"My parents bought Gothic Cottage, I think from a Mrs Haywood, in about 1947 when I was four.  It was of yellow brick, paler, as I recall, than London stock brick, but Mother didn't like it and so it was soon painted white (Snowcem) by my father.  He added shutters (cosmetic, they didn't shut) to the front upstairs window and painted the exterior woodwork royal blue.  It really did look most attractive.  We added the driveway and carport on the west side and, on the east side, the wall with archway leading to the rear garden. 

My parents remained at Gothic Cottage until about 1974, when they moved to a small bungalow in High Meadows.  Gothic Cottage was advertised for sale by Allsop, Downing & Sellers' West Bromwich office and I think it fetched about £19,000.

The new owner, a doctor, added a small extension to the front elevation to accommodate a staircase, replacing the original staircase with rooms, one up and one down.  He repainted the exterior a buff colour, with white woodwork and, later, sold part of the rear garden to the developers of the new house built between Gothic Cottage and the old farmhouse, which was formerly Nicholls's butchers shop."