Growing Up in Redditch
NextBackI grew up in Millsbro' Road, and in my very early years [4/5], would stand at the top of the road opposite Terry Springs garage, to count the lorries out as they left for their deliveries - much to the consternations of my late mother and father! One of the Commissionaires would walk me back to our house once spotted! My late father [before the 2nd World War] worked in Biggs' Greengrocers in Evesham Street, he and my mother attended the Congregational Church, and the caretaker and his wife [Mr & Mrs Len Cox] of the church 'partly adopted' my father as their son!! My mother and her sisters all worked locally in various office positions. My late fathers father was the chief accountant for Royal Enfield Motorcycles, and moved, just prior to the war beginning on behalf of the company, to a village near Bath, where he, and his younger sons, all worked in the underground engineering facility that Enfield built for 'war production', until such time as the sons were called up - 1 in the Navy, and 2 in the RAF. The village was entirely pre-fab bungalows with corrugated iron outer walls! My late father, stayed in Redditch, as he enlisted in the RAF prior to the outbreak of WW2. When the New Town Commission started up in Redditch my late father worked for them in the Surveying Department, and had many happy years 'out and about' setting out the road systems.
