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HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
Great photos Lyn. Warren Farm Cottage is not your average farm or cottage is it? It definitely mimics Perry Hall architecture. Some architect went to a lot of effort to develop that design. From other discussions on the forum (remember the "Poole Farm Cottages, Rodwell Drive" thread?) I think Warren Farm probably had an important place in the area. It was probably linked to Pool Farm Cottages. I expect it also had something to do with Lodge Pool. Another feature that came out on that thread that there was probably a dam nearby. Putting two and two together (and making 5!) I'd guess that that's the reason Warren Farm was located there in the first place. But I wonder if they were doing more than just farming. Maybe they were using the water power around to work machinery? I also wonder if, because of the natural resources, this very site was developed way back even in roman times, this being near to Icknield St (or Way) Who knows, but I find this utterly fascinating as there's only a few remaining glimpses of this past rural life around in the area. Viv.
yes viv i agree about warren farm cottage..it looked really grand to me..such a pity that kingstanding has lost such a lot..but there again i think most areas in brum have..i remember now about talking about the cottages in rodwell grove close to me...dont think i ever did get a pic of it..will do that tomorrow along with the bungalow next to the coach and horses and of those shops you remember on the kingstanding road...
lyn
lyn
That's excellent Lyn. And many thanks. Hope it's a warm, dry day for you tomorrow on your travels! Viv
Fantastic Lyn! And thanks for doing that. You had good weather too! The Kingstanding Rd shops look pretty much unchanged, only different in what they're selling. The hardware shop looks like it did 40+ years ago! I bought several coloured glass ornaments for my mum from there when I was young. Nice to see the fence partitions across the pavement are still there too (well maybe replacements). They were painted a deep red/ maroonish colour in the 60s. The newsagents is still there - used to be called Kirtons I think. They had strings of magazines tied above the counters. The old wooden advertising board which was outside has gone but has been replaced with a more up to date hoarding in the same position. Going round the corner to te left was Lathams linen shop. Bought quite a lot of material and patterns from there to make up the latest fashions at home on the trusty hand-driven Singer sewing machine (great machine). I also think at one time (probably 1950s) there was a greengrocers/ fresh fish shop on that corner. Had stalls coming out onto the pavement. Used to get cod roe from there. Yum. And I used to catch the # 28 bus just outside Lathams to go to school. That was a real blast from the past Lyn. Thanks so much!
Will now 'study' your Pool Farms pics over a nice cuppa tea. Viv.
Will now 'study' your Pool Farms pics over a nice cuppa tea. Viv.
Yes Jean I think I remember both of Rochelle's shops.Was the the Kingstanding one on Hawthorn Road? I think the one at the Circle was near the Kingstanding pub. A butchers shop is a rare sight these days. Also my mum worked at Bywaters on the Kingstanding Road for a while in the 60s. The shop was a bit further along the row of shops from Kirtons the newsagent. Consequently we had plenty of sausages, bacon, pork pies and chops in our house. (Afraid not an entirely healthy a diet!) Viv.
Just trying to work out what you did with cow's udder Jean?!! Viv.
Don't quite know how I feel about that Jean. Anyway I doubt you could get hold of cow's udder these days - such a pity !! Viv.
poole farm cottages.
A 1921 auction of Warren and Pool Farm (by then Pool Farm and Warren Farm were combined as a 'mixed farm') the auction lot included not only Warren Farm buildings but Pool Farm itself with its stabling, carts and a cowhouse. (I wonder if the two farms were joined up for business reasons?) Along with Pool Farm the lot also included 2 brick built cottages. Each cottage had 3 bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, scullery and outside E.C (....? closet?). It looks very possible that the Pool Farm Cottages in Lyn's photos could be those listed for the 1921 auction, despite now appearing to be divided into 4 individual cottages. The auction description gives the impression of quite comfortable and roomy accommodation - a fact that makes me think it would be feasible that they could later have been divided into 4 separate homes.
The Warren Farm details from the 1927 auction describe it having 6 bedrooms, a bathroom, 3 reception rooms, a lounge, hall, kitchen, dairy, scullery, wc and cellar. Well water was pumped to the house by engine and there were 2 tennis courts. So it was not your run-of-the-mill humble farmhouse! Viv.
I've never come across old photos of the cluster of shops at the junction of Tresham Rd and Kingstanding Rd. These would have been built in the 1930s and were purpose built with living accommodation above. So thought I'd write some of my memories of them. Starting from the hall, which I think was called 'the Settlement'. This is where I went to Sunday School and later to tap and ballet classes run by a sprightly lady called Doreen. We did dance shows at various places around B'ham. Next to the Settlement was the garage (looks like it's still there on Streetview). Very little seems to have changed about the garage except it now has a high security fence. It always had a little shop for selling road maps etc. They didn't sell cars in the 60s so the business must have mainly been repairs. Now on to the shops. The one next to the garage was once a sweet shop. Further along, in the late 60s, there was greengrocer which I think was run by the son of the caretaker of Kingsthorne School. Coming round to where the shops start to curve onto Tresham Rd was a wool shop/ ladies and baby clothes shop. Used to order wool from the lady who ran the shop. You'd order the full amount of wool to knit the garment, then she'd keep the rest aside for you. You could collect and pay for the wool as you needed it, but all from the same batch so that the colour dyes were exact. Somewhere near this shop was an electrical shop selling small domestic appliances like kettles, light bulbs, fuses etc. Then turning onto Tresham Rd was the Candy Stores on the corner, run by Mr & Mrs Stanworth. As well as selling sweets they sold groceries and meat products like ham, also butter, sugar. I also remember buying a hoola hoop from there - can clearly remember them tantalisingly hanging outside by the shop door. The shop's now - according to Streetview - a pre-school. It was quite a large shop, but didn't cover as many units as the pre-school now occupies. The Candy Stores yard/garden was next to the shop on Tresham Road. Here they had one - or maybe two - Alsatian dogs which sometimes used to scare the living daylights out of us kids as they barked and jumped up at the fence as you passed. There are now railings around the front of the shop but in the 60s this was a wall. It's where my friend and I set up our first business venture (aged about 8 or 9!) selling bunches of wild flowers (eat your heart out Eliza Doolittle). We'd collect the flowers, mainly Golden Rod, from the field which was next to the fish & chip shop on the other side of Tresham Rd and sell them to passers-by. But, alas, the business failed. Most people at that time regarded Golden Rod as a weed. Today it's sold as a commercially grown flower - if only we'd stuck at it!
Moving across to the shops on the other side of Tresham Rd they started with an outdoor tucked in the corner. Not sure what was next to that shop. Further round on Kingstanding Rd was a ladies hairdresser. I was a hairdresser's model for a while. Used to go to evening classes with the son of the owner who'd practice on my hair whilst he trained to become a hairdresser. I'd go to school next day with some magnificent hairdos, a favourite being the Kathy Kirby flick. Along this stretch was a chemists where I bought very, very small, bottles of 'California Poppy', 'Midnight in Paris' and '4711' . The chemist kept all these little perfumes in a glass fronted cabinet on the counter. Then there was the fish & chip shop on the end of the row, run by a Greek family, lovely fish & chips, very, very long queues every Friday teatime. This was next to the field (looks like it's now been built on but must have been empty for a very long time). We'd get into the field via the gulley that ran behind the shops and between Atlantic Rd. There were gullies behind all the houses in Atlantic Rd - our playground. These now look fenced off, but in the 60s they were all accessible, no gates. Wonderful places to play in.
I'd really love to see old photos of these shops if anyone has any. Viv.
Moving across to the shops on the other side of Tresham Rd they started with an outdoor tucked in the corner. Not sure what was next to that shop. Further round on Kingstanding Rd was a ladies hairdresser. I was a hairdresser's model for a while. Used to go to evening classes with the son of the owner who'd practice on my hair whilst he trained to become a hairdresser. I'd go to school next day with some magnificent hairdos, a favourite being the Kathy Kirby flick. Along this stretch was a chemists where I bought very, very small, bottles of 'California Poppy', 'Midnight in Paris' and '4711' . The chemist kept all these little perfumes in a glass fronted cabinet on the counter. Then there was the fish & chip shop on the end of the row, run by a Greek family, lovely fish & chips, very, very long queues every Friday teatime. This was next to the field (looks like it's now been built on but must have been empty for a very long time). We'd get into the field via the gulley that ran behind the shops and between Atlantic Rd. There were gullies behind all the houses in Atlantic Rd - our playground. These now look fenced off, but in the 60s they were all accessible, no gates. Wonderful places to play in.
I'd really love to see old photos of these shops if anyone has any. Viv.
morning viv...same here im afraid...ive not come accross any pics of that section..although having said that im sure i saw a pic of an old garage that was on that section of the kingstanding road..just wondering if it was the forerunner to the one thats there now..i will sort out the book later on and have a look for you...wish my memory was as good as yours viv...really enjoyed reading your post..
lyn
lyn
Hi all.
Lyn, would be great to see pics if you come across any. Thanks. I remember so much about the place because this was where we played, especially in the gullies which run along the back of the shops, all parallel with Kingstanding Rd. Dek and Jean, good to hear the Settlement's still in use. Was very much part of the community when I lived there. There was a #29 bus stop (later #90 or #91) which stopped roughly in front of the Settlement. What a busy road that became. In fact I vaguely remember a woman being fatally run over by a bus somewhere around there in the 60s. I used to have to cross it every day to get to Cranbourne Rd (Kingsthorne Jnr & Infants). I used the gulley which cuts through from Atlantic Rd to Kingstanding Rd (exits near Hotspur Rd). The school must have been built around the 1930s to cater for all the families that moved there when Kingstanding was developed. In fact when I went there in the 50s/60s they'd built extra classrooms which may have been temporary, they were wooden clad buildings. I think one of these 'huts' was used as a pre-school/nursery at one time and some of them housed the kitchens. One of the huts was used as a pretend shop, where we'd do lessons on 'money'. I liked it in there. There was a high wall diving the 'huts' from the playground on the Hotspur Rd side of the school. Also there was an entrance to the school down an alleyway on the Hotspur Rd side which meant you didn't have to walk around to the front of the school on Cranbourne Rd. Funny the things that spark off the memories! Viv.
Lyn, would be great to see pics if you come across any. Thanks. I remember so much about the place because this was where we played, especially in the gullies which run along the back of the shops, all parallel with Kingstanding Rd. Dek and Jean, good to hear the Settlement's still in use. Was very much part of the community when I lived there. There was a #29 bus stop (later #90 or #91) which stopped roughly in front of the Settlement. What a busy road that became. In fact I vaguely remember a woman being fatally run over by a bus somewhere around there in the 60s. I used to have to cross it every day to get to Cranbourne Rd (Kingsthorne Jnr & Infants). I used the gulley which cuts through from Atlantic Rd to Kingstanding Rd (exits near Hotspur Rd). The school must have been built around the 1930s to cater for all the families that moved there when Kingstanding was developed. In fact when I went there in the 50s/60s they'd built extra classrooms which may have been temporary, they were wooden clad buildings. I think one of these 'huts' was used as a pre-school/nursery at one time and some of them housed the kitchens. One of the huts was used as a pretend shop, where we'd do lessons on 'money'. I liked it in there. There was a high wall diving the 'huts' from the playground on the Hotspur Rd side of the school. Also there was an entrance to the school down an alleyway on the Hotspur Rd side which meant you didn't have to walk around to the front of the school on Cranbourne Rd. Funny the things that spark off the memories! Viv.
lynne webb
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I went to school with a girl who lived at the undertakers but that would have been in the late 1950s. I cant remember the name of either the undertakers or the girl..It will drive me mad now trying to remember.
Lynne.
Lynne.
scotts wheelwrights no 549 kingstanding road dated late 40s...this would have been situated on the same side as the hare and hounds pubs going towards the circle..
scotts garage kingstanding road dated 1955
Like the photos Lyn. The first one of Scotts looks like those were old farm buildings. Don't really remember the Rec. I think it was nearer the Circle but I'm sure I went there with friends. We had so much space to play in nearby in the gullies etc that I suppose it was easier to play there. From the main gullies along the back of the houses in Atlantic Rd you could reach many of the other roads/avenues (like Corbridge & Rodlington Ave) going towards Great Barr as there were also little gullies leading off the main gulley. One of the main gullies stretched from Dyas Rd to Old Oscott Hill. You'd think they were meant for car access, but that seems unlikely as not that many people had cars when the houses were built. But they were wide enough to get cars or lorries down. Just looked on Google Earth and looks like they're still there too. Viv.
