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Lozells Road, Shops, Pubs, Businesses etc

Llloyd, these are great - Thank you.
Can i ask which site / source they are from?

Marc
 
Do you recall at 267 Burbury street a business called Alex Wilson & co. Statoinary & general Wholesalers? Would have been there from about 1965-1985. It was caught up in the 1985 riots, and never recovered. It was run by Brenda Hartland ( my Aunt), I recall her telling me how she walked down Burbury st the day after and collasping with shock at what she saw, and how a policeman got her a chair & hot sweet tea.
 
Jules65 said:
I remember the night of the riots. Looking out of our window in Burbury Street with the lights off so no one would see us, watching rioters run up and down outside. It was scary. The police stood at the top of our road and just seemed to be letting them get on with it.

The following morning I walked to the top of our road and along the bit of Lozells Road towards Carpenters Road. It looked like something out of the blitz. There was a tea point set up where the garage was and the police and firemen just looked exhausted and shocked. My mom used to work at the post office where I think life was lost.

I walked to work that day, along Wills Street, down Hunters Road and into Naden Road passing burnt out cars on the way.
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Do you recall at 267 Burbury street a business called Alex Wilson & co. Statoinary & general Wholesalers? Would have been there from about 1965-1985. It was caught up in the 1985 riots, and never recovered. It was run by Brenda Hartland ( my Aunt), I recall her telling me how she walked down Burbury st the day after and collasping with shock at what she saw, and how a policeman got her a chair & hot sweet tea.
 
donapr said:
Do you recall at 267 Burbury street a business called Alex Wilson & co. Statoinary & general Wholesalers? Would have been there from about 1965-1985. It was caught up in the 1985 riots, and never recovered. It was run by Brenda Hartland ( my Aunt), I recall her telling me how she walked down Burbury st the day after and collasping with shock at what she saw, and how a policeman got her a chair & hot sweet tea.
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Sorry I cannot place Alex Wilson & Co., though I must have passed them a thousand times walking up and down Burbury Street. Was a lot of damage done to their premises? I am just trying to place where No. 267 was. Was it on the corner of Burbury Street and Wills Street and have a shop frontage that was perhaps Green. May have the wrong building, but I do remember seeing rioters trying to get into this building. A car may have been used to crash into it. Sorry my memory is hazy - it was a long time ago now!
 
Jules65 said:
Sorry I cannot place Alex Wilson & Co., though I must have passed them a thousand times walking up and down Burbury Street. Was a lot of damage done to their premises? I am just trying to place where No. 267 was. Was it on the corner of Burbury Street and Wills Street and have a shop frontage that was perhaps Green. May have the wrong building, but I do remember seeing rioters trying to get into this building. A car may have been used to crash into it. Sorry my memory is hazy - it was a long time ago now!
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Hi, yes it was on a corner and the one photo I have is of a green door & entrance. It was a very sad time for the area and those who worked there.
 
Reading the various posts on the Lozells Rd Thread brought many fond memories flooding back. Born and raised on Wilton St in the 40's - 50's era meant that Lozells Rd was very much in our 'roaming' area. I clearly recall going to a Hairdresser on Lozells Rd situated near the junction with Wilton St for one of my first haircuts. I remember feeling very apprehensive at the time especially when one of the barbers lit a taper and set about singeing a customers hair, fleeing was very high in my mind at that time. On another Lozells Rd issue I remember in the mid to late 40's roaming the bomb building sites in the area looking for 'treasure'. High on that list was the bombed out Lozells Picture House at the Wilton St/Lozells Rd. junction. It stretches the imagination to understand how on earth we ever survived climbing around such dangerous structures without coming to serious harm.
 
Jules65 said:
I've just remembered the name of the bike shop - I think it was Crowder and Browns.
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Sorry Jules65 Crowder and Brown was a Petrol station i think. The bike shop if i remember right was Cowdrills. Max
 
I am very interested in Crowder and Browns if anyone can remember exactly what it was. A distant relative of mine was killed in 1935ish. He lived in Brearley Street. He was in a smash with a bus on his way to pick up some books from a shop in Summer Lane. He was a mechanic, but we do not know where. A newspaper report I have been told about mentioned Crowder and Brown and their help at the funeral. Is it possible they repaired cars and motor bikes too? I did have the inquest, but it has gone to a cousin living in India, but I do know Crowder and Brown were not mentioned in the inquest. I am thinking Croder and Brown may have been where he worked.

Shortie
 
Crowder and Browns were a petrol station/garge on Lozells road, just before Mayfield rd as you travel from Villa Cross. I know that in the 1960s one of the owners either Crowder Or Brown lived on North or West Drive, very posh area in those days. I will look up the exact address of the garage for you.

It seems from what you say there could have been a jinks on the place cus i remember a man who lived in my St was blown up and killed when he was drilling into a petrol delivery tanker which was still full of fumes this was in the late 1950s. Max
 
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Thanks Max - this will be interesting to my cousin in India. North Drive is still quite reasonable, built on the site of Heathfield Hall, the home of James Watt. I last went there about four years ago, and although it was more dowdy than in the 1960's it still was quite pleasant. Some lovely 1920's houses there.

Shortie
 
Quote--- I am very interested in Crowder and Browns if anyone can remember exactly what it was.

I can i had my first car repaired by them.They were no more than 3 buildings from the Villa Tavern on the Lozells Rd. Dek
 
Thanks Dek. I suppose I must have passed them at some time - my eldest daughter was born at Heathfield Road Maternity, but I cannot remember seeing a garage - perhaps my husband might remember, I shall ask him when he has finished watching the footie.

Shortie
 
dek carr said:
Quote--- I am very interested in Crowder and Browns if anyone can remember exactly what it was.

I can i had my first car repaired by them.They were no more than 3 buildings from the Villa Tavern on the Lozells Rd. Dek
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205 to 215 Lozells Rd . Before Mayfield Rd . I have been going through Kelly's directories, i will post more sometime tomorrow. Number 209 is now called Bangla Station and has a temple type buiding to one side. Max
 
dek carr said:
Quote--- I am very interested in Crowder and Browns if anyone can remember exactly what it was.

I can i had my first car repaired by them.They were no more than 3 buildings from the Villa Tavern on the Lozells Rd. Dek
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They were oil and petrol merchants as well as Motor mechanics, they also had a business ( which traded as Crowder and Brown ) at 235 South Rd Hockley. Max
 
maxwell bullivant said:
Sorry Jules65 Crowder and Brown was a Petrol station i think. The bike shop if i remember right was Cowdrills. Max
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Thats right Maxwell - it was. Thanks for that. I think it was on the corner of Barker's Street and Villa Road but I could be wrong. I am pretty certain that Cowdrills was on the corner then a few shops down was a ladies/childrens clothes shops and next to that a hairdressers.
 
Mistake Sorry
 
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I was shocked to see yesterday when i traveling on a bus that The Royal Oak , on Lozells Rd just before 6 ways is now a supermarket !!!! But the lovely oak tree sign has been retained. Max

Slightly of topic but further into my bus journey i passed The Boars Head ( Aldridge Rd ) and was shocked to see that too had closed down.
 
I remember that there was an Elmo Supermarket on Lozells Rd. Elmo were taken over by Fine Fare in the 1960`s, and one store was closed down but I can`t remember which ! I also remember the grocery shop called Thelma Stores which was near to Woolies. Up at Villa Cross was a superb Cafe called the Alassio, where you could get a 3 course Business Lunch for Ten shillings and sixpence. The prime business at Villa Cross seemed to be Wilkinsons. They sold everything ! I don`t know if they are related to todays Wilko Group.
 
l have just found out my g/grandparets lived at 97a Lozells Road in the 1911 census, does anyone have a picture of this address and where was it situated on Lozells Road, going by how the numbers ran l can imagin no. 97 was way up the top of the road....Brenda
 
No 97 is shown on map below
Mike

map_c_1913_showing_97_Lozells_Rd.jpg
 
Mike, thank you for the map l had heard from my mother that 97a lozells road was more like a cottage?, as many times as l went up the Lozells with my mother shopping l can'nt ever remember going that far up ...would be nice if anyone had a picture.......Brenda
 
I agree it certainly doesn't look like a cottage on thw map.. The electoral roll for 1920 lists 97, 97a and 97b
mike
 
great pic stars..if you look closely you can just see the shape of the frontage of the villa cross pic house inbetween the tram and the pub...new one for me..

lyn
 
Going back to Crowder & Brown, they were the Vauxhall main dealer & they were at the Lozells rd site from, i think early 60's to some point in the 80's. My dad bought a couple of cars off them in the late 60's, both of them viva's, I would love to see a picture of it if anyone has got one
 
Dek - When I was living in Handsworth, Crowder & Browns were in South Road, Handsworth. My dad was friends with Les Crowder and we were regularly in the Garage talking to him. I know they were only a short walking distance from where we lived in Soho Avenue. This would be in the 1950's.

Judy
 
im sure i have a pic showing crowder and brown lozells..will try and find it and post...

lyn
 
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