• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Aston Pictures

Hi Rod,
I used to live in that section of Bracebridge Street and many a time my mom went into Gertrude Fall's Pawn Shop, which was just down the street and on the opposite side of the opening was Ray Sketchley's Greengrocer's shop, near to the junction with Miller Street. I have been looking for photos of this part of the street. Do you have any?
I,m very sorry to have to say no,i have no photo,s of my own from that time,in fact i can,t ever remember anyone in my family having a camera,nine children in the family,life was tough.
I remember being bought a pair of shoes for school(second hand of course) from Gertrude Falls shop,and a few years later having to go to the shop,which if i,m correct was then owned by an Indian family, to get Patna rice for my old boy.
Most of the errands i ran involved going down "the cross",or any number of the shops on Aston Road(both sides,the record shop now and then,i thought it was a magical place),until the whole area sadly fell apart,still lived in Hubert Street after the expressway was built,for a couple of years anyway,it seemed like our little corner of Aston had been overlooked/discarded.
I,m a lot older now,and a little wiser,but the whole bustling nature of Aston Road/North/Lichfield Road,and all the little streets off them were a joy to be part of,had a lot of sad,and bad times,but wandering round on my own,or with my siblings,or friends was something i miss to this day,hence the reason i,m browsing these forums i guess,
regards Rod.
 
There was Goodmans , the cake shop the petr shop, and Wilsons shop selling furniture. I know this as only yesterday my Dad and I were talking of this. His nan and Grandad lived above Wilsons for a time. Round the back and through a door were the 'brook boards' with Aston Brook or Hockley Brook running beneath. I will get Dad to reply to this thread tomorrow. By the way, I couldnt get that photo of Avenue Rd, can you repost please.
regards
Amanda
 
Hi Amanda,
Hope you get some good info from your dad! Should be very interesting!
The Avenue Road photo is on Post 312 (page 21).
 
Morning Amanda, yes it was always called 'Aston Brook' at that point, on the opposite side of the road, immediately above the brook was a cast iron "Gentlemens Convenience" complete with enamel 'Please adjust your dress before leaving' sign, which always puzzled me as a child -- 'Why a sign about dresses in a mans toilet?' also Amanda, my older sister had a friend who lived above one of those shops, and she was scared to 'walk the planks' to get to her door, especially when the brook was in flood. Don Clive
 
I particularly like the photo of Aston Village 1868. have not seen this before. If you look at the 1890 survey map you can pick eveything out even the angled wall that th man is leaning on. The almshouses look a bit delapidated in the old picture though even in 1868. Still even by then , they had been around a long time. Thankyou for posting Rod. The drawing of Six Ways seems a bit strange scale wise...the house on the corner is a bit small seemingly but it is a valuable view non the less.
 
Don my Dad thinks he may have been at school with you, in Mr Lewiss class, St Marys Aston Brook. Dad is Albert Millington.
regards the shops going from the brook round to Aston Brook St
on the right of the brook, was a cromium plating factory, fish shop and tobaconists and others up to the corner of Phillip St where was Vic Smiths the butchers.
Going the other way from the brook, the Corn Shop selling dog stuff pidgeon peas etc, Baines bread shop , a shop that sold all sorts including timber, Goodmans chemists, going round the corner was Wilson furntiture store that sold new and second hand furniture and where Dads Nan and Grandad lived above the shop for a time.
Now Aston Brook St, a cafe and tea shop, a woodyard, then houses that went up towards the Norton and Shelleys.
Dad lived in Chester St, the family lived all over Aston, Powell St Whitehouse St Aston Brook St, Catherine St . The war and bombing resulted in most of these moves.
Dads friends at school were Leslie Foster and Elijah.
 
On the right of the brook, was a cromium plating factory, fish shop and tobaconists and others up to the corner of Phillip St where was Vic Smiths the butchers.
Going the other way from the brook, the Corn Shop selling dog stuff pidgeon peas etc, Baines bread shop , a shop that sold all sorts including timber, Goodmans chemists, going round the corner was Wilson furntiture store that sold new and second hand furniture and where Dads Nan and Grandad lived above the shop for a time.
Now Aston Brook St, a cafe and tea shop, a woodyard, then houses that went up towards the Norton and Shelleys.
Dad lView attachment 45775ived in Chester St, the family lived all over Aston, Powell St Whitehouse St Aston Brook St, Catherine St . The war and bombing resulted in most of these moves.
Dads friends at school were Leslie Foster and Elijah.

Do these photos ring any bells for you?

View attachment 45774View attachment 45777 View attachment 45773 View attachment 45776 View attachment 45775
 
Not a toe, as a youngster I suffered with 'ingrowing toe nails' and had the nails on both 'big toes' removed three times, very painful! yes I do remember your dad, Albert and his friend Les Foster, Les was a tall lad, like me but he was very slim and I believe he lived in Whitehouse St, right opposite the 'infants' school? Does your dad remember Alan Fisher, he lived in Chester St, they were the only family in the area that had a car when we were at school. Don Clive
 
Hi 'A S Wood' (sorry to be so formal) I guess you must be Alberts daughter, I have posted a reply to your query "Don minus a toe?" but would love to send an e-mail to you and your dad but can't find the right way through this site (like your dad, I'm in my late 70's!) so if you cn conntact me I'll gladly reply. I lived in the 'bottom end' of Aston Brook St, and another school friend I have been trying to trace, who your dad must remember is Charlie Long, he lived with his mum and dad in a cottage IN Frank Knight's coal wharf in Chester St, at the bottom of Aston Brook St and alongside the Canal. Don Clive
 
Hi Dave, Ring-a-ding-ding.... theres the 'Gents' in all it's glory, I wonder if it's still standing, just after the war, when the Villa were at home people were walking 5-6 abreast 'cause there wasn't enough 3X's to take them back into town, and it was quite common to see a queue of men waiting to make use of it's facilities. Don Clive
 
Hello Dave
can you repost the photo of Aston Brook on #331 as I cant open it.
Don Dad would love to chat to you, his email address I will send you, if I can find out how to do it. I love this site!!!!!
regards
Amanda
 
Hi my family originate from Bilston,aston,ettingshall,erdington

i have st johns villa,wylde green and aston manor as a few names of places they lived i was wondering if you had pictures of these areas or any other areas the wood-woolley family lived also known as woolley would be much appreciated.....

keep up the good work..x
 
HI All, Does anyone have any info or images of Mrs Kelcher or her daughter Ivy, a Millliner in Lozelles or Wheeler St? My Great Aunt Winifred Simkiss used to work for her in the shop in the 1940's for years and years but we don't know what the Shop was called so struggling to find any info about it. Ivy inherited the shop and later moved premises to Bolmere nr Sutton Coldfield . Many Thanks.
 
Would this be the shop (s)?

1940-44 Kelcher Albt. W. who. milliner, 290 & 292 Wheeler st
1940-44 Kelcher May (Mrs.), milliner, 290 & 292 Wheeler st 19
1949-50 Kelcher Albt. W.; wholesale milliner, 292 Wheeler st .19.
1955-62 Kelcher May (Mrs.), milliner, 1 Chain walk 19.
1963-67 Kelcher M. (Mrs.), milliner, 43A, Lozells rd 19
She has gone by 1969 . Sutton addresses would not be in the Birmingham directory then.
before this period they were also at Gravelly hill, but seemed to alternate between the shops.
Mike
 
Would this be the shop (s)?

1940-44 Kelcher Albt. W. who. milliner, 290 & 292 Wheeler st
1940-44 Kelcher May (Mrs.), milliner, 290 & 292 Wheeler st 19
1949-50 Kelcher Albt. W.; wholesale milliner, 292 Wheeler st .19.
1955-62 Kelcher May (Mrs.), milliner, 1 Chain walk 19.
1963-67 Kelcher M. (Mrs.), milliner, 43A, Lozells rd 19
She has gone by 1969 . Sutton addresses would not be in the Birmingham directory then.
before this period they were also at Gravelly hill, but seemed to alternate between the shops.
Mike


Thanks so much Mike this info is Great - I didn't know about the Gravelly Hill Shop.
 
I understood you were interested in th eLozells shop only if you want further earlier details, then let me know
Mike
 
Re #256, 2 is Porchester st, 4 is looking at Wheeler st Gerard st junction from rear of demolished site of Cadwalladers shopfitters,look at the sign above shop, top right,sure this is what was Crabtrees.Check against pic on #287.
 
Hi John
I was wondering what program you used on the photo of the lady in the street with the broom. i have a program to increase the pixels and i use paint shop pro. But i was impressed in the quality of the
photo and wonderd which one you used. I am doing my fam tree and have some old photos to work on.

thanks Eric
 
Hi John
I was wondering what program you used on the photo of the lady in the street with the broom. i have a program to increase the pixels and i use paint shop pro. But i was impressed in the quality of the
photo and wonderd which one you used. I am doing my fam tree and have some old photos to work on.

thanks Eric

Hi Eric, I used Adobe Photoshop on that pic. As I remember, I changed it to black and white and then re-coloured it by hand with curves adjustment layers.
 
Back
Top