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Breezes? sweet shop, Green Lane, Small Heath

S

sistersue61

master brummie
Another one from Dad - does anyone recall the sweet shop in Green Lane, called Breezes - not sure about the spelling!! -he remembers ging there a a child when he lived in Victoria Street.
Sue
 
Thanks Horsencart, that confirms the spelling, I think Old Boy may recall the shop as well as the other things dad has come up with!
Sue
 
Have only just spotted your thread re Breezes.

I lived and grew up in Victoria Street and remember Breezes well. It was always known as the `posh` sweet shop. Lots of lovely window displays. Mrs. Breeze`s daughter, Gwen, used to play the organ at Green Lane Picture House. Gwen married a Harby and as Mrs Breeze grew older they took over the running of the shop and they had a Daughter, Diane, who was my friend (she had a swing in the garden). The shop was then taken over by Mr. Harby`s brother who had daughters Joy and Edwina and a son Clifford (cousins to Diane).

Next to the shop was a newsagent (not too sure of the original name) but it became Ward`s. I worked there as a papergirl until I was 17. There were three rounds from the shop and by the time I left, I had taken over all three. If I had netball after school my Dad would do my round for me. Happy days !

I lived in the maisonettes in Victoria Street - where abouts did your Dad live ?

Annie
 
Thanks !

That`s the one - the middle shop. I always knew it as Breezes, but I think the second Harby owner changed the name. Looking at it, to the left is the `outdoor` and to the right is the papershop, Wards. Have now remembered that Wards used to be Barnsleys. Next to the papershop was a big piece of wasteland (a bomb site). We used to refer to it as `going to play on the bombdies` - usually hide n seek or making dens.

Your photo is dated 1964 - I was still in Victoria Street at that time - I lived just around the corner from the outdoor - in the first maisonette - front garden was always littered with bus-tickets which were mainly blown off the open platforms of the No. 8.

Once again, thanks for the photo - brought back memories of happy days !
 
Hi Annie,
Dad lived at 45 Victoria Street from 1933 to 1939,but the family had lived there since the war, Grandad Albert had a milk delivery business which he ran from the yard behind the house, dad went there aged 2 when his mohad a nervous breakdown and his dad moved back in with the family, to carry on working - my dad had an older brother and sister, so the 4 of them moved in, alongside my 3 spinster great aunts, my great grandad, and my bachelor great uncle, it must have really been a squeeze! They lived next door to a lady called Dolly, whose boyfriend was coloured, a rare thing in those days.Dad will be 81 in December.
Sue
 
Hello Sue,
I lived in Victoria Street from 195l - 1966. The maisonettes were brand new - obviously built on where the houses had been bombed, so your Dad had left by then. They were numbered 39 - 57 on the side backing onto Carlton Road; so I am thinking, actually built covering the site of number 45, your Dad`s old house.
I have often wondered what the street looked like before the bombings.
As we have been talking about shops - ask your Dad if Tom`s, the greengrocers, was there (in his time in Victoria Street). Tom`s was at the corner of Carlton Road and Green Lane. He may have known it as Coopers - a really old fashioned shop - but the first shop, I knew of, which opened Sunday morning.
Lovely talking about Small Heath.
Thanks!
Annie
 
Hello Annie,

I was born and grew up in Carlton Road (No 44). Our house backed on to Tennants Furniture Removals, in Victoria Street, which was destroyed by a landmine in 1940. I left when I got married in 1950 but my mother was there until she passed away in 1965.

In my day the greengrocers at the corner of Carlton Road and Green Lane was Blandfords. We used to buy specklled oranges and apples from there for a halfpenny. I got to know Les Ward later and we became good friends. When he sold the newsagents he and Mrs Ward went to live in Partridge Road, Yardley but they have both passed on now.

Did you go to Somerville Road School as I did?

Old Boy
 
Hello Old Boy,

Blandfords ! - you`re right - I stand corrected; but we always referred to the shop as `Tom`s`. I`ll sort out where I got Coopers from - another shop maybe ? I remember being in hospital and receiving a basket of fruit from `Toms`.

The new maisonettes possibly covered the site of Tennants, then ?

Les Ward was quite friendly with my Dad - they used the Ravenscroft Club; Martin, Les`s eldest son used to go with me to ballroom dancing lessons at Billy Ponds (also in Green Lane). We had everything in Green Lane; Library, Public Baths, Coal Merchants, Doctors` Surgery, Pawn Broker, pubs and every type of shop - several fish and chip shops.

You may correct me again - there was also a newsagents in Carlton Road, Chapmans (I think). I asked for a job there, delivering papers, but was told `I don`t take on girls`.

With regard to school, I went to Little Green Lane.

Annie
 
Annie, if you are going to the Xmas meet, will have to introduce you to dad, who will hopefully be coming too, he'd love a chat with someone who knows his patch lol.
Sue
 
Hi Annie,

You are quite right about Chapmans the newsagent in Carlton Road. We lived three doors from there. They had a daughter Renee. My brother, Arthur, did a paper round for them. There was another paper shop on Bordesley Green just round the corner from Carlton Road. It was Winfields and I did a paper round for them until we were bombed out and went to live with my sister, Florence, in Marcot Road, South Yardley. I then did a paper round for Cartwrights on Coventry Road opposite the Wagon and Horses.

Old Boy
 
Hi Annie56 I'm trying help my mum find her dad Bert hands the chap with one leg that worked in the sweet shop, can you tell me if you remember him wearing glasses ? And do you know if he had a daughter and her name ? We have been doing a family tree and would love to be able to complete it my nan has now passed away but she didn't tell my mum much about him only that he had one leg, his surname was hands so I've done a lot of research and found a lot of people but all mum wud really like is a photo I'm goin to put a photo on here if you could help it wud be amazing please , if you or any one could help me my email address feel free to email me x

Amanda x

Replaced text talk, Alberta
 
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Hi sistersue61 I wonder if you could help me I'm trying help my mum find her dad Bert he is now passed but we know very little about him and predominantly my mum would love a photo of him we also want to know if he had a daughter as this would of been my mums half sister and we wonder if she is still alive? Any help would b truly grateful,
amanda x my email is feel free to contact me x

Email address removed,postie

Text talk replaced, Alberta
 
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koppite said:
View attachment 96932

This was the same group of shops after the Tornado of 1931.
Click to expand...

Hi there kopppite it's not the shop we want a photo of but thank you we are looking to get a photo of BERT EAST HANDS born 1910 passed 1964 aged 54 and he had on leg if any on on the site can help it would be great thank you xxx
 
Last edited by a moderator:
image.jpg
koppite said:
View attachment 96932

This was the same group of shops after the Tornado of 1931.
Click to expand...

Hi there kopppite it's not the shop we want a photo of but thank you we are looking to get a photo of BERT EAST HANDS born 1910 passed 1964 aged 54 and he had on leg if any on on the site can help it would be great thank you xxx
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hello Amanda,

My memories of Breezes are 1950s to late 60s and I do not recall anyone working there, during that time, other than the Breeze/Harby family members.
Are you sure it was Breezes ? There was another sweetshop further along Green Lane, between Palace and Charles Road.

Good luck with your research.

Annie
 
annie56 said:
Hello Amanda,

My memories of Breezes are 1950s to late 60s and I do not recall anyone working there, during that time, other than the Breeze/Harby family members.
Are you sure it was Breezes ? There was another sweetshop further along Green Lane, between Palace and Charles Road.

Good luck with your research.

Annie
Click to expand...
Hi Annie well it was 324 green lane mum was told it was referred as the posh little sweet shop but there people on here that said they recall a man working there with one leg with the surname hands but it would have been 1940s thank you and I just hope other people see what I'm putting and might know something cheers any way x
 
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Hello again Amanda,

Have just looked at the electoral rolls and found the following::

1950
Bert E Hands at 324 Green Lane Small Heath
1955
Bert E Hands at 20 Bolton Road Small Heath

Breezes was No 238 Green Lane

Could this be your Bert ? He's with an Agnes Hands

Hope I'm not giving you info you already have.

Annie
 
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annie56 said:
Hello again Amanda,

Have just looked at the electoral rolls and found the following::

1950
Bert E Hands at 324 Green Lane Small Heath
1955
Bert E Hands at 20 Bolton Road Small Heath

Breezes was No 238 Green Lane

Could this be your Bert ? He's with an Agnes Hands

Hope I'm not giving you info you already have.

Annie
Click to expand...
Hi Annie yea I knew all that hun but thank you but it's a bit wired as people on here remember a man in the posh little sweet shop and he had one leg which he did so odd I'm so close but so far away grrrr lol thank I'm new to this site is there any way you could get it out there that I'm trying look for any family members now and we really want a photo of him plz xx
 
Can't be of much help Amanda but this is the present 324 Green Lane next to on the corner shop on %Screenshot (71).jpg Palace Road I don't remember a sweet shop there . I did a paper round at Wards too Annie for a couple of years till early 1964 , the only other person I can remember working in the Candy shop was Phil Beckett who would have been around 15 at the time and one of your neighbours . Here's the present view of 234
 
Hello Berniew,
On that corner used to be Brocklesbys (the chemist). The 'other sweetshop' was about three doors up from there ?
I do remember the Becket family - quite a few children; and I think, after my time in Victoria Street, one of them actually owned or run what had become the Candy Shop.
Annie
 
This is a photo of 238 Green Lane on the 50's it was listed as being owned by Mrs Margaret Breeeze, later in the 60's it was listed to a W J Harby. The photo is dated 1964.
 

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