Post by Matt James on Apr 16, 2009 12:32:25 GMT
I started at Smethwick TDC in 1963 where I met amongst others Mick Pinkney, Pablo Bentley. It was the smallest of the Birmingham TDC's with the redoubtable Basil Green as the postman O.I.C. He was a keen motorcyclist with a Vellocette in imaculate condition. Basil was always having us clean our bikes which were kept in a shed off the yard. The yard doubled as a football pitch and also a cricket pitch. When the postmen were 'waiting' for the Head Office van with the second delivery despatch they frequently played cricket with a tennis ball . The rules were simple if you hit the ball over the wall onto the canel side you got six runs and were out. The ball had to be recovered, this was a wags job, we were sent on our motorbike to get the ball back. This involved riding down Rolfe St to Bridge St getting on to the tow path and riding up to the back of the office. At this point on the canel the office was at the top of a very steep bank about 40 -50 foot up to a wall that was the back of the office. You had to try and find the ball in the scrub and under growth or get it out of the cut it's self, then return to the office.
On one occassion the tennis ball was hit over the wall early in the game and whilst it was been recovered, someone asked if any one else had got a ball so they could carry on playing. One postman, an ex Wag Ron Freeman said he had a ball in his locker. When he got the ball it was a real cricket ball!!! not a tennis ball. They used it and someone 'skyed' it straight up everyone stood looking up waiting to catch it. At this moment Basil came out of the double doors saw the ball coming straight down to him so he headed it!!!! No one shouted a warning to leave it. Basil went down like a sack of spuds and was spark out someone draged him to the tap and put his head under it. Basil nearly drowned on top of being concussed he had the best pair of black eyes ever seen. He did live to tell the story.
This is just one of the storys of Smethwick TDC there are no doubt many more out there. Ray Stockall 3374
On one occassion the tennis ball was hit over the wall early in the game and whilst it was been recovered, someone asked if any one else had got a ball so they could carry on playing. One postman, an ex Wag Ron Freeman said he had a ball in his locker. When he got the ball it was a real cricket ball!!! not a tennis ball. They used it and someone 'skyed' it straight up everyone stood looking up waiting to catch it. At this moment Basil came out of the double doors saw the ball coming straight down to him so he headed it!!!! No one shouted a warning to leave it. Basil went down like a sack of spuds and was spark out someone draged him to the tap and put his head under it. Basil nearly drowned on top of being concussed he had the best pair of black eyes ever seen. He did live to tell the story.
This is just one of the storys of Smethwick TDC there are no doubt many more out there. Ray Stockall 3374