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Sheldon

Does anyone know when coventry road in post 378 was widened? I cant remember the trees outside the shops.

thanks
Hi Sheldontony , I don't know for definite as a lot of development just seemed to happen. However, re widening at the Wheatsheaf some of this must have occurred in the early 70s as I worked in offices across the road in 1972 and remember staff parking in the slip road under the trees. Around this time there was also a large grass embankment fronting the houses leading to the 58 terminus and this was all cut away too to widen the road. Have attached google image of where this occurred. The line of the wall on the carriageway shows the contour of the bank which sloped down the the right hand lane, which would have been the old Cov. Road. The whole restructuring must have been a gradual process as the underpass at the Wheatsheaf was done in the 60's. Also found another snippet showing the underpass by the Good Companions pub with quote.....''To get traffic moving on a new dual carriageway at Coventry Road, Yardley, sections of a pedestrian subway are being laid, 3rd October 1969''

Real good planning and a waste of money as this underpass and one that at the 58 boundary have both been filled in - progress in reverse!
 

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mbenne that modern day photo of the shop parade on the Coventry road today. Totally sole less, lifeless and depressing. What did they do, and all for the motor car. I'm sure this rant would apply to virtually everywhere.
 
Also found another snippet showing the underpass by the Good Companions pub with quote.....''To get traffic moving on a new dual carriageway at Coventry Road, Yardley, sections of a pedestrian subway are being laid, 3rd October 1969''

Real good planning and a waste of money as this underpass and one that at the 58 boundary have both been filled in - progress in reverse!
Nice picture of Job's newsagents, not strictly "Sheldon" more Gilbertstone or S. Yardley.
 
mbenne that modern day photo of the shop parade on the Coventry road today. Totally sole less, lifeless and depressing. What did they do, and all for the motor car. I'm sure this rant would apply to virtually everywhere.
Elmdonboy, the real irony of it all are the road changes that have been made to manage traffic and now cars are banned from towns and everywhere is being pedestrianised lol
 
Nice picture of Job's newsagents, not strictly "Sheldon" more Gilbertstone or S. Yardley.
Agree but it was the only local pic I could find that placed a date on the Cov road widening. Would be good to find something on the Wheatsheaf though
 
mbenne that modern day photo of the shop parade on the Coventry road today. Totally sole less, lifeless and depressing. What did they do, and all for the motor car. I'm sure this rant would apply to virtually everywhere.


it certainly does apply to nearly everywhere elmdon boy..i have said it many times on this forum

lyn
 
One of the few rural bits of Sheldon left when I started school was Lower Barn farm which could be seen from the playground of Mapledene Road school. There never seemed to be much activity there except for the odd car traveling along a long dirt track which ran from the cottages at Tigers Island to the farm itself . I was about 7 years old when I and a couple of mates decided to make an unofficial visit one weekend. Again the farm seemed deserted until an Alsatian dog ran out of an open door. I was petrified and took a long dive into some hay in a nearby barn. The dog caught me in mid flight and tore the pocket off my school blazer. Having caught me it lost interest and settled for being patted and stroked. Dread to think what could have happened.

We made another visit a couple of years later when it was due for demolition and tried to make a den in the roof space of the house, taking great pains to refit many of the roof tiles that had been removed. We made several visits until one day we found that it had been partly demolished, great mounds of bricks, collapsed walls and big oak beams pointing skywards, so we stopped going. Later we heard that a local lad was killed by falling debris. Soon after it was demolished completely and the land was swallowed up by Hatchford Brook golf course. I'd love to see a photograph of it but all I canfind is a pencil drawing sketch held by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery...........

The picture is as I remember it and this view would have been facing out towards the brook and the school. The outbuilding to which I refer was to the far right of the drawing.

I was keen to know who had lived there before but it doesn't appear to be listed in the 1891 Census - I can find Elmdon hall and Elmdon Farm in that area but nothing for the Lower Barn - unless it wasn't named correctly or missed from the census completely.
I found it on the 1881 census; under Sheldon not Elmdon
 

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Anybody know the location of the photo of the post office at Sheldon
Hi Elmdon Boy, I'm not sure if anyone has answered your query, but I was looking at this myself today and I believe the Post Office would have been where the precinct is now, not far from the old Municipal Bank site. I will attempt to add a picture.. the top map being 1937 and having the Post Office and Bank marked. The arrow on the far right of the bottom map from 1957, I believe points to where The Sue Ryder Charity shop was with Greggs next door. The post box in the photo is marked as LB on the bottom map.
 

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Hi lindyloo, thanks for your input and map. Just trying to get my bearings, is that sheaf lane on the RH side coming off the Coventry Rd.
 
Hi Elmdon Boy, yes, thats Sheaf Lane. Attached is more of the 1937 map which might help.
 

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Thanks lindyloo, got my bearings now. The old PO was were you say.
I dont think it was there when I first moved to the area in 1959, at least I don't remember it.
 
Anybody remember the gift shop called Studio Cave almost opposite the Sheldon picture house.
I remember buying my sister Christmas and Birthday presents from there. She used to collect miniature porcelain figures of Disney characters like Lady and the Tramp etc. Also small Royal Doulton toby jugs that my Mum collected. This was late 50s early 60s.
Also the Bon Bon sweet shop, next to the Sheldon flicks.
Down the far end of the Coventry Road, past the Wheatsheaf by Wells Road was a music shop called The Music Box, basically a converted bungalow. Remember buying 45s and LPs here.
I used to go in and the owners would play them for you before you bought them if you wished.
On the corner there was Bill Howard Motorcycles, where the tyre fitting place is now. There was a back yard to his shop in Wells Road which was literally stacked high with old second hand motorbikes. Bought my first motorbike from him in 1965.
 
Thanks lindyloo, got my bearings now. The old PO was were you say.
I dont think it was there when I first moved to the area in 1959, at least I don't remember it.
Looks like the site of the original post office is quite close to where the 3rd Sheldon Post Office was sited when the Wells green shopping precinct was built - I placed a google clip in an earlier post showing where this was. The second post Office was located in the row of shops on the Cov Road near the corner of Coalway Avenue. I found pics of the original Post office on another site and the contributor says when the second post office was opened (1950) the old Post Office became a general stores - see pics below. I don't remember the old shop but its pretty near where Turners was located.
In the view below you can just see the old Wagon and Horses Pub.
 

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Anybody remember the gift shop called Studio Cave almost opposite the Sheldon picture house.
I remember buying my sister Christmas and Birthday presents from there. She used to collect miniature porcelain figures of Disney characters like Lady and the Tramp etc. Also small Royal Doulton toby jugs that my Mum collected. This was late 50s early 60s.
Also the Bon Bon sweet shop, next to the Sheldon flicks.
Down the far end of the Coventry Road, past the Wheatsheaf by Wells Road was a music shop called The Music Box, basically a converted bungalow. Remember buying 45s and LPs here.
I used to go in and the owners would play them for you before you bought them if you wished.
On the corner there was Bill Howard Motorcycles, where the tyre fitting place is now. There was a back yard to his shop in Wells Road which was literally stacked high with old second hand motorbikes. Bought my first motorbike from him in 1965.
Anybody remember the gift shop called Studio Cave almost opposite the Sheldon picture house.
I remember buying my sister Christmas and Birthday presents from there. She used to collect miniature porcelain figures of Disney characters like Lady and the Tramp etc. Also small Royal Doulton toby jugs that my Mum collected. This was late 50s early 60s.
Also the Bon Bon sweet shop, next to the Sheldon flicks.
Down the far end of the Coventry Road, past the Wheatsheaf by Wells Road was a music shop called The Music Box, basically a converted bungalow. Remember buying 45s and LPs here.
I used to go in and the owners would play them for you before you bought them if you wished.
On the corner there was Bill Howard Motorcycles, where the tyre fitting place is now. There was a back yard to his shop in Wells Road which was literally stacked high with old second hand motorbikes. Bought my first motorbike from him in 1965.
Yes Elmdon Boy, I remember the Bon Bon. When going to the cinema my Mom and Dad would buy me sweets from here as they had more selection and were probably cheaper than the cinema? If I was lucky I got to choose sweets from the cinema shop in the foyer - Cadburys misshapes in the plain and yellow cellophane packs or a box of Rowntrees fruit gums - always much better than the packets as they came in the shape of little lemons, limes and orange slices. I also remember the Studio Cave opposite. Never shopped there but after going to the cinema we'd get chips and Mom and Dad would take a look in the shop window as we were walking home. It used to have an iluminated display case outside and when it was raining I used to wish I could get inside rather than take the long walk home or having the inside my legs worn away on Dads coat if he gave me a 'piggy back'. Next to this shop was another bungalow - dont remember much about it but it seemed liked an old cafe with a bit of waste ground for parking up vehicles. It had a Twinings tea logo painted on the wall that faced the Three Horse shoes on the opposte corner of Shoes Lane (as we called it) The site of this bungalow is now where the Prime Point building is.

The Music Box too. Never had a record player but used to go in with my mate where he bought the Russian Saber Dance by Love Sculpture - which would have been about 1968/9. Don't recall the motorbike shop but do recall Murphys Garage nextdoor to the record shop. My Grandad was friends with the owner. His son Andy took over the garage and also owned the car spares shop nearby.
 
Anybody remember the gift shop called Studio Cave almost opposite the Sheldon picture house.
I remember buying my sister Christmas and Birthday presents from there. She used to collect miniature porcelain figures of Disney characters like Lady and the Tramp etc. Also small Royal Doulton toby jugs that my Mum collected. This was late 50s early 60s.
Also the Bon Bon sweet shop, next to the Sheldon flicks.
Down the far end of the Coventry Road, past the Wheatsheaf by Wells Road was a music shop called The Music Box, basically a converted bungalow. Remember buying 45s and LPs here.
I used to go in and the owners would play them for you before you bought them if you wished.
On the corner there was Bill Howard Motorcycles, where the tyre fitting place is now. There was a back yard to his shop in Wells Road which was literally stacked high with old second hand motorbikes. Bought my first motorbike from him in 1965.


I used to work at Studio Cave on Saturdays before i left school, nice shop...
 
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