RE: Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook. - 8

June

I know its a mystery to me as well, but it is in Kelly's trade directory's up until the mid 60's No 25 was a shop and No 27 a newsagent. Thats what I don't understand because there was a newsagents just around the corner. According to Kelly's it was on the north side of the street which is the same side as the bank.

Phil

I have no knowledge of this lot but I am well impressed with this thread today. SB

June

I got your message and we will see what your mate has to say, I've been looking at this old OS map and if it was on the same side as the bank it can only be one of those two buildings that were what is now the bank car park before Montpellier Terrace and the bridge.

Phil

Regarding Montpelier Street no joy i'm afraid no one seems to know this person

Good afternoon,
25 Montpelier Street
Thank you all for your comments.
I have recently discovered that the Peter mentioned above was
born in 1948, so would have been 9-11years old when they lived
there, and I now know that he was called Peter Watson.
I don't suppose that this helps but I just thought I would tell you
Take care
Regards, James

Hi James

You have obviously read my comments above, I am trying one last person who may be able to help, not sure if she is in the country at the moment.

June

Hey June

Heres a few photos that you might enjoy of the old end. The one of the corner of Auckland Rd and Kyrwicks Lane shows my wife's parents old shop in Auckland Rd next to the Bookies. Then there are a few of Ladypool Rd.

Phil

Interesting pictures Phil,
I never new that area at all in those days. But I do like to see the old vehicles. I also remember Rowleys Butchers they obviously had a few branches and Wrights bakers, don't they still exist.
The shop on the corner RA CHINN any relation to carl.?

I would imagine so SB, they had bookies in the family and it's not a common name.

SB

Yes as this is the area that Carl Chinns parents came from, I think his grandparents came from Aston. His dad was a well known bookie in the area before it became legal and after it became legal he opened several shops in Sparkbrook. Though by this time and by the time Carl came into the world the family was living in Moseley.

Phil

June

Next time you have a look at this thread search your memory for anything you can remember about the Jungle Café on Highgate Rd. I'm working on the possibility that it could have been the Jhelum Café that was next to Hudson's shop on the corner of Woodfield Rd just before the bridge. I can't remember it and I have been asked about it. It could have been there sometime between 1968 & 1972.

Phil

Hi Phil

Happy New Year to you and everyone else.

Love the photos do you remember Malcolm Hobday the son of the Landlord of the Talbot he also went out with someone who lived in Auckland Road but her name escapes me.
Phil I don't remember a cafe next to Hudsons I didn't think there was anything on the Highgate Road side, on the other side of Hudsons in Woodfield Road

Hi June

Sorry I don't remember Malcolm Hobday at the Talbot, probably too long ago for my failing memory. I didn't go out with my wife when she lived in Auckland Rd it wasn't until a good few years after she left that we met, I don't remember her from Sparkbrook at all although I did use the shop a few times.

The Jungle café is a bit of a mystery as it was definitely there as I looked it up in a Kelly's Directory, but I have no memory of it at all. Other people on another forum remember using it on a regular basis. The swear it was called The Jungle Café, but the only Jungle café I vaguely remember was in Snow Hill.

Phil

Phil

Back now will try again as I was saying before I don't remember anything next to Hudsons on Highgate Road next door to Hudsons in Woodfield Road was the Fish and Chip shop if you come back down Highgate Road towards Larches Street there was the hardware shop then Craythorns the sweet shop and I think there was a cafe next door.
Malcolm Hobday was the son of Tom who was the landlord of the Talbot but he would be older than you by maybe 3/4/5yrs.

June

I don't remember a café next to Len & Violet Craythorne either. I remember Stockfords the Ironmongers well, I had more dealings with Arthur the son than I did with his father he was a right card Arthur. The last time I saw him he had just finished converting a farmhouse and outbuilding out Wythall Way into six separate houses and he was pretty annoyed at the estimate for each of them that he had been given by an Estate Agent. He had valued the whole lot at just under £2 million and Arthur wasn't very happy about it at all. David and I were up there buying a JCB off him that he had no further use for.

I saw David yesterday he's getting on alright, hes getting about very well minus the one foot a lot better than I thought he would, it's hasn't made any difference to his language though.

Phil