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Camden Street, Brookfield, Birmingham

Hi all

The name A E Harris Camden St certainly bought back long forgotten memories of when I started out as a Decorator in the 1950s, when the winter came it was a regular job to go and Limewash the Press shops and being only fifteen at the time it was my job to paint under the work bench's and what the lady workers got up to I could not say on a Family site and I still blush thinking of it. But that aside I have many fond memories of the factory and the many Metal bashing skills that I suppose have long vanished.
 
That particular site also has another thing going for it. Part of it seems to have been inhabited by the same firm for about 155 years. On looking at googlr, In noted the word Sapcote on the doors of (presumably) no 89. William Sapcote, builder, previously, in 1852 a carpenter at 152 Camden St, moved into no 48 Camden St (which in the 1880s was renumbered 89) . By 1888. as Sapcote & Sons, builders they are in 89 &91, and presumably have remained till today.They are listed today as no 87, but i would guess that this incorporates nos 89 & 91
Mike
 
This web page of A.E.Harris does not give the address in Camden St. but the photo shows the premises, I doubt if the buildings have changed at all. The elusive book I have seems to be in a very very safe place
 
HI MIKE;
I can recall thou,s old lovely victoria houses that was painted pink up the top end of camden st hockley
they did for years looked run down with there old grey deteriated white paint work of the orinional colour
and i thought they laid emty for afew years then they painted them pink and people of industry moved in and used them
and first sight of them painted pink i thought they was abit odd and they stood out but the more i passed them they looked good
i can recall saying to myself that it wa old sapcotes whom got the job of painting them as they was local and across the road
for the contract as in those days sappies was a big contract in brum until woodrw came on the scene and took the way in contacts
along with bryants of smal heath but if i remember correctly and then sapcotes painted there side of the road meaning there offices and yard all in white and reburbished the buillding offices and there yard with brand new gated and i think eventualy sapcoate moved out and sold to whittles building and painting in the mid to late seventyies and early eighties then bobs cafe came along on the corner of albion street and made a fortune you had to get in there early or other wise you could wait all day
best wishes astonian
 
I think the A.E Harris building is being used to stage plays by the Birmingham Rep., while their theatre is being refurbished.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Hi MHumphries. Is this the photo? This is A E Harris in Northwood St. It seems it now hosts cultural and creative events. Another good building preserved. Viv

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Northwood_Street,_Birmingham.JPG
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Yes Vivienne, A.E.Harris does indeed lease out part of its premises for theatre and other groups. I think the Rep. are putting some plays on there. I bumped into the owner ( my old boss ) a few weeks back on the Lickey's and he told me he was utilising the spare buildings he had due to the downturn in business, always on the lookout for ways to diversify is R.G.Luckcock.
 
camden st and the parade....dated 1950..

img762.jpg
 
When I worked I supplied A E Harris with aluminium for some of their presswork jobs. I remember Mr Luckcock - not the original, I'm not that old! - as a very stern, old fashioned man. Very firm but fair. Glad to see they're still going. I wonder if Mr Luckcock is still MD?
 
davidfowler said:
When I worked I supplied A E Harris with aluminium for some of their presswork jobs. I remember Mr Luckcock - not the original, I'm not that old! - as a very stern, old fashioned man. Very firm but fair. Glad to see they're still going. I wonder if Mr Luckcock is still MD?
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RGL as he was known within the factory was certainly still working at A.E.Harris a year ago (see post 14) but I am sure he remains as Chairman and has handed the MD position to a person within the organisation, but he is the sort of man who will be carried feet first from the factory.
 
Hi
I too remember Russell Lucock as being a man you could talk to, when I progressed from decorating the factory in Camden St to his private home around Lydiate Ash you could always have a sensible chat with him about the work in hand without feeling inferior. As a kid from Arthur St Small Heath working at a posh house in the countryside it would have been an easy trap to fall into but he was always great to us lads.

Acklam19.
 
izzy eckerslike said:
The world famous Mamod model steam engine makers were based in Camden St. 1949 era. My steam engine has Camden Street on the box altho I think they are now based in Brierley hill


15j6s6.jpg
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Sadly Malins Engineers, the owners of 'Mamod' are no longer at Brierly Hill, they have gone through many changes and are now situated on the Summit Rise Industrial Estate, Smethwick. Malins went into liquidation in Winter 1980. I'm currently researching a lot about this old company and keep in contact with Steve Malins who used to work for the firm. I'm currently trying to find out more about the Camden Street Factory which they used from Autumn 1949 until 1962. Before that they were at St Mary's Row from 1938-49.
 
Hi maggs
Just browsing through some old threads regarding Camden street and ickneild street where you mentioniond the chippie with the small
Bag of chips that was an aunt to my. Others family and then you mentioned nickname they had two shops one on ickneild street next to Walter smiths the butchers
Where you could get a breasdt of lamb for a tanner then there hickmans the fruit and veg and wild fowl and rabbits for sale as well

And the other was in king Edwards rd the shop on ickneild street spring hill was sold to said cleggs the pototoe merchants in the whole sale market
For the first six months he only sold spuds of every varirtity very cheap no fruit or veg just sounds and years later he moved on
And a old girl friend of mine from Aberdeen street worked for the new owners and ended up marrying the son theladtiheard they azresome where in weoly castle
Best wishes Alan astonian
 
I remember Peter Green (Daniel Boone). A mate of mine used to go out with him so we spent quite a lot of time together .. this was before his "big hit" though!
 
My Great grandmother Jane Beatrice Anderton was born at 252 Camden Street in 1892 her father John Anderton died the year after she was born in 1893 at 252 camden street
 
My grand mother kept the leopard pub from 1921 till they cleared the area, number 58 Camden street. I lived at 7 Arthur's place opposite the Greek church, granny,s place was on the corner of Camden street and Camden drive
 
Not sure this is right, but interested in anthing linked with camden st.round about 1940s 50s 60s. As my nan granddad used to live at number 91.
89 next door was i believe owned by Sapcotes builders.it always had caretakers living in . Just read somewhere on here about 89,91.
Found out they are listed buildings. Approx 2013 number 91 sold for 730k.
Wish me nan still had it.!! thanks for looking.
 
Yes a lot of my family worked and lived around there.Albert was on the buzzes.flo used to work for GPO. And help out at local pub.!!! Dad usedto go to a ice rink or roller rink near by. Used to go with gran to bottom of sprighill..!!!
 
Hi Dorset Brum I have merged your thread with a previous BHF thread on the same subject. You might find the earlier posts of interest.

Here's a photo of 23 - 27 Camden Street which may also be of interest from the Shoothill site. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Hi dorset brum
which local pub was it where he helped out as i am a native of the area in those periods and i drank in all those pubs
i expect looking at number of the house was probaly the grotto pub in camden street which was a great family pub
always had the fire burning ready for there customers coming in
which incidently was in the back room called the snugg and i can name and give the other local pubs as well
the people whom ran the grotto was great family orinated to there customer
and i can recall a murder afew doors from the grotto as well ,infact it was about two or thre entrance away from the grotto
it was in the back houses my frinds lived in the opersite side they was the doyles great people and a great area to live in
in those days we all looked out for each other
hope to speak soon best wishes Astonian,,
 
Hi Dorsetbrum
Here is the osher house of original of camden street the ones you see what google is giving
was converted by sapcote is self originaly he moved to camden street in the fiftys
bought an old house type building with a rear yard he made it big when birmingham started to
build with bryants before langs came to brum
those posh houses was redeveloped in the fifty sixties from old ajoining offices andd little work shops that were there
along with little factory next to him
they are at the top end of camden street close to the old parade as it was and the city was just the road from him
here are what we call the old posh ones built a decade or so before them here is the ones i am on about
and a family called Allibones whom ran hardware shops and clothing around the springhill area and kingedwards road of
ladywood birmingham 18
this picture shows the posh ones in the early years of abouut the thirtys at the bottom end of camden street not far from the grotto pub of camden street and the closes pub to that new ones of 91 camden street
would have been the kingedwards pub about twq hundred yards or so past his house and office and large yard
i will down loads more of camden street most of them like the first picture you hve seen and some with terraces
as there was old terraces facing that complex best wishes Astonian
 

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Hi Dorsetbrum
here is another batch of the older generation from those decade of the oriniale built houses
these are the botom end of camden street they was all like this until you got to the early posh houses in white
then there was a park they called the wreck it had an old police box stand on the corner then it was climbing up a slight hill to the top which was monument road running a cross you crossed over and continued up the hil to you came to the old propertys sapcote
remoderised next to his house andoffices this as to be aroundlate sixty mid seventys or round about then
i used to roam around there when i was a kid i recall sapcote they done small building repairs in his early years and ws well known for there painting contract i can recall them moving into that yard and joining office
as you se its a very big yard but it was not that big originaly there was other premises within the yard obvisoiuly
he bought the land beyound and its gone strengh from strengh in his buying the rest of the ajoining propertys
 

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Wilmot Breeden had premises in Camden St in 1950-60's. Whereas I worked at several WB sites, Umberslade, Amington Rd, Farringdon & Fordhouse Lane I never got to visit the Camden St. offices. Sapcotes were often used by WB on painting contracts.
 
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