The Charltons Saga

Colin and Meg both grew up in Acocks Green, Birmingham, attending the same primary and secondary schools before continuing their higher education at the same college outside the area. As young kids, they hung around together in a group and mainly played around the local canal area. It seems they were destined to be together from early on as Colin was generous and thoughtful to Meg even then. When he bought chips or sweets to take under the Lincoln Road bridge to scoff, he would give Meg one, which she always appreciated very much.

After leaving the navy in 1949, where he first met Albert, Colin met up once again with Meg by chance at the Warwick Bowl on The Green and they were married within a few months. Meg's two sisters, Betty and Lisa, were bridesmaids. Her father, Bill, ran a second-hand car business in Camp Hill and, after the marriage, he took Colin into partnership. The couple lived with her parents until they were offered a council house. They had three children, two boys - Harry now 24, Anthony now 22 - and a girl, Valerie now 20.

The car business did well at first, due to the post-war boom, but started to flounder in the mid 60's. Then the King Kong statue was purchased from Birmingham City Council quite cheaply after it had stood for some time in Manzoni Gardens. Many residents had objected to it's presence saying it was an eyesore even though it complemented the mess of the Bull Ring after it's destruction and rebuilding in the 1960's. The business was renamed King Kong Motors and the appearance and advertising value of this statue proved to be a winner for the car business which thrived for a few years. Then things went awry when some politically correct do-gooders campaigned about the cruelty shown to this 'animal' by being left out in all weather. The RSPCA took up the case and won a council decision to remove the statue to Dudley Zoo. The business nose-dived without the novelty statue so, three years ago, in 1972, Bill and Colin decided to sell the plot. Bill retired and Colin carried on with second-hand car repairs/sales from home. He and Meg had managed to save up enough cash to purchase a property of their own and led a quiet, happy life together. Yet, underneath this apparent contentment, both Meg and Colin harboured a strong wanderlust; she wanted to emigrate to Canada and he was set on moving to Texas.