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Tims Drapers Key Hill. Hockley, 1950's.

W

Wendy

Guest
Here is a nice photo of Tims Drapers, Key Hill. I assume from the photo it is the bottom of Key Hill on the corner of Ickneild Street.

s.jpg
 
Smashing photo Wendy. Reminds me of H.G. Wells' History of Mr Polly! According to an article on www.freelibrary.com at Key Hill "There were two expansive drapers - Tim's and Norton's, who also had a house furnishing store across the road...". So it was quite a big and seemingly prosperous business (since 1863 on the shop sign). I so wish we had shops like these today. Pretty well most shopping parades had a drapers/haberdashers even into the 1960s/70s. I used to spend a lot of time in them, especially in the haberdashery section, buying stuff that, sometimes, I never got around to using. I'd buy lots of material and patterns to make clothes, soft furnishings and curtains. I still have a piece of tailor's chalk in my sewing box that's got to be at least 50 years old! Spent many, many enjoyable hours sewing thanks to haberdashery shops. Thanks Wendy for posting. Viv.
 
Nice Pic Wendy,
The large building at the top of the hill is still there - painted white - the GEM building. Just before it, you can see the pillars of the GPO Sorting office wall ans entrance.
KH Cemetrery is opposite them
 
Yes Brian I noticed the Gem building well it's difficult not to it still stands out now!!

Viv my great grandfather's sister Emma Yates married Arthur James Norton so I have a connection there. I didn't know until I found this picture that there was another store in Key Hill. I love sewing as well although I don't do so much now. I would have loved both of these shops.
 
Thank you for posting the pictures - I love seeing old pictures of Key Hill. On post #7 - the bottom photo that shows Nortons - is that TIMS with the canopies outside?
 
I am sure you are right Polly. For a long time I thought Nortons was at the top of Key Hill but of course it was at the bottom. This is a photo of the pub opposite taken in the 1970's. I can see it in the old photo's but I don't know which pub it was
Nortons_of_Key_Hill_2~0.jpg
 
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It was the Bulls Head Wendy.
 

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terryb18 said:
It was the Bulls Head Wendy.
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It most certainly was, terryb18!, Great shot, sad to see how it ended up looking, Ah well! That's progress(?)
I lived in Heaton St for the first 10 years of my life (born 1949) and the pub was 10 mins or so walk, both my father and grandfather were members of the fishing club there, had many a Vimto and bag of crisp whilst sitting on the steps (to the Landlord's quarters) in the passageway.

1956 (either just before or just after the great Heaton Street Go-cart crash) saw outrage grip the population of Heaton Street, when the chippy in Key Hill broke ranks. Prior to that, since the beginning of time, a bag of chips cost 4d - 4.1/2d and the Key Hill Chippy suddenly increased it to 6d! Outrageous! Surely it heralded its demise? Sadly No, many soon followed suit.

Regards,
Peg.
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The price of 4.1/2d was a common price when I was a kid. I seem to remember that a loaf of Hawley's bread (with Crust on that I picked on the way home from Aldworth's shop in Turner St.) cost that much as did a bottle of Mason's lemonade if you returned an empty bottle at the Ansell's Off Licensed opposite us in Tillingham St.
This was around the end of WWII as I was born in 1938.
Cheers Tim
 
tim eborn said:
The price of 4.1/2d was a common price when I was a kid. I seem to remember that a loaf of Hawley's bread (with Crust on that I picked on the way home from Aldworth's shop in Turner St.) cost that much as did a bottle of Mason's lemonade if you returned an empty bottle at the Ansell's Off Licensed opposite us in Tillingham St.
This was around the end of WWII as I was born in 1938.
Cheers Tim
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Hi Tim, some interesting numbers there, you mentioning return of empty bottles reminded me there was quite a market economy in empty pop bottles - if you were asking for a refund on 1 you might just get a disapproving look from the shop keeper; anymore than that and you faced interrogation whilst he tried to establish that you had in fact purchased the pop from him, it was a little easier if you were taking goods instead of cash - Cadbury's choccy bars started at 1d, 2d and 3d in the early 50s, I know this because if I had 6d to spend I would get one of each - probably would have got more chocolate if I had purchased a 6d bar! Thinking Cost effective came later!

Another figure that sticks in my mind is the rent on a our 3-bed council house: 12/6 a week ( early 50's).

Regards,
Peg.
 
Peg do you remember when they dug up all the pitchblocks on the flat? My Uncle was an inspector at the 'corporation' and gave us the nods up as to when it would happen. We had fabulous fires for many weeks after that.
 
carolina said:
Peg do you remember when they dug up all the pitchblocks on the flat? My Uncle was an inspector at the 'corporation' and gave us the nods up as to when it would happen. We had fabulous fires for many weeks after that.
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Hi Carolina, when you first posted this one I must confess I had no idea what a pitch block was but I have since learned from another thread; I'm not sure if I missed the event or it pre-dates me (I was born 1949), it seems an odd way to construct a road and a really dodgy fuel for an open fire! But I bet they burned well (if a bit smelly)!

Now folks, moving on. Key Hill played a big part in my childhood (Threaders will be relieved to hear I'm not going to mention the chippy again!) My mother was a press-worker in a factory on Key Hill (which I think was named Clewley's, spelling could be wrong) producing parts for expanding bracelets for watches. Unfortunately I remember little else of the road, which I can't account for because I'm sure there were many shops as well as businesses - I'm guessing the Bull's Head has now been demolished?
I do, of course remember Nortons, where I purchased many an accessory for my model railway.

As a go-carter Key Hill was very tempting, but as go-cart brakes hadn't reached Heaton Street in the early 50s (where I lived) I resisted the temptation (especially after the, now infamous, Heaton Street go-cart crash of 1956).

Regards,
Peg.

Virtual v real.jpg
 
You missed the trams by a couple of years Peg. It had been planned to withdraw the trams in 1939 along with the other Dudley Road routes. However WW2 managed a stay of execution for the 32 (Lodge Road) and 33 (Ladywood) routes which eventually were closed in March 1947 to become the 96 and 95 bus routes respectively. Roseberry Street depot had been converted to bus operation in 1939. There were two quite tortuous tram routes in the city. The Balsall Heath routes and the Lodge Road route. The Lodge Road route was far more hilly than the Balsall Heath ones. The Balsall Heath route was nicknamed the "Chinese Railway" due to the narrow streets in some places only allowing single tracks which criss-crossed each other.
The wooden blocks were part of the roadway either side of the tram rails. They were more serviceable and flexible I gather than tarmac or concrete. 1947 was a severe winter and I am sure Caroline and other families like hers were quick off the mark to get these blocks for their home fires.
 
Radiorails said:
You missed the trams by a couple of years Peg. It had been planned to withdraw the trams in 1939 along with the other Dudley Road routes. However WW2 managed a stay of execution for the 32 (Lodge Road) and 33 (Ladywood) routes which eventually were closed in March 1947 to become the 96 and 95 bus routes respectively. Roseberry Street depot had been converted to bus operation in 1939. There were two quite tortuous tram routes in the city. The Balsall Heath routes and the Lodge Road route. The Lodge Road route was far more hilly than the Balsall Heath ones. The Balsall Heath route was nicknamed the "Chinese Railway" due to the narrow streets in some places only allowing single tracks which criss-crossed each other.
The wooden blocks were part of the roadway either side of the tram rails. They were more serviceable and flexible I gather than tarmac or concrete. 1947 was a severe winter and I am sure Caroline and other families like hers were quick off the mark to get these blocks for their home fires.
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Thanks, Alan, pitch on wood - sounds like a transfer of technology from the marine sector.

Peg.
 
Hi Folks, as previously posted both my father and grandfather were keen fishermen and both were members of the club at the Bull's Head, I accompanied my father many times on his Sunday outings to the Severn, Avon and Wye but I never caught the bug, I'm sure there were many trips when the weather was fine but, unfortunately, the ones I remember are those when I had to shelter under my father's giant umbrella from the rain that came down like stair-rods.
My father didn't enter many contests, or if he did he wasn't very successful, but on the other hand my grandfather, a self-employed jeweller, was very successful and I regret the one photo of him proudly displaying his prize of an easy chair and a giant shield have so far been lost. Which led me on to another line of thought - the giant shield, which I'm pretty sure would have been awarded as part of a Bull's Head Contest, was the sort returned after 12 months, I wonder what happened to it when the pub closed?

Regards,

Peg.

Fishing.jpg
 
well usally if the pub is closeing down permantley it,s down to the gather to dispose of all the bits and pieces
and the winner takes all come what may he wants , apart from the brewery possesions ie ,,tables and chairs , mirrors
and of cause the stocks and ledgers , any think else its down to the indivisional such as pub members
whom was in any pub games and trophys that they may have won if the leader of the teamsgot trophpys
they can have them all the rest its down for the brewery
all they are intrested is either offer the staff another postion at another pub , like wise with the Gather
Either he is pensioned off or transfered which more than the case so he could have taken it with him which is every possibilitity
As a good gather of any pub will have his loyal patrons follow on with him to his next pub and then he can display his good
Managerial expertise
Astonian
 
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