Erdington Post Office On The Green

[Astoness]

hi folks i think most of you will know by now the story of the postal workers plaque but for those of you that dont here is the link to the main thread..

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=43365

our task is now over and the 7 postal workers have now received the honour they deserve but 2 questions still remain...just how did the plaque find its way to ladywood over 40 years ago..was rescued from rubble and kept save by a friend of mine?? the answer to this one we will most likely never find out..

second mystery is what post office bulding was it originally placed on back in 1922 ?? just a few days ago i was contacted by the gt grandson charles bull who supplied me the orignal invitation received by the widow of charles bull to the unveiling of the plaque which quite definately states it was put at a post office in erdington..but what post office building? and was it placed inside or outside?? the royal mail archivist is away at the min but will be be making their own enquires when he comes back..

here is a photo of the invitation so if any of our members can help with this one please feel free to contribute..i think viv may have some ideas to offer..

 

[pjmburns]

The nearest Kelly's I have is 1915 when there was a sub post office in Slade Road but I wonder if there was a sorting office as well. Actually there seem to be two - one at 506 and one at 272.

Janice

 

[Astoness]

hi janice my thoughts exactly..i have been told that in the 1920s according to kellys there were 2 post offices on the erdington high st but dont know if they were just the little ones or sorting office type...i think this thread could keep us busy for a while yet..

thanks janice every little may all add up in the end..

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

I found a reference on Facebook about the Post Office being near Mason's Road. There was a photo posted with this commentary



The top photo is the photo the comments refer to. We're looking at the tall building on the near left with the chimney. I've put a modern day view below it for comparison.



And here are two more of the same view at various dates. The building just in view to the left of our building is the Midland Bank, which I guess would be on the corner of Mason's Road/High Street. This might be a red herring, but I think the next building along to Midland Bank is perhaps worth considering as the PO where the tablet might have once been displayed. Viv.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[pjmburns]

I have had another look at High Street in 1915 Kelly's and there is a sub post office at 51 (between station Road and Wilton Road). There is a second sub post office at 281.

On the corner of Mason Road are the Library and Midland Bank. I will have a look at Mason Road itself.

Janice

Mason Road only seems to have had a Telephone Call Office and Exchange.

 

[Vivienne14]

I think that the building where Midland Bank and our suggested PO (next door) are were not always on 'High Street'. The road system around here has changed following various developments. And the Green used to be much larger. If you look at a modern day map High Street is in two sections. Not sure where this leaves us though! Viv.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[mikejee]

There seem to have been two post offices close by on high st at different times. On the c 1889 map below is the first in red This has to move as it seems Wilton road was built and it was in the way. It moved up the road a little. to where it is marked on the c 1914 map (in red). Can't find a decent picture of the second, which I think must have been the one they put the memorial on . In the 1921 & 1924 Kellys it is listed as Town Sub Post office (which to me means it was the main one for the Erdington area). with Mr E.T. Moore , sub postmaster

 

[Astoness]

some good info going on folks...

mike what number high st was the sub po

thanks mike...im on steet view now trying to see if its still there..

 

[Vivienne14]

Looks like the earlier and later POs were on the other side of the Green then Mike. Very helpful maps, thanks. A few images below of the 1914 row of shops, but not found anything for the earlier PO before Wilton Road cut through. The PO must have been 3 shops down on the left of each photo. On all the photos it's the third one without an awning. Viv.






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Vivienne14]

some good info going on folks...

mike what number high st was the sub po

thanks mike...im on steet view now trying to see if its still there..

From memory Lyn, all of this row of shops was cleared away in the 1960s. Think it might have been something to do with changing the road system around Erdington High Street - a sort of by-pass system. Viv.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Vivienne14]

Think I've managed to find the earlier PO. Going back to one of the earlier photos on this thread, it shows the cottages that were there before Wilton Road came into being. They're on the right side of the top photo. Then moving down the High Street towards 6 Ways, there's Shufflebothams store - which remained after Wilton Road was developed and formed the corner of the road. Then next to Shufflebothams was the Swan pub - the white building in the second photo. So the cottages must be where the earlier PO was. My money's on the cottage next to Shufflebothams. Interestingly there are two early phone boxes on the second photo next to Shufflebothams on Wilton Road. Viv.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[mikejee]

Just to add, the number of the later post offcie after Wilton road was built was 51.

 

[Astoness]

this is getting interesting now and thanks for those photos viv...mike just to clarify...the post office showing in your 2nd map is no 51 ??

i was just looking at that invite again and as it just says at erdington post office(no specific address or number ) i am just wondering if there was only one around in 1922

viv demo of those shops could well tie in with when ken found the plaque which was as far as he can think back 1971..im still chewing the cud lol

 

[mikejee]

Lyn
There only seems to be one main sub post office, but several sub-suboffices in the outskirts. Below is from Kellys 1921 , but list is identical for 1924. The one listed as Erdington is the one at no 51 (as you thought). The others below are indented and don't seem to offer all the services the main one in the area does

 

[jennyann]

It certainly interesting that this mystery has become unveiled except for the location of the original placement of the dedication plaque.
Thanks for posting the original invitation to the unveiling Lyn. I tracked down John Scott, MBE(as stated on the invitation and found out that
he was in fact an OBE and Postmaster-Surveyor of Birmingham at least in 1929. Canon Swindell, of course, was the Vicar of St. Barnabas Church in High Street, Erdington
for fifty years and was replaced by Canon William Sandiford Power in 1936. Canon Swindell made some interesting changes to the church over the period of his time as incumbent at St. Barnabas. Although I saw John Scott's name in a report by Neville Chamberlain written in 1929 regarding Public Utilities. I was unable to read it since you have to have a subscription to do so, but his name and titles were mentioned in the link. I tend to think that because these two persons were invited to the original dedication of the plaque that the Erdington Post Office location on the invitation refers to the Main Post Office. I can't somehow see why two important figures would be invited to a small sub-post office for such a ceremony. These are just my thoughts. It would be great if some original details of the dedication would turn up.

 

[Astoness]

morning jenny thanks for all that info thats very interesting...i actually thought what a large tablet for such a small post office but we have it in black and white that it did go at a post office in erdington.. thanks mike...my thoughts are that it must have been at the the one at no 51 high st...i dont have access to the newspaper archives at the min to see if the ceremony was reported so if anyone has access and could have a look that would be great as there may also be a photo of it...failing that i am at the library again next week so i could check the newspapers then...

 

[Wendy]

I did wonder if there is a newspaper report of the unveiling. There was a local newspaper for Erdington but I am not sure when it started. My uncle was the Post Master at Sutton in the 60/70's and at one time he lived in Erdington. Good Luck with the search Lyn and well done xx

 

[Astoness]

thanks wend...knowing this forum and its members we will get to the bottom of it lol

 

[Vivienne14]

Had a good look at the area around 51 High Street and the view below is where our row of shops would have been (I.e Blockbuster Video as it was on the last Streetview, now probably some other store. For info in the late 1960s/70s I remember this as Allied Carpets). I don't think the 1960s/70s building covers quite the same footprint as the Victorian/ Edwardian buildings. The road in front of the Victorian/Edwardian buildings (High Street ) carried on straight across the gap we now see in the modern view. The layout must have been changed to divert traffic away from Erdington High Street, (probably as part of the pedestrianisation of this end of the High Street). I also remember that this part of the High Street wasn't pedestrianised in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Probably confused everyone now!




Another observation is that when the early Swan pub was demolished I think the new Swan pub was built on the old Shufflebothams site I.e corner of Wilton Road (there are even two phone boxes still located alongside the Swan pub wall on Wilton Road).

So what am I trying to say? That there was probably a a fair bit of juggling around of this section of the High Street from the time Sutton New Road was first put through - I think 1938 - until the 1960s when the new retail buildings (such as Allied Carpets) were developed. I also wonder if there was bomb damage here? Maybe that meant the removal of the marble memorial to somewhere else for safekeeping.

Now if you haven't nodded off by now reading this well done!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Astoness]

good observations viv and yes im still with you....i dont think that the plaque was removed as a result of bomb damage because the royal mail have said they have no knoweledge of this happening...i am now going back to ponder and ive just asked for the contact details for the royal mails archivist..

 

[mikejee]

Lyn
The only paper for 1922 which might have mention of it which is (of now) in the british newspaper archive is the Lichfield Mercury. A Search which "erdington memorial" does not list mention of the event.

 

[pjmburns]

Just found the following on Birmingham Library archives site (it is an open file so I assume I can post the photo)..

The old High Street, Erdington, Birmingham
Photographed by E.H. Sargeant. The buildings were demolished as part of the alterations and redevelopment works on the street in 1938. The street became Sutton New Road. Old post office and shop prior to demolition on old High Street



Intriguingly there looks like a plaque on the building but I can't tell what is says!!

Janice

 

[Astoness]

janice is there anyway you can repost that pic but larger please...this looks interesting..failing that could you post me the link to the photo..
thank you

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

That's great Janice. So the buildings that are there now are not over the original shops but closer to the library. And that makes Erdington Green smaller than it was. (Even smaller than when the Library was built on the Green in the 1900s). I thought the route of Erdington High Street looked a bit odd at that point.

So demolition was around 1938. (Also around the time of the opening of the sorting office on Sutton New Road I think). The pic I posted earlier shows that part of the High Street closed off, probably due to imminent demolition for the Sutton New Road changes. And the date looks about right too.



I presume the Green on that side must have stayed empty then until the 1960s. Can't remember much about it before they built the 'modern' buildings. Nice to find out a bit more about the changes around the Green.

In case Janice can't post a larger pic, I've had a bit of a fiddle with it. But the original pic would be better of course.



So if the plaque was at 51 High Street until 1938ish was it moved to Ladywood into storage perhaps? If so what sort of PO storage facilities were there in Ladywood? Was it a PO/Royal Mail building that had been demolished where the tablet was found? Or did it go on the Sutton New Road Sorting Office wall until after WW2 when they made a new wooden one of both WW1 and WW2 casualties? Seeing no need for two memorials, maybe they sent the WW1 marble one into storage? Viv.





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[pjmburns]

Sorry - had gone offline. I tried to enlarge it but it got blurred.

https://calmview.birmingham.gov.uk/...rc=CalmView.Catalog&id=MS+2724/2/B/6021&pos=5

This is where I found the picture but suspect it might need a trip to the library to try to view the original.

Janice

 

[pjmburns]

I think I have a larger version and it is definitely 51 Hight Street.
Here goes.



Janice

 

[mikejee]

Have found another which is reasonably clear, but does not look as if it is from when it was a post office.

 

[Astoness]

thanks janice thats great..i can see the square shape where you think the plaque could have been and of course by the time that pic was taken it could well have been taken down...it does seem very high up to put something that takes two men to lift..mind you there was no health and safely back then..

will just go and look at your photo mike...is there any date for it ??

 

[Astoness]

had a good look at mikes pic and i think the square shape in janices pic is where an advert prob was..if you look at the shop next door also in mikes pic they also have what appears to be adverts above their windows...just my observations i think we have a way to go yet folks but what a good start...thanks everyone..oh and lets not forget that myself included we are assuming that the plaque was outside not in


lyn

 

[pjmburns]

If it was on that Post Office it would have had to be high up as there is nowhere else to put it but I can see what you mean about adverts.

Janice