FORMER Wednesfield wench Sheila Simpson, who nowadays lives a few miles up the road, at Slitting Mill, Rugeley, recalls her growing up years during a turbulent period in our history....
“I have read your articles about events in World War II with interest. I was born in 1940 so I only remember the end of the war well when we had street parties and bonfires to celebrate. I missed our street party, which was held in "The Albion" on the Lichfield Road because it poured with rain. I probably had tonsillitis but the thing that grieved me most was that my mother had donated my favourite chocolate cake - made of course to a special wartime recipe. (I would love to get a copy and see if it was as good as I remember it).
Rural “I have no really unhappy memories of the war years. We lived in Colman Avenue in Wednesfield, which was then very rural, surrounded by fields which were farmed to help the war effort. Now most of these fields have been built on.
“My father, Arthur Newey, was in a reserve occupation, pattern making at F.H. Lloyds, Darlaston. I think they made tanks and war munitions. I have enclosed a leaflet issued to the workers during the war. He was also in the Home Guard. He spent all his spare time gardening, growing a variety of vegetables and fruit. I enclose a photograph of him at work. He even extended his garden into the field at the rear of the house where he kept bees (which were very useful guards, no one intruded into the garden for fear of being stung!).
Rabbits Consequently, we had a good diet because we also kept rabbits; they were very tasty; those who do not like the idea of eating them have not known what it was like to have to live on war rations! We had good vegetables and fruit from the garden and of course we were able to exchange and share with neighbours - the next door's pig was always good for one meal, we gave them our waste food, peelings etc. for the pig swill, which was cooked in a special 'oven' at the top of their garden, built of brick and mainly burning rubbish - everything had to be utilised. Some neighbours kept chickens so that was another food source.
“When bins were collected each week there was always a small truck, pulled along at the rear of the lorry, so that any waste food, i.e. bread or peelings etc., were put in it. This also went for feeding farm animals. Nothing could be wasted and I often think that this was far more environmentally acceptable than a lot of today's practices. Because we had open fires, we were able to burn rubbish, again much healthier than stale food left about and no 'disposable' containers littering the streets.
“My most frightening memory of the War was of an aeroplane crash on the Lichfield Road, Wednesfield in May 1945. The plane came over our house from the direction of Stubby Lane, dropping a huge piece of metal on our house.
When we heard the noise my mother and I were visiting the next door neighbour.
My mother ran out of the house to grab my brother out of his pram where he had been sleeping in the garden. Now looking back I realise he was lucky, (that piece of metal was easily as big as the pram). My father eventually climbed on the roof and removed the debris; he put it in the loft, he did not know what else to do with it, and when we moved it was left there - I wonder if it is still there? I had nightmares for quite some time afterwards”.
