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Bordesley green

thanks for the update max...but as usual on these occasions i make no comment...

lyn
 
Away back in March i posted that i would find out about "The Legs" monument in Bordesley. The attached is an official reply from centro and gives all the information. Max
 
Dennis Williams said:
Wow, just been past that row of shops and Gardners is still there (in name anywat)!!! Surrounded by 'change' and huge Bangladisation.

How did they DO that? Is this a record. To my certain knowledge they have been a Milk Bar/Sweet shop since 1955....amazing stamina and fortitude.
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The fronts still there, but very very different inside to how it used to be. went in last week to buy some fags. its probably the scruffiest of the shops around there tbh.
 
What a pity but I'm not totally surprised. Thanks anyway FF. Does anyone remember another American style soda pop bar near the Fox & Goose in row of shops next to the Beaufort? Or am I dreaming it?
 
Dennis Williams said:
What a pity but I'm not totally surprised. Thanks anyway FF. Does anyone remember another American style soda pop bar near the Fox & Goose in row of shops next to the Beaufort? Or am I dreaming it?
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Have a look in the Ward End Thread Dennis, there may be something in there. Max
 
Just had a flashback. Does any one remember the American Baseball games on a Sunday morning just after the War in Park next to the Ritz (I think it was named Batchelors Farm at some time??) . They had the proper diamond and backnets and all the kit. I think a lot of the players were American or Canadian servicemen left over from the War, although others may have far more accurate knowledge of the games and their significance. All I know as a snotty kid on a bike, it was on my 'patch', therefore something to support. I even remember a name Vic Seixas who I think was the best player, and my dear old Canadian friend I played bowls with much later Ray Hjelter. Introduced me to chewing gum and brought a little of the American Dream to my life I have never quite shook off. I also blame Roy Rogers. Elvis and Eddie Cochran and DooWop of course cemented it thoroughly later..
 
Just came across this painting entitled "View of Birmingham from Bordesley fields near the Coventry Road" 1836 on https://antiqueprints.com Thought it may be of interest of this thread (hope it has not been on before)
 
Dennis,
I can well remember watching baseball being played alongside the Ritz on Bordesley Green East ....... and I didn't come to Bordesley Green until August 1957. I seem to remember that baseball was played there until at least the early 1960s. I'm fairly certain of the period because I occasionally stopped to watch a game that I had never seen before in my life. At that time, I was always cycling across the Cole's "floodplain" on the other side of Bordesley Green East from the Ritz to get to the railway embankment 600 yards from Stechford station on Sundays. From this viewpoint, I was able to see all the trains which went from New Street to Euston plus the occasional excursion and - when there was work being done on the Tamworth section of the main ex-LMS Manchester/London line - diverted expresses often headed by huge, powerful Stanier-designed former LMS pacifics. In those days they never passed through New Street due to their weigh and/or size, but, for some reason, were sometimes to be seen on what we referred to as the "Aston Line" on Sundays. From our vantage point not far from the northern end of Eastfield Road, both lines could be clearly seen before they converged just before Stechford station. David
 
OMG David. You have just pinged my memory of lying in bed at the dead of night as a youngster in Richmond Rd, listening to that magical sound of far off steam engines passing through Stechford and beyond, and fantasising of magical journeys to far off places. I used to do the same as you circa 1952-54 spotting the Trains, but then testosterone kicked in and life was never so simple again. I seem to remember more frequently cycling to Tamworth High and Low level (Double Clanger!!!) to clock those magnificent Stanier beasts though...thanks for the nudge...

Dennis
 
Does anyone know what year the Avenue pub was built?

My Dad was born at 470 Green Lane, which was demolished to make way for a pub which I think could've been the Avenue. The family then went to live in Shaw Hill Road.

Dad used to talk of his childhood in Green Lane, around 1912 - when all the kids used to play in the street with a neighbour's pig (!!) which didn't like policemen and used to chase the local bobby up the street whenever it saw him.
 
my grandparents lived in Churchill road ,bordesley green ,both worked at East Birmingham Hospital ,my grandmother Gladys also worked at the Custard House ,where just for interest we had our own wedding do in 1976 ! my mother doctor was Dr Benbow ,I used to have a bank account and used a black money box fro what was Lloyds then TSB at the top of Churchill Road ,did that used to be a cinema??
My grandfather had a allotment at the end of churchill road ;
its bought back so many memories of my lovely grandparents
 
I remember going to the Ritz to qwatch the baseball on a number of occasions in the sixties; at the time i had a friend called Geoffrey Ashby who lived in Pretoria Road.
 
Hello there, tadrussell,
Your recollection of the corner of Churchill Road and Bordesley Green is spot on. There was a cinema on that very corner until about 1959, when it was pulled down. It was called the Era Picture Playhouse as you can see from this photograph:

Era_Picture_Playhouse2C_Bordesley_Green.jpg



The old Trustees' Savings Bank was alongside the cinema; it can be seen on the right-hand side of the photo.

You will probably remember these shops on the opposite corner: Bordesley Green/ Blake Lane:

Opposite_the_Era_Picture_Playhouse.jpg




Dr Benbow passed away in October 2004.

David - with sincere thanks to BHF members for the two photos.
 
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Have just got round to looking at this, Dad lived in Victoria Road til around 1939 when the family moved to Station Road Stechford, in one of the big houses opposite the Police Station. He says his dad must have kept the Richmond going as he spent so much time in there!! The whole family lived in and around Aston and Bordesley, with his grandparents and uncle living in Carlton Road, then Hobsmoor Road, and in the past family in Sydney Road and Garrison Lane.
 
What was his name Sistersue? Sounds like my dad! He had an affinity to the Richmond around that time. We lived in the same areas as you. We may know your lot?
 
smashing pics max...i once had a conversation with someone who reckoned that there were no rag and bone men around in the 60s....your second pic bares out that i was right and that we did....

keep em coming...

lyn
 
Dennis Williams said:
Super pics Max. never used the RG but played them at footer Sunday morning League for the Victoria early 60s.
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You want to see it now Dennis, its been made much bigger and is now a small hotel, food all day and rooms to let . Max
 
Astoness said:
smashing pics max...i once had a conversation with someone who reckoned that there were no rag and bone men around in the 60s....your second pic bares out that i was right and that we did....

keep em coming...

lyn
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Well Lyn there certainly was Rag and tatters around as you said. I think the person who said that must have been Posh LOL. I lived as you know in the road next to you, and i made pocket money from collecting the horse muck from the tatters horses. Happy days .....But smelly ROTFLOL . Max
 
Dennis, my dads name is Peter Payne, his dad was Andrew and Grandad Albert. Dad was telling me today how he and his mates den was at the end of Royston Road and he got caught in there smoking when he was 11 with his mate John Tanner. He also asks does anyone remember Holmes in Victoria Street - dads family lived opposite them, in the house that the torpedo bomb took out (after dads family had moved) leaving all the houses round it standing, but he can remember that the Holmes had a 3/4 size billiards table in their house and this was moved to dads home in Stechford for the rest of the war as it was thought to be safer there.
Another bit of info he remembers was that Grandad had horses and a cart which he did a milk round from in Victoria Street, don't know if anyone knows any more about this!
 
maxwell bullivant said:
A couple of photos. Max
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Love the photo's Max.I remember the row of shops in Garrison Lane very well.I think the dog is standing on the corner of Gordon Street where we lived in the mid '50s and then moved to Tilton Road.My schoolmate's parents ran the Royal George pub in the mid '60s,I loved the mixture of smells in the pub.I first learned how to play darts,cards and dominos there.It was a great place to play and explore a kid but probably led to a lot of bad habits as an adult !!!!
Thanks for the memories,Keegs.
 
Astoness said:
smashing pics max...i once had a conversation with someone who reckoned that there were no rag and bone men around in the 60s....your second pic bares out that i was right and that we did....

keep em coming...

lyn
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You are right Lyn,I lived in Tilton Road untill 1967 and worked in the area untill the mid 1970's and "Raggie"Allens in Garrison Lane was still going strong then,you could often see Rag & Bone men going to and from his yard.
Cheers,Keegs
 
Hi Sue,

Does your dad mean the Holmes who had a drapers shop in Victoria Street near the Green Lane end? Their shop was bombed and Mrs Holmes killed. Mr Holmes a little later opened a shop in Green Lane between Palace Road and Charles Road. I knew him quite well and last saw him at Somerville Road School in 1995. The school was celebrating its 100th anniversary and had invited old pupils to attend. Mr Holmes was fit and well then but getting on in years. He remembered all my family who had been customers of his for years.

Old Boy
 
raggy allen.what a great place for old tat.i bought 2 old invalid cars off him.and put one engine in a bike frame,there was no kick start only electric start.you had to run and jump on it to start it.my friend called it a b***** mobile becouse it did not do your under carrage much good
jumping on it.
 
mw0njm said:
raggy allen.what a great place for old tat.i bought 2 old invalid cars off him.and put one engine in a bike frame,there was no kick start only electric start.you had to run and jump on it to start it.my friend called it a b***** mobile becouse it did not do your under carrage much good
jumping on it.
Click to expand...

That sounds a bit like mine at times Pete. LoL
 
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