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1917 -
Predominantly a local historian, Douglas V. Jones first wrote his Memories of a 'twenties child (1981) after retirement in 1979 from local government. He moved to Sutton Coldfield as a child in 1926 and has lived there ever since. Always a lover of books, he notes in Memories of a 'twenties child that Sutton Coldfield did not have a public library until 1937, and that the books he read whilst young "were borrowed from the Free Library in Erdington. Erdington Library, which was built in 1907, was not paid for out of public funds. It was financed by Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropist."
Douglas left school during the depression years but found his way into office work, starting out on £45 per year. In 1939 he signed up for the army and served with the Royal Engineers, fortunately without engaging in any battle. His memories are noted in Duration man 1939-1946. His time in the army offered him a chance to see many countries, including Egypt, Iraq, and Kurdistan, and overall he felt the experience made him appreciate the better side of human nature.
After the war, Douglas settled into office work again and worked in local government until his retirement. He also pursued a second career as a lecturer on local history and environmental issues.
The following works marked with an asterisk (*)are available in the West Midlands Creative Literature Collection:-
The Royal town of Sutton Coldfield (1973) *
Memories of a ‘twenties child (1981)*
Sutton Coldfield 1974-1984 (1984) *
Duration man 1939-1946 (1984)*
Sutton Park: its history and wildlife (1985)*
The story of Erdington (1985)
Edgbaston as it was (1986)
Round about the Rotunda (1987)
Page created 29 January 2002 and last updated 28 October 2002
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