Guildford Street Lozells

[PCA]

Another big thank you. Its nice when your memories are proved right by the facts. You certainly know your stuff, The Weymouth Arms! I could never have imagined it being called that! I think my dad must have had a few Pints in there because he was never home.

 

[PCA]

I have discovered that Mr Shock the grocer lived at no 162 Guildford street. I cant remember if the house was also his shop or not? can anyone enlighten me please. I remember Mr Shock opening a shop outside Perry Common Comprehensive school in the mid sixties.

 

[mikejee]

The 1962 Kellys lists Jihn shock as a shopkeeper at 162 Guildford St, which means his shop was there

 

[Astoness]

hello PCA i believe that this is a photo of the weymouth arms pub corner of guildford and gerrard st...pretty sure you can see mr shocks shop at no 162 just past the lamp post so you would have lived at the back of it as shown on mikes map you can see the entrance you used to get to your house photo dated 1968 spot the name plaque on the wall leading to the terrace which would say ventnor terrace..pretty sure i have got this correct..hopefully you can confirm

lyn

 

[adap2it]

hello PCA i believe that this is a photo of the weymouth arms pub corner of guildford and gerrard st...pretty sure you can see mr shocks shop at no 162 just past the lamp post so you would have lived at the back of it as shown on mikes map you can see the entrance you used to get to your house photo dated 1968 spot the name plaque on the wall leading to the terrace which would say ventnor terrace..pretty sure i have got this correct..hopefully you can confirm

lyn

View attachment 146609

Looks like a ragman's cart on the right.
Dave A

 

[Astoness]

yes dave i also spotted it...times we have run out to a rag and bone man to get a gold fish

lyn

 

[PCA]

Dear Mike, Lyn and Dave, you have all gone the extra mile for me how fantastic to see this photo, every thing you have said is right and the memories have flooded back. Can any of you remember the penny wink man who came around once a week we could get a brown bag of winkles for a penny and a pin to get them out with. They didnt go far between five of us but were a tasty treat.

 

[Astoness]

hi PCA so pleased that the photo i posted is correct...this is a very long thread for guildford st so i hope you have seen all of the photos posted on here...i cant recall the penny winkle man myself but i bet we have members who do...what i do recall is our dad bringing home little bags of prawns for our mom from the pub every saturday night..dad would usually have whelks....happy days...

lyn

 

[Radiorails]

I have the feeling that penny winkle might be a corruption of periwinkle - the small sea snail. I guess that it would be just one of the hawkers items he had for sale. Of course a penny might be what was paid so the hawker got that name.
There are plants with that name. The one shown below I have, it is called Gertrude Jekyll.



We saw few hawkers out in the sticks.

 

[adap2it]

I have the feeling that penny winkle might be a corruption of periwinkle - the small sea snail. I guess that it would be just one of the hawkers items he had for sale. Of course a penny might be what was paid so the hawker got that name.
There are plants with that name. The one shown below I have, it is called Gertrude Jekyll.

View attachment 146637View attachment 146638

We saw few hawkers out in the sticks.

Yes you are right about penny vs. periwinkle...I was never made aware of this until I moved to Sussex when I was 17.
Dave A

 

[Astoness]

Yes you are right about penny vs. periwinkle...I was never made aware of this until I moved to Sussex when I was 17.
Dave A

hi dave that is one thing i did know

lyn

 

[Banjo]

I made this panorama image from two other photos which have previously appeared on this thread. Although not a photo in it's own right, I hope that it is acceptable to post it. This part of Guilford St ( looking towards Lozells Rd from Gerrard St ) is special to me because it's where I spent my early teenage years hanging around with my mates and chatting up the girls, messing about and no doubt annoying the local residents.

 

[Astoness]

smashing banjo..i was not that far away from you

lyn

 

[Niblo]

I have discovered that Mr Shock the grocer lived at no 162 Guildford street. I cant remember if the house was also his shop or not? can anyone enlighten me please. I remember Mr Shock opening a shop outside Perry Common Comprehensive school in the mid sixties.

Oh that brought back memories, being taken to Mr Shock`s. My Dad was born in 26/154 Guildford Street and my Nan lived there until 1965

 

[Niblo]

The terraces often had several names ,. Thus your terrace could be called Ventnor terrace, back 162 or possibly part of court 8. Which was used varied , often over time. The pub on the corner, no 64 Gerrard st was the Weymouth Arms

It's lovely to see this map. My Dad was born and bred in 26/154 and I have such fond memories of staying with my Nan and family

 

[Niblo]

before i repost all of my missing photos and tidy up this thread i am posting this one first for new member geoff astle to look at...geoff this shot show numbers 132 to 156 so the gap with missing houses is where no 142 would have stood and where 8 members of your astle family sadly lost their lives at 4/142 during the air raids of ww2 there was also deaths at nos 140 and 144 so that gap is where the 3 front houses stood..bit busy now so i will re post all the other photos later on..just as an aside to this very sad story here are the accounts of what happened in the guildford st air raid surrounding no 142 and the back houses

The major incidents occurred when a High Explosive bomb exploded in Guildford Street, demolishing about 16 back to back houses and a number of people were trapped in the cellars under the debris, after which a fire broke out above them.


lyn

View attachment 112481

My Dad`s cousins were one of those families killed by that. My Nan lived in 26/154 and we used to park on the debris

 

[Astoness]

welcome to the forum niblo...every loss of life was awful enough but to lose 8 members in one go is so very sad

lyn

 

[Niblo]

yes maurice we do seem to have lot of old end members on the forum as some members know guildford st was bombed during ww2...one family has always stuck in my mind which was the astle family at 4/142..the whole lot wiped out think it was 8 of them...mom..nan.. and 6 children..no mention of the dad who could well have been away fighting...if he was away fighting and came back alive i cant even begin to imagine how if at all he got over the loss of his wife..his mother and his 6 children

lyn

My Dad`s cousins were all killed in that The Hands family

 

[Niblo]

My Dad`s cousins were all killed in that The Hands family

I believe it was the entire family except one who was killed in the Navy

 

[Astoness]

these are the names of people who died in guildford st..unless the data base is wrong or maybe some names missed off the list i cant seem to see the hands family

Last Name	Forename(s)	Date of Injury	Location of Injury	Age	Civil Defence Status
Astle	David	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	7	Civilian	View
Astle	George	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	10	Civilian	View
Astle	Horace	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	9	Civilian	View
Astle	Leah	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	36	Civilian	View
Astle	Maureen	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	2	Civilian	View
Astle	Raymond	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	8	Civilian	View
Astle	Susannah	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	62	Civilian	View
Astle	Thomas	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	10	Civilian	View
Brown	Ivy	01/11/1940	18/144 Guildford Street	20	Civilian	View
Chapman	Louisa	01/11/1940	142 Guildford Street	65	Civilian	View
Downes	Leonard	01/11/1940	140 Guildford Street	15	Civilian	View
Downes	Samuel Albert	01/11/1940	140 Guildford Street	55	Civilian	View
Mills	Edith	01/11/1940	19/144 Guildford Street	49	Civilian	View
Wadhams	Emily Elizabeth	01/11/1940	Guildford Street, Lozells	59	Civilian

 

[Niblo]

I have just finished reading "tales of Guildford Street" which I thoroughly enjoyed however it was after my families time there, we lived at number 3 backa 162 Guildford street from 1949 until 1961. I remember that a mrs Brown lived next door, and that everyone was so friendly and kind I could walk into anyones house and receive my favorite, a cup of tea with seven or eight spoons of sugar in, Lovely. The Guildford pub was at the end of our entry and The old lady twins who lived at the start of the entry used to let me fetch their daily jug of beer from the outdoor once I was old enough of course, I think I was about six when I started doing it. My mum used to send me down to the corner shop for her fags, bread and a jar of jam which was all we ever seemed to eat when mum could afford it. Mr Shock was the owner at that time, a really kind man who didnt accept money for things We just had to say can you put it on the slate please and he would give you the things you wanted! amazing . If you said have you got any specs he would give you apples and pears with brown marks on, the only time we ever ate fruit, again amazing. I went to Lozels Primary School as soon as I was old enough. I had a lovely girl friend who lived on the other side of Guildford Street Her name was Lenita Price I liked her because her mum used to wrap a brick in a cloth and put it down the drain in her yard and flood it we could paddle for hours, great fun. My family and I have so many memories of our time in Guildford street but they were not easy and very very cold in the winter.

Where can I get a copy of "Tales of Guildford street " please

 

[Niblo]

I believe it was the entire family except one who was killed in the Navy

Thanks for that, I may the surname wrong.My Dad had many cousins. Hands was one branch but it could have the Astles.

 

[Niblo]

Thanks for that, I may the surname wrong.My Dad had many cousins. Hands was one branch but it could have the Astles.

I guess it must have been them as that was the story I was always told about them being trapped in the cellar

 

[Niblo]

The 1962 Kellys lists Jihn shock as a shopkeeper at 162 Guildford St, which means his shop was there

Loved his little shop

 

[Richard Dye]

these are the names of people who died in guildford st..unless the data base is wrong or maybe some names missed off the list i cant seem to see the hands family

Last Name	Forename(s)	Date of Injury	Location of Injury	Age	Civil Defence Status
Astle	David	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	7	Civilian	View
Astle	George	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	10	Civilian	View
Astle	Horace	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	9	Civilian	View
Astle	Leah	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	36	Civilian	View
Astle	Maureen	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	2	Civilian	View
Astle	Raymond	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	8	Civilian	View
Astle	Susannah	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	62	Civilian	View
Astle	Thomas	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	10	Civilian	View
Brown	Ivy	01/11/1940	18/144 Guildford Street	20	Civilian	View
Chapman	Louisa	01/11/1940	142 Guildford Street	65	Civilian	View
Downes	Leonard	01/11/1940	140 Guildford Street	15	Civilian	View
Downes	Samuel Albert	01/11/1940	140 Guildford Street	55	Civilian	View
Mills	Edith	01/11/1940	19/144 Guildford Street	49	Civilian	View
Wadhams	Emily Elizabeth	01/11/1940	Guildford Street, Lozells	59	Civilian

Oh my goodness!

 

[Astoness]

its so tragic isnt it richard.....i often think of the astle family...george astle who could have been away fighting or maybe he survived the blast was a husband...son and father to the 8 that lost their lives...how on earth do you cope with that i cant even begin to imagine...so very very sad..god bless them all

lyn

 

[mw0njm.]

Dear Mike, Lyn and Dave, you have all gone the extra mile for me how fantastic to see this photo, every thing you have said is right and the memories have flooded back. Can any of you remember the penny wink man who came around once a week we could get a brown bag of winkles for a penny and a pin to get them out with. They didnt go far between five of us but were a tasty treat.

yer. a man pushing a 3 wheel basket trolly.selling winks. i remember him lol

 

[Richard Dye]

its so tragic isnt it richard.....i often think of the astle family...george astle who could have been away fighting or maybe he survived the blast was a husband...son and father to the 8 that lost their lives...how on earth do you cope with that i cant even begin to imagine...so very very sad..god bless them all

lyn

lyn, it is so very tragic............I hope that we never see the likes of that again! If only people today would realize/remember what we went through and the many years of pain afterward.

 

[Astoness]

i agree richard...my nan lived in the street off guildford at the time and my mom was 11 so they would have known about this...possibly even knew the astles...

 

[mw0njm.]

these are the names of people who died in guildford st..unless the data base is wrong or maybe some names missed off the list i cant seem to see the hands family

Last Name	Forename(s)	Date of Injury	Location of Injury	Age	Civil Defence Status
Astle	David	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	7	Civilian	View
Astle	George	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	10	Civilian	View
Astle	Horace	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	9	Civilian	View
Astle	Leah	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	36	Civilian	View
Astle	Maureen	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	2	Civilian	View
Astle	Raymond	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	8	Civilian	View
Astle	Susannah	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	62	Civilian	View
Astle	Thomas	01/11/1940	4/142 Guildford Street, Lozells	10	Civilian	View
Brown	Ivy	01/11/1940	18/144 Guildford Street	20	Civilian	View
Chapman	Louisa	01/11/1940	142 Guildford Street	65	Civilian	View
Downes	Leonard	01/11/1940	140 Guildford Street	15	Civilian	View
Downes	Samuel Albert	01/11/1940	140 Guildford Street	55	Civilian	View
Mills	Edith	01/11/1940	19/144 Guildford Street	49	Civilian	View
Wadhams	Emily Elizabeth	01/11/1940	Guildford Street, Lozells	59	Civilian

terrible