Lyndon Road contd............

Next door across the entry to us lived another family with teenagers and youngsters. When I was very young they were called Maclewham or something like. He was old and his wife was quite strict and always frightened me. They had a boy with bright ginger hair called Sammy after his Dad and a daughter my age called Sarah. Didn’t like her she was a bully!! Frightened me she did, she would corner me in the entry and not let me get past, we didn’t use our front door so in the end I would have to walk back down the entry and wait outside of the house until she had gone. She used to take sides with my friend Frieda so I was the odd one out. I lived in fear of that girl. Her Father died and then her mother married again, became Mrs Kearns – which I could pronounce! – and they had a little boy Phillip, he was lovely and even Mrs Kearns became nice and pleasant. In retrospect it must have been a struggle with an elderly sick husband and two young children to look after so I suppose that could account for her attitude while Mr Macklewham was alive. Sam Macklewham’s death didn’t change Sarah’s attitude though and I was very relieved when we left Stechford to go to live in Hall Green. Many years later, when I was about fourteen I heard that Sarah had died from a brain tumour. This had a big effect on me as we were only fourteen and I had not thought that people could die at that age. I may not of liked her, even at times hated her, but would not have wished her death.

The other side of the Macklewhams lived a family called Jenkins, they were a nice family and I think the child nearest my age was a girl called Pauline. We were friends but not close although I am given to understand by my mother that I moved in there when she was in hospital in Dudley Road. They were a normal family, my mother’s best friend I think as she used to go round a lot and Mrs Jenkins used to come round to ours. Me? I played with everyone’s children, the Powers who lived on the other corner, the Carmens who lived opposite and many more that I can't remember.