During the years 1952-53, Cecil was living at Frank Holdsworth’s property at Rotton Park Road, Edgbaston. He was still playing club cricket with Aston Unity, and also touring occasionally during the summer months with George Headley and Co, turning out for the West Indies XI.
Bloxcidge House
At the beginning of January 1954, Cassie Duncan – who had travelled to England with Cecil on the same ship in 1951 – brought a house by mortgage for £1,345 in Langley, Oldbury, Worcestershire.
Still a single man, aged 43, Cecil then followed Cassie, moving out of Rotton Park Road, then taking up residence at Duncan’s ‘New Lodging’s’ at Langley. The lodging house, 53 Bloxcidge Street – historically known as ‘Bloxcidge House’ – was a Victorian property and the largest house in the street. It was ample enough to house many people….
Albion Bottle
At Langley, Cecil was now even closer to his work The Albion Bottle Company in Rood End Road. He had no car at this time, but would cycle the short distance of one mile to work.
Uncle Cecil used to ride his bycicle to work, he didn’t have a car, he couldn’t drive. (Telephone conversation with my dad, Renford Hodgson, nephew of Cecil. March 2018)
Just opposite ‘Albion Bottle’ was a huge manufactory called Tube Products. This place had an acute shortage of labour, so finding employment here would be very easy for newly arriving West Indian immigrants. Especially if they were good at cricket….
“Cecil Hodgson was now moving closer and closer to my birth town, West Bromwich.
Knowing that I would be uploading this blog today – Just last Sunday about 4pm, I was feeling a little nostalgic and wanted to reflect on Cecil’s settlement here in the 1950’s.
The roads were quiet with very little traffic about in Bloxcidge Street and Rood End Road, so there I stood in the middle of the road, residents peering through their curtains at me, probably thinking “what is that man doing taking photo’s of our house” It didn’t bother me, all that interested me was the need to revisit and re-photograph the places that Uncle Cecil lived and worked in 1954″ Robert Roy Hodgson.
There are now just 6 more blogs remaining to bring this busy section, 1939-1962 to a close. I have altered and updated some of the planned titles. The revised blogs are now;
Next Blog: 1954/55 – Nephews Arrive
1956 – Rum And Salt
1957 – West Bromwich
1958/59/60 – More Nephews
1961 – Fantastic Hodgsons
1962 – Jamaican Independence
To Jamaica And Beyond 
Robert,
Thank you for your continuing effort in sharing the history of our family.I am learning so much by reading your blog on a regular basis and always look forward to your next posting.
Carol.
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Nice to know you are enjoying it Carol. I estimate that the blogs are going to be running for well over a year, so there will be much more uploaded that will keep you informed and engaged. I am really enjoying putting the story out to my relatives and my readers.
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