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Balsall Heath.

harley

I am sorry, I have no idea. It looks to be late fifties early sixties, but looks can be deceiving. Was there any special reason?

Phil
no reason except it is exactly how i remember the place in the fifties. wow how great it is to see these pics .now the place is long gone . what a lovely building too.
 
I remember Dr Wand. Those times you went to the doctors, and they always seem so old, and you had your medicine from the lady in the what they now call the pharmacy. Remember the thick pink pencillin medicine.

Chris

Christina

I remember the surgery on the corner of Conybere St and William Edward St. Our family doctor was Dr MacGregor a real old Scott for an old Scottish family (well grandmother anyway). The medicine I remember most was a big bottle called "The Mixture" no matter what you ailment was you always got a bottle. I remember we used to collect it from the chemist around the corner in Gooch st by the bus stop. It used to cost a shilling per prescription, no matter how many items on it.

Here are a few more snaps, a couple of Moseley Rd, one of Edward Rd, one of Gooch St and one of Hope St.

Phil

Balsall Heath Moseley Rd (9).JPG Balsall Heath Moseley Rd (9).JPG Balsall Heath Edward Rd (3).jpg Highgate Clements Arms Gooch St - Highgate St.JPG Balsall Heath Hope St 1967.JPG
 
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Phil,

I have been looking for a photo of Hope Street for ages as I went to Hope Street School. Delighted to see this picture and many thanks for posting it.

Jill
 
Jill

I got these photo's of Hope Street School from another site, I am sure the poster an ex resident of Balsall Heath who now lives abroad will not mind me posting them here.

Phil

Highgate Hope St School 1.jpg Highgate Hope St School 2.jpg Highgate Hope St School 3.jpg
 
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Phil Just thought you might like this photo. Wendy
 

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Phil Just thought you might like this photo. Wendy

malta,

many thanks for this, if it were not for the fact I was a breech delivery and born at Loveday St he might well have delivered me. I wish my grandmother was still around so I could show her as she thought he was a god.

Thanks again

Phil
 
Another great shot of Gooch St, showing the bus stop outside the chemists that I mentioned earlier and the row of shops over the road that were soon to be cleared for the new surgery.

Phil

Highgate Gooch St 1967 (3).JPG
 
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Phil,

Great shots of the parts of Balsall Heath with which I am very familiar i.e. Edward Road, Moseley road and Gooch Street. In the picture of Edward Road I am pretty certain the building in the right foreground is still there and that the passage next to it is Bath Row, also still in existence. looking at the Gooch Street shot reminded me of that drapers shop further down on the right (a coop I think), where they had that pulley system for sending money to the cashier. It fascinated me as a child!
Once again, great shots, where on earth do you find them?

Catherine
 
catherine

The alley in the foreground on the right is Bath Walk, a warren of industry in the 50's and 60's with another alley leading off it to George St. Have you any memories of the cake shop on the corner I think it was owned by someone called Packer, but I don't know if it was when this photo was taken. Do you still live in Cheddar Rd or have you moved on. Even so you should recognise a few places in these couple of photo's.

Phil

Balsall Heath Edward Rd - Court Rd (2).jpg Balsall Heath Edward Rd Bottom End.jpg
 
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Hi Phil,
Again great photos; those places are almost as familiar to me as the back of my hand!
I haven't lived in cheddar road since '72 but my mum still lives there so I am back at least once a month. I remember that sweet shop so well at the top of Court road - I was a frequent visitor! I think I can just about pick out the petrol pumps of Sibley's garage. in your picture.
My only recollection of the cake shop is of going in with my mum to get cakes for the staff at St. Johns (where she was the lollipop lady) in '63. She was leaving to have my little brother and we went in to get them some cakes. I think it sticks in my mind because she was buying what seemed like a load of cakes and none of them were for me! As you might deduce I have a sweet tooth. But I can remember some of the shops on the other side of Edward road: Elaines. the Coop. a drapery shop, a chippy further along towards Wenman Street, Brakls (the deli) near the Cannon Hill pub to mention just a few.
Thanks for sharing you photos.
Catherine
 
Does anyone remember "dirty lil" who made toffee on a stick in the 50s?It was a corner shop just up from St Martins flats.
 
bilsat, do I ever remember that shop.... When I was about 4.1/2 a neighbor gave me and her daughter who was 3.1/2 the money to buy toffee apples from Lloyd's shop on Dymoke St.
Now about a week before my sister and her friends who were older than I was had taken me to 'Dirty Lil's/Dolly's ' for toffee sticks (she made them brown, or white). Well on that occasion I'd had a white one, so thought it a good idea to try a brown one, so I walked with my little friend up Dymoke St, then up Angelina St and on to Stanhope st. Which if you knew the area was for a three and four year old a fair walk alone. It must have taken us ages because, when we got home we were well and truly 'in for it!' as we would have said back then. Both mother's had been pulling their hair out, after all their two little girls had been gone for ages and one of them had already been to Lloyd's to look for us and was told that we had not been in there. We'd only licked and eaten about half of our toffee sticks when they were taken of us and put in the 'Dust bin', not only did we get smacked and put to bed for walking all that way alone, but for going to that shop where we were told the numerous cats she had peed not just all over the shop and house, but also on the food and goods (Hence the name give her by the locals). I've never liked toffee sticks, or toffee apples since, but I do now know as an adult amd understand how worried our Mom's must have been.

Pom
 
Hi Pomgolian.
My wife used to live in Balsall Heath and she asked about that shop! She also mentioned the cats, she lived in St Martins Flats and then Hick St before moving up to Billesley.
Pete
 
Hi All

Do you remember Lennons the shop that was just around the corner from Dymoke Street, top end. Can't remember the name of the road, but you could walk down it and then turn right at the top and go towards Gooch Street.

They use to sell beer you could get in a bottle and then they put a seal over the top to stop the youngster from drinking it, you could even get it in a jug!

They sold all kinds of sweets, and you could boy a single ciggie in a paper bag.

My mum use to buy me my Easter eggs from there. I've still got the Sooty Egg cup which I had an egg in.

Then in Vaughton Street, there was Florrie Brians, Micky Phillips, Marshalls, and the old "bomb peck!.

I can remember the milk being delivered by horse and cart, and I loved the big horse and my nan always kept me a carrot so I could feed him when he came.

One thing that always stands out in my mind is when I went on the coach to Bourton on the Water with my nan, my mum was having my brother at that time (he is is now 51), and we were followed all the way back by an horendous thunderstorm. No rain fell, just thunder and lightning. We walks back down Lombard Street, having walked from town, back to St Martins Flats. My poor nan was terrified, she was one of those who opened the back and front door in case a thunderbolt hit the house and it had somewhere to roll through, and of covered all the mirrors!. She had all these hooks and eyes inside her coat to fasten it, and big metal buttons, and she was scared she would be struck and leave me on my own. I was only 9/10 at the time. Lombard Street still had the gas lights as well, so you can imagine what it was like.

Amazing how you remember things.

Chris
 
Hi All

Do you remember Lennons the shop that was just around the corner from Dymoke Street, top end. Can't remember the name of the road, but you could walk down it and then turn right at the top and go towards Gooch Street.

They use to sell beer you could get in a bottle and then they put a seal over the top to stop the youngster from drinking it, you could even get it in a jug!

They sold all kinds of sweets, and you could boy a single ciggie in a paper bag.

My mum use to buy me my Easter eggs from there. I've still got the Sooty Egg cup which I had an egg in.

Then in Vaughton Street, there was Florrie Brians, Micky Phillips, Marshalls, and the old "bomb peck!.

I can remember the milk being delivered by horse and cart, and I loved the big horse and my nan always kept me a carrot so I could feed him when he came.

One thing that always stands out in my mind is when I went on the coach to Bourton on the Water with my nan, my mum was having my brother at that time (he is is now 51), and we were followed all the way back by an horendous thunderstorm. No rain fell, just thunder and lightning. We walks back down Lombard Street, having walked from town, back to St Martins Flats. My poor nan was terrified, she was one of those who opened the back and front door in case a thunderbolt hit the house and it had somewhere to roll through, and of covered all the mirrors!. She had all these hooks and eyes inside her coat to fasten it, and big metal buttons, and she was scared she would be struck and leave me on my own. I was only 9/10 at the time. Lombard Street still had the gas lights as well, so you can imagine what it was like.

Amazing how you remember things.

Chris
Hi Chris, I remember Florrie Brians, Mickey Phillips etc. also further along Vaughton St was a small haberdashery shop where the Batty's lived and on the corner was the Dolphin Pub. then over the road on the corner of Angelina St and William Edward St was the second hand shop of Sadie Fox. Malta.
 
Do you remember Palmers just down from Mickey Philips who sold licorice?
Mickie Philips moved to Belgrave Rd next to Tews the paper shop.
Does anyone remember the sunday school on the corner of Hick St & Belgrave Rd opposite the taxi rank owned by the Page family?
Sue.Petes wife!
 
Do you remember Palmers just down from Mickey Philips who sold licorice?
Mickie Philips moved to Belgrave Rd next to Tews the paper shop.
Does anyone remember the sunday school on the corner of Hick St & Belgrave Rd opposite the taxi rank owned by the Page family?
Sue.Petes wife!
I remember Old Palmer with a flat cap and he used to call everyone 'shook' whatever that meant. malta.
 
pomgolian,did you go to chandos school in the60s. as i attended then also my bro and sister, the school , was lovely and next to us was a school for the deaf children , they were so lovely these children would hold hands with us through the fence. harley.
 
pomgolian,did you go to Chanda's school in the60s

Harley I went to 'The Special School for the visually the impaired The George Auden' the school was in the same grounds as Chandos Rd, there was also a school for deaf children there too. When I was there The older 'Blind kids' and the older 'deaf kids' would fight a lot as we shared the same playground with each other. Because of this, the older 'Blind kids' were given part of Chandos Rd school playground at the back of our part to use. However I left that school in 1957.
Because we walked up to there from Dymoke St my brother and sister and I would cut through Chandos Rd entrance to get to our part of the building. I remember the big long green metal fire escape steps that went up to the second story of the Chandos Rd part of the building.
Because I was visually impaired it frightened me a little, as there were big spaces between each step and being only little for my age I thought if I had to go up, or down it I would fall through the spaces.

Pom
 
hi, folk,s a photo of rea,st the last year,s 1970, the head master retire,s mr adam,s, great time,s. that,s me in between the to lady,s. .christy..
 
:angel: Robert my brother and Sister and I went every Saturday to 'The Luxor'. If was the cinema on the corner of Conybere St and Gooch St next to Woolworth's, and for special treats we went to 'The Alhambra' on Mosley Rd.

Chris :angel:
the cinema you are talking about was the triangle.the luxor was on balsall heath road and gooch street
 
Vimto and a packet of crisps with the blue bag! How I remember it, loved the stuff.

I remember Dr Wand. Those times you went to the doctors, and they always seem so old, and you had your medicine from the lady in the what they now call the pharmacy. Remember the thick pink pencillin medicine.

Does anyone remember Winnie Birch in Vaughton Street? I saw tv for the first time in her back room, and shortly after we had a tv. Muffin the Mule, Picture Book, Rag, Tag and Bobtail, Bill and Ben, and not forgetting the biggest talking spotty dog you ever did see in the Woodentops. My granddad thought they could see him and called Sylvia Peters his girlfriend.

In the flat we lived with my nan and granddad were were the only people to have a tv for coronation day and we had so many people in the flat to watch it was bursting. The we had the party in the square.

The nuns at St Albans always terrfied me. Father Hardy was my favourite at the church, he always wore that big hat and they all wore those long black flowing gowns.

Went from St Albans School one day to Wickstead Park, had to go to church first, then we all boared the chara and went off, had a red and white spotted dress especially.

Does anyone remember Carol Summerfield, she lived in Lombard Street, Terry Grey, Douglas Golding, Lynda Ralph, and all those who were born in 1947 and went to St Albans?

Isn't it amazing how things come flooding back when you hear from brummies who remember it all the same as you, and trigger it.

Such happy days.

Chris
I remember Douglas Golding,didn't he get electricuted,Terry Grey was in the same class through most of my time at St Albans,Carol Summerfield rings a bell but can't put a face to it .I was born in 47 went to St Albans from5 to15 Roger Bourne
 
Christina

I remember the surgery on the corner of Conybere St and William Edward St. Our family doctor was Dr MacGregor a real old Scott for an old Scottish family (well grandmother anyway). The medicine I remember most was a big bottle called "The Mixture" no matter what you ailment was you always got a bottle. I remember we used to collect it from the chemist around the corner in Gooch st by the bus stop. It used to cost a shilling per prescription, no matter how many items on it.

Here are a few more snaps, a couple of Moseley Rd, one of Edward Rd, one of Gooch St and one of Hope St.

Phil
Dr MacGregor brought me into the world,in St Martins flats,no hospital then.The surgery moved across the road later but it was never the same.
 
Roger Bourne

I do remember you, I've a photo of all of us, Doug Golding (didn't know he had been electrocuted), Carol Summerfield, Linda Masters, Lynn Ralph, Terry Grey (my first boyfried!!), Louisa Crook, Tony Macareve, and many more. 1947 for me too, I retired last year, August, so can't believe it is coming up to 12 months.

Chris (Jobbins)
 
Went to the Triangle and the Luxor, and the Alambhra, remember the ABC Minors?

Then there was the Cinema on the Bristol Road.

Remember going to the West End Cinema from St Albans when we went to see the Ten Commandments.

Still love going to the cinema, or the pictures as we called it when we were so much younger. Theatre was also a big thing for me, the Hippodrome and the Alexandra. Was a Betty Fox babe.

Lots of variety shows and panto's.

Chris
 
my uncle lived in balsall heath, pleasant terrace off mary street,my father
and i used to visit every saturday, then of to the footy, they were blues supporters, then go and fetch my mum and back to my uncles,wash house and toilet down the yard, i used to be petrified to go to the toilet in the dark, having to unlock a padlock to get in, but i remember when we were there in the day time all the kids who lived in the terrace would play together, we had nothing but were never bored, we allways found something to occupy us, i remember having to go to the little shop in balfour street for a bottle of milk.there's still a few bits of the old balsall heath left.

my father used to live in edward road
 
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Went to the Triangle and the Luxor, and the Alambhra, remember the ABC Minors?

Then there was the Cinema on the Bristol Road.

Remember going to the West End Cinema from St Albans when we went to see the Ten Commandments.

Still love going to the cinema, or the pictures as we called it when we were so much younger. Theatre was also a big thing for me, the Hippodrome and the Alexandra. Was a Betty Fox babe.

Lots of variety shows and panto's.

Chris
Hello Chris
I remember going to the west end cinema to see 'The Ten Commandments'with the school.I havn't thought about that for 40+years.This sight has certainly brought back some good memories.Is there any chance you could post the school photo so that i could download it(if thats the right term to use) Regards Roger Bourne
 
I need a little assistance, someone in the US has asked me to locate a "Harrow Place" which was located in Vincent Street Balsall Heath. Now to my knowledge there were three sets of terraced or back houses off Vincent Street unfortunately I can't remember the names of them. Of course before the bombing in the last war there may have been more.

If anybody knows their names or can tell me how to find out I would be most grateful.

Phil
 
Mary Street School

I went to Mary Street School from 1965 to 1970 i've tried to find out when the school was built, can anybody help me? I know it was called Bellgraved before Mary Street Please Help.I had great times at that school playing under the arches.Has anyone got any pictures/photos.

Tony.
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