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Betty George, whose maiden name was Hutchins, was born at Birmingham in 1933. She lived in Highgate Street in the suburb of Balsall Heath, and went to St Patrick's School in the same road.
The family later moved to Mosely Road nearby and Betty's next school was St Alban's in Leopold Street. She recalls having two other addresses: Billingsley Road, Sheldon and Ladycroft, Ladywood before emigrating to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Betty has fond memories of her cousins from the Hutchins family and also members of the Price family. Other people who figure significantly in her thoughts include: Jean Taylor and her cousin Joan Wood; Lilly Davis and Betty Hodges.
Responding to a question on the Message Board: Do you remember World War II ? Betty wrote:
Certainly do remember war years, I lived in Birmingham, and due to the bombing my school days were a terrible ordeal: carrying gas masks everywhere you went; sleeping in air raid shelters night after night; rationing and waiting in queues for everything.
However, there was a lighter side to all this, people were different then for we used to sing half the night to drown out the sound of bombs dropping; and everyone shared anything they had, which was not a lot.
People looked after each other then.
My brother and I used to collect all the fire wood from the bombed buildings, chop it up and sell two bundles for 2d. We made some money until mother found out what we were doing. The money was soon taken off us.
Then we collected blackberries and sold them in an old jam jar. No-one suspected anything about us collecting the jars so we got away with that one.
The bombed buildings were also a good place to play and hide. A clip across the ears was a normal everyday thing then.
My children's lives have been so different thank goodness. I could go on forever, so cheers.
Betty George, New South Wales, Australia.
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