NextBackMy name is David Roberts and I was born in April 1940 in Redditch.
I Lived at 6 Meadowhill Road until I was 13/14 and then we moved to Feckenham Road, Headless Cross.
Dad was a toolmaker at the Austin works in Northfield through the war (working nights) up to about 1950 when he and three others established a spring manufacturing business, Four Square Springs. Originally in a wooden building on Studley Road and then on Birchfield Road. I remember mum was always at home.
My first memories are of French windows vibrating/rattling when anti-
My first school was St Stephen’s in Peakman Street to start with up to the age of 11+ then moving to Redditch County High School.
My memories of St Stephen’s infants was very enjoyable with some fond memories of friends made. Mrs Barrett taught at the school and her husband, home from the war, came to the school in his uniform, that was very exciting! Gillian Barrett was in the same class as me. At age of 7 I transferred to the school across the road, which was for boys up to the age of 14. This, for me, was very intimidating although I can’t remember any bullying from the ‘big boys’. Classes were very large so the teachers must have been very adept with their skills!
Moving to the High School was a culture shock and on reflection some of the teaching skills, were not too hot. My memories of the experience are of good friends and some (not many) impressive teachers. I played lots of sport, was in the choir.
My enjoyment as a teenager came from involvement in sport, particularly football and cricket. I played for works cricket teams in Redditch from the age of 13 and was helped massively to develop my skills. There was a Redditch youth Football League and I played for Beoley United which was a successful team. We played in Beoley village having changed in the garage of the “big house” next to the church and it was a long walk down the hill to the pitch. I then played for Crabbs Cross youth team in the Bromsgrove League. Our early games were played on the “side of a mountain” in Crabbs Cross and then on the sports field of Reynolds Tube on Studley Road. We won the League in 1958. I continued to play cricket, playing at Entaco, Studley, Astwood Bank and finally Redditch. At all of these clubs I met and played with a number of people who were very helpful and encouraging towards me.
I left school in 1958 and worked at High Duty Alloys, being paid £5/week! Education continued with day release working towards an H.N.C. in Chemistry. The working day was interesting whilst learning the job but became rather mundane once the methodology was understood. At this time there was a thriving Redditch Football League mainly consisting of works teams and as an employee I played for H.D.A.
In 1960/61 I left H.D.A. to work for British Cast Iron Research Association in Rowney Green. There was a works bus which picked up employees; I think we paid about 2/6d (15 – 20p) per week for this!
I continued living at home and working at BCIRA until 1966 when I left the area to work for Shell Research in Manchester.
