In 1989 a local history project was conducted in Stirchley where people provided oral histories and donated photographs which are still deposited in the library. Not all of it is organised or marked with where it came from. The image above includes a note that is was taken by the Savoy Picture House near Breedon (Breedon Cross) in 1916. The Savoy cinema was at 1649-1651 Pershore Road and was, initially, a silent movie theatre which opened in about 1923 – so after this picture was taken. The note also says that this was the Kings Royal Rifle Cadet Corps, and it pinpoints one man, but not by name. It says that the young man by the red mark (presumably marked “A”) “is an Artist”, with no other explanation.
Another facet of the project was to record oral histories, which the library still has on cassette tape (image at bottom of post). Some of these were transcribed, and Florence Meagher described her World War I childhood in Stirchley.
Florence was asked: What about the war? Can you remember it?
I was about six when war broke out. My Dad had to go to war. I can remember the blackouts at night. Everyone had to put up blackouts. I can remember the Zeppelins coming over. There were searchlights in the sky. When the heard the Zeppelins a man would yell “all lights out, all lights out!” and the searchlights would go from the sky. You never forget the noises of the Zeppelins. When they came over they would shine lights all round. The Zeppelins would circle slowly and they would drop the bombs. Quite a few houses were damaged I think, and some children were buried in the rubble in the crater of their house.
What about the end of the war? Do you remember it?
Yes, I remember when my dad came home from the War and I was only little. We were all stood at the bottom of the opening, with little white dresses and red, white and blue ribbons in our hair. The soldiers used to get of the train at New Street Station and they used to march up the Pershore Road to Stirchley. Each soldier that came to his destination where he lived, used to drop out and there used to be singing and a band playing ‘Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty’ and ‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’. I remember when my dad came home and they said “here they are, they’re coming”. Some crippled, some on sticks and some that could hardly walk. My Dad was a very tall man and when he dropped they said, “see you in the next was Jimmy”. The place was all decorated with red, white and blue flags, all up the buildings and on the houses, everywhere was decorated up, with parties all out in the streets, it was marvellous. They were finished.
The song that Florence mentioned, Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty, can be listened to below:
