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Birmingham butchers retail.

My grandfather James Caldecott had a butchers shop's in Handsworth and West Bromwich but sadly he died in 1948. My uncle Jack had just left the air force and the shops had gone by then. I never knew why. My uncle's Jim and Jack worked in butchers shops. Uncle Jack worked at Walter Smiths, and a shop in Brownhills named Ken Terry untill he was 80! Uncle Jim worked for several butchers.

Here is a photo of my Uncles at the Handsworth Shop this was James Enoch Caldecott's shop.

Caldecott_butchers_shop~0.jpg
 
My grandfather James Caldecott had a butchers shop's in Handsworth and West Bromwich but sadly he died in 1948. My uncle Jack had just left the air force and the shops had gone by then. I never knew why. My uncle's Jim and Jack worked in butchers shops. Uncle Jack worked at Walter Smiths, and a shop in Brownhills named Ken Terry untill he was 80! Uncle Jim worked for several butchers.

I remember uncle Jack & Jim Caldecott being trained at the Birmingham Meat Market when they left they worked in various butchers shops around the West Midlands.Jack was a manager at Dewhurst in Sutton. I also remember when I worked in Walsall, Uncle Jim worked at Potters Butchers (now Potters Products) in Stafford street just round the corner from where I worked. I used to call in the shop for a chat, and usually came away with a bag of sausages and bacon, much to the delight of my workmates as we'd have a big fry up at lunch time. Happy days LOL



Caldecott_butchers_shop~0.jpg
 
of course i remember most of the main butchers. i worked for my father untill i was 20yrs old .i then worked for H E. HAYNES he owned several butchers shop in the midlands . they were very good years and when i bought my first shop a great deal of experience came from having managed and worked in all aspects of the retail meat industry and owe a lot to them all for it.i now live in australia and retired after many succesfull years in the meat industry.
 
HI GRUMLOW;
Most certainly recall old Haynes,s they was one on spring hill it was always packed out and queuing
i lived a block away from there. Two or three times a week i would have to run down to Haynes with a note
and asked for a breast of lamb, for a tanner an if she was doing a stew i would have to ask for a bone to boil in the stew.
Those were the days my friend astonian.
 
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my first week was at spring hill 1962 .then eventually i became manager about 1965 later we moved across the road next to the co-op. i left there to open my own shop on the coventry road small heath in 1968.we sold out 1971 and came to australia same year ,never regretted doing this for myself and family,who are now all grown up here and me a great grand father.
 
the guy by the window looks like one of my old bosses workers who's name was rod "? coincidence maybe
 
i met walter smith several times buying at the meat market. butchers changed jobs quite often so maybe i did, no one comes to mind who worked for him. a very successful and clever meat retailer,as was HE HAYNES who i worked 5yrs for. ever heard of H.J.LUDLOW. who had a shop in harborne lane.?
 
i met walter smith several times buying at the meat market. butchers changed jobs quite often so maybe i did, no one comes to mind who worked for him. a very successful and clever meat retailer,as was HE HAYNES who i worked 5yrs for. ever heard of H.J.LUDLOW. who had a shop in harborne lane.?

Here's a link to the Walter Smith Butchers history. https://www.chasefarmshop.co.uk/about-us/history/

Walter's family run a farm/cafe in Sutton Coldfield. Well worth a visit.
 
I would still like to hear more from butchers around the 60-70s who worked in the retail butchers meat trade around brum. i can remember dozens of workmates who i would like to make contact with .and customers who remember the staff of those days. supermarkets have taken over but the old butchers shops of those days must hold many memorys of customers and staff who share this period .
 
ever heard of H.J.LUDLOW. who had a shop in harborne lane.?
Hello Grumlow, I'm new here.

It's funny you should mention Ludlow's, as I grew up in Cadleigh Gardens in the Grove Estate, Harborne and before the Grove Lane shops were built those shops in Harborne Lane located near the Golden Cross were the nearest to us. My Mom often sent me on an errand to Ludlow's to get 'alf a pound o' sausages, or whatever.
 
hi grumlow ;
one of my old mates worked for waler smiths in the meat market he was terry sivester from Hingestion street
He started from when he left school and he was also his manager for the spring hill shop way back in the sixties and seventies ;
Tery went to Ickneild st school if any body recalls him ; and another best mate of ours was georgie betts whom lived on Icknelid stret by the gate
I have wondered what as happenend to them both whether they are still alive or passed on ; like a lot of my dear old friends whom have passed on ;
But Terry did work the bull ring meat store for walter smiths he was a big lad ;
and just to mention my cousins smarts the butchers retalers they also ran a deep freeze and fridge fillers shops in erdington and
in sutton ;whole sale shop which i think it came under king standing rd end and he previuosly ran the walter smiths shop at king standing circle as well ; have a good day and wrapp up warm best wishes Astonian;;
 
you are going back a long time. i do remember them building those shops in grove lane .i remember the butchers shop and when i delivered orders around the area i looked in to see how busy he was. do you still live around that area ? i mention ludlows butchers because my father owned the shop and i worked for him untill i was twenty, 1960) then i went to work for haynes butchers on spring hill just down from dudley road hospital.
 
the names that you mention i have never heard of. not surprising for there were lot's of small butchers shops around back then. i have photographs taken back then with some of my workmates,i like you wonder if they are still around or passed on. i would like to hear from one who remembers working for h.e. haynes the butcher in the 60s -70s as he had twenty shops back then and i worked in most of them periodically,and got to know a lot of them. regards. ,,
 
you are going back a long time. i do remember them building those shops in grove lane .i remember the butchers shop and when i delivered orders around the area i looked in to see how busy he was. do you still live around that area ? i mention ludlows butchers because my father owned the shop and i worked for him untill i was twenty, 1960) then i went to work for haynes butchers on spring hill just down from dudley road hospital.
'Fraid not, I've lived in South Australia for the last 43 years. But it was a lovely place to live back then, that whole area from Grove Lane across to the golf links and St.Peters Church was almost pristine. It was called the Hilly Fields, my dad used to take me and by brother over there for the day, picnicking and kite flying. The big patch of ground where the "Hilly Fields" pub is now, right over to Reservoir road, was also not built on, so us kids had lots of room to play and explore.
 
I remember the name the hilly fields and st peters church. I used to walk from harborne court oak road to the butchers shop as a kid many times a week . Good exercise for later years.through the churchyard and down harborne park rd. I also have lived in queensland australia for 42 years. Good move. For us and the kids. England has a lot to answer for,having been back a few times i don't like what they have done to it. We are spoiled here maybe we could start a furum on all the brummies living in australia.quite a few i should think. Regards.
 
Yes I've been back a few times too. I must admit I find it looks a little less familiar each time I visit, and the estate I grew up in looks very dilapidated now. Then again, I think you're right, we're spoilt here!
 
Anyone remember Rowbotham’s, the butchers ? I think there was one on Hawthorn Road, Kingstanding. We’re there others ? Viv.
 
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