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I started school at the Old School House on the Main Road when I was 5. I remember walking down Manor Lane towards school on the Main Road and seeing the pigs in their field opposite the School on Willowbank. There were steps up to the school with metal bars and we all used to swing around them. They used to light the fire in the main classroom. The toilets were at the end of the garden and they didn’t flush. They were the old funny toilets. A cesspit lorry used to come and empty them. There were only 2 classes with about 50 children in the whole school including: We used to love to play What’s the time Mr Wolf, tag, leap frog, hopscotch and skipping.
I went to school there with Linda Cox, Maurice Hancock, Peter Taft, Ann Drum, Susan Drum, David Green, David Lunn, Nick Ramsell, Gordon Ramsell, Brian Hancock and Val Green. Also there was Ricky Jones, Ann Jones, Gerald Ramsell, Avis Ramsell, Billy Clayton, Sandra Massey, Christine Massey and Dean Massey. We had to go home for lunch as it wasn’t provided by the school. There were square windows, cold stone floors and old fashioned lift up wooden desks.
Miss Knight was the village school teacher, she lived in part of the Black and White House on the Main Road- which was then divided up into 3 flats. The other two flats were lived in by the Richardsons and Mr and Mrs Fox.
The school mistresses house.
P Mercer and family lived in Manor Farm. They were well known for having fine pigs- including the Harlaston White (an enormous pig) and used to have a massive pig sale in Manor Farm (where Churchside is now) once or twice a year. People would come for miles around. They would build bales of straw around to make seating around a ring so the animals could be auctioned. We (as kids) used to watch the sale. When they were transporting the pigs you could hear them squeal all over the village.
On the way to school there were 2 Sandyback Pigs, they were very vicious and used to chase you.
There was an old tramp called Walter. He lived on the way up to the Old Mill in a shed. He was given a boiled egg and toast by Mrs Mercer, but we used to tease him and he would chase us.
I also remember the Hunt, where the dogs and riders used to meet by the bus shelter that used to be opposite the Church. You would hear the horn blow and they would ride off with the dogs. It was very exciting.
'The hunt' in Harlaston
Atherstone Hunt
The Chalets
At the back of the old petrol pump there used to be gates, which backed on to Boss’s house, (Yew Tree House) which went down to the Mease. Here there used to be big wooden Fisherman’s huts. The ‘huts’ or chalets had two bedrooms, a kitchen and a main room that had a log/coal fire. The bedrooms were heated by calor gas.
Roy Lemmons used to have music there.
There was also a toilet block - all needs were catered for!
There wasn’t anything for girls then – no clubs or things to keep us occupied. There was only me and Lynda Cox so we used to have to play football and fight with the boys. On Manor Lane in front of Ann North’s house there was a 12-20 foot brick wall and we all used to meet up there. Behind it was the orchard. We would throw our ball over on purpose and go scrumping when we went to get it. We had to watch out for the village policeman for if he caught you he would give you a clip around the ear.
The brook by the Old Mill used to be deep and we used to play in it and make dams etc. We also use to swim in the old moat, on the Mercers land. It was smelly and dirty but we didn’t care. There used to be small fields all around and we used to stack up hay bales and jump off them – great fun. Behind Fishpitts Farm was the church field called “The Glebe”. We used to play there. There were lots of places to hide and we used to go up the field to the Isolation Hospital. Sid Heath owned Fishpits Farm- before Rowes bought it in the 1970’s.
In 1958 down at the bottom of the lane there was an old cottage (where the Llamas are now). Tommy Holder and Lydia lived there. Tommy had a club foot. It was really dark down there as there was no electric.
Phil Mercer bought the house on the corner of Main Road and Haselour Lane , Aub Clarke used to live there.
The Pavillion was on the White Lion car park – This was a large wooden building used to hold village events. I was always too young to go in. I remember we use to creep down and peep through the windows especially when it was Youth Club.
The Post Office
The Village shop was originally the first house Post Office Row. It was very dark and uninviting. The step was well worn. The Palmers came in 1978. Before that it was Mrs Ralph. She use to do triangle of sweets. She then had it as a Post Office. I remember that Mr Ralph had a pet fox. Prior to them it was Mr and Mrs Winters.
Clifton House
At the end bungalow on the Main Road was a house called Clifton House. I can remember Bill Harvey lived there, then the Broadhursts. There was a garage there to store my dad’s car.
The Mercers lived at the Homestead. They were farmers and had 13 children.
These were (as remembered by Elaine and Linda) Alison, Evan, Chris and Jan (twins) Jill, Janet, Kitty. Others are still to be named. Their gran (Mrs Winter) used to feed her grandchildren sugar sandwiches!
The homestead had an outside toilet, which consisted of a piece of wood over a very large hole, which seemed to go down forever to us children. Every so often it would be emptied by a lorry- it didn’t go into the sewer system.
Stan Walsh from Edingale used to work for the Mercers.
Me and Lynda Cox had an old gypsy caravan at the back of the Homestead to play in.
Sports Day at St Matthews School, Manor Lane
The Village Hall in Manor Lane used to be a school, called St. Mathews C of E School, which opened in 1960. When this opened we all went there. It was so different. It had all mod cons – it even had a playing field and inside toilets- though we had to use Izal toilet paper which was roughly the same texture and absorbency as tracing paper! We stayed for school dinners as it had a brand new kitchen which made cooked food. Muriel Miles (from Number 8 Manor Lane) was the cook’s assistant with Mrs Baker the cook. I also remember a Mr Langford, Mrs Clemence and Mr Tommy Turner. Sadly this school closed in 1985 and became the village hall. I remember noticing that there was much more daylight – the old school was very dark. I remember sitting in the classroom by the canteen. There were only 2 classrooms. We had PE on the field and sports day. We used to have bonfire nights with apple bobbing. We used to buy ‘bangers’ and post them through other’s doors.
On Sundays I remember we had to walk to Haunton as we were Catholics and there’s no Catholic Church in Harlaston, only Haunton. I used to always look back when I was walking hoping that Major Hardy (from Haselour Hall) would be driving around in his Rolls Royce as he would give us a lift.
The Police House was in Manor Lane before me. I can remember the Drums, the Masseys, the Atkins, the Pointons and the Goodwins there. As children we made an oven in the police house garden, behind the garage. We all used to take potatoes (spuds) and bake them for our dinner. David Pointon (the policeman’s son) got the nickname Spud because of this!
In 1946 there were 3 cottages behind Fishpitts: They were lived in by
Mrs Day
Mrs Taft
Us
Then in 1950 number 5 – 15 Manor Lane Council Houses were built. The 1-3 and 17-19 were built in 1951. We moved from the cottages to number 17. Next door to us at 19 was Nurse Keo and another nurse. Then Val and Morris Raynor. When we were about 4 or 5 my mum used to wash me in the big kitchen sink and Lynda Cox used to live at number 15 had to have a strip wash at the same time and we used to wave to each other. However, if Peter (Linda’s brother) was being washed he liked his privacy and insisted the curtain was drawn.
At the park
I was about 10 when the park was built before that the land used to be the old tennis courts. We used to play skipping and 5 stones. 5 stones – you put 5 stones on the back of your hand or palm and chuck them in the air. You would flip your hand and try to catch as many as you can. We also did French Skipping in Manor Lane. Two people stood facing each other with an elastic around their ankles so as to create a loop and the third person had to do various tricks and steps of the loop. Can the Can – One Kid would be guarding the Can and the rest of the kids would scatter and the first one to kick the can won. Hopscotch – would draw the hopscotch with chalk on the lane and get a slate from the fields. Hide & Seek – we started by the big wall by Ann North’s house and go hide around the whole village Conkers – best conkers came from The Poplars. Wrestling at the tennis courts – Vic Richardson , Geoff Taft, David, Dave Ramsall and many more played tag wrestling. Lots used to watch. I had to take part or my brothers would take matters into their own hands. We used to play at Coppinshill barn. There was a pond at the back where we used to play.
We have had lots of community celebrations:
We always had a garden fete at the Old Rectory. Everyone would get involved and there would be lots of stalls and a fancy dress competition.
Silver Jubilee – at the Village Hall. Mums and Dads racing etc
Golden Jubilee – at Park and the Green
Millenium – Fireworks
Swimming in the Mease
I really enjoyed my childhood. We all looked out for each other. Families never had to lock our doors. We all learnt how to swim in the River Mease.
Philip was 4 ½ he had gone down to the river to watch the football match, Philip picked mum some flowers. Someone threw the flowers into the river. My older brother and Philip went in after them. Sadly Philip fell into the whirlpool and didn’t come home.
We used to have a daily bread delivery and milk delivery. One year Harlaston was cut off by the snow that we didn’t get any deliveries. One winter it was so bad they had to dig from Wigginton to Tamworth and beyond to allow access.
There was also a purple fish and chip van that came to the village once a week, there was also a mobile fishmonger (Mr Lovern) and a butchers van that came round because the shop didn’t sell that kind of thing. There was also a COOP van that would visit the village, you could ask for items or request groceries for the next week.
We had power cuts in the 1970s. We had to use our coal fire to make toast. As a child we had metal windows, in the houses, which were not double glazed, there was no central heating. In winter, there used to be ice on the inside of the windows. We had a fireplace in our bedroom, which was rarely lit. When I was poorly my parents used to light the fire, otherwise it was very cold. We didn’t have a fridge, we would use the pantry with a concrete/marble slab.
Mrs Wallis was one of the first people in the village to get a fridge, Linda remembers it was cream with a red handle. Linda and her Mum would go to Winnie and Percy Wallis every Saturday. They would often eat crackers with cheese. They also would have homemade piccalilli, red cabbage or pickled walnuts- there was always a lovely selection.
When I was a child we didn’t get presents at Christmas like kids do now, we had one stocking with an apple, orange, nuts and one main toy.
Before Harlaston House there was Dove Cottage.
The Poplars – Enzors lived there. Ursula married Alf Green and they lived at the Poplars. They then moved next door in the bungalow they built called Ursula. It was just a big field then went from Manor Lane down the main road.
Harlaston was a farming village where most children started working on a farm. Major changes – David Taft went to work for Rowes, and Geoff Taft, the Mercers – it was good because they bought milk home. There were always smells and noises around the village – cows, sheep, pigs, horses. Cows moved from Church Farm to the fields but if the gates were left open the cows were in your garden.
Years ago when you had a dog, it roamed free and came home for tea.
At the White Lion, Danny Latham sold Noggins cheesy bread, with cheese and onions on them.
The bus shelter outside the church
The bridge over the River Mease
Bus shelter outside St Matthews
We used to have a Midland Red bus (number 804) but there were no buses on a Sunday. There used to be a bus shelter outside the church- where you could shelter if it rained or was sunny.
We used to visit families in the village in our spare time, sometime with our parents, sometimes with friends. Linda and I used to like going to Mr and Mrs Brown’s who had a curly, fluffy dog called Cobbles. We did have to be careful with her as she could bite.
Linda used to be looked after by the Browns while her Mum (Mrs Kitty Cox) went to teach at Clifton Campville School. Rather than walk she used a scooter to travel.
The day would often involve listening to records in the morning, with lunch often ending in home-made rice pudding. They would then watch ‘Watch with Mother’, Picture Book, Andy Sandy, Ragtag and Bobtail, the Flowerpot men or the Wooden tops. Then it was time for a ‘little sleep’ before she was collected and taken home. As she got older Linda remembers looking for her Mum coming home or her Dad who worked for Sid Heath, then Bill Rowe.
Sometimes Linda and her Mum would walk to ‘Aunty Brown’s’ at number 9 with a bottle of milk, and sometimes she would go and watch her dad milk the cows in the milking parlour.
Aunty (May) Brown loved to play records, but one day they found her shedding a few tears as her oldest son Frank had been killed on his way to work in a motor cycle accident. May was very proud of her other son, Clifford (more commonly known as Mick) who used to build amazing models from little red bricks.
Sometimes when walking to the Homestead she would be chased by Danny Latham, who would try to frighten her.
Aunty Janet was always pleased to have visitors, she would teach us how to make gravy or how to make custard. She also showed us how to lay the table and we would help her make the beds. If we were lucky and helped well we might get an invite to dinner.
Every Monday was wash day, for many families in Manor lane there was a big old boiler in the wash house that would be lit so the clothes could be cleaned.
Linda and I also remember playing in the spinney by the bridge in Scotland Lane. If you went towards the A513 there was a field with a large caravan in. Inside lived Granny Smith, a lady of gypsy descent who had long grey platted hair tied up over her face, she also had big hoop earrings and lots of bangles.
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