Damon's article in the Graun

[Hopadop]

We lived just behind the social club opposite, seem to remember Desmond Douglas the table tennis player lived in one of the Barret homes at the bottom of our road.

He was certainly around there somewhere - I had a friend nearby who got a TT bat signed by him.

College Arms is still a McDonalds Dave - as of a couple of weeks ago. I only ever went in it the once with a mate whose dad was quite well known, so we were safe enough, but it was a big fighting pub.

I'm impressed you got into the college PW. For years all I ever knew of it was the gatehouse (?) on the corner of College Rd and Chester Rd (what's now the main entrance wasn't there I'm sure) and I hadn't got a clue what was behind it. That's the trouble with the internet - no mystery anymore.

[dave shelley]

I never set foot in the College either.  I do remember the only time in my life I wanted the police to pick me up.  It was on a wet, drizzly morning in November, the day my daughter was born.  She was anti-social insofar as she put in her appearance at five to four in the morning.

When I left Good Hope I tried to get a taxi (we had no car then) with no luck and there were no buses running at that time so I had no choice but to walk and I didn't have the appropriate coat.  Anyway, the police buzzed me twice as I probably looked suspicious and I thought, go on lads, pick me up, you're bound to drop me at my mother's when you here my tale.  No such luck.

Now, it's no that far from Good Hope to the College Road but the sense of relief when I reached the entrance to the Seminary was palpable.  I never got to work that day either.

I'll bore you with one more story about 'our end' of the College Road.  For those of you that don't know it, it's a dual carriageway and a helluva long road.  When my old man died, the tradition was that the neighbours would have a collection to buy flowers for the deceased.  The neighbours on our side canvassed a few houses either way and someone on the far side did likewise.  The only difference being whoever took up the collection on the far side pocketed the cash and went on the piss.  A classy lot down our way.

[clash city rocker]

I took my daughter to her first game at villa park when she was 5..she was hooked...she is now 20 and I can't go to a villa game without taking her.  It's not just about the game it''s about the whole day. Having a few in bham before getting the train from new st...the atmosphere.  The characters that you encounter.it all makes for a great day and also the memories that will live forever...I love it...I just fuckėn  love it.