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Alum Rock Road Shops

Phil said:
Eric,

The chippy that Dancing Queen mentions was owned by "Mrs Annie Holland" and was three doors down from Ellesmere Road. I believe it is now part of a Kebab House restaurant.
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Phil ,
I particularly remember the one in Highfield Road as I lived in Harts Rd from the 40's to the early 60's , so I passed it regularly .
A tanner for a bag of chips wrapped in newspaper and saturated with salt and vinegar and a penny for a bag of scratchings , which , if you were lucky , might even contain a small chunk of fish amongst all the bits of batter and fragments of over cooked chips .
 
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Anyone remember Timothy Whites, chemists. My dad worked there for a time. He was Alec Bradbury. Then he had the corn and seed shop on the corner of Highfield Road, and then The Beaufort Florist at the Fox and Goose.
 
JudyTink said:
Anyone remember Timothy Whites, chemists. My dad worked there for a time. He was Alec Bradbury. Then he had the corn and seed shop on the corner of Highfield Road, and then The Beaufort Florist at the Fox and Goose.
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Judy ,
I have a vague memory of there being two chemists in Alum Rock , but the one I definitely remember was next to Woolworths . I also remember the grain and seed shop well .
My own dad started work , aged about 15 , as errand boy at the Co-op grocers by the Brook Hill pub . After various promotions across Birmingham throughout his 50 years with the Co-op , he ended up as manager of their first ever self-service style Supermarket in Solihull .
 
Eric,

The two Chemist Shops on Alum Rock Road were on the same side of the road and not that far from each other. Next to the Co-op at number 179 was Boots and the one next to Woolworth's at 195 was Timothy White's.
 
Shops belonging to the Timothy White and Taylor chain of chemists have a few mentioned in the Forum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Whites
Im19390325PP-TWT.jpg
 
Junction of Alum Rock Road and Highfield Road. Still some similarities with today’s view (attached). Viv

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Although I realise that Southalls was not a shop, but it has been mentioned a few times on this thread and I have looked an can see no images on the thread. So here are a couple one a bit dated and one not long before they demolished the place.

Alum Rock Alum Rock Rd Southalls Factory.jpg

Alum Rock Alum Rock Rd Southalls.jpg
 
Dancing Queen 15 said:
I too remember Alum Rock shopping area. I lived in Phillimore Road. I am talking of the 40s and early 50s. I remember Ted Haynes the green grocer. May Mitchel the wool shop and clothes. There was a fish and chip shop opposite Ted Haynes. The Rock Cinema where I used to go every Saturday. Bata shoe shop. Woolworths. Charles Bragg or it could have Wimbush the cake and bread shop.Co Op near Saltley gate for groceries with saw dust on the floor and Lanson money system which fascinated me. I used to attend Sunday school above there. It was called Band of Hope run by Miss Wilson. Further up past Wright Road near the church there was an open site could have been a bomb site where a small fair used to come every year. There was also. High class grocers further up I think on the corner of Highfied Road called Jessops which delivered groceries on an old fashioned bike with a basket on the front. I have such happy memories of that area. Wouldn't dream of going there today.
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I used to have girl friend in Phillimore Rd about 1957 she worked at the GEC left and went to work at Southalls
I remember the view from top Phillimore Rd at night when all the gas works was lit up and steam escaping into the atmosphere and the smell of gas.
Ray
 
Astoness said:
thanks for those memories ray

lyn
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Hi Lyn it's funny what you remember after gasping that special air running for the last tram into town
That last Bus used to collect a lot of drunks I saw a good many fights, I remember a little weed of guy been battered by possibly his wife she was a big lady and she had a big handbag to hit him with.
By the time we got near to town the trouble subsided and peace was resumed.
 
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oh ray that has made me giggle thanks:) ps from what ive read over the years i think women must have been more liable to wack their hubbies than they do these days maybe they are better behaved now:D

lyn
 
This guy got a regular shopping bag bashing by his wife as a result of her perceived beliefs in his extramarital proclivities. :eek:

p_00101017.jpg
 
CHRISTINE JONES said:
Another girl from Nansen Road also had a mother who worked at Braggs, the girl was called Jean Harris and lived in Highfield Road at the top near Alum Rock Road. Jean was a bit older than I was, perhaps you remember her. I think Jean was a year older than I was so probably left Nansen in 1958.
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Hello my name is jackie, I knew jean,she got married and had twin boys,do you know where she is now,I would love to find her,thank you.
 
JudyTink said:
Anyone remember Timothy Whites, chemists. My dad worked there for a time. He was Alec Bradbury. Then he had the corn and seed shop on the corner of Highfield Road, and then The Beaufort Florist at the Fox and Goose.
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Hi I worked at timothy whites from1963 the manager was Norman Parrish,
 
Ray Griffiths said:
I used to have girl friend in Phillimore Rd about 1957 she worked at the GEC left and went to work at Southalls
I remember the view from top Phillimore Rd at night when all the gas works was lit up and steam escaping into the atmosphere and the smell of gas.
Ray
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Hello Ray. I also lived in Phillimore Road born there in 1946 and left in1974. It was Charles Braggs bakery opposite Woolworths just before Highfield Road. When I was young I had to go with my brother to fetch coke ( the burning kind ) from Crawford Street by Saltley Bridge. The grocery shop was Jesters on the corner of Highfield Road and Gowan Road. Had some great times growing in Phillimore Road and the surrounding area still remember many things about the place just ask.
All for now Les.Bishop.
 
bish said:
Hello Ray. I also lived in Phillimore Road born there in 1946 and left in1974. It was Charles Braggs bakery opposite Woolworths just before Highfield Road. When I was young I had to go with my brother to fetch coke ( the burning kind ) from Crawford Street by Saltley Bridge. The grocery shop was Jesters on the corner of Highfield Road and Gowan Road. Had some great times growing in Phillimore Road and the surrounding area still remember many things about the place just ask.
All for now Les.Bishop.
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Hi Avis

Could it have been The Bandbox Childrens Outfitter at 31 Alum Rock Road which was on the right going uphill just past the Village Tavern that was on the corner of George Arthur Road and opposite St Saviours School next door to the Rock Cinema?
 
You are right it was Griffiths and Fullard. As I remember we were given a long list of uniform items and most of them had to be purchased there or at the Co Op in town.
 
Sue Rose said:
You are right it was Griffiths and Fullard. As I remember we were given a long list of uniform items and most of them had to be purchased there or at the Co Op in town.
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Yes it was a long list, and a bit of a struggle for my parents to afford it all. I did manage to get second hand hockey boots though! ( Just as well they were as I hated hockey!)
The year before I started the school had stopped wearing straw boaters in the summer, and berets in the winter so at least they were off the list!
 
I always remember Wonderful Woolies at Alum Rock, mum let me go on the 55 bus to buy all my Christmas gifts from there , Handerchieves for uncles, bath cubes for my aunts
 
bish said:
Hello Ray. I also lived in Phillimore Road born there in 1946 and left in1974. It was Charles Braggs bakery opposite Woolworths just before Highfield Road. When I was young I had to go with my brother to fetch coke ( the burning kind ) from Crawford Street by Saltley Bridge. The grocery shop was Jesters on the corner of Highfield Road and Gowan Road. Had some great times growing in Phillimore Road and the surrounding area still remember many things about the place just ask.
All for now Les.Bishop.
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Hi Les do you remember the Newton Family I think they lived at about 99/ 101

Ray
 
Ray Griffiths said:
Hi Les do you remember the Newton Family I think they lived at about 99/ 101

Ray
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Hi. Ray. I don't remember the Newton Family has I lived at the top of the road at 19. I do remember some of my brothers friends Sidney Moore David Daniels think they lived about 116 and 122. also there was Bobby Parker Johnny Harris Arthur Davis all of them from the top of the road.
Les
 
Hi. Ray. Do you remember Dot. Tranter. think the Tranters lived at 79. what was the name of the shop on the corner of Phillimore and Washwood Heath Road.
 
Does anybody remember Porters it was on the corner of havealock road i think it was a small corner shop and also international stores in alum rock road
 
Imogen said:
I have fond memories of going to the Capitol Cinema in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. The projector would count down to zero on the screen before the film began, only for the film to invariably break at some stage and nearly always at the exciting bit. Up would go the house lights while the film got mended and then we'd try and remember where it had all got to before the film resumed. The screen quality was appalling: not that it mattered too much as we were always watching it through a dense smog of cigarette smoke. No Health and Safety; no money back for irretrievable breakage of the film and incomplete showing. Happy days!!
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it was great cinema. even had built in vibro as a train went past.
 
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