V.E. Day in Kingstanding, Birmingham

V.E.DAY (1945)

369 Kings Road
Kingstanding
Birmingham

For many weeks prior to this eagerly anticipated day, our mom who had been employed for some months as an insurance agent for “The Pru” (Prudential Insurance Co) used her bicycle, bookwork experience, and well-known integrity to collect subscriptions (whatever folks could manage) towards the cost of a “Street Party”, in our case Kings Road from The King Charles up to the junction with Harringay Road, (Kings Road being about 1 mile long from The Beggar’s Bush to The Trees at Queslett Road, and too much for a ‘Whole Do’ practically). It fell mostly to our age group to collect the fuel for the bonfire, to be sited on the grass verge opposite the Bowen’s house (No. 329?) “ah Rode bein’ a jewel carrigdway”.

“Our gang” leader Gordon S Bennett (and yes, the S truly is for Samuel) gathered us early, for we had a very important part to play, outside the Bennett’s back door. Jeffrey Kenning, Bobby Swingler, John Newnham, Kenny Bowen, Alf Bowen and yours truly helped to set up a ‘Table’ from the 6’0” x 3’0” (approx) section of corrugated steel from Uncle Jim’s — unused (so clean) Anderson Shelter, on top of some of the upturned orange and “specky” apple boxes (these having been obtained from Stone’s fruit and veg shop, somehow or other) complete with apples. Aunt Daisy and willing ladies were boiling toffee in a huge pot, using the sticks we lads were fashioning from the other boxes (I don’t recall any accidents from axe wielders). The skilful dipping of the raw product, with a whirl and a flourish, ensured that the cooling result on a flat table top left just that right amount of crunch-bit at the edge of the flat bit! We then lined up all these goodies on the ridges of the Table, and at the appointed hour our two heavyweights — Newnham and Kenning at each end we triumphantly marched this up the path and along to the point where the tables of food were laid ready; a Toffee Apple for every kid on the street.

After the “Bun Fight” and the glasses of Tizer (remember those corona bottles with the wire spring stoppers?) there were all sorts of activities before the Bonfire was lit. Bobby Swingler, whom I have not seen for at least 55 years, but am to meet fairly soon, told me on the phone last evening “the only thing I remember of V.E. Day was the Bonfire, and during the crazy races tripping over in the ‘Backwards race’ banging my head on the tarmac and knocking myself out.” Shame! He doesn’t remember a single toffee apple!

After the fire was well away, an impromptu procession was formed, and we paraded noisily around neighbouring streets, Carshalton, Hurlingham, Crayford, Sidcup and Finchley Roads to see if anyone had a bigger or better fire than ours!! As the night drew longer, the regulars (adults) retiring to “The Charlie” and some of the older kids “tekkin the empties back to the Outdoor and cashin in wiv Nut Brown Ale”, the Charlie being an Ansells outlet, things got even more hysterical, I was amazed to see Kenny Bowen struggle out of his jacket, albeit an “austerity-class” coat of the era, and throw it on the dying embers when our supply of timber ran out.

The very occasional car we saw from then on, fully headlighted black tape thrown away, black-out curtains torn down (to be made into makeshift working clothes) drivers waving and blowing horns, really proved that at last, Hubert Gregg’s song, so emphatically performed by Carroll Gibbons in 1943, “I’m going to get Lit-up when the lights go up in London” was to be enacted by everyone — even “Somewhere in the Midlands”. To adjust the words of that song a little, we didn’t “Have to turn the Fire Brigade out on the Littest, Upest Night you ever saw”.

[For Brian Noden's further reminiscences see "Wartime Memories of Kingstanding, Birmingham" and "Evacuation from Kingstanding, Birmingham to Derbyshire]

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This story was contributed by Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service, Solihull Libraries by kind permission of the original contributor. It was originally contributed to Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service's collection in 2005 (Ref: NC Solihull Historical: Reminiscences 2005/8).

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