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Aston Bookies & Pubs

M

modgee

knowlegable brummie
Currently researching Chester Street, post WW1 to 1940's. Can anyone tell me the names of the nearest pubs in that area?
Also looking for any info on bookies and how they operated at that time.
Thanks
 
Can't say anything about the location, but as bookies were not made legel until the early 1960s under Harold (You never had it so good) MacMillan, I very much doubt if it could have been an established business. From my schooldays in the 1940s I remember a bookie's runner who operated from an alleryway in Park Road opposite the brewery, north of Aston Cross. From the 1950s when I was able to drink legally, I remember the standard notice in pubs "The passing of betting slips is strictly prohibited", although it was obvious that most of the publicans were party to the trade, and many ran their own books.
Peter
 
Doing a Runner

My Uncle Len Morgan used to be a "Bookies Runner" on corner of
Summer Lane & Frankfort Street about 1960-61, He got "done" by the Boys in Blue from Bridge St West (Cop-shop) 2 or 3 times but took the rap & fine to cover for the Real Bookie who may have got a stretch "In".

The main "Bookie" Always covered the fine for His runners later.

Uncle Len had a mathematical mind faster than my calculator & worked out the odds & payments in his head, (No paper- No Evidence Eh?)
Great people then, No names or Packdrills, Ok John :wink:
 
Just like to say thankyou to John and Pete for your comments. Does anyone else have any memories of the bookies runners?
 
I used to take a bet for my Dad on the way to the Villa match when I was young and hand it to a Runner behind a gate in Witton :police:
 
Thanks to everyone for your replies. I've uncovered some more information since I first posted this topic. My grandfather operated his illegal "betting shop" from the back of his china shop. I believe the "china shop" was probably the front room of his house, which was  in the Chester Street area. There was an alley way next to this which people went down to place their bets.
 
Since I am Peter Dykes' older sister, I too remember the "Magic Window" on the corner of Sycamore Rd and Vicarage Rd.  Our Gran used it every day.  We also had an uncle Wally Cooper who was a bookie's runner and legged it away from the coppers a number of times - I think he used to lose them somewhere around Lovers Walk by Aston Station.  My father-in-law Sam Cookson worked for bookies in Nechells and Erdington after 1961.  Before betting became legal, quite a lot of factories had someone there who ran a book.
 
Hello

My mom informs me that my grandad was a bookies runner,for who dont know but all i know is that he was Jewish.
What names are you looking for??

Angie
 
:angel: Posted this ages ago, however seeing how Chester St was has been mentioned thought I'd post it again. Mainly as most of the bookies in the area were cobbers and thought someone may remember my brother Ken...
...bets in and around Gt Lister St were put on at Geogie Silk’s place. The Silks owned a Cafe on or near the corner of Gt Lister St/ Henry St and opposite Rupert St. There was an alleyway in Henry St where the "cafe deliveries" were made and my brother would stand at the end sometimes and take other deliveries. He never got copped, because he always had one of Silkie’s dogs with him and would start walking it if any one he was unsure of came too close. As far as anyone knew he was just Silks walker as they kept Racing Whippets. Silk’s was on the right side of Gt Lister St when coming from town on the number 14 or 43 buses. They moved across the other side of the road to the corner of Gt Lister St /Proctor St on the Rupert St side when their shop and the Pie/ faggot & pea shop were pulled down to make room for the new road that was built at the back of the flats known as The Big Block on Kellett Rd .
Click to expand...

Chris  :angel:
 
JUST SEEN THE SITE ON BOOKIES RUNNERS.THE ONE I KNEW WAS AT "THE GOSPEL OAK" IN HALL GREEN CIRCA 1956/57 HE WAS IN ENTRANCE TO THE SMOKE ROOM IF MY MEMORY IS CORRECT. DADS BETTING NAME WAS BUSH 102.
JOHN
 
I was born at 1/51 William Street, Lozells - my maternal grandparents lived at 55 which fronted onto the street and alongside the 'entry' up which we lived.  I can recall my grandad standing in his big tweed overcoat with his hat pulled down over his eyes, looking for all the world like some 1930s gangster outside a doorway in Guildford Street - just around the corner from Gerrard Street.  I used to go and see him and he'd tell me to "bugger off".  I'd be about six, which would make it around 1959.  In later years I learned that he was taking the bets for a local 'bookie' and my 'visits' to him were unwelcome as he didn't want attention drawn to himself.
 
hi silh, just read your artical on bookie runners, made me smile abit , co,s it brought memoies back to me . in the forties , and the fifties, especialy around gerrard ,st guildford st and summer lane lane end there was alot of spiv,s characters as we called them in them days , in your terms ,gangsters, there were always one hanging around to do a dodgy deal , mind you always late of a night if you walked down gerrard st late around mid night there was always a copper standing in a door way waiting and watcthing certain spivs, , and as you were walking bye he would step out , and asked what are you doing out late, i also remember going to a bookie up park rd for my dad , oppersite the ansells , and going down the opening to a certain house if the runner was,nt there and in this house used to be an old man and a old lady and if he ever had any winning to come the pass word was blackie , that was his code , as you know they never used there own name , when we left aston , he found another runner in lady wood and this one was in stour st . but there wasan awful lot of spivs in and around that area , best wishes , astonian ,;;;;;;
 
Just up from The Globe was a bookies.Arthur would stand at the door and take bets handed to him the money all wrapped up in the name of the horses or dogs on paper. I used to take bets to him for the neighbours and my Dad. At Christmas time he would give me few bob as a present and a new odds and calculator book for Dad. Sid.
 
My late father in law worked for George Davis, a well known Aston bookmaker. 

The tale he always told was that when George wanted a Saturday night out, he would sleep at George's house with the days takings under his pillow!!!   
 
Anyone remember the bookies in Moorsom Street. My dad used to collect the bets from his workmates at Harrison Cook in Princip Street and bring them home in his lunch break. I used to drop them in the bag at the bottom of the entry on my way back to school . That would around 1961
 
HI can anyonehelp me please ...i am looking for an old shop ( hopefully any one who has photo`s ) of a fruit & veg shop in ASTON under the name of YOUNG ....or anyone who has any info on it

Many Thanks

JONAH
 
bookies

squashie said:
Anyone remember the bookies in Moorsom Street. My dad used to collect the bets from his workmates at Harrison Cook in Princip Street and bring them home in his lunch break. I used to drop them in the bag at the bottom of the entry on my way back to school . That would around 1961
Click to expand...

I think it was across the road from the coal yard .i think they called the betting shop wheelers...........hope it helps
 
Bookies

Not quite in Aston . but our local Bookies was next to the Sheppardess pub in Henry Street. Evans was a name that was mentioned and they had the runner stand on the doorstep dueing the early part of the day. When you entered later in the day to pick up your winnings (if you were lucky )
it was just a bare room with a small counter in the corner opposite the door. Our monograme on the bet was " AKX " which was quoted when I went to pick up any winnings back in the early 1950's.
 
Bookies

Still not quite in Aston, there was a bookies in Goodwin Street just around the corner from Heneage Street through a gate into a little courtyard.
They used to have a wooden case with a glass front doors. They had printed forms on which they could write which meetings for that day and more important the results of the races and the price on the first three.
Some of them kids used to hang around for the results to come in then even if they were late for school go and put a bet on with a kid that run a bookies at school. Dont know if the school bookie found out what was happening. This happened around 1951 as I am sure some will remember if they were involved.
 
There was a bookies in Inkerman Street Aston Newtown, not far from the Bazzar a shope that sold all kinds of stuff, tin baths, laudry items, washing powders amongst lots of other things.
 
Rod, the bookies in Inkerman Street was George Davies, on the opposite side of the road from the Bazaar, and about half way up the road.

I used to love to have a mooch in the Bazaar - it had a smell all of its own.
 
See attached picture of The White Hart, Cnr of Aston Road and Bracebridge Street. Very near to where the picture was taken from was a small shop, Tommy Hartley was the owner and he was the local bookie. Many a time my dad and my elder brother would send me to the bookie with a bet wrapped in a piece of the Despatch.
We lived in Bracebridge Street until 1965. The Vine pub was across the road and my dad also befriended the Duke of York, Cnr Aston Road and Pritchard Street. I have a picture in a book of thiis pub if anyone is interested?
 
Good Posting & photo Dave m8 ,

Sure,,post the "Duke of York" + address,,there is always folks looking for
these lost & much loved/missed Pubs
Cheers Dave,,JohnY
 
Please click on my name in this post and in my profile is an album on Aston pubs which I am currently adding to slowly. There is also a photo with a bookie in it. The info explains all. Hope you can use it? Let me know if you cannot access the album.
 
does anyone from the cromwell street / grt lister st remember billy wier the bookies? there was a guy stood on the corner of cromwell st dark overcoat flat cap used to be his runner. i used to fetch billy weirs cigs from butts tobaconists in grt lister st, capstan full strength as i remember,by burnstines gents outfitters and eaves sweet shop,if my memory serves me well? happy days. dereklcg.
 
hi sylvia can you rember a bike shop that would charg accumilators down stairs .or the hadleys of inkerman st
 
Hi Arty, I'm sorry I don't remember a bike shop in Inkerman Street, the nearest was Clydesdales on Newtown Row, almost next door to the Bazaar, I had a bike from there about 3/6d per week, this would be about 1950. Regarding the Hadleys, there was a June Hadley who went to Burlington Street School she would be about 73 now. This is vague but I'm pretty sure she lived towards the top of Inkerman Street near the junction with Alma Street and they may have had a shop but I'm not sure.
 
my mum was june hadly and lived at no2 and had a teacher called miss peacock and a mrs mainprise at the burlington school .did you live on the street .what number . my grandad worked in a local foundry possably sand blasting ?mum tell me of the number 8 buss run to ansels beer factory can you rember children playing in the bomb peck not to far from the bookies .
 
Hi Arty, what a coincidence that you are June's son. I didn't live in Inkerman Street, but used to take my dad's bets and collect his occasional winnings from George Davies. I lived in Copeley Street a cul-de-sac leading off Burlington Street, and remember the teachers your mother mentioned. Ask her if she remembers Miss Guy, Miss Hudson, and the headteacher Miss Marsh who replaced Miss Astle.
 
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