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Stretton Road Aston

Romana said:
Thanks so much for everyone's help with my search of this wonderful street and I've been looking online for a while. I always thought this road was so unique and nice, as a child because of its L shape road and our cosy home, which had a pinkish backyard gate and front door if i'm correct and the quite close, mostly friendly community we all had. Our next door neighbours were an Asian Sikh family with two daughters who we used to play with. There was an elderly lady who lived across the road to us (i think) and i remember just going into her home and she'd have fresh cut cauliflowers soaking in a bowl of water, which she'd encourage me to taste. Looked good but tasted strange. My brothers, friends and myself was often entering nearby derelict buildings secretly. Everyone pretty much kept doors unlocked and had a warm welcome. We had some dramatic times with the local young thugs but my dad was always a brave trooper at fighting them off - alone too. He worked in the steel factory. This place will always hold the most cherished memories of my dear parents who I dearly miss and the street. I often wanted to and wish I had visited that place before it got demolished. I think its tragic how they did that personally. apparently, from when my brothers last visited the place in mid-80s; they said our house and street looked exactly the same from when we left in '78; only difference was that it looked deserted and a bit worn looking, unlike before. it had become less safer to be in those streets at that time and they were told to not stay for long. so much change!! My mum passed away last January and this has made me want to re-trace our past a little, which is why this forum intrigued me. I'm moving on slowly but it would be so nice if anyone has anymore pics, links or stories etc of this place... always lovely to hear and see things of the past. I'm sure many of you share similar feelings. Bless you all xx
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Hello there,
I joind this forum to see if anyone knows anything about the history of the business on the corner of Stretton road and Rocky lane. My parents ran it in the early sixties and it was a cafe called The Little Spoon. Do you by any channce remember it Romana?
 
Roger Baker said:
It was R.E & N.P Wood Newsagents at 37 Rocky Lane
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Hello there. Was the newsagents on the left hand side of stretton road or the right hand side of stretton road (BOTH ON THE CORNER OBVIOUSLY)
as if you were standing facing stretton road with your back to Tubes side of Rocky lane. I am looking for details, history and photos of a business that was a cafe that my parents ran in early 60s called The Little Spoon .
 
BazzM said:
Chipito. This was asurprise reading your post. The Mr. Morley at No22 you mention was my Grand-dad. You're right, he was a right old codger. I used to pop in to see him & Nan some days, when i worked at Tubes in Rocky Lane. He was a right tight so-and-so. As i say, it was a nice surprise reading a post from someone that lived next door to my Grand-parents. Glad you mentioned the old street.
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Hello.
Did your grandad by any chance live in stretton road in the early 60s,,,,,,,,my parents used to run the cafe on the corner called The Little Spoon at the time.
There names were John and Dolly Simpkins with 2 daughters called Joanne and Dorothy. Dont suppose you know anything do you?
 
Hello Jo. Yes my grand-parents lived in Stretton Rd in the 60s. They lived there for many years. Regarding the Little Spoon cafe, i remember it well. I used to pop in there now and again. I'm sorry but i never knew your parents names, but i do remember the food was always great. One of the offices at Tubes Ltd that i worked in overlooked the entrance to Stretton Rd, therefore i saw the cafe every day. Sorry i can't be more help with anything else, but you can be proud of the cafe your parents ran. Nice to recall these memories.
 
JO HEALING said:
Hello there. Was the newsagents on the left hand side of stretton road or the right hand side of stretton road (BOTH ON THE CORNER OBVIOUSLY)
as if you were standing facing stretton road with your back to Tubes side of Rocky lane. I am looking for details, history and photos of a business that was a cafe that my parents ran in early 60s called The Little Spoon .
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Hi Jo,
Standing with your back to tubes the newsagents were definitely on the left. I am not sure but I think the building onn the right corner was an ordinary house. The off licence mentioned in an earlier post by Astonian was on the corner of Chester Street with Rocky Lane.
Old Boy
 
Hi Jo

The trade directories show the shop changing to a café in about 1965 the owner being S J Simpson, prior to that for a few years (about two or three) it was an ironmongers with an owner by the name of A Page and prior to that a grocers owned by Lillian Mason. Here are a couple of photo (from a distance) showing the premises as a shop and a café.
 

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hi phil..which corner shop is it??...the one on the left or the right going down stretton road in pic 2....just asked the member for the names of his parents which may help..they ran it as a cafe called the little spoon...

thanks phil

lyn
 
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Lyn

looking down Stretton road from Rocky Lane it would have been on the right at number 35, the Newsagents on the other corner was number 37.
 
cheers phil..much obliged...i do have that photo but was not sure which was the correct shop
 
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hi phil
what is the number off licence on the corner as i seem to recall my mother told me the name of the person whom lived there and ran it was a mrs Mason and my mother caught her snogging my old father and they had a big row over it
as he was running the golden cross pub for the dodds family it happenend in the passage way that was there
and she called into the golden cross pub unexpected and caght him and mrs mason kissing
best wishes Alan, Astonian;;;;;
 
Lyn. The pic you show (if i remember right) used to be the newsagents. The cafe used to be on the other side of the entrance to Stretton Rd. But thanks for the pic, i haven't seen this one before.
 
Astonian said:
hi phil
what is the number off licence on the corner as i seem to recall my mother told me the name of the person whom lived there and ran it was a mrs Mason and my mother caught her snogging my old father and they had a big row over it
as he was running the golden cross pub for the dodds family it happenend in the passage way that was there
and she called into the golden cross pub unexpected and caght him and mrs mason kissing
best wishes Alan, Astonian;;;;;
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Alan

I don't think the café premises at No 35 was ever an off licence but the last person to run it as a shop was Lillian Mason who owned the shop from at least 1942 to 1963. However the opposite corner No 37 was a beer retailer until 1915 at least but that might be a little early to match your memories.
 
PHIL
My information came from my mother, whom told me of our dad she caught connoodling in the pasage way
and she at the time of her remenising of her young married days with my father
and she grew up on the cross in parliment street and married local
she was the one and only daughter, and only child to enrnie jelf
and they had all the coffee shops around aston cross and the city and out all around the birmingham
she knew old gal mason as her words said to me yes i was not born then
but the jelfs virtualy everybody in and around aston more so aston cross
and every body knew them ,and all the brothers of of the jelfs they was not just coffee shop owners
but i do not want to be sen waffling on and of the subject
so you see ,and she said she ran the off licence ac ros from the golden cross pub
so thats where i have my info to what i stated regarding the off licence what year i cannot say
but it was definately the off licence where she said she lived best wishes Alan,,,,Astonian;;;;;;;;
 
Phil said:
Hi Jo

The trade directories show the shop changing to a café in about 1965 the owner being S J Simpson, prior to that for a few years (about two or three) it was an ironmongers with an owner by the name of A Page and prior to that a grocers owned by Lillian Mason. Here are a couple of photo (from a distance) showing the premises as a shop and a café.
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hello there,,,thank you so much,,,YES,,,,,,my father was S J Simpkins,,,,,,,,was it Simpkins and you remembered it incorrectly,,,,,just wondered,,,thank you soo much for your help :)
 
Old Boy said:
Hi Jo,
Standing with your back to tubes the newsagents were definitely on the left. I am not sure but I think the building onn the right corner was an ordinary house. The off licence mentioned in an earlier post by Astonian was on the corner of Chester Street with Rocky Lane.
Old Boy
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Thank you for all of your help :)
 
BazzM said:
Hello Jo. Yes my grand-parents lived in Stretton Rd in the 60s. They lived there for many years. Regarding the Little Spoon cafe, i remember it well. I used to pop in there now and again. I'm sorry but i never knew your parents names, but i do remember the food was always great. One of the offices at Tubes Ltd that i worked in overlooked the entrance to Stretton Rd, therefore i saw the cafe every day. Sorry i can't be more help with anything else, but you can be proud of the cafe your parents ran. Nice to recall these memories.
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aaww,,,thank you for that,,,so nice to hear someone say they remember it,,,,,wish I could get a pic from the front showing its name ha ha,,,,,,thank you again,,,have a lovely day :)
 
JO HEALING said:
hello there,,,thank you so much,,,YES,,,,,,my father was S J Simpkins,,,,,,,,was it Simpkins and you remembered it incorrectly,,,,,just wondered,,,thank you soo much for your help :)
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Jo,

Please forgive these old eyes of mine, yes it is S. J. Simpkins that is recorded as being the owner and not "Simpson".
 
You are more than welcome Jo. I too would love to see a picture of the front. Would certainly bring back memories.
 
Apologies for the cross posting this the other end of Stretton Road taken in 1991 when the area was due for demolition.

20230108162812_02.jpg
 
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