Paddington Street Aston

[brummy-lad]

It's impossible to imagine having to live in this environment with all around you being demolished.

 

[Astoness]

sounds dreadful conditions john...i had left our nans back to back the year before but nan stayed until the end

lyn

 

[brummy-lad]

It must have been horrific conditions Lyn but I'm sure your nan had experienced much worse in her lifetime. It's just difficult to imagine how the council in the 50s and 60s just devastated the whole of Birmingham housing with such a disregard for the residents.

 

[Astoness]

It must have been horrific conditions Lyn but I'm sure your nan had experienced much worse in her lifetime. It's just difficult to imagine how the council in the 50s and 60s just devastated the whole of Birmingham housing with such a disregard for the residents.

it certainly is john...as you said our nan had experienced worse times...she was a tough cookie..had to be because since living there from at least 1911 she had gone though ww1 and ww2 her husband who she married after ww1 fought in france came back and having been gassed a couple of times was never the same again..he died in 1938 aged 50 leaving nan to face ww2 with 3 young daughters...she held down 3 jobs including laying out deceased people and never re married..

lyn

 

[Di Mills]

I see that report is dated 1960. We lived in Paddington Street until we were rehoused in 1965.
I don’t remember any difference to our lives except that houses were gradually disappearing and we used the land where the houses had stood for our bonfire night celebration. I loved living there such happy childhood.

 

[adap2it]

The 83 year old Elizabeth Cook, that was quoted in the article, was our next door neighbour (over the wall)
Dave A

 

[Astoness]

I see that report is dated 1960. We lived in Paddington Street until we were rehoused in 1965.
I don’t remember any difference to our lives except that houses were gradually disappearing and we used the land where the houses had stood for our bonfire night celebration. I loved living there such happy childhood.

hi di it couldnt have been that bad because nan had to be dragged out of her home kicking and screaming...i moved from paddington st when i was about 5 or 6 into villa st where the houses were much older than the paddington st ones..not the best houses..forever damp...2 scary cellars only lit by candles..hard to keep warm..yes hard for our parents but like you myself and 5 siblings had the happiest of childhoods and i would not change it for anything...

lyn

 

[Ozbrum]

Albert I am one of the Hortons I was friends with your sister Margaret whrn we were about 5 years old. What a good memory you have of the street. I loved living there so sad when we left in 1965. Only Carole and me left from our family.

Hi Di
Sorry for the long delay in replying to you , bad manners but I have been truly busy.
I remember your brother and vaguely remember Carol I think she was around my age ....I was 7 at the coronation....
Hazel Kent ( Kench ) was my first ever G / F , her brother was a good friend of you brother Albert's as I recall .

Paul Robinson, Derrick Hall, Clifford Reed and I were the bowery boys of the street as we entered secondary school at Summer lane and after attending Cowper street infant's and Junior street school.

I think the Careys were up the same yard as you , next to Bellingers shop. I remember Pauline , Barbara, Dennis and a couple of the older Careys Graeme and Timmy.

While I am writing this , other names spring to mind , Arnold , McKinley and David Astley who is a member here on this forum .

OK...great memories , loved that street and I do believe those old houses could have been " done up " to be at least as good as the high rise junk the gurus finished up building.....oops...getting on my pedestal....better sign off...
God bless

Albert

 

[jane k]

Before they married my grandparents lived near to each other in Paddington Street in 1901. From the description on the census I think this was an area of back-to-backs. Is that correct?

I suspect they met at the local Quaker Friends Meeting House. I know they later attended the Meeting House in Farm Street. Is that near to Paddington Street?
Many thanks

 

[pjmburns]

If you go back in this thread there are many descriptions and pictures of the houses in Paddington Street.

 

[jane k]

Thanks
Please could anyone explain the house numbering system to me? In 1901 my grandfather was lodging with the Lucas family at "12ct 1Ho". My grandmother Jane Gaunt was a couple of census pages away with her family at "74" - but the house next door to the Gaunts is "16ct 4Ho"

 

[pjmburns]

There are several different ways of numbering back houses. It sounds as if Paddington Street had "normal" numbers on houses facing the street ie 74. In between the houses would be entries to the courts - basically a group of houses round a courtyard. The courts were numbered and the houses in them numbered. So 12ct 1ho means Court number 12 and within that house number 1.
It looks as if Paddington Street had a mix. Court 12 is not shown but there is a map earlier in this thread which gives an idea post #166

Paddington Street Aston

hi dave ive got brummie kid...wouldnt mind the other one though:) My brother is in the UK and I'm in the USA at this time. I got the info from Amazon. I'm not sure if they are available in print, maybe digital download only, if you have a Kindle. I think that Graham Twist lived above the chemist...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[adap2it]

There are several different ways of numbering back houses. It sounds as if Paddington Street had "normal" numbers on houses facing the street ie 74. In between the houses would be entries to the courts - basically a group of houses round a courtyard. The courts were numbered and the houses in them numbered. So 12ct 1ho means Court number 12 and within that house number 1.
It looks as if Paddington Street had a mix. Court 12 is not shown but there is a map earlier in this thread which gives an idea post #166

Paddington Street Aston

hi dave ive got brummie kid...wouldnt mind the other one though:) My brother is in the UK and I'm in the USA at this time. I got the info from Amazon. I'm not sure if they are available in print, maybe digital download only, if you have a Kindle. I think that Graham Twist lived above the chemist...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

I cannot be 100% sure, but I believe that Paddington St had only one 'courtyard', which happened to be where I lived. I guess to define courtyard would mean that houses that faced the street had only one entrance and likewise the houses behind them. There were many different layouts that may have been confusing regarding the numbering system at the time. Lyn may be able to add to the mix as she was born in a back house too.
Dave A

 

[mikejee]

There are several different ways of numbering back houses. It sounds as if Paddington Street had "normal" numbers on houses facing the street ie 74. In between the houses would be entries to the courts - basically a group of houses round a courtyard. The courts were numbered and the houses in them numbered. So 12ct 1ho means Court number 12 and within that house number 1.
It looks as if Paddington Street had a mix. Court 12 is not shown but there is a map earlier in this thread which gives an idea post #166

Paddington Street Aston

hi dave ive got brummie kid...wouldnt mind the other one though:) My brother is in the UK and I'm in the USA at this time. I got the info from Amazon. I'm not sure if they are available in print, maybe digital download only, if you have a Kindle. I think that Graham Twist lived above the chemist...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Janice, court 12 is shown on the map. I have posted the same map below with court 12 in blue and no 1 court 12 in green.

 

[pjmburns]

Thanks Mike - need to go to specsavers.

 

[BrianE]

Hi Lyn, Thanks so much for all you have put up on Paddington Street. I have just discovered that my grandparents Alban and Rosina Timms lived back of No12 in 1900, when they were first married. Their first child of 5 months died there in March 1900 according to the Witton cemetery record. Her name is Florence Rose Timms and her late residence is given Back of 12, Paddington Street. (The 5th record up from the bottom on the page.) My late mother told me of this older sibling and how her two older sisters found a death certificate when they were tidying up in their parent's room one day, the child was never spoken about, years later I could not remember her first name. My grandparents both grew up in Balsall Heath and by 1901 they were back in Balsall Heath, so a child born in Aston did not seem to fit, nevertheless I now know that Florence was their daughter. I have a theory as to why they moved out of Balsall Heath but will wait for the birth and death certificates before I say more. Your house plan shows clearly the house in pink at back of 12 being No 4 in court showing clearly the little front gardens and small back gardens, Alban Timms would have loved the garden and would have grown vegetables there, when they moved to 2 Ryland Place back of 5 Upper Cox Street Balsall Heath where my mum was born in 1910 there was a small garden where grandad grew vegetables, sadly as their family grew in 1914 they moved to a bigger front house without a garden. The Upper Cox Street house was demolished in the 1960's. So great to have a photo, of 12 Paddington Street. Brian

 

[BrianE]

I tried to upload the file but is told me it was too large.

 

[Astoness]

Hi Lyn, Thanks so much for all you have put up on Paddington Street. I have just discovered that my grandparents Alban and Rosina Timms lived back of No12 in 1900, when they were first married. Their first child of 5 months died there in March 1900 according to the Witton cemetery record. Her name is Florence Rose Timms and her late residence is given Back of 12, Paddington Street. (The 5th record up from the bottom on the page.) My late mother told me of this older sibling and how her two older sisters found a death certificate when they were tidying up in their parent's room one day, the child was never spoken about, years later I could not remember her first name. My grandparents both grew up in Balsall Heath and by 1901 they were back in Balsall Heath, so a child born in Aston did not seem to fit, nevertheless I now know that Florence was their daughter. I have a theory as to why they moved out of Balsall Heath but will wait for the birth and death certificates before I say more. Your house plan shows clearly the house in pink at back of 12 being No 4 in court showing clearly the little front gardens and small back gardens, Alban Timms would have loved the garden and would have grown vegetables there, when they moved to 2 Ryland Place back of 5 Upper Cox Street Balsall Heath where my mum was born in 1910 there was a small garden where grandad grew vegetables, sadly as their family grew in 1914 they moved to a bigger front house without a garden. The Upper Cox Street house was demolished in the 1960's. So great to have ahi photo, of 12 Paddington Street. Brian

hi bri great to have you on this thread...as i said in my private messages to you i find it fascinating that your grandparents also lived at 4/12..my grandparents were certainly there on the 1911 census and could very well have moved in after your grandparents moved out...nan was there until the late 60s she did not want to leave but had no choice due to demo...only having 1 bedroom and 1 attic its more than likely that little florence was born in the same bedroom as myself and my brother and before that my mom and her 2 sisters...i believe that nan also gave birth to a boy who sadly died in infancy...nan was already a widow by the time mom and dad married in 1950 and so moved into 4/12 after they married...we moved out when i was about 5 or 6 and my brother was 3 but continued to visit nan until the late 60s so i have a good memory of the place...the little back garden was only small but our dad used to keep budgies at the top of the garden and play darts in the yard at the back...mr townley who lived at 3/10 kept pigeons...although these houses were not in the best condition folk tried their best to keep them neat and tidy...nans house was always spic and span and i will always remember the smell of lavender polish combined with sunday dinner being cooked...i am so lucky to have some family photos taken in the garden and some taken in the yard at the back showing the wash house and mangle and toilets both of which were shared...

would you like me to sort a couple of photos out and post them on here for you as at least it would give you a little snapshot of the garden and the yard?

lyn

 

[BrianE]

I would love to see a photo of the little garden Brian

 

[Astoness]

I would love to see a photo of the little garden Brian

ok bri...i am a tad busy now but will sort photos out and post them later on...i forgot to say that paddington st plays a great part in my family history as i have 5 other houses in the street where family lived..one of them was no 14 front house where my nans 2 sisters lived...be back later

lyn

 

[Astoness]

hi brian as promised a few photos to give you an idea of where your grandparents lived hope this helps..
lyn

photo 1 myself in the little garden..you can see the toilets in the yard
photo 2 of me trying to break into the garden of 5/14
photo 3 me and dad..you can see the house window
photo 4 dad holding me at the top of the entry..on the right is the entrance to
4/12
photo 5 me again in the little garden
photo 6 my brother mark and cousin jenny in the garden..dads budgie shed at the bottom
photo 7 dad playing darts in the yard..you can see the old mangle outside the washouse or brewus as they were called


4/12

photo 5 me again in the little garden
photo 6 my brother mark and cousin jenny in the garden..dads budgie shed at the bottom
photo 7 dad playing darts in the yard..you can see the old mangle outside the washouse or brewus as they were called

 

[MWS]

Great photos Lyn.

 

[BrianE]

Awesome photos Lyn thanks for posting

 

[BrianE]

The burial record of Florence Rose Timms at Witton Cemetery 1900 bottom of page first 5th line up. Top of page next.

 

[BrianE]

 

[BrianE]

 

[Astoness]

glad you liked the photos brian...i am afraid the images of burial records are too small to read but dont worry about it...my grandad who lived in paddington st is also at witton... not wishing to go to much off topic i take it you know that your grandmother rosina died in 1948 and is buried at brandwood end and that there is a photograph of her grave on ancestry...i am adding one more photo for you...it is one of my favourites because it shows that although times were hard folk still carried on and there was laughter around..this is of our dad in the yard picking up nan...quite a daring thing to do in those days nan had a hard life..widowed in 1938 leaving her with 3 girls to bring up alone...mom said at one time she was holding down 3 jobs...she never re married but she did live to nearly 101

lyn

 

[cowperkid]

hi brian as promised a few photos to give you an idea of where your grandparents lived hope this helps..
lyn

photo 1 myself in the little garden..you can see the toilets in the yard
photo 2 of me trying to break into the garden of 5/14
photo 3 me and dad..you can see the house window
photo 4 dad holding me at the top of the entry..on the right is the entrance to
4/12
photo 5 me again in the little garden
photo 6 my brother mark and cousin jenny in the garden..dads budgie shed at the bottom
photo 7 dad playing darts in the yard..you can see the old mangle outside the washouse or brewus as they were called


View attachment 174065View attachment 174066View attachment 174067View attachment 174068View attachment 174069View attachment 174070View attachment 174071 4/12

photo 5 me again in the little garden
photo 6 my brother mark and cousin jenny in the garden..dads budgie shed at the bottom
photo 7 dad playing darts in the yard..you can see the old mangle outside the washouse or brewus as they were called

Hi Lyn love your photos , i can't believe how much your dad looks like my eldest brother in photo no 3

 

[BrianE]

Super photo of your Dad with your Nan Presious, I live in Australia but was born in Sparkhill, I visited my Timms grandparents grave in Brandwood End when we came over in 2010 and that is the photo I took at that time. When I was a boy, I used to go with my father to tend the grave. I have several Rowe ancestors buried at Witton but did not know that in 2013 when we last visited England, we were coming in 2020 but covid put a stop to that, now I fear I will not make it back again. Grandma Timms mother was a Rowe.

 

[mw0njm.]

hi brian as promised a few photos to give you an idea of where your grandparents lived hope this helps..
lyn

photo 1 myself in the little garden..you can see the toilets in the yard
photo 2 of me trying to break into the garden of 5/14
photo 3 me and dad..you can see the house window
photo 4 dad holding me at the top of the entry..on the right is the entrance to
4/12
photo 5 me again in the little garden
photo 6 my brother mark and cousin jenny in the garden..dads budgie shed at the bottom
photo 7 dad playing darts in the yard..you can see the old mangle outside the washouse or brewus as they were called


View attachment 174065View attachment 174066View attachment 174067View attachment 174068View attachment 174069View attachment 174070View attachment 174071 4/12

photo 5 me again in the little garden
photo 6 my brother mark and cousin jenny in the garden..dads budgie shed at the bottom
photo 7 dad playing darts in the yard..you can see the old mangle outside the washouse or brewus as they were called

great photos you aint changed much G