Coal in the morning, Villa Park by eleven

Like George Vickers, I too came from Perry Common, and attended Dulwich Rd School, most of my mates went to Hastings Rd School, and so I knew a lot of the lads that attended there. Coal being still in short supply in the early fifties, with three pals we would walk to Kings Coal yard at Short Heath taking with each of us anything with wheels strong enough to carry 1cwt of coal, through snow etc. Arriving at Kings Coal yard anywhere between 6.30–7.30am to join the queue, way down near the front,I noticed, I will just call him John. he was with his friends, and like us all had wheels, he attended Hastings Rd School. Later that Day with my Father we went to Villa Park to see Aston school boys play Crewe school boys in the national schools trophy, KO 11am As Aston boys came out of the tunnel on to the Hallowed Villa turf, one of the players was, yes… John from Hastings Road school. Just three hours before he was pulling 1cwt of coal for about two miles or more, no lifts in fathers car in those days, just walk and bus. Not unusual in those days, just little things that stick in your mind.