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Potters Hill Aston
- Thread starter sylviasayers
- Start date
Eric Gibson
master brummie
It must have been mid to late fifties BG.
RobT
Acemeccanoman
Bob
Who was Mr Lacey?
there's a clue in the window (you have to open wide)
There's an apostrophe after the 3'6d = 3 shillings and sixpence
Attachments
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Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Thank you, missed the important bits, speed reading.
Bob
Robert Ensor (bob)
master brummie
Thanks for posting these a lovely surprise, had not seen this thread untill today
3/6d for a pack of fags wow, I recall someone complaining when he could no longer but a pint and a pack of fags for less than a pound.
A question what became of Austin's of Aston ?, I see they sold many makes, of course in todays climate that could not happen, but I do notice the company used the same font that the Austin Motor Car Company used for their name.
Radiorails
master brummie
I was curious about W.M.Taylor who was a draper and furnisher. This thread (picture 3) seems to be the only photo on BHF and that appears to be after he ceased trading. However despite all the car publicity there is a good 'ghost sign' with Taylor's name and business description at roof level.
Mr. Taylor must have had a very good business in the past as I noticed an advert on tram (car 832 on route 36 Cotteridge), a photo taken early 1952 not long before closure of the tram route.
Generally tram adverts seemed to be those advertising, well known, large companies, but it seems post war many local companies had their adverts on trams. Maybe it was due to the trams having not long to so before withdrawal and short term contracts were a possibility. Just a guess.
Another Aston company to advertise on trams was Black's of High Street. Car 817, Cotteridge route, was photographed in
post war livery. Blacks, also drapers were mentioned in the High Street, Aston thread and elsewhere on BHF I think.
RobT
Acemeccanoman
W.H Taylor & Sons, drapers started in 1887 in the front room of a house in Potters Hill, Aston.
William Munton Taylor came to Birmingham to take up a position at Newbury's General Store, (Just imagine 'Fortnum & Mason London'). Newburys stood on the old Lewis's site in Birmingham. to help supplement the family income, Mrs Taylor opened her own little shop in the front room of their house. When Mr Taylor gave up his position rather than sack a member of his staff he joined his wife in the business. From this the business grew into a Ltd company and branches were opened in Erdington, Kings Heath, Sutton Coldfield and Solihull. The Erdington Branch was rebuilt in 1969. And then in the October of 1971 the store was purchased by Owen Owen.
Image from Stephen Birch Birmingham Library Images.
W.M.TAYLOR & SON.
HIGH STREET, ERDINGTON 1950
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Eric Gibson
master brummie
Just looking back through the photos I'm scratching my head about the Austins of Aston photo, the posh building on a corner, where was that, it's not the ex Taylors shop which was in Potter's Hill opposite the end of Barton's Bank.
Radiorails
master brummie
There seems to be quite a history to Mt. Taylor and his shops. His beginnings, in Birmingham, with Newbury raises another question: from whence he came? 
Newbury are mentioned in their own thread here on BHF:
birminghamhistory.co.uk
It seems Taylor's moved to more affluent and developing areas with their new shops., Kings Heath and Erdington may be why he advertised on the trams as both those areas were the last to lose the old tramway system, Moseley Road routes in 1949 and Erdington in 1953.
Newbury are mentioned in their own thread here on BHF:Newbury's
Jo2K This is a photo of Lewis's c1900 obviously the one completed in 1896 but not the Lewis's that we knew. There were obviously alterations and rebuilding carried out to the original building. Phil
birminghamhistory.co.uk
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brummy-lad
master brummie
Hi Eric,
Some time ago I did an interactive map of this area, it may help you to see where Austins was on the corner.
Edited 6/7/23 website address is now:
www.leroux.co.uk/aston
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RobT
Acemeccanoman
Here are some examples of the WM Taylor advertisements in Aston Hippodrome programmes for 1943-1950, their adverts do not appear after 1953. At the moment I cannot find AH programmes for 1951 or 52, anyone know if know if they appeared in these two years.
The super example shown on the right is from 1943, and is half the width of the page of the programme,
the size of the page in this 1943 programme measured just 5" x 3 1/2"
The super example shown on the right is from 1943, and is half the width of the page of the programme,
the size of the page in this 1943 programme measured just 5" x 3 1/2"
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Radiorails
master brummie
A few ads that you posted in the High Street, Aston thread do refer to 1950 - 52. It seems that Messrs. Black and Taylor did not have ads in the same issues - competitors I guess.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/high-street-aston.51295/page-5
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/high-street-aston.51295/page-5
RobT
Acemeccanoman
Hello Radorails, Yes there are many programmes with Black & Taylor in, lots of them, but the reason Taylor was not in the other one, because Taylor's didn't have a High Street address.
Williamstreeter
master brummie
aston lad did the Potters hill in the photographs becom Selston Road later ?
Eric Gibson
master brummie
I may have posted this before, not sure, it's my cousin Victor Biddle the Potter's Hill chemist, through the war he was a Royal Navy medic.
RobT
Acemeccanoman
No if you look at attached map, look at the red lines on both maps, and you will also see Selston on the right hand map running vertically.
Potters Hill is shown (red line) on these 2 maps (as it was & where it would be now)
Williamstreeter
master brummie
Thanks Rob T I've got my bearings now , I lived on Selston Road from 1976-1996 I was one of the first to move in .
brummy-lad
master brummie
Hi Hmalins and welcome to the forum, No 24 would be roughly where the Morris Minor traveller is on the left hand side.
More images of the area here;
www.leroux.co.uk/aston
More images of the area here;
www.leroux.co.uk/aston
Attachments
Thank you, I’ve been tracing my family tree and it lists him as being a baker but it gives that address which is clearly his home by the picture, I’ll see if I can find out where his business was
thanks again
brummy-lad
master brummie
RobT
Acemeccanoman
This is from the 1915 Kelly's,
Frederick Finney is listed as a Private Resident at 24 Potters Hill
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Thanks for this I am going to open up more avenues today and see if I can find Peter finney and see if they are related.. it seems there was a few generations of finney in Birmingham around that time but later moved to London.
The photo of the houses were the odd numbers so 24 would have been on the opposite side. The photo I believe was taken in 1963. We left in 1958 because they were supposed to be demolished but that did'nt happen for a few years. The cafe on the corner was a bit of a general store selling bread, milk etc although there was'nt much in there the lady who had the shop was lovely to us. The houses were all back to backs. I was born at No 9 which is the 4th house up. Seems strange seeing not just the house I was born in but the very room which was on the 1st floor. Eight of us living in 3 rooms before we moved in 1958.
Really love those photos. My Mom`s Family lived in Webster Street (7/BO/44 to be exact.) Bring back a lot memories although I was brought up out of town.