RE: Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook. - 9

Phil

One thing you can't take away from David he was always a hard worker, its so sad that he has lost Margaret.

Have you ever come across the Chambers in the Wythall area?

June

No June I don't recall or know of anyone called Chambers in the Wythall area. Mind you I don't know many people out that way. There was Terry Campbell who used to live in Ombersley Rd, John from Court Auto in Mackadown Lane who owned that big house in the the massive wooded grounds opposite the police station. A little further down the road near Wythall island was Mick (I think ) that owned Highgate Service Station on the corner of Moseley St. The only other one is a chap called Trevor who used to be a builder who we did work for occasionally he came from Sparkbrook originally he lost his wife a couple of days after David lost Margaret. Those with the addition of David are the only people I know in Wythall.

Phil

I haven't added anything to this thread for a while, so here are a few more photos of Sparkbrook all of Stratford Rd . First of all we have one on the Stratford Rd looking up toward the Mermaid. I can remember some very good dances upstairs there in the 60's. Next we have Stratford Rd again at the point which used to be the end of Stoney Lane. Where the number 8 Inner Circle bus used to have to do a dog leg turn out of Stoney Lane into Walford Rd. I was down that way the other day and they have just started to demolish the little island of shops that were left when the corner was altered to suit the flow of traffic better not bad after 40 years I suppose.

The next one shows the shops between Long Street and Main Street opposite Farm Rd, if you look closely you can see the guard rail outside the gate of Christchurch School the local school that a lot of my family attended except myself of course. The other one is more or less a continuation and runs from Main St to Priestly Rd.

Phil

Wonder what the idea of a number plate on the bike is.

John

I hadn't noticed that, the bike doesn't look motorised does it. Did BCT provide bikes for early shift workers to get to work? If so it might have been some sort of identification.

Phil

HI Phil
Have just look at the photos do you rememember the dentist that was over the chemist on the corner of Stoney Lane? and the bus's in the photo the 31 used to go out of town up College HIll to the terminus at the Gospel Oak and back into town asthe number 32 and vice versa the number 44 ran along the Warwick Road to Acocks Green.

Hi June

Are you back from Devon, yes I remember the chemist on the corner of Stoney Lane and the outdoor on the other. Can't say that I remember the dentist though, I tried to stay away from them as much as possible after experiencing the school clinic at Sherbourne Rd. I remember the 44 and 31 & 32 buses and the Midland Red that used to do the 44 route into solihull when the 44 stopped at Lincoln Rd.

Phil

Hi Phil
In Devon at the moment back tomorrow, did you know Sandra Kirwin that lived in Sherbourne Road isn't that where Johnny lived? also the name Wilkie comes to mind.
June

June

I don't know if Johnny ever lived in Sherbourne Road, he may have done one of the times when I was living out of Birmingham. To my knowledge he lived in Glasgow, Trafalgar Rd, Larches St with us, and his own place with Anne by where you lived. Wilkie was my uncle as well on my mothers side only slightly older, st the time that you knew him he would have lived in Vincent St, Balsall Heath. Wilkie was a bit of a lad not that I'm saying the rest of us were angels bur Wilkie though he was gods gift to women, but apparently they thought the same as well. He died under suspicious circumstances a couple of years back they weren't sure if it was accidental, suicide or a drug overdose. I never went to the funeral as we had not been on the best of terms for over forty years and I thought it wouldn't be right for me to turn up though I was invited.

Phil

Phil
Sorry I seem to be good at bringing things up.
June

June

No need for apologies, you have no way of knowing about my chequered family history and the fact that all my family mange to die young.

Phil

Hi, you may remember I had an enquiry last November to find Peter Watson, who lived at the shop at 25 Montpellier Street in the mid-1950's. Well, we have managed to find him, living now in Turkey (yes, Turkey). He remembers the shop very well, although he was only 8-10 years at the time. It was a general corner store, selling everything from groceries to sweets ! Peter and his parents, Kathleen and James Watson, left the shop in June 1958 and moved back to Blackpool.
Can I thank you all very much for your interest, street map, and help, it was very encouraging, thanks
James

Hi James

Thank you very much for returning to tell us of your success, if we can be of any help in the future don't be afraid to ask.

Phil

Hi all. This has been a very interesting thread, and I really hope you will be able to help me out.

My mother used to live on Ladypool Rd in a shop the family owned, i believe it was a sweet shop, im not actually sure if it could be classed as a newsagents. The family name was Hudson. My Grandparents were Agnes and George, of which they had 3 children, eldest being my Uncle Keith, then came my Mother Linda (born in 1947), and my Uncle John, who was born Downs Syndrome.

Ive heard many a story about Ladypool Rd, of which I actually have great interest. My Mothers eyes light up when she reals of the stories she tells me, so it obviously was a great place to live.

It is actually my mothers birthday this week, and ive came up with a brainwave of gaining some pictures of the old end, or the Golden Mile is how she descibes it. Im probably a little too late to do this by her Birthday, however I know any information I could gain would be music to her ears anyway.

I realise this thread is pretty old, but if anyone can get back to me on it, im sure i can start some more stories.

Hi Max

Welcome to the forum and you can open or add to any thread you like, no matter how old it may be. That's what we are here for.

I've found what I think was your grandparents shop George Bernard Hudson Confectioner 232 Ladypool Rd which was just up from Leamington Rd. I think this photo shows the block the shop was in and it would have been one of the shops with their shades down by the parked vehicles. I'll sort you some more of Ladypool Rd out for tomorrow.

Phil