| Description | An interview with Graham SCOTT, a married man with one son, two daughters, who is a Managing Director, Kenton Display, born in Birmingham and now living in Solihull. Graham SCOTT’s father was a Sheet metal worker, born in England and his mother a Cleaner, press operator etc. born in England. In the interview, he talks about …
'MS2255/2/117 SCOTT, Graham, logged by Bernadette Shortt
I was born in July 1938 in a back house in a street off Summer Lane . . .. Unaware that Summer Lane was a notorious area. Story about his difficult birth. Only child. Father was a sheet metal worker, too old to go to war. Mother was an office cleaner. Being born in 1938, first few years of life were in wartime. Remembers results of the bombings, sparks and fires.
2.28 “ bomb sites galore were wonderful playgrounds to us kids” they were known as bomb pecks. Summer Lane close-knit community, relatives in surrounding areas. Large families were the norm.
4.30 Advantages of being an only child, family was more well off than others: “If there was five shillings to spare, I had all of the five shillings.”
5.15 Father an air raid warden, memories of Uncle who was a soldier.
02
Housing in summer lane, every 4-5 houses there were entries to back houses, memories of own back house: “We always got the noise of any water being turned on” Toilets facing their backyard. Brew houses where women did the washing.
1.40 Description of wash day, dodging in an out of washing lines.
2.25 Detail of house interior / exterior. Every third house had cellar strengthened: “you took the neighbours from each side into the cellar when there was a bombing.”
5.40 Grandmother, was a “knocker upper”, men worked shifts, and Grandmother would earn threepence a week to get the men up for work.
03
School – St. Chad’s school. Mother was a Catholic, she was the best type of Catholic, didn’t force religion on you. Harsh punishment by nuns, banished to a dark room: “even now I don’t like total blackness”
04
Moved to St. George’s C of E school. Description of huge stove in classroom.
30” – Picture houses. Newtown Palace, the smell of the place was of dettol. Saturday matinees, “you were in another world, re-enacting parts you had seen, the cliff hangers with the hero general, heroine hanging by their finger tips.” 3 films at one cinema within 7 days. The Gaiety cinema was renowned for its sound quality.
05
Drinking – a pub on every corner however only one pub on Summer Lane.
06
The pub, mainly drinking rooms, dark wood, benches, wooden floors all gleaming, the cleanliness was next to godliness! Smoke room, gents-only lounges: “woe betide any women who went in” They were a social centre.
1.25 – Birmingham Settlement, clubhouse, well-equipped gymnasium. Became a dance hall on Saturday nights. “Never could dance, still can’t dance but used to enjoy it. At that age, 13 –14, people with long hair were girls!” (Laughing)
2.40 Talking about the early 50s, Johnny Ray, Kay Star, Guy Mitchell, Frankie Lane played on record players. Black 78-inch records. Mantovani "Charmaine", the waltz, everyone learned to dance to, whenever I hear it I am back at the Birmingham Settlement in Summer Lane.”
07
Dancing – dancing Saturday evenings in Burbury Street. Madamammies Six Ways was a favourite haunt. Teddy boy era. Distinction between upper / lower Summer Lane boys/ girls. People from Westminster Road had a reputation.
08
Grove Lane Grammar School Handsworth, cathedral like school. Failed to pass the 11+. Moved to Summer Lane School.
2.20 – Part time jobs. Price Street, production of sporting guns double/single barrel. Worked at Yates the barrel borers. Because the inside of a sporting gun isn’t rifled, they bore through the tubing that formed the barrel to ensure that it had no dents. It was the dirtiest job in the gun trade as they used oil. Barrels shipped to a stock-maker.
4.00 – the Engraver - 80 year old man used to engrave sporting scenes onto the side of the barrels . . .pheasants in flight engraved by hand. The skill element was magnificent. Birmingham gun trade was renowned for its pieces.
09
An 11-year-old could work for an hour and a half per day. Continues story about part time job at Yates’. Worked there till late 1952.
1.25 – Football story – kicked football over a wall, climbed up, looked down onto a yard, containing huge illustrations of film stars. Being artistic I was intrigued by the yard. Building next to the school was a poster and signwriters, who worked for the cinema trade. Enquired about vacancies there . . . walking away-heard voice shout, it was the boss. He was looking for a youngster to work there. With six months of school left I could only work part time. It was absolutely heaven-sent.
5.00 - Realised own artistic inabilities “I was artistic in my own mind and at school but certainly not good enough to earn a living from it. But it didn’t detract from the pleasure of the job and coming ahead all these years I still work there.”
10
Leaving School - In July 1953, aged 15, having left school I could work full time. Left school on Thursday . . .. by 9am on Friday went to pick up my cards from Margaret Street so that I could get sick pay. Within the hour I started work full time. Used to work illegal hours, sometimes till 9pm, story about pretending to put coat on.
2.00 – Being left-handed made a difference – story - working from behind the signwriter allowed them to produce the work quicker.
3.30 – Helped change signs at the front of shops, loved scheming up scaffolding.
11
Banners were produced on linen; they were changed frequently, every 7 days, as the cinema was so popular. Except for the Sound of Music which ran for 3 years. “I am sure the banner maker made hay while the sun shone.” (Laughing)
1.20 - 1957 called for National Service. Story about medical examination.
Joined the artillery in Oswestry for training, enjoyed the discipline there.
3.30 - Designated for trade training formed bosom friends here. Became a signaller at Kinmal near Rhyl, North Wales, a popular holiday resort for Brummies. Other guys would go with me to Rhyl . . . Because as soon as I opened my mouth somebody in a bar would say “are you from Birmingham? Have a drink son”; the result was that whoever you were with had a drink as well because there was so many Brummies there! It was great!
4.30 Signalling – “Sergeant said the best signallers were from those from Birmingham . . . . . because the jocks can understand the Brummies and vice versa so give me a Brummie signaller any day.”
5.10 - Postings – Had a choice of postings; Hong Kong was the most popular. I got Malaya in October 1957. Terrorists were fighting there. It was considered active service. Received a medal. Explains situation there.
7.50 – Didn’t come home until you completed your training. Advantages/ disadvantages to this. It was an easy life. Weather was beautiful.
9.00 – Talks about family holidays in Rhyl and Dartmouth Devon during the war as mother had friends there. I was never an official evacuee.
10.00 – National Service – “you go in a boy and come out a man is not stretching the truth too far.” The camaraderie and friendship was phenomenal. I was best man to one guy I befriended in the army.
11.20 – I left the army in 1959 - it was law that wherever you worked prior to National Service had got to take you back for six months.
11.50 – After a month felt like signing up again, as I missed my friends.
12.40 Changes in Birmingham – Casino, the Locarno, at the lower end of Corporation Street. I remember in 1943, I was 3, standing outside the casino, tugging on American servicemen’s uniform and asking if they had any gum.
14.00 – Dance floor - Casino was an old theatre with many balconies. The dance floor was on the ground floor. The girls used to dance round their handbags. You always hunted in pairs . . . you’d see a couple of girls . . .ask them to dance. If you were on the top balcony by the time you got down to the dance floor they’d gone. So the secret was . . .. Get down on the ground floor, spot the prey . . . (laughing) then move in.”
15.25 – The Plaza dance hall, Rookery Road, Handsworth. Stayed in the bar till 10.30 watching "The Invisible Man" on the black and white television.
16.12 – First date with wife Margaret in 1959 “her dancing makes me look better than I am!” Went to the Plaza, took her home to Shirley, unsure of the way “ I thought I shan’t see her again I am not having this journey.” We courted, got engaged and got married.
18.00 – By 1963 I was now production manager. I married Margaret in 1964. Margaret’s parents were Methodists so it was funny explaining to the Vicar that I was a Catholic educated Church of England now marrying a Methodist. I can remember him saying, “you’re hedging your bets!” (Laughing) When I’m at the pearly gates they must let me in! (Laughing)
19.00 – The Vicar – He was an ex army chaplain who had been in Malaya the same time as I had. We were married at Hall Green Methodist Church the reception was at the Regency Club, Stratford Road. Describes the day. We had a fortnight’s honeymoon in Majorca, which cost £37.10 with Doug Ellis Travel Company. I have seen him on television recount stories of his mum and him cutting bread and spreading sandwiches for packed lunches . . .. I think we had one of them.
20.40– Our son Paul was born in June 1966, we were living with my Mother and Father in Erdington. Story about mother and father moving . . .. Coming back from Malaya, didn’t know where parents had moved too, asked elderly lady where I lived, must have seemed strange asking: “can you tell me where I live?” Knocked on door, next door lights came on . . . Thought to myself I’ve been away for 18 months and the neighbours are coming out before my own parents but it was my parents because the new houses had out houses at the side so no one used the front door. Because they lived in back houses they were trained to use one door! (Laughing)
23.30 – Paul, a whinging baby “he learned how to sleep during the day and cry all night.” On the day of the cup final, Paul was 2 weeks old; Dad and I wanted to watch the match in peace so we sent Margaret out with the baby. It went to extra time, I remember my Dad saying “Oh Margaret’s coming back with Paul” he parted the curtains, tapped on the window and motioned her to go back round the square again because there was extra time.
24.55 – October 1967, moved to our own semi detached 4-bedroom house in Highfield Road Hall Green for £5,750. I had to think twice to whether I could afford it! Story about buying the house.
27.20 – Emma was born in February 1968, Abigail followed in December 1971. We lived in Highfield Road for 15 years.
28.25 – Story about buying house on the Stratford Road from his boss for £50,000. Borrowed £22,000.
30.25 – Children went to Hall Green School, describes primary school. Paul went to Moseley Secondary School, standards dropped, moved Abigail to Lighthall School Shirley. Paul, like myself has only ever had one job.
35.00 – Back to work – Moved from Summer Lane to purpose-built building in Bissell Street, Balsall Heath. We now produced screen process printing, where ink is pushed through a mesh. Advantage of this is that it is a much quicker form of printing. Early types of screen printing were showcards for products advertised on commercial television. Introduction of point of sale. TV led to demise of the cinema.
37.00- We produced 3D window displays for Cadburys, made out of car, timber, plastic produced in batches of up to 20,000. In the point of sale Museum, Gloucester they have one of our displays.
38.45 – Introduction of computers – Mid 1960s we used an automatic accounting machine, like a Yamaha keyboard, like a music box. Description of how it worked. Mid 1970s bought first computer for administrative purposes.
40.50 – Employed artists – Apple Mac designers computers were used for design printing however they are more expensive to employ. Spend a lot of money on upgrading.
43.15 – Print process has not altered, still ink pushed through a mesh.
12
Moved to present house in 21st December 1991, sold Stratford Road house for £150,000. Story of moving into new house.
3.35 – Comparing neighbourhood to Summer Lane – Houses in Summer Lane were built in the Industrial Revolution, when people moved from the country to take up work in the cities. Landlords crammed large amount of people into tiny houses. No gardens in Summer Lane.
13
People from Summer Lane are just a memory, however I am still in touch with relatives. One friend I have known since I was six, parted when we both joined the army, both get married whom I see every 2 years. Friends are mainly from golf club these days.
1.30 – Going away on golf weekends its like being back in the army, great camaraderie: “you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your relatives.”
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