'The rent on our little place was seven shillings and sixpence a week; not a
lot of money these day, but there were times when mom struggled to find the
money to pay it. One day, when the rent man called, our mom hid on the stairs
and said, "Tell him I'm not in", so when he knocked on the door I said, "Mom
said she is not in". "OK" was his reply, "tell her when she gets back off the
stairs I'll call her next week".
'A Birmingham Backstreet Boyhood' is a fascinating, funny and poignant
recollection of the experience of growing up in the slums of Nechells and Aston.
All the harshness of daily life is remembered here by local author, Graham
Twist. Despite hard living conditions and a distinct lack of money, a strong
community spirit prevailed and families and neighbourhoods were close-knit. The
womenfolk in particular took great pride in their homes, however humble, and
scrubbed their front steps and swept the areas in front of their houses
religiously.
In these tough times you hoped nobody noticed you going to the 'pop shop' to
pawn precious valuables to get enough money to pay the rest of buy food for the
family ...
Contents:
Dedication
Foreword
1. A Family Life
2. Moving House
3. The Onion Fair and Other Stories
4. Good Times, Bad Times
5. Happy Campers
6. Earning a Bob or Two
7. A Bit of a Laugh
Acknowledgements
