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Sutton Parade
- Thread starter rowan
- Start date
rowan
Born a Brummie
Thank you so much Miriam. yes it was the Scottish Wool Shop.
I meet a lady who lives down here in Cornwall who was the manageress of the shop in the late 50's and we just couldn't think of the name!!
Senior moments or what
How strange to have meet in the shop (I bought wool to knit my eldest son's baby clothes from that shop) and to meet 50 years later down here in Cornwall
I meet a lady who lives down here in Cornwall who was the manageress of the shop in the late 50's and we just couldn't think of the name!!
Senior moments or what How strange to have meet in the shop (I bought wool to knit my eldest son's baby clothes from that shop) and to meet 50 years later down here in Cornwall
W
Wendy
Guest
Smashing photo's Baron just as I remember it. I loved Gill's toy shop on the Parade.
W
Wendy
Guest
I remember it Baron but only distantly. My brothers are comming round tonight I will ask them as they are older than me and remember more.
Interesting image of the electrical shop, The Baron. A few memories dredged up from around 1945 into the 1950s.
Down the street directly opposite was a little pet shop owned by Miss Molly Badham who went on to Twycross Zoo and fame with her chimps. We have talked about this elsewhere.
Up the street to the right a number of small shops including Worrall's, the photographers. Much further up, round the corner to the left past the church and the banks and towards the two pubs (The Tuns and The Royal - I think), a new toy shop named Stanley which appeared in the late 1940s to compete with Gill's; and also a bike shop called Currys (which may have been the present chain in an earlier guise). Walking on past the pubs before the road widened, there was some sort of hardware shop in a beautiful old Georgian building (one day, for some reason, the entire front of the roof slid down onto the pavement and road - fortunately no one was passing). And then further on, to the left where I think some civic buildings are now, there was a huge derelict house tucked away in the midst of trees behind high walls. At that stage, just after the war, I think it belonged to the Fire Brigade. The rumour went around that the place was haunted and was therefore an irresistible temptation to local schoolboys who wanted a good adventure in their lunch hour.
Along the parade, to the left and in probably not in the right order: Busby's, the stationers; Pattisons cake shop and cafe, a milk bar (was it Troy's or something similar?), Mac Fisheries, a grocer's belonging to a chain (like Dewhurst's but something else), WH Smith's, perhaps Bromwich's, another cake shop. Unfortunately I can't recall Thorntons. Nor any BHS - was there one? Dozens more but I cannot remember them.
On the opposite side, past the school, the Empress and the corner of the road which went down to Chamber's Ford dealers - a Midland Red shop/office, Woolies, and, after the library a seed shop full of dusty, pungent smells. Further on Mr. Hicks's tailor's shop (School Colours a Speciality), Frost the Chemist, Gill's toyshop and a whopping great furniture shop at the very far end.
I imagine there is just a faint chance that one or two of these businesses didn't survive the following 50 or 60 years (!). Any corrections or additions to the list? I could do with a prompt.
Chris
Down the street directly opposite was a little pet shop owned by Miss Molly Badham who went on to Twycross Zoo and fame with her chimps. We have talked about this elsewhere.
Up the street to the right a number of small shops including Worrall's, the photographers. Much further up, round the corner to the left past the church and the banks and towards the two pubs (The Tuns and The Royal - I think), a new toy shop named Stanley which appeared in the late 1940s to compete with Gill's; and also a bike shop called Currys (which may have been the present chain in an earlier guise). Walking on past the pubs before the road widened, there was some sort of hardware shop in a beautiful old Georgian building (one day, for some reason, the entire front of the roof slid down onto the pavement and road - fortunately no one was passing). And then further on, to the left where I think some civic buildings are now, there was a huge derelict house tucked away in the midst of trees behind high walls. At that stage, just after the war, I think it belonged to the Fire Brigade. The rumour went around that the place was haunted and was therefore an irresistible temptation to local schoolboys who wanted a good adventure in their lunch hour.
Along the parade, to the left and in probably not in the right order: Busby's, the stationers; Pattisons cake shop and cafe, a milk bar (was it Troy's or something similar?), Mac Fisheries, a grocer's belonging to a chain (like Dewhurst's but something else), WH Smith's, perhaps Bromwich's, another cake shop. Unfortunately I can't recall Thorntons. Nor any BHS - was there one? Dozens more but I cannot remember them.
On the opposite side, past the school, the Empress and the corner of the road which went down to Chamber's Ford dealers - a Midland Red shop/office, Woolies, and, after the library a seed shop full of dusty, pungent smells. Further on Mr. Hicks's tailor's shop (School Colours a Speciality), Frost the Chemist, Gill's toyshop and a whopping great furniture shop at the very far end.
I imagine there is just a faint chance that one or two of these businesses didn't survive the following 50 or 60 years (!). Any corrections or additions to the list? I could do with a prompt.
Chris
Last edited:
M
mike-g
Guest
you forgot the museum pub which was opposite side of the road to the dog pub.Slightly below the museum pub was a very nice pork butchers ( cant remember the name )
The Baron
master brummie
ChrisM Thanks for that,
My wife as a young girl, waiting to start her hairdressing apprentship worked part time at THE MILK BAR (Down stairs)in the 50s.
Her older Sister worked at Mac Fisheries in the 50/60s.
There Father (after retirement) worked for W H Smiths in the mid 60s.
As I have stated in previous post My wifes eldest sister worked for Thorntons.
THE PARADE Over the years was THE WORKING "BENTONS" HOME GROUND.
My wife as a young girl, waiting to start her hairdressing apprentship worked part time at THE MILK BAR (Down stairs)in the 50s.
Her older Sister worked at Mac Fisheries in the 50/60s.
There Father (after retirement) worked for W H Smiths in the mid 60s.
As I have stated in previous post My wifes eldest sister worked for Thorntons.
THE PARADE Over the years was THE WORKING "BENTONS" HOME GROUND.
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
In April 1955, Miss Vaughn, Headmistress of Fentham Girls, who incidentally lived in Royal Road at the time, took a group of girls to have their passport photograph taken at Worrall's on the Parade. We all went to France and Switzerland in May of that year. First look at Paris and Geneva. Great memories.
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Hi Chris: Youre fine.....Fentham Girls wasn't in Sutton Coldfield. The school was in Fentham Road, Erdington, off Gravelly Hill near to Highcroft Hall and the Erdington Cottage Homes. Miss Vaughan, our Head Mistress in those days, lived in Sutton and that's why we went to Worrall's for our passport photos. It was a bit of an adventure that day if I recall.
There are a lot of old photos of The Parade and Sutton on the Francis Frith
site: https://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphotos.asp&townid=27660
There are a lot of old photos of The Parade and Sutton on the Francis Frith
site: https://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphotos.asp&townid=27660
No you are not mixed up. Over South Parade from the Empress was Coombes, sweets and Tobacco, the Midland Red booking Office and Frames Coaches, British Home Stores, Burtons with the Snooker hall above, then Boyds an electrical appliance store which also sold records. It didn't last too many years there and was replaced by a shoe store amongst others.I think the premises were too large for a mom and pop store but not large enough for a chain to useThanks for the picture Baron but that isn't the shop I recall. It was on the right hand side of the Parade heading for the ABC cinama.
Was it just before the British Home Stores or am i getting mixed up?
That was Gills, the best toy shop for miles. They had massive Hornby oo displays. It was run by Mr Gill snr and his son. Shela Gill, the grandaughter was a very good friend of both my wife and myself in teenage
years. She went to the same grammar as my wife and I "took her out" as we said in those days.
I took myself up to Gills when I was about 6 to buy a toy tank which made noises and spat sparks. I returned home broken hearted as it was more than 10/- something I could not comprehend.
How could anything be more than 10/-? Luckily an indulgent father made up the balance. Bliss!
years. She went to the same grammar as my wife and I "took her out" as we said in those days.
I took myself up to Gills when I was about 6 to buy a toy tank which made noises and spat sparks. I returned home broken hearted as it was more than 10/- something I could not comprehend.
How could anything be more than 10/-? Luckily an indulgent father made up the balance. Bliss!
dek carr
gone but not forgotten
Yes Gills it was i lived in Walmley at the time used to save me pocket money till i,d got enough to buy the toy i wanted and off i,d go on my old bone shaker of a bike. went to Reddicap infants then Victoria Rd and Ryland Bedford the very first year it opened,sadly i had to move into Birmingham but those were happy days for me. Dek
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Wendy
Guest
I adored Gill's toy shop they had the most wonderful farm animals so life like. I would save my pocket money to buy the one I wanted. They also sold dolls shoes separately which was brilliant for me as I was handy with a sewing machine and made all my dolls clothes. I bought a pair of dolls ice skates once and made an ice dance dress edged with fur fabric and a fur hat and muff to match. I even get a thrill today just thinking about that wonderful shop!
The Empress Cinema, owned by ABC (I was a Saturday morning Minor at 3d a time, Flash Gordon, Hopalong Cassidy etc) was a lot older than the Odeon at the other end of the shops. Built into the side of the dam which had formed the Parade, under the cinema part was a theatre section complete with stage and seating. As a small boy I explored it one day when the door was left open. It was almost as if it had been closed the day before. Absolute magic. Pity it had to go, but the same could be said for all the character shops on the Parade.
The problem was that most if not all were rented and the property company would not spend money on them and was not interested in sympathetic development so we got slash and burn with the souless Gracechurch Centre. Thank goodness it was some years after I had left Sutton.
Does anyone else remember Trows Ice Cream, never found another that tasted as good? Pattersons Cafe downstairs on Saturday mornings, The Snackery, the scene of wild debauchery where you could drink frothy coffee until as late as 9 o'clock.The Cup Inn where an exotic drink was a half of mild with a cherry in?
The problem was that most if not all were rented and the property company would not spend money on them and was not interested in sympathetic development so we got slash and burn with the souless Gracechurch Centre. Thank goodness it was some years after I had left Sutton.
Does anyone else remember Trows Ice Cream, never found another that tasted as good? Pattersons Cafe downstairs on Saturday mornings, The Snackery, the scene of wild debauchery where you could drink frothy coffee until as late as 9 o'clock.The Cup Inn where an exotic drink was a half of mild with a cherry in?
dek carr
gone but not forgotten
I,ve just recalled a memory of the Empress. I was at Victoria Rd Juniors School i would have been 10 years old at the time 1953 the whole class were issued with 3-d glasses and marched off to watch a 3-d film at the Empress i cannot remember the film would anyone remember the 3-d film that was out at that time i should imagine it was one of first to be released.Dek
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Wendy
Guest
Dek I will ask my bother he is the same age as you and went to Victoria Rd before going to Riland Bedford I will ask him if he remembers anything about the trip. I remember the Empress well ABC minors ah the memories.
