Harper brothers Leyland double decker NDF349F waits at the bottom of The Parade, Brownhills, on it’s way to Birmingham on what would now be the 56 route. The Fullelove shelter is in the background, and immediately behind that, the Hussey Arms. I’d say this is early 1970s. Image kindly supplied by Tony Martin.
The irrepressible Mike Stackhouse contacted me a week or so with an interesting comment that may well stir memories of the postwar kids in our midst. Mike was inspired himself by the recent interest in those lost green gems, Harpers Busses.
I’ll let mMike tell you in his own words…
Hi Bob,
I have been sitting here this evening, going over your blogs and looking at my libary of Bus pictures and I came across a picture of the Harper buses which you are assisting in helping to savce and restore. This in turn reminded me of the day that The Brownhills Teddy boys stopped the Harpers bus on The Parade to get to the Norton Canes Teddy boys, and the ensuring battle that commenced, I would think that there are not many of those lads still around.
This in turn turned my thoughts to discos, or not. Well as a young lads and lasses, the only place we had to go was the Memo or St James Youth club. But following a conversation one day, at the Transport cafe which stood where Barons court Stands now, the Lady who ran the cafe started to close up early on a Friday. She charged us something between 6d to a shilling and for 3 hours we had a place to go which was not organised by an organisation (like the church etc.) and because it was something that as such we really enjoyed ourselves. Three hours of records playing music we wanted, played on an old Dansette record player (supplied by the Lady). Dancing on the cafe floor, no Alcohol, just soft drinks, girls and music.
Oh for a real disco. Winklepicker shoes, or crepes, drain pipe trousers, velvet colars on the coat, purple socks, purple and white stripe shirt, and shoe lace tie.
I long for my youth again, but of course it would not be the same, would it?
Cheers
Mike
Thanks to Mike for yet another splendid contribution, one of several of late.
So folks – what do you know? Do you remember these days of Teddy Boy rivalry and dancing in the cafe?
You know the drill: comment here, or mail to BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks, as ever.
I’m wondering if Mike knows any of these groovy kids at a Memorial Hall Youth Club do in the 1950s. Image from ‘Around Pelsall and Brownhills’ by David F. Vodden.