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Alum Rock Road Shops

Harry. the actual description says. The corner of Alum Rock Road and College Road. At No2 is Sanson Stationer and bookbinder, No 4 J Arnold tobacconist and No 6 F Price hairdresser. As I dont know that side of town, I can only rely on you saying something different, so do you think its a different address then? Carol
 
The 1911 census has John Arnold, tobbacconist, at 4 College Road, Frederick Price, hairdresser, at 6 College Road and Arthur Heathcote, stationer at 2 College Road.

Great photo by the way.
 
Hi Carol. I lived in that area for 35 years and I cannot recall those shops. To the left of the shops I do not remember houses on Alum Rock Road corner. I think the Road itself is too narrow as opposite to the shops is the Rock public house To me it just does not seem right, but I may be wrong. I recall the last shop being a Jelfs café.
 
A few more photos of Alum Rock Rd through the years that I don't think we have seen before.
 

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Photo in #219 is looking down Alum Rock Road towards Saltley taken from the junction of Bowyer Rd / Highfield Rd and Alum Rock Rd. Below is the Google Street view from 2013, the Methodist Church can be seen in the middle distance on the right hand side.

Rob.
AR 2013.jpg
 
Harry Hough, Sansoms on the corner of College Road and Alum Rock Road became a bank (TSB I think) and remained so until the 1970's.
 
The sewing machine shop was Nutts, my husband went to school with Stephen Nutt, they also had a shop on Chester Rd. Wylde Green, also one of my school friends lived at the back of the shop in Alum Rock Rd, her name was Susan Craythorne, I am still in touch with her.
Regards trebor (Rita)

Sorry to rake up an old post but Sue Craythorne is my fathers cousin, so that makes us second cousins? I remember going to the house at up the entry at the back of Nutts a few times, that would have been between 1956 and 1958 when we lived on the newly built Firs Estate. Sue took me to the Rock cinema, the first time I had been to the pictures, thinking back I would have been about 7 at the time. The thing that sticks in my mind, when visiting there and my great grandmothers in Jersey Rd, was the strong smell of gas that pervaded the whole are, I suppose it came from the gas works just over the railway viaduct. Back to Nutts they had a shop in, Poplar Rd, Kings Heath until recently
 
My nan and grandad lived in haverlock rd opposite the gardners club, it was just a short walk to Cops shop,(Their name was Henderson) mr & Mrs Cope lived above the shop they had a daughter called Pam i think we used to go sailing together. They had two dogs Shebar and pip's. They were a lovely family. The shope sold Tobbacco, snuff, sweets, papers stationary and records and i loved it there.
 
Hi Graham, Well I will admit to being born in 44!
Whats your surname? We must have bumped into each other. I remember some of the boys who went to church, The Fawcett brothers and the Fountains. Cant remember the others.
I cant remember the Brown Owl at all and I didnt go to guides.
Its a small world isnt it.
WendyP

Hi, I've just been reading back through this thread and was interested to hear that Wendy P lived opposite the Rock Cinema, we must have been near neighbours., while Graham S went to on to Central Grammar School. I lived at 33 Alum rock Road from about 1953 to 1960. Mom and Dad ran the Rock Café for a while, I went to St Saviours but mostly at the Annexe in Ralph Road? before going on to Central Grammar (1956 I think). After that we moved to Clipston Road until I left home in 1966.

If I remember correctly my first "proper" Dawes bike came from McGauleys cycles, I was also in the scouts for a time so must have crossed paths with many of you - It's sparked so many memories and nostalgia for times past reading this.

Regards

SandyBrook
 
These last few comments have bought back so many echoes from my past. I lived in a flat above Strutts the chemist, two doors down from Copes, and next door to Wallis's the Greengrocers. I knew the Copes and Wallis's very well. We were all part of a 'family', and used to socialise a lot. I also new Susan Craythorne. We were in same same class at St Saviours, mainly in Ralph Road. She still keeps in touch with Ray Davies, another classmate, who now lives in Germany. Regarding Nutts; my Mother bought her first Singer sewing machine from them. They still have a shop in New Oscott on the Chester Road.
 
I am still in touch with Susan Craythorne, the are about eight of us 'school girls' who meet for lunch. My husband Robert Jenkins went to Leigh Road school with Stephen Nutt. I lived in Reginald Rd and Robert lived with his brothers Brian and David in George Arthur Rd.
 
I didnt know that either!! Mind you I have been left birmingham nearly 5 years now and when I visit my son, I dont go down that way much any more. I used to go a lot cos I had an aunt in Clipston Road.
Where are you living now?
Wendy
I live most of my live on Clipston Rd. my mother and father still live there, its a bit like Custer last stand. ha ha
 
Was it Haynes the Green Grocer that used to be on the corner of Alum Rock Road and Wright Road? There was Copes, the pen and stationary shop, also a wallpaper shop. (Ray was the son of the owner, he has a shop at the Yew Tree now "Ray's Wallpapers". I remember the toy/model shop, used to be almost oposite Ralph Road, where I would go and spend my 2/6p pocket money. I lived in Ash Road from 1955 to 1966 and used to go shopping with my mom every Saturday morning,
The wall paper shop owner in Alum Rock as above was called Mr Walldren ( not sure if spelling) he lived in Jackson road Alum Rock! He also had children were Margaret, Gerald, Brian, .... My husband use to live in Jackson road & remembers the family & shop!
 
My Mother Inez (Betty) Palmer and Grandparents, William & Mary Palmer and Uncle Basil lived in Jackson Road, they were at number 9 the first big detached house on the right hand side after the corner shop (Alum Rock Road End). I used to play with Brian Waldron, the Williams George, Malcom, & Stuart, Before the house in Jackson Road they rented a house in Jackson Avenue at the top of the road. My Father Bill Bryan lived at 35 Maitland Road, His Aunty Polly Wesley lived in Maitland Road and my other Uncle Sidney Bryan lived in Maitland Road with Aunty Pat and Cousin David and Allan. Names in Jackson Road I can Remember Mrs Lamb, Mr & Mrs Wood son Ian, daughter Gillian, Mr & Mrs Newbury, Mrs Sparks who looked after her Grandson Johnny number 11 I think Waldrons number 13 I think Mrs Lavender daughter June and son Ivor (disabled) Mr & Mrs Dunn, ther was a lad Nigel who lived with his Grandmother a couple of doors up from Mrs Lamb, Mr & Mrs Palmer (no relation) owned the hardware shop on the corner of Jackson and Alum Rock Road. There was a lady at the top of Jackson Road on the left hand side who used to lay out people when they died. Judith Cross lived in Jackson Avenue she had a pet goose in the back garden. Marion, Gerty and Cedric Robinson had the last house in Jackson Avenue by the row of garages at the rear.
Regards Chris Bryan
 
My Mother Inez (Betty) Palmer and Grandparents, William & Mary Palmer and Uncle Basil lived in Jackson Road, they were at number 9 the first big detached house on the right hand side after the corner shop (Alum Rock Road End). I used to play with Brian Waldron, the Williams George, Malcom, & Stuart, Before the house in Jackson Road they rented a house in Jackson Avenue at the top of the road. My Father Bill Bryan lived at 35 Maitland Road, His Aunty Polly Wesley lived in Maitland Road and my other Uncle Sidney Bryan lived in Maitland Road with Aunty Pat and Cousin David and Allan. Names in Jackson Road I can Remember Mrs Lamb, Mr & Mrs Wood son Ian, daughter Gillian, Mr & Mrs Newbury, Mrs Sparks who looked after her Grandson Johnny number 11 I think Waldrons number 13 I think Mrs Lavender daughter June and son Ivor (disabled) Mr & Mrs Dunn, ther was a lad Nigel who lived with his Grandmother a couple of doors up from Mrs Lamb, Mr & Mrs Palmer (no relation) owned the hardware shop on the corner of Jackson and Alum Rock Road. There was a lady at the top of Jackson Road on the left hand side who used to lay out people when they died. Judith Cross lived in Jackson Avenue she had a pet goose in the back garden. Marion, Gerty and Cedric Robinson had the last house in Jackson Avenue by the row of garages at the rear.
Regards Chris Bryan

Hi Chris,,... My hubby is Malcolm of the Williams family Jackson rd! He remembers a Palmer family but thought they lived the other side of road & had a DIY shop?..... Malcolm does not do the tech stuff! But reads up on any interest I find or come up with! He did an apprenticeship with Henry Corbetts dry salters who had 3 shops around Brum! ..... He also had another brother James!
 
Hi Solihull Chic, I forgot little Jimmy Williams, he was youngest but one wasn't he?, Stuart being the youngest, he had blonde hair when he was young, and we nick named him Loobyloo, (after the character in Andy Pandy) George being the oldest, if I remember rightly he had a good job at the GPO on the phone installation side. Yes as I said in my post a Mr & Mrs Palmer did run a hardware shop on the left hand corner of Jackson Road, but they were no relation to my Grandparents who lived on the right. When we used to play in the Williams back yard Mrs Williams on looking at the time would say to us all "AWAY AND PLAY YOURSELVES THE NOO, YOUR DAD WILL BE HOME IN A MINUTE" We all were very wary of "Jock" Williams, he was a bit fearsome, and sure enough as we exited the entry into the road there was "Jock" peddling up the road on his bike coming home from work, (I think he worked at Fishers in Washwood Heath?). There was one occasion when he had given us grief and me and my little gang all tiptoed up the entry and "Jock" was in his shed, he had a magnificent 6 foot corrugated iron fence painted dark green running the length of the garden, when we had all gathered at the top I armed the "gang" with some sticks and on the count of three we ran hell for leather down the entry shouting at the tops of our voices with our sticks dragging along the corrugated fence making a noise like a dozen machine guns going off, we flew out of the entry into Jackson Road followed by "Jock" who raced out of his shed armed with a piece of 3X2 timber which he let fly at us, at the same uttering those immortal words "WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON THAT BLEEDIN' CHRISTOPHER, I WILL KILL HIM" I lived at both 410 and 387 Alum Rock Road (not at the same time lol) 387 rear entry exited into Jackson Road along side Mrs Lamb's house , so she also told us off for running up and down making a noise. My Dad used to say to me when I was talking to him "DON'T SHOUT" to which I replied I was born in a noisy age (1943 war etc) and his response was "AND YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED A LOT TOWARDS IT". I went to Anthony Road J&I school and because I didn't like school dinners on some days I would climb over the school wall onto the alum Rock Road and nip round to Granny Palmer's and have some nice stew or whatever they were having and then back to school over the wall and into the playground.
Give my regards to Malcom and any of the others who are about.
All the best Chris Bryan.
I have a photo taken at Anthony Road School for the Coronation Party if I can find it I will post it another time, I am Sure Malcom and Jimmy are on it.
 
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Hi Solihull Chic... I also worked at Henry Corbetts, I started working there in January 1959 until October 1967. I worked in the Accounts Department and I knew a Malcolm who worked in the shop. By any chance was that your husband. Regards Carol.
 
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