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Sheldon

The newsagent on Barrows Lane corner of Garretts Green Lane was called Singletons. I went to Cockshut Hill infants and juniors until it converted to just seniors. Then went to Blakenhale and Sheldon Heath. Left 1964. Spent lots of time in The Dovecoats, Cabin, Ring o Bells etc.
 
There was a small line of shops in Brays road above the Barrows lane island. Shepherds (grocers), Singletons (newsagents) Betts (outdoor) and Bells (greengrocer). Just on the island Mr Jilks had a taxi service. The tall brick road island was the scene of many motor crashes in the winter fogs! I worked as a delivery boy at Shepherds (Mrs Bell was one of the assistants, and knew the families around there.
 
The talking of shops and Post Office has triggered something in my memory, was there an incident at the Post Office on Bilton Grange Road? My thoughts are it was an armed robbery around the late 70's early 80's or was it the Off Licence?
 
Was it the Ring o Bells that burnt down? Singletons was my favorite many Cadborys choc bars! John Crump Oldbrit Parker.Co USA
 
The Post Office Bilton Grange Road went many moons ago, and sadly The Ring O Bells is derelict (so sad it was a beautiful building with loads of character). Cockshut Hill School has several new buildings still scattered over the site with around 1600 pupils all entering and leaving the school via Cockshut Hill, they won't open Billingsley Road Entrance to ease congestion as they would need someone to open and lock the gates!! What a price for safety!
 
Just drove on Google down to Singletons looks it is still a newsagents but couldt read the name. I had heard that the Ring o bells BURTN down by hooligans? Had many a happy pint there, Dad my Uncle and I spent many happy hours in there. John Crump OldBrit Parker,Co USA
 
The Ring O Bells closed and was then set on fire, although 'still standing' is derelict and sad end for such a lovely building.
 
Top of the morning to ya;
yes cock shut hill school was nicked named prison on the hill by the kids of the school because they used to be locked in
after the school times before nine thirty in the moring ; and during the day the kids could not walk out as alot of kids used to get theremark as being in attendent and get of schooling ; my young nepews us to tell me when they attened the school in the seventys
yes the ring abells was torched by arsonist ;i have a friend whom lives just along from the pub on church rd sheldon whom we meet up every sunday ;
my friend is a car dealer hes been there for thirty years ;and my mate phil lynch the barber is just around the corner; phil used to be in bordesly green
by the hospital but recently moved there into new premises i have used phils services for at least thirty five years my kids are older
but i started to takethem to him when they was five ; and guess what ; we till travel from worcestershire to sheldon the yewtree yardley as it is called nw
for our hair cuts ; good hair dresser and highly good on his prices ;all is old customers travel from the green to the yewtree just behind the ring of bells
pub for there hair cuts phil keeps me in touch with all the pub gaffers and the closure of pubs thats going on ;and thee is still some well known gathers still go to phils as well as we all know each other some of them are strill in the game ;as old as they are ;my mis.s wants to go back in the game but myself no
it ain,t worth a light now; she is capable of running a pub on her own ; after all she her self as had four licence pubs and she is years younger than me ;
but i am still fit enough for it but like i say it not worth a light now plus i have a stablished bussiness that keeps me going seven days aweek ;
as i run a technolgy bussiness world wide ;yes the ring of bells was a nice building if i can remember tomorrow i will try and get a picture of the remains
to down load on here so you will see the extent of the damage ; have a nice day every body ;best wishes astonian;
 
Hi folks, I think I may have posted a request in the wrong place (in the Birmingham Streets thread), so just to rectify my error, here goes.
I was wondering if anyone has any pictures of the old Comberton Shopping row? I found a few of the Coop on Flickr from the 60s and the row of shops in the mid 90s before it was demolished. Are there any others that exist? On a recent visit to Sheldon, I was told by the local historian in the library that none existed in the local history archive. This seems a real shame!

In particular, I remember Hathaway's greengrocer, Holland's newsagent, a TV repair shop, a butcher, a bike shop called 'Williams' and Jim's the barber.
Can anyone help?
Regards, jerry. (oh, and thanks again for your help Jean)
 
On the matter of Sheldon, a mate sent me this section from the 1863 Bradshaw's Descriptive Railway Handbook, which you may find of interest

Under the Heading Marston Green " After passing under Marston Hall bridge we transit some prettily wooded country, having Marston Wood on the right and Elmdon Park on the left. On reaching Sheldon Embankment a prospect is obtained which is considered equal in beauty to any which the line affords.

On the right is Alcot Park, the Town and Church of Coleshill and Maxstoke Park on the left. Elmdon with its fine woodlands, and the pretty village of Sheldon whilst in advance the high spire of Yardley Church completed the landscape. A short cutting brings us opposite the village of Yardley, near enough to admire the fine tower and spire of the Church"


I've located the Marston Hall Bridge (https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/212396), adjacent to the new Airport terminal, and looking at an 1840 map I can see how the traveller would have the views that he describes. Two features, however, escape me.

Does anyone know of a wood called Marston Wood? Is it a previous name for Alcott Wood or even Chelmsley Wood, both of which may have been visible from just after the bridge given that there were virtually no buildings in between, or is it the small copse on Bickenhill Lane?

Where was Alcot Park? I know Alcott Wood and Alcott House (accepting that spellings get changed) but I can see no trace of parkland. From my memory of the area in the 1950s all of that area was arable farmland although it could have been turned over to farming by decree in WWII.

Can anyone help?
 
Billy Hayden was my barber on Church rd before the Swan across from Harveys Bakery loved the smell of fresh baked bread. Billy had CONDOMS for sale in his shop! There was also a newsagents in the shops where the barbers was all this torn down now I guess. Is the Armoury still there as you go towards the Cov rd? als there was a pub near there between the Cov rds . John Crump OldBrit. Parker, Co USA
 
I'm pretty sure that the bakery at the Swan was Hardings, not Harveys. I can remember the smell and the taste of their fresh warm bread on a Sunday morning bought from a little shop in Station Road Stechford just round the corner from Iron Lane.

All of the buildings at that end of Church Road have gone to make way for a retail mall. The only original properties left standing as you go from Yardley School towards the Swan are a few houses and shops on the left just past Harvey Road. The right hand side of Church Road and the buildings in The Causeway are now buried under a car park and the route of the road has been diverted around the car park looping across what was part of the Oaklands recreation ground.

I remember the gents hairdressers although I never used it and that every barbers stocked condoms - "Anything for the weekend sir?"

Pubs that I can recall in that area were The Yew Treee , which is now a trendy bar, the New Inns (on the oppposite side of the Coventry Road to Hardings) which has been rebuilt, the Swan which is no longer (an office development stands on the site) and The Old Bull at the junction of Waterloo Road and the Coventry Road which was demolished in the widening of the Coventry Road but which has been replaced by The Old Bill and Bull (using the old Hay Mills police station - hence the Old Bill).

Progress?
 
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Definitely Hardings bakery at the Swan. I used to have to cycle up there from Garretts Green on Sundays if we ran out of bread. You could buy the freshly baked bread from a little shop opposite the bakery. I seem to remember there were restrictions on what they could sell on a Sunday. You could buy fresh ham but not tinned ham!
 
Yes Harding's bakery at the Swan had its own stables and delivered bread by horse and cart. The horse knew the round as well as the delivery man and would just walk on to the next house. We loved as children to give the horse a treat when it was nose bag time. We lived in Bray's Road so the round must have been quite big.
 
I see The Chestnut Tree public house {later an Indian restaurant} in Sheldon Heath Road, has now been demolished. I think they intend to build houses there.

Nick
 
THE ELMS? Is it on Barrows lane? by the shops if so i worked on the cart house with a hay loft and my best man my ex csm lived there or am i wrong i sure you people can put me right.
 
Hi, does anyone know of an old TB sanitorium that may have been in the Sheldon area during WW2. My mother was in such a place at that time but I cannot remember whether she was in a hospital in Sheldon - or I may have it totally wrong and her friend was Nurse Sheldon. Anyone know about such a place in Sheldon please?? I attach a photo of the sanitorium circa 1942 ish.:courage:Gladys friend at TB hospital.jpg
 
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