It’s been fascinating reading all the posts on this Alum Rock thread; it has certainly brought back memories of my early childhood in the area. My family lived in George Arthur Road in the late 1950’s and on Adderley Road until 1961
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We were the Brittain family who consisted of Marge and Harold with children Carol, Susan and Michael, we lived at number 28. We later moved to the café on Adderley Road by Saltley Gate which my mother ran, while my Father worked at the Morris Commercial factory. Some of the posts that rekindled thoughts were about the supermarket at the end of George Arthur Road on Alum Rock; I remember that there was a small grocer before it was knocked down and I think a Mrs Bagley ran it.
I used to attend a nursery on Edmund Road; I can remember walking up Alum Rock past all the shops with my sister. I seem to remember a fishmonger as I used to hate the smell of it. Some other memories of George Arthur Road was a man who used to keep pigs in his garden, I remember taking potato and vegetable peelings for the pigs. I only remember one family name on the street which was Jenkins; they used to look after me sometimes. I think there names were Rose and George with children Robert, Brian and David, I think my sisters were bridesmaids when one of the boys got married. One more memory was the swimming baths at the other end of the road and the public baths on Adderley road; I remember going there sometimes with my sisters as we never had a bathroom.
We then moved to a café on Adderley Road, right outside the café was a clocking machine, bus drivers turned their numbered key to record the time at the terminus. The café was very busy with men from the gas and railway works, plus many of the bus drivers/conductors too. The café was in a row of shops which also had a sweet shop and Pointons dental repair workshop which my uncle owned. There was also a pub across the road on the corner of Alum Rock Road which always seemed busy.
Another post mentioned the Morris Commercial Club, I do remember going there as a kid and having to sing in the stage for threepence on a Sunday night. Can anybody tell me where it was, all I remember it was up the Rock somewhere.
In 1961 the Brittain family moved to Brighton and brought a small guest house, we are a much larger family now, but all still know their Birmingham roots. I still follow the Blues (kro) as does my son who has visited the area and St Andrews a number of times. Thanks for the memories, Michael Brittain.