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Small Heath Park (Victoria Park)

I know that this thread has died a little but I might be able to help with Golden Hillock Rd.
between 1945 and 1968, I lived at 102 Golden Hillock Rd. 96 was a photography studio and 98 was a newsagents. 120 was a woman's clothes shop, I think it was called Draisies, spelling is wrong. At the end of that row of houses was a grocers store which was called Lancasters and the post office was next to that grocery store.
soco,
The woman's clothes shop, Draisey's, was managed by a Mrs O'Grady who lived in Cooksey Road, but the shop was owned by Mr Draisey who had a piece of land in Cooksey Road where he had a large metal clad hut to store his little Ford van which he used to visit small villages to the south of Birmingham, selling haberdashery. The site also housed several lock-up garages, some made from parts of Anderson air-raid shelters. At the end of that short row of shops, Lancasters and the post office, there was a general linen store at the corner of Golden Hillock Road and Byron Road.
boomy
 
I noticed that some of the photos on here were missing so I've added some below - the one from 1931 shows damage outside the park after a storm - this appears elsewhere on this site re 'Extreme Weather' but is relevant to the Park Thread. Other photos with dates are estimates only.
 

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#2 Small Heath Park Entrance
#2 - Small Heath Park - Entrance.jpg

#4 Small Heath Park - Entrance - Looking towards Roadway.
#4 - Small Heath Park - Entrance Lodge.jpg

#7 Small Heath Park - Aviary - (Victoria Park)
#7 - Small Heath Park - Aviary - Victoria Park.jpg
 
#12 - Small Heath Park
#12 - Small Heath Park.jpg

#13 - Small Heath Park - The Avenue
#13 - Small Heath Park - The Avenue.jpg

#14 - Small Heath Park - The Bridge
#14 - Small Heath Park.jpg

#15 - Small Heath Park - The Park Pool
#15 - Small Heath Park - Pool.jpg
 
#20 - Small Heath Park
#20 - Small Heath Park.jpg

#22 - Small Heath Park - Landing Stage
#22 - Small Heath Park - Landing Stage.jpg

#23 - Small Heath Park
#23 - Small Heath Park - 1907.JPG

#24 - Small Heath Park - Feeding Ducks
#24 - Small Heath Park - Feeding Ducks.JPG
 
From the opening lines of a link to an article I placed in Post #99:

Small Heath Park Lodge: abandoned?
What would happen to a private individual who leased a property from a charitable trust and then let that property go to rack and ruin?

I hope the Park doesn't suffer the same fate!at
 
#34 - Small Heath Park - c1919 - Postcard with the caption "A Pretty Bit in Small Heath Park Birmingham"
#34 - Small heath Park - 1919.jpg
 
#40 - Small Heath Park
#40 - Small Heath Park .jpg

#41 - Small Heath Park - 1926
#41 - Small Heath Park - 1926.jpg

#42 - Small Heath Park - 1911
#42 - Small Heath Park - 1911.jpg

#43 - Small Heath Park - 1925
#43 - Small Heath Park - 1925.jpg

#44 - Small Heath Park - The Duck Pond.
#44 - Small Heath Park -The Duck Pond.jpg
 
Does anyone remember the fires on November 5th and the firework displays they used have every year in Small Heath Park?

Also wasn't it originally given to Birmingham by one of the Cadbury's? (Same as Beacon Hill at the Lickeys?)
 
I worked for Bill Bloye at his studio on Golden Hillock Rd and spent a lot of time in the park loved the paddle boats lots of fun in the summer. I also played in a an Irish Club by there with my band
 
Does anyone remember the fires on November 5th and the firework displays they used have every year in Small Heath Park?

Also wasn't it originally given to Birmingham by one of the Cadbury's? (Same as Beacon Hill at the Lickeys?)
i do i worked for the parks dept. collecting rubbish from other parks and schools for the fire.
 
I remember about 1960 (my brother and I were 9 and 10 at the time), we found out about a Guy Fawkes competition on Bonfire Night at Small Heath Park, so set about creating a Guy to end all Guys. It took us ages, old clothes from dad and grandad, stuffed with crumpled newspaper, old wellies for feet, and a head made from mom’s old nylons, old scarf, cardboard Guy Fawkes mask and a hat. We put it in my sisters push chair and pushed it in the dark all the way from our back to backs in Millward Street in Small Heath to the Park, just the two of us.

I think we got in free at the gate ‘cause they felt sorry for us. We were skinny and skint and we were going to the competition with our guy.

Jubilation upon Jubilation we won a ten bob note as a prize, I think we came second (50p nowadays). It was the most money we had ever had in our lives! We felt so proud. The Guy went on the bonfire and we treated ourselves to a hot dog and drink and free firework display and goes on the funfair. It seemed a long way back in the cold and dark but I can still feel the exhilaration of it all..

And since that day nearly sixty years ago I have never won another prize in any sort of competition or draw or lottery......as my Nan used to say, “not even a sausage!!!......”

Small Heath Park Bonfire Night, I remember you well!
 
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