trees and shake them until apples would fall.
Arthur was the leader of the gang and we would go trouble making around the streets. We had a rival gang accross the canal in Drapers Fields, I would never go there alone in fear of meeting our rivals, bearing in mind gangs only thumped each other in those days.
Arthur also taught me the art of shoplifting, the butcher had a corner shop and outside he would have a trestle table with fruit and veg on display. We used to play aeroplanes, all you did was hold your arms out make a noise and run around ( nothing like Nintendo) while passing the butchers you just dropped one wing and palm a banana or an orange, still very sort after in those days, a treat my parents could not provide.
Arthur loved adventure and we used to go on the canal, he once made a raft and told us he would sail to Africa and Australia.
Once there were some bigger boys fishing and they had wandered down the bank in search of fish but left their bikes on the bank, Arthur and David lifted them and threw them in the canal, we ran away I was wetting my self with fear and dare not go back to the canal for weeks.
Christopher and I were playing on Foleshill Road and we came across an old metal shovel, I decided to throw it at a passing bus and just by chance it lodge in the wheel arch and the bus skidded and was making a load braking sound. We again just ran for it but the driver and conductor followed, Chris was only five years old and he couldn't run very fast and to make it worse we ran home still with the driver and conductor close behind, fancy running home were they knew where we lived. Mum and Dad went mad, although Chris and I tried to deny it, they apologised to the driver and we heard nothing further about the subject.
Whenever there was trouble due to our mischievous ways, Mum would always say " not my boys".
I started school at five firstly going to St Marks School but it was due to be demolished within months so I had to move to some temporary prefab school buildings now known as John Gulson Primary School.
I remember early in the 50's we started to get immigrants from Pakistan, they would paint their doors in horrible colours when around them everyone had browns and greens they had orange. The first Pakistani boy at our school was called Sutsica Sing he was the only foreigner in our class and we were told to welcome him and befriend him so I invited him to my birthday party.
The Pakistani's used to sit around in circles in Swanswell Park I guess this was a way of having meetings just to chat. I do not know how or why it started but Chris and I would ask them for pennies and mostly they would give us money.
Most Saturdays we would we would go to the Ritz Cinema known as the flix, brave Arthur learned how to open the fire door by the toilets so he would pay, nip to the toilet and let us in but we had to go into the seated area one at a time so we did not attract attention, he would also give you the torn tickets he had borrowed from other kids already in the cinema.
We would return home pretending to be cowboys on horseback slapping our bums with one hand and holding reins with the other, not forgetting shooting an invisable gun.
One day on my way back from school I was playing on a bomb site and decided to throw some old bottles against the wall, I recall throwing a Landry bottle and it bounced back off the wall when I foolishly caught it in midair, the bottle smashed leaving a large piece stuck in my wrist. Blood was spurting out so I ran home for help, when I arrived home it was still spurting out blood, I was terrified
My sister was the first to see me and just fainted on the kitchen floor, my mother started to wrap sheets around my wrist and ordered my brother to call for an ambulance. I was rushed to hospital and had my wrist stitched. This is one of the most terrifying events of my life and I am still upset by the site of blood.
As a family we went to St Marks Church on a Sunday, Father Bucken and Father Blowes I remember as sometimes they would visit our home even when we were in bed they would still come up and see us and I used to be afraid of them maybe because of their clothing.
So we had four boys sharing a bedroom with one double bed, we would sleep two up and two down so you would wake up with someone's feet in your face every morning.
We did not go on holidays but I remember once my Granddad and Grandma visiting from Huddersfield also when I was seven I visited them and stayed for a couple of weeks. I loved Huddersfield as my grandparents lived along side a cricket field and there were farms close by, I think that was the first time I had seen a cow close up.
My Grandfather died in 1955 so it gave a chance for the family to move to Huddersfield and live with Grandma for a while.
All of my parents family are Yorkshire born and although we were born in Warwickshire we were thought of as Yorkshire children by our relatives. So at 9 years old we are Yorkshire bound.
Brother Arthur taught me to swim by pushing me in the swimming baths when I was about seven years old. He also taught me to go scrumping as we called it ( stealing apples) he could climb trees and shake them until apples would fall.
Arthur was the leader of the gang and we would go trouble making around the streets. We had a rival gang accross the canal in Drapers Fields, I would never go there alone in fear of meeting our rivals, bearing in mind gangs only thumped each other in those days.
Arthur also taught me the art of shoplifting, the butcher had a corner shop and outside he would have a trestle table with fruit and veg on display. We used to play aeroplanes, all you did was hold your arms out make a noise and run around ( nothing like Nintendo) while passing the butchers you just dropped one wing and palm a banana or an orange, still very sort after in those days, a treat my parents could not provide.
Arthur loved adventure and we used to go on the canal, he once made a raft and told us he would sail to Africa and Australia.
Once there were some bigger boys fishing and they had wandered down the bank in search of fish but left their bikes on the bank, Arthur and David lifted them and threw them in the canal, we ran away I was wetting my self with fear and dare not go back to the canal for weeks.
Christopher and I were playing on Foleshill Road and we came across an old metal shovel, I decided to throw it at a passing bus and just by chance it lodge in the wheel arch and the bus skidded and was making a load braking sound. We again just ran for it but the driver and conductor followed, Chris was only five years old and he couldn't run very fast and to make it worse we ran home still with the driver and conductor close behind, fancy running home were they knew where we lived. Mum and Dad went mad, although Chris and I tried to deny it, they apologised to the driver and we heard nothing further about the subject.
Whenever there was trouble due to our mischievous ways, Mum would always say " not my boys".
I started school at five firstly going to St Marks School but it was due to be demolished within months so I had to move to some temporary prefab school buildings now known as John Gulson Primary School.
I remember early in the 50's we started to get immigrants from Pakistan, they would paint their doors in horrible colours when around them everyone had browns and greens they had orange. The first Pakistani boy at our school was called Sutsica Sing he was the only foreigner in our class and we were told to welcome him and befriend him so I invited him to my birthday party.
The Pakistani's used to sit around in circles in Swanswell Park I guess this was a way of having meetings just to chat. I do not know how or why it started but Chris and I would ask them for pennies and mostly they would give us money.
Most Saturdays we would we would go to the Ritz Cinema known as the flix, brave Arthur learned how to open the fire door by the toilets so he would pay, nip to the toilet and let us in but we had to go into the seated area one at a time so we did not attract attention, he would also give you the torn tickets he had borrowed from other kids already in the cinema.
We would return home pretending to be cowboys on horseback slapping our bums with one hand and holding reins with the other, not forgetting shooting an invisable gun.
One day on my way back from school I was playing on a bomb site and decided to throw some old bottles against the wall, I recall throwing a Landry bottle and it bounced back off the wall when I foolishly caught it in midair, the bottle smashed leaving a large piece stuck in my wrist. Blood was spurting out so I ran home for help, when I arrived home it was still spurting out blood, I was terrified
My sister was the first to see me and just fainted on the kitchen floor, my mother started to wrap sheets around my wrist and ordered my brother to call for an ambulance. I was rushed to hospital and had my wrist stitched. This is one of the most terrifying events of my life and I am still upset by the site of blood.
As a family we went to St Marks Church on a Sunday, Father Bucken and Father Blowes I remember as sometimes they would visit our home even when we were in bed they would still come up and see us and I used to be afraid of them maybe because of their clothing.
So we had four boys sharing a bedroom with one double bed, we would sleep two up and two down so you would wake up with someone's feet in your face every morning.
We did not go on holidays but I remember once my Granddad and Grandma visiting from Huddersfield also when I was seven I visited them and stayed for a couple of weeks. I loved Huddersfield as my grandparents lived along side a cricket field and there were farms close by, I think that was the first time I had seen a cow close up.
My Grandfather died in 1955 so it gave a chance for the family to move to Huddersfield and live with Grandma for a while.
All of my parents family are Yorkshire born and although we were born in Warwickshire we were thought of as Yorkshire children by our relatives. So at 9 years old we are Yorkshire bound.
Brother Arthur and I revisited Coventry for old times sake, things have changed as one can imagine.
Our row of houses was demolished to make way for a fire station and council buildings. A picture below shows a grass verge with trees, we estimated that is the spot were we lived, the houses went up to the roadside.
When we visited John Gulson school,I could not see a white boy anywhere, I am not a racist but how things have changed.
Coventry today. below left to right from the top.
Roxy Cinema now a Temple. The exact location of 15 Foleshill Road Drapers Fields
The Canal John Gulson School St Marks
The Streets we would play in, Eagle Street, Lincoln Street, Leicester Row.
Click on the photo to enlarge