an Erdington Lad comes Visiting by Roy Dillon

I was born in Loveday St, but lived my childhood teen days in Erdington, I have a lot of good memories from the aston area. I used to catch the 78 tram from Streetly Road Erdington as a boy, get of at Dartmouth Street, and walk across the bomb peck (where the flatted factory now stands) to meet my Mom from work, (Taylor & Law in adams St).

We would then walk to my aunt Lots in Miller Street to pay a visit. I can remember the old brown kitchen sink with one brass tap, the large drapes hanging over the doors, big brown leather suite, lino on the floor. Outside was the mangle standing on the blue brick yard, on a nice day Mom would take me to the park nearby, and watch the trams at the depot.

Talking of trams, we used to wait at the terminus at Streetly Road for the trams to arrive, some of the crews would let us help turn the pole round, and switch the seats back, for the return journey to town. On clocking out the driver would stamp the back of my hand with his key and lave his number printed, Those where the days.