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Cannon Hill Park

Thanks to all for reply's about the little natural history museum at cannon hill park, was there a full size blue whale hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the exibits.? and I remember my dad taking me out of there and down the road a bit stopping by some railings and peering down into the gloom you could just make out the "river ray" am I correct in this,
 
Can anyone clarify the situation of the Botannical Garden at cannon hill park which has be closed for years -will it reopen?
 
hi mewla4
yes thats right i remember the big green house it was really hot in there
and we would look up to those big green banna,s always on a sunday we would go a gang of us if we did not go there we would pay sixpence to get in the botanical gardens and our real reason for going was to try and collect pop bottles
to get some pennies the posh folks as we called would leave the masons bottle on he grass and we would try and race each other to see whom gets it first
i thought of the thread with bannanas but you beat me to it
best wishes astonian ;;
 
I remember the River Rea culvert very well as it was a place that we often played in even though we were very frightened of catching polio there! I also remember a high waterfall and how green and dangerously slippery it all was.


Graham.
 
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thanks Graham I never knew of the culvert, but as a youngster it always looked kind of magic and mysterious from up top. I lived in Raglan Road as a child and I remember when my old dad pushed me high on the apple tree swing, over the fence there were bull dozers and graders working masses of dust building some thing very big.was this the b'ham cricket ground it would be around 1949/50
 
Paul

The culvert started just inside Cannon Hill Park (this point is part of the Nature Centre now). Its starts where the River Rea and the Bourn Brook meet. They both drop down a weir into the culvert that was built to prevent the occasional flooding further downriver that used to occur. This is a photo of the culvert taken from one of Cannon Hills two bridges over the Rea.

Phil

Edgbaston Cannon Hill River Rea.jpg
 
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Yes, I remember the museum too, a visit to the park wasn't complete without going in there. As a grown up many memories also of the 'little zoo' as we called it with my childen and nephews.
Going back though, has anyone photo's of the tulip festival? Once held in the pak with two days of all sorts of entertainment. I remember a main ring with marching bands etc. and of course a fair! It was a yearly grand day out!
Jan
 
hi,everyone, i am looking for any photos, from past employers who worked at the nature centre 1970,s to 1980s, of frank welch, who worked on the front gate,turn stall, security work,. wore a blue uniform, can anyone help with any info. or who to ask? regards,....christy..
 
Just opened this thread on Cannon Hill Park. Particularly the reference to the little museum at the Pershore Road entrance.
It certainly was a dusty little gem of a place. One of the highlights (oh the excitement) was a glass case with a stuffed stoat/ferrett and if you pressed a button on the front of the cabinet it changed from a summer to a winter scene( seriously it was clever) we never could work out how the stoat turned from brown to white as if by magic.
With reference to the wooden pergolas, these went down (probably still do) each side of the museum. There never was a war museum there but further down the drive was a war memorial at the turn which led to the Queens Drive and the bridge over the Rea into the park.
 
Just opened this thread on Cannon Hill Park. Particularly the reference to the little museum at the Pershore Road entrance.
It certainly was a dusty little gem of a place. One of the highlights (oh the excitement) was a glass case with a stuffed stoat/ferrett and if you pressed a button on the front of the cabinet it changed from a summer to a winter scene( seriously it was clever) we never could work out how the stoat turned from brown to white as if by magic.

biffo, thanks for that, I remember the glass case very well and spent many hours in that little gem of a museum. I could even leave my bike outside without it getting pinched!

Graham.
 
Hi there,

I am DESPERATLEY looking for a photograph of the tram stop in use in Cannon Hill Park or a tram in the park. I have searched in the central library, internet etc to no avail. If anyone can help it would be gratefully appreciated. Many thanks
 
Lloyd

Not that I would ever question anything you said about Birmingham trams or buses, but both those photos look like they were taken in Willows Rd to me.

Phil
 
Yes they are Phil, I should have qualified my reply - thanks for the accuracy!
I have a photo of a tram in Edgbaston Rd but it's temporarily locked in my failed computer hard drive. The 'bundy' clock is there in Willows Rd so that must be the real location of the terminus.
I think the tracks were at the side of the road in Edgbaston Rd, as they used to operate 'one way' round a loop there, but I'm not sure if they used the stop there that the 1A bus used as well.
 
Loyd

They did continue round on to Edgbaston Rd as you can see on this photo. Did they then go down Cannon Hill Rd? As for you photos, I had the same thing happen to me my computer went down with about a 1000 photos that I hadn't backed up. I purchased a USB hard drive caddy for the drive out of the defunct computer and copied them to my standby machine. I don't know if you have one but they are quite cheap.

Phil

Balsall Heath Willows Rd (3).jpg
 
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Do you know why Cannon Hill Park Station is in the park I thought it might have had something to do with the trams or model railway?
 
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Audrey

Just where is this station you refer to located in the park. Is it by the putting green. If so then I think you might be referring to the station for this train.

Phil

Picture 039.jpg
 
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Do any of you out there have information on the Nature Centre from when it opened up till today
Any photographs would be great
I remember going to the Radio Roadshows in the Park when I was a child. used to skip off school
to go and see the shows.
 
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