I've Been Back Home

I've been back home. Although I now live in Norfolk here in the UK, I was actually brought up in the West Midlands, notably, in Darlaston, to be exact. And, for the first time in 21 years, I went back home.

It was a trip that took a long time to plan, was fairly expensive to go, but it was worth it as I made contact with an old friend at the same time (which was the original reason for going in the first place.)

I booked into the Premier Inn at West Bromwich slightly earlier than planned on the Saturday, so, to kill time, I went Darlaston, the town I grew up in.

I don't know really what I was expecting, but I do know I felt an overpowering sense of loneliness as I got there. I guess I've still got to get used to doing things on my own (I've only been separated 12 months). Everything's changed as well of course.

My first port of call was James Bridge Cemetery, where my parents are. I was already feeling delicate and the sight of my parent's grave (with just my Dad listed on it - my mother died much later) was a terrible sight.

Part of my plan for this weekend was to buy flowers for my parents grave. Upset, I dove to Darlaston  where I parked up on the ASDA car park in Darlaston Town Centre. This is where I used to work on the nightshift in 1982, starting work about 9 weeks before that Christmas, being laid off December 24th, then recalled back to work there in around February 1983 as the store decided to take on a permanent night shift. I can't remember how long I worked there, I guess it was something like 4 or 5 years until I left home (and the job) at the same time.

So, I parked up on the ASDA car park. They've sort of opened up Darlaston town centre now, so it looks as if ASDA is the focal point, making the main front entrance off the main town centre now, making it more viable I guess for ASDA to say they're supporting the town. It was far different in my time there, where ASDA, as a self contained unit, was largely responsible for killing off the town - before it, also, closed. I'm not sure how long the renewed ASDA, complete with it's new entrance, has been open again.

I walked up and down Darlaston town centre, shops that were there have now been converted into flats, the Midland Bank on the Bull Stake is now a wine bar, and, having walked up and down, I recognised only one shop which is still in it's original position on the High Street, Middleton's chippy, opposite St Joseph's Roman Catholic church.

The walk around the town centre, which used to take an hour, now takes only ten minutes or so, and I walked back to ASDA. Of course, I had to have a look around. I brought this years edition of the Black Country Bugle annual as a self brought Christmas present, a garden pot of Spring bulbs (I now have a bit of Darlaston in my Norfolk back garden) and flowers from my parents' and grandmother's graves.

Afterwards, I drove to my childhood homes - firstly, in Rough Hay Road, then, turning left at the top of Addenbrooke Street, I drove to Darlaston Green where I picked up and drove down to the bottom of Booth Street, which is devoid of the shops it used to have.

Happy memories, and I planned to take photos the next day before I left to go back to my (present) home in Norfolk. Sunday's another a chapter, another blog post.