How size 13 winklepickers led to family’s lost picture
The other day I was mooching in a second hand book shop in Newport, Shropshire, when I came across a tome about my old home town of Wolverhampton (writes Andrea Martin-Banks).
As I leafed through page after page of grainy black and white photographs of places I recognised – The Wolverhampton Airport at Pendeford, where I spent lots of time with my dad who was a keen pilot… I bet we were the only family to live in a council house and had half shares in an airplane … The West Park, where again I spent lots of sunny Sundays on the boating lake with my dad, also the Royal London Buildings where I started my first job at an insurance brokers.
Then I came across a picture of the Central Arcade, just as I remember it where my favourite toy shop used to be, a glorious place with a glass domed roof.
My eyes kept being drawn to a tall slim young man on the left hand side of the picture. And I thought I recognised him.
It’s my brother Paul waiting outside Rachel’s hairdressers for his girlfriend Chris who worked there. The picture according to the caption was dated 1966 (the year they married 50 years ago) and Paul had just joined the police force. Paul doesn’t remember the picture being taken, but many, many years later my mother had seen it in the Black Country Bugle.
But sadly, like so many family memories the paper must have been thrown away, I never thought we would come across it again.
My sister-in-law Chris said it wasn’t difficult to spot him as he is tall, but the give-away was the notorious size 13 winkle picker shoes he was wearing at the time.
What a joy it was to see this picture after all this time…
The book is called Memories of Wolverhampton, by Alton Douglas and published by Beacon Radio and radio WABC.
#beaconradio #altondouglas #wabc #Wolves #wolverhampton #60s #fashion #winklepickers #westpark
6 Replies to “How size 13 winklepickers led to family’s lost picture”
John Cutler
Before the mander centre I used to walk up that street past John Collier the men’s wear shop and manders factory into dudley St, back in the 50s
Mike Purchase
Wasn’t there a Methodist church nearby ..?
Emma Tierney
Does anybody remember Zodiac Toys in the Manda center
Zelda Keates
My friend and I loved going to the Copper Kettle for their delicious Chelsea Buns and butter when we had been to our shorthand and typewriting lessons. Happy memories.
Lynda Jones
That’s lovely Andrea Martin and to see your paul too…Also remembering the great times at halfpenny green with your dad
Andrea Martin
Lynda Jones yes we had some great times didn’t we