Party time for fund raisers fifty years ago
WERE you and your family part of Tipton Sports Union about fifty years ago?
If so have a good look at this photograph, taken in the late 1960s. It belongs to Steve Mills of Netherton, who told us it was taken at the Sports Union’s first social evening, held at the Wellington Tube Social Club in Great Bridge. The evening was arranged so that members could get to know one another before beginning to raise funds for Tipton’s new sports centre, which was to be opened by Prince Philip in 1971.
Around 300 people were in attendance that evening, and Steve has been able to name of few of them. Steve was the lad at far right, wearing a tie, with his mother Cissie just behind him.
Also scattered among the crowd were Genette Gilbert, Maureen Whitehouse, Amy Roper, Bob and Christine Hickinbottom, Mrs Paskin and her daughter Jane, Tom and Maud Jones, Nell Holmes, and Jack and Irene Hipkiss.
If you can tell us who any of the others were, or anything more about Tipton Sports Union in those days, our contact details are on page 2.
WATCH out! The Dibble Road Terrors are on the loose!
Thankfully, they were not the usual street gang but were a children’s marching band. If you look closely these young kids are armed with nothing more dangerous than tin drums and kazoos – although, in
the hands of a determined child, a kazoo could be considered an offensive weapon.
The Terrors were on parade for the Queen’s coronation on June 2, 1953, and Dibble Road in Smethwick had been decorated with flags and bunting for the big day.
These coronation kids would be in their 70s or early 80s now – can anyone put some names to the faces and tell us more about the big day 68 years ago.