Movign back to Birmingham
2007
“Retirement brought me back (to Birmingham); I could sell my house at Oxford and buy this one outright and have a nice life. Because I want to be in America three months a year so I don’t have to worry too much about finance; it was coincidental that I chose Erdington because John McGarry had moved here from Hong Kong. When I saw this house I decided I would have it because of the conservatory and the big garden, and I realised I was only about ten minutes away from John McGarry. I hadn’t any intentions of living that close to him but I don’t see him any more now than I did when I lived in Oxford, maybe once a fortnight. I’m pleased to be back here and I want to start taking part in something, I’d like to perhaps do something for the gay community, I’m not quite sure what yet.”
“I was brought up in all sort of areas of Birmingham, we lived in the Black Country and Oldbury and Dudley and Blackheath but I have friends who live here so that coloured my choice. I’d been coming back to Birmingham regularly for reciprocal weekends and liked the vibrancy of Birmingham because it’s a very vibrant city, you know, and that suits me and the house prices were so good.
Birmingham is a beautiful city, really, really. For me to come back after all these years, I actually chose to live here. Tree lined streets, beautiful parks, beautiful buildings now, of course, and all the old crap buildings have all been cleaned and even the Boulton statue has been golded. Absolutely beautiful, absolutely fabulous. I remember it when it was first put up, in the sixties I think it was. But it is a lovely city and I’m pleased and glad to be back.”
Contributed by: Robin McGarry, 66