Meteor or what?

Bear with me; I do not understand astronomical mapping terms.
..
Yesterday, 7th Oct 08. Wolverhampton/Dudley border 21:05 approx, facing
east. A very bright, and far larger light than I thought anything had a
right to be, went streaking from the south east (Birmingham direction) and
away to the north (over Wolverhampton) in a position I can only say was
closer to chimneypots than zenith.
The whole thing took about two seconds.
All I have seen before is in typical meteor showers, being fine streaks,
but this was rather larger than a streak and left a fine 'tail' behind it -
or so it seemed.
..
Sorry to be so ruddy vague and pithering, but how can I find out if anyone
else saw anything of a similar nature?
And can anyone hazard a guess at what it was?
..
V Leach