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Potters Hill Aston

There seems to be quite a history to Mt. Taylor and his shops. His beginnings, in Birmingham, with Newbury raises another question: from whence he came? :laughing: Newbury are mentioned in their own thread here on BHF:

Newbury's

Jo2K This is a photo of Lewis's c1900 obviously the one completed in 1896 but not the Lewis's that we knew. There were obviously alterations and rebuilding carried out to the original building. Phil
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
It seems Taylor's moved to more affluent and developing areas with their new shops., Kings Heath and Erdington may be why he advertised on the trams as both those areas were the last to lose the old tramway system, Moseley Road routes in 1949 and Erdington in 1953.
 
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Eric Gibson said:
Just looking back through the photos I'm scratching my head about the Austins of Aston photo, the posh building on a corner, where was that, it's not the ex Taylors shop which was in Potter's Hill opposite the end of Barton's Bank.
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Hi Eric,
Some time ago I did an interactive map of this area, it may help you to see where Austins was on the corner.
Edited 6/7/23 website address is now:

www.leroux.co.uk/aston
 
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Here are some examples of the WM Taylor advertisements in Aston Hippodrome programmes for 1943-1950, their adverts do not appear after 1953. At the moment I cannot find AH programmes for 1951 or 52, anyone know if know if they appeared in these two years.

Aston Hipp Adverts 2.jpg1943-Taylor-WM.jpg
The super example shown on the right is from 1943, and is half the width of the page of the programme,
the size of the page in this 1943 programme measured just 5" x 3 1/2"
 
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aston lad said:
The cafe at the bottom of Potters Hill is where I and a few of my school mates would meet instead of going to school, one day a stranger wearing a suit came into the cafe, we all thought he was the school board man, we all dashed out the back and tried to climb the wall to get out, he followed us out, but he only wanted to use to toilet.....god knows who he was, but he wasn't the school board man.....
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aston lad did the Potters hill in the photographs becom Selston Road later ?
 
I may have posted this before, not sure, it's my cousin Victor Biddle the Potter's Hill chemist, through the war he was a Royal Navy medic.Victor Biddle.jpg
 
Williamstreeter said:
aston lad did the Potters hill in the photographs becom Selston Road later ?
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No if you look at attached map, look at the red lines on both maps, and you will also see Selston on the right hand map running vertically.
Potters Hill is shown (red line) on these 2 maps (as it was & where it would be now)
potters hill2.jpg
 
RobT said:
No if you look at attached map, look at the red lines on both maps, and you will also see Selston on the right hand map running vertically.
Potters Hill is shown (red line) on these 2 maps (as it was & where it would be now)
View attachment 144424
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Thanks Rob T I've got my bearings now , I lived on Selston Road from 1976-1996 I was one of the first to move in .
 
Hello has anyone got any information on 24 potters hill between 1912 and 1920-ish run by a Frederick finney who I think was a baker be nice if any photos?
 
brummy-lad said:
Hi Hmalins and welcome to the forum, No 24 would be roughly where the Morris Minor traveller is on the left hand side.

More images of the area here;

www.leroux.co.uk/aston
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Thank you, I’ve been tracing my family tree and it lists him as being a baker but it gives that address which is clearly his home by the picture, I’ll see if I can find out where his business was

thanks again
 
Have you seen this on the 1939 register, also a relative living next door.
 

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Hmalins said:
Hello has anyone got any information on 24 potters hill between 1912 and 1920-ish run by a Frederick finney who I think was a baker be nice if any photos?
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This is from the 1915 Kelly's,
Frederick Finney is listed as a Private Resident at 24 Potters Hill

24 Potters Hill 1915.JPG
 
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brummy-lad said:
Hi Hmalins and welcome to the forum, No 24 would be roughly where the Morris Minor traveller is on the left hand side.

More images of the area here;

www.leroux.co.uk/aston
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brummy-lad said:
Hi Hmalins and welcome to the forum, No 24 would be roughly where the Morris Minor traveller is on the left hand side.

More images of the area here;

www.leroux.co.uk/aston
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The photo of the houses were the odd numbers so 24 would have been on the opposite side. The photo I believe was taken in 1963. We left in 1958 because they were supposed to be demolished but that did'nt happen for a few years. The cafe on the corner was a bit of a general store selling bread, milk etc although there was'nt much in there the lady who had the shop was lovely to us. The houses were all back to backs. I was born at No 9 which is the 4th house up. Seems strange seeing not just the house I was born in but the very room which was on the 1st floor. Eight of us living in 3 rooms before we moved in 1958.
 
Astoness said:
last few...no objections to these photos being posted and shared on the net but could i just ask that if you do this please acknowledge the birmingham history forum ..thank you...hover over the photos to see the dates etcView attachment 136361View attachment 136362View attachment 136363View attachment 136364View attachment 136365

lyn
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Really love those photos. My Mom`s Family lived in Webster Street (7/BO/44 to be exact.) Bring back a lot memories although I was brought up out of town.
 
I am enjoying the photos and posts on here, thanks for sharing. My mother, surname Price, lived on Park Lane and worked at Pratts the plumbers in Potters Lane/ Potters Hill from around 1943 to 1954 when she left to get married. She said the office staff included Billy Harris, Sam Nicholls, Barbara Nicholls, Billy James, Muriel Howells. Does anyone have any information about Pratts ?
 
In February 1940 H Pratt Ltd were advertising for electricians in conduit installations - contracting experience was essential. By April 1940 H Pratt Ltd were at 27 - 29 Potters Lane Aston, And were seeking electricians in an advert in the Birmingham Mail. Again they were engaged in government work. Later that year (October) they were again seeking electricians doing work in Birmingham, South Wales and Lancashire. Viv.
 
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Memory Lane said:
I am enjoying the photos and posts on here, thanks for sharing. My mother, surname Price, lived on Park Lane and worked at Pratts the plumbers in Potters Lane/ Potters Hill from around 1943 to 1954 when she left to get married. She said the office staff included Billy Harris, Sam Nicholls, Barbara Nicholls, Billy James, Muriel Howells. Does anyone have any information about Pratts ?
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In 1955 H. Pratt's was still at 27 - 29 Potter's Lane
 
Vivienne14 said:
By April 1940 H Pratt Ltd were at 27 - 29 Potters Lane Aston, And were seeking electricians in an advert in the Birmingham Mail. Again they were engaged in government work. Later that year (October) they were again seeking electricians doing work in Birmingham, South Wales and Lancashire. Viv.
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Thank you for the reply
They seem to have covered electrical, plumbing and maybe even some decorating, (based on things I remember my mom saying). My dad was an electrician and went to see a friend at Pratt's and that's how my parents first met
 
In 1943 they were describing themselves as contractors on essential war work. H.Pratts must have been a reliable company to have consistently secured essential government work. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
In February 1940 H Pratt Ltd were advertising for electricians in conduit installations - contracting experience was essential. By April 1940 H Pratt Ltd were at 27 - 29 Potters Lane Aston, And were seeking electricians in an advert in the Birmingham Mail. Again they were engaged in government work. Later that year (October) they were again seeking electricians doing work in Birmingham, South Wales and Lancashire. Viv.
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I hadn't known they did government work, interesting to know that, thank you
 
Vivienne14 said:
In 1943 they were describing themselves as contractors on essential war work. H.Pratts must have been a reliable company to have consistently secured essential government work. Viv.
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this is fascinating to know, my mother didn't mention that side of things, she started there in the office, I think around 1943 after she left school
 
Maybe your mother responded to this Birmingham Mail advert in February 1943. You never know !
4D0078A4-8870-41CE-87DC-68A1B130B1FC.jpeg
Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
Just out of interest interest and to illustrate the high regard of the company, H Pratt did the plumbing in 1925 for the, then new, Capital Cinema, Ward End. It was fitted out with the latest electrical equipment (Kalce projectors and Crompton generators), it had a modern heating and ventilating system and the light fittings installed were described as beautiful, depicting a frieze from the Parthenon as well as translucent ceiling lamps. Viv.
 
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