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Alum Rock Rd - Ward End area

Bennetts Road. Washwood Heath

I lived in Bennetts Road. Washwood Heath. 1945-1966.

There was a shop half way down and Mr Meredith used to be the shopkeeper in the early 50's. Then it was owned by the Strong family and later the Oldacre family. The shop is now a private dwelling.

At the top of the road there was a dairy. Later the premises were took over by RTP Crisps. At the very top was Franklins which was a grocery shop.

Families that spring to mind are Tovey,Morris, Potter, Richmond, Guest, Densley, Hughes, Strong, Potter, Bone, Williams,Smith, Brookes, Grant, Wood,Foster and a few others.

At the very bottom of Bennetts Road was a newsagents shop an off licence and a sweet shop. The sweet shop was run by the Hadley family.
 
A pal of mine David Parks lived on Bennets Road 50s and early 60s. I think about a third of the way down on the west side. Used to ride a Triumph T100 motorcycle. You may have been too far down to have known him. We all went to Leigh Road School.
 
I can remember Raymond Parkes who I believe had a brother called David.
They lived in Membury Road which is off Bennetts Road.
I knew Raymond more than David as we were in the same classes at Leigh Road School.
 
I can also remember that a Parks family that lived in Bennetts Road. Their house number would have been no 20 or thereabouts. We lived at no 28.
We lived with my grandmother Mrs Caffrey.
 
Sounds like the second one may be about right Les. Would the even numbers have been on the Gate side of the street. I think Daves fether was dead when I knew him and he lived with his widowed mother. First class bloke. Thanks.
 
Yes the even side was on the 'Gate side'. I can't really remember David but I remember his Mother who was, as you have said, widowed. I believe their next door neighbour was Fogg and a family called Richmond also lived a couple of doors from them.

Cheers

Les
 
Les,
I can't remember a mill as such in Malthouse Lane not driven by water anyway. There was no stream or brook there that I can recall. But there was a larger building of sorts that was on the corner of the little road before you got to Highfield. Could have been an old farm house and might possibly have been a mill driven by means other than water at one time. The link shows 1890 map.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/m...=10095&ox=3299&oy=1257&zm=1&czm=1&x=311&y=183

Malthouse Lane methinks goes way back in time.

Rupert
 
Yes Les, it's changed quite a bit since my time but it looks like there are just a few of the old houses still there with their long yards at the back. Looks like the outdoor has gone. A friend Billy Willis used to live there. He was the goal keeper on my school team.
 
The building was probably a Malthouse where they made Malt or it may have been a windmill as it was on top of a hill hence the name Highfield (Road). I remember in the late 40's/early 50's the area immediately behind the building had lock up garages on it. My Grandparents lived at No 17 Malthouse Lane from about 1930 until 1968. Their name was Linnecor.
I can remember families called Bamford, Onion/s and Lord who lived there in the late 50's.
Your photograph brings back memories.I knew a family called Davies who lived between the cottage and Washwood Heath Road. Across the road before the labour exchange(as they called them then) there used to be cottages. The cottages went as far as the railway bridge in Washwood Heath Road(opposite St Mark's). One of the teachers at Leigh Road Primary School lived in one of the cottages in the early 50's. Her name was Mrs/Miss Purnell. (spelling could be different).
There were some nice houses between Highfield Road and the Cross Guns Pub( The old one). One of my school mates Carl Robbins/Robbinson lived in one of them.They were knocked down and the pub was rebuilt further back from the road. A petrol garage was built on the site of the houses but this has long gone and more houses are there now. At the back of the pub there were some houses and another schoolfriend lived there. His name was Clive Woodward.
 
i found this one.
Postied, you have brought memories flooding back, I lived at 5 Moss Vale Grove untill I was aged 7, & I remember very well on the way to get the bus down to the Gate and then on to ASTON via the number 8,Mom and I were walking a cross that bridge in Highfield Road when, I no not from were came about a half dozen Pigs, all over the road they came Mom & I took refuge in the front garden of that house on the left of your picture,it took some time before all was rounded up and we could be on our way to my Nan's house in Tower Road.
Wow did I have a tale to tell that day.
Thanks again for the memory.
ASTON
 
Leigh Road School

I attended Leigh Road School, Washwood Heath from 1950 until 1958. Is there anyone else who attended there around the same time who would like to swop memories.
 
ward end exservice club

Hi LES .
DID YOU EVER GO TO THE EX SERVICE MANS CLUB, IN WARD END PARK RD
THEY TELL ME THAT THEY HAD A BRILLIANT BOWLING GREEN AND A LADIES TEAM THEY RECKON IT WAS BIGGER THAN THE ONE AT THE SWAN YARDLEY
I USED TO DRINK IN THE CASTLE ON MOSELEY RD BY THE BATHS AND I USED TO GO TO THE EAST B,HAM SOCIAL CLUB , BEST WISHES ASTONIAN ,;;;
 
I used to drink all over the place in those days!

I have only been into the service mens club you have mentioned a couple of times but can't really remember much about it. There aren't many pubs in the Washwood Heath/WardEnd/Alum Rock area that I haven't had a drink in at sometime or other when I was single
Then when I started courting and passed my driving test We started drinking up Coleshill (lots of country lanes if you know what I mean!).
When we got married we lived in Castle Vale so used the local pubs there. Then we moved to Alum Rock so it was usually the Brookvale or the Barley Mow, Ward End on a Saturday night (free and easy).
Later we moved to Great Barr/ Kingstanding so of course it was pubs or clubs in those areas.

Cheers. Les :)
 
Les I have just been reading your thread to my husband who was born in Ralph Road, it has certainly bought back some memories. He has been trying to remember the name of the cafe opposite the Ward End pub do you remember the cafe. The man who owned it was a Greek named Christos.
 
ward end

hi does anyone remember my aunt ruby partridge who lived down ward end park rd ?
 
Les I have just been reading your thread to my husband who was born in Ralph Road, it has certainly bought back some memories. He has been trying to remember the name of the cafe opposite the Ward End pub do you remember the cafe. The man who owned it was a Greek named Christos.


I can remember the cafe but I can't remember the name of it.

I used to go to the church hall in Ralph road in the early 60's where the East Midlands YHA group of which I was a member held their meetings. Usually on a Thursday night if I remember right.
We had some fantastic times going off on walking or cycling holidays at youth hostels all over the country. Happy days!:)
 
Just remembered! I used to have a schoolfriend in Ralph Road all those years ago. We both attended Bordesley Green Technical School late 50's early 60's. His name was John Sylvester.
:)
 
What wonderful memories these postings have stirred.
My uncle Paddy Twittey had a driving school up "the Rock", I was born in Cranby Street, went to St Saviours, then Leigh Road when we moved to live in Warren Road. I have swam in the baths in George Arthur Rd, my aunt lived opposite, and the boating lake in Ward End Park. "get off that island" from the Parky, Long Tom, when we ran our canoes aground.
Could go on for ever, thanks to all who have posted here, especially the photographs.
Best wishes to all,
Househunter.

Was your uncles driving school the one opposite Wright Road in Alum Rock?

Les :)
 
Re: Leigh Road School

I attended Leigh Road School, Washwood Heath from 1950 until 1958. Is there anyone else who attended there around the same time who would like to swop memories.

Hi Les, I went to Leigh Road J&I in 1953 and left in 1959 to go to Ward End Hall. I have two photo's, dated about 1953/4 and a couple from a trip to Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust, which are posted on the Friends Reunited site. I'll dig them out again and post them on here, am on holiday at the moment so will have to wait 'til I get back next week!
Names; Billy Chinn[me]; Dorene Chinn[my Sister]; David Taylor; David Onions; Micky Burke; John Bennett; John Rhodes; Roger Tovey; Trevor Hood; Sandra Lloyd; Carol Perks; Geraldine Kinsella; Patrick Preston; Sandra Coles; Gwyneth Sidebotham; Linda Cain; David Brown; Janet Johnson; Susan Cuthbertson; Norma Parsons.
Teachers; Mr Mullins[Headmaster]; Miss Pennell; Mrs Curtis; Miss Hughes; Mr Woodward; Mr Davies.
I've missed one teacher off, name escapes me at the moment! Anyone recognise any names?:smile2:
 
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