Repeat Posting? I dunno ..........

Some of this is a repeat so please forgive me …………………………
My Mam was the youngest child and had three brothers, Albert John, Charles Vincent and Wilfred ………… (for the life of me I can’t remember his second name). Nanna French had several more children, including twins but none that survived, two had spina bifida, so as you can imagine Mam was rather adored. She was very close to Uncle Fred as he was the youngest boy and all three boys were at some point in the Navy. Albert took his father’s name and Charles took his Mother’s maiden name – Vincent. My mother was named after one of my grand ma’s sisters, well the Ethel part was but why Ivy we’ll never know. All the boys lived local and we visited them and their families quite a lot and when we moved in with Grandad they also visited us a lot more, and the numerous cousins.

Uncle Albert and Auntie Eva had three children, John, Cyril and Eileen. Once again because I was a late baby most of my cousins were grown up and took the courtesy title of ‘Uncle’ and ‘Auntie’. Cousin John was known as ‘Big John and he was married to Norah and they had two children, Little John (or Johnny as we knew him) and Katrina. Big John looked a lot like Tommy Cooper and had the ‘French Nose’ and Norah was dark haired and very feminine, with such a lovely nature. Big John had his own sign writing business and was very successful. They lived in Old Lode Lane in, what seemed to me, a very big house with large round bays. I went to stay overnight there one Christmas school holiday; it was like living in a hotel to me and gave me a taste of the sort of life I wanted to aspire to. ‘Auntie Nora picked me up in the car!?! with Katrina & Johnny in the back seat and took us all back to their house. I was shown around and told to unpack – I was going to share Katrina’s room - I don’t know whether we shared a bed but in the back of my mind I think there were twin beds, as it was the big bedroom on the front of the house. Then when we came downstairs we had a drink and a biscuit and were left to play. Katrina had some beautiful toys and if I remember rightly we also played with Johnny’s as he had a race track of some sort. . After lunch, Nora took us into Solihull for some shopping. At this time in my life, Solihull was a small town not really accessible from Birmingham, it was the County Borough of Solihull so ordinary Brummies were not encouraged to go there. I can’t ever remember going there with Mam, it was just not the sort of place we went to. Any roadup – Nora, Katrina, John and I tootled off and I can only remember going into ‘Midland Educational’ shop which was on the High Street, by the hardware shop (I think it is Wetherspoons now). We bought paper and colouring materials from this shop and the bags were put in the boot and we came home to Nora’s house. I can remember us all drawing and colouring away for most of the afternoon, but when I looked at Katrina’s pictures …. well! She was younger than me but sooo talented, I did so wish I could draw like that – I bet even Johnny’s was better than my pathetic efforts – but Nora was very good and didn’t judge between us. When ‘Uncle’ John came home we had dinner and then watched television, so posh – big lounge and big telly and soft seating, French windows opening onto a big garden, you can imagine how I felt!! Later on when we went to bed I lay awake for ages, wishing I had a bedroom like this, wishing and dreaming. After breakfast next morning - at the table with cereal and an egg! - we played for a while longer and then I had to go home. I was allowed to take all my paper and stuff home with me but I so didn’t want to use them in case I could not replace them. As you can see, this little escapade had a big and lasting effect on me and I loved that family dearly.
When Katrina was married the first time, I think she divorced and married again, she had a big fairytale sort of wedding. I remember at the reception sitting with Uncle Albert and Auntie Eva, there was a lot of food and drink – all free – Mam & Dad got really merry and I was drinking whisky and orange in those days so I must have been in my teens but whether Gren was there I don’t know. We all got rather drunk, especially Mam and Auntie Eva, they were just so funny, we didn’t realise how bad they were until Auntie Eva asked what the train going passed outside the window was. Well! We couldn’t see no train but couldn’t convince her that there was no train, then we realised it was the reflection of the lights inside on the window and, cause she was drunk, they were moving as things do when you’ve had one too many!!! Cousin John took them home and then came back for us and took us home, Dad being incapable - John helped Mam put him to bed but no sooner were John and Mam back downstairs than Dad appeared in his pyjamas in the doorway and had to be put to bed again!!! All good fun and the topic of conversations for years to come.
John and Nora moved to Sheldon after Johnny had left home and then we lost contact. I did try to find them but even Eileen said she didn’t know where they were, such a shame.
Cousin Cyril was married to Gladys and had, eventually seven boys, very young children. I don’t remember them very much, only the youngest – he was a lovely baby, chubby and full of life. All the boys are married with families of their own, I hope that some of them have girls. Cyril & Gladys used to live in Ninfield Road, just off Stockfield Road. As with most of my cousins, I never really knew them as people.
Cousin Eileen was a single lady, working in an office so I never really saw much of her while I was growing up but she eventually married her long time sweetheart and then she became a stay at home wife and really blossomed. Mam used to go and visit every week until she moved to Druids Heath and then Eileen used to visit Mam. They became very close, more like Mother and Daughter than Aunt and Niece. I know that Mam thought the world of her and really enjoyed meeting with her, she was a brilliant cook, had a little dog (Sherry) and adopted a poor little duckling (Duckie). The duckling grew into a really good egg layer and she used to not only bring Mam eggs but also made the most fantastic sponges, my mouth waters at the thought of them. She lives in Bradnock Close, opposite the fire station in Billesley, and after Mam died I took to going and visiting her but gradually work took over, and so we only exchange the odd letter or two over the year and the inevitable Christmas card.