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High Street Aston

I have a few images of Aston High Street that are possibly unique so I have started a thread for this thoroughfare – I searched for a thread but I don’t think there is one. If there is I will accept a telling-off from a moderator.

So this thread is just for the High Street NOT Newtown Row. I don’t know why I do this to myself. I should simply concentrate on the pubs. However, I generally have an ‘index’ page for a street and then have the pubs in the same folder. Anyway, here is a photograph of the florist’s shop once run by Vera Sanderson. To save duplication I have typed up some information on this photograph at :

https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/high-street-aston/index.html#Vera-Sanderson

If anybody can add to this then please feel free to share your info or memories. In particular, does anybody know about “Peace and Socialism in The Park” .. or “Party” [the poster is ripped.High Street Aston - Vera Sanderson [1961].jpg
 
brilliant photos kieron..think we do have a thread for high st and newtown row combined but dont worry we could do with one just for high street...thanks

lyn
 
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Did anybody stuff their face in this place? I have put a bit of info at :


I imagine there is some sort of connection to Black Sabbath with this family??

View attachment 141590
As far as the connection to Black Sabbath, who coincidentally are celebrating 50 years since their groundbreaking earth shattering first album release...Tony Iommi lived on Park Lane, just around the corner from the cafe, but from what information is available, it appears that he was not connected to the cafe. OTOH, it's quite conceivable that there were family connections.
Dave A
 
no i havnt...i asked mike to send it to me :grinning: ...i really am hopeless at mapping but i love them because i like to see exactly where certain buildings were...i would be lost without mikes maps...as a youngster i would have walked past nos 77 and 81 with our mom when she went shopping...

lyn
 
Heading down the hill to No.91 is a chippy. Of course, everyone knows that Yam-Yam chips are the best and Brummies haven't a clue how to fry a potato!!
I am not sure where the window cleaner has gone to? He seems to have left his ladders and cart in the street - perhaps it was time to grab a bite to eat at Binden's. Of course, it was not always run by the Binden family. During World War One, Frank Shaw was recorded as a fried fish dealer at this address. At the end of the Victorian era it was William Astle who was frying up on the premises.

High Street Aston - Binden's Fish and Chip Shop.jpg
 
these photos are making my day...wonderful images... for all i know that cart and ladders could be our dads...he had a long ladder a V ladder and a cart just like that but there again i guess other window cleaners did as well..maybe one of these days a photo of dad will turn up...mind you the photo would have to have been taken during pub closing hours:grinning::grinning::grinning:
 
Interesting. In 1927 when my mom's family were there it also lists a couple called Becketts who actually lived in Barnsley Rd. So presimably it was their shop.
 
By the way, the photographs I have posted today date from 1961. Also from that year is this 'fuzzy' view looking down the hill from somewhere near the chippy. It shows a cluster of shops down towards the Globe Cinema. This is interesting in that it shows a dray from Atkinson's Brewery Ltd. The company had been acquired by Mitchell's and Butler's two years earlier but it would seem that the Cape Hill brewery were still running the fleet with Atkinson's livery. I suspect that they were still operating with some autonomy out of Aston.

High Street Aston - Atkinson's Dray.jpg
 
By the way, the photographs I have posted today date from 1961. Also from that year is this 'fuzzy' view looking down the hill from somewhere near the chippy. It shows a cluster of shops down towards the Globe Cinema. This is interesting in that it shows a dray from Atkinson's Brewery Ltd. The company had been acquired by Mitchell's and Butler's two years earlier but it would seem that the Cape Hill brewery were still running the fleet with Atkinson's livery. I suspect that they were still operating with some autonomy out of Aston.

View attachment 141595

Looks a bit clearer on my PC so I assume that the files get compressed a fair bit.
 
Back up the hill a bit now to No.101 High Street which was, for many years, the premises of William Henry Owen & Son, a tailoring business. Born at Thornby in Hertfordshire, William and his Halesowen-born wife Edith had earlier kept a tobacconist's shop across the street at No.104, a few doors from Burlington Hall. Edith probably managed the fag shop as William was already documented as a tailor. The couple, along with their four children, moved across the road to these premises by the end of the Victorian period. William Owen died, aged 75, in June 1939 and the family business was continued by his son Clarence who had become a master tailor.
High Street Aston - William Henry Owen & Son [1961].jpg
 
By the way, the photographs I have posted today date from 1961. Also from that year is this 'fuzzy' view looking down the hill from somewhere near the chippy. It shows a cluster of shops down towards the Globe Cinema. This is interesting in that it shows a dray from Atkinson's Brewery Ltd. The company had been acquired by Mitchell's and Butler's two years earlier but it would seem that the Cape Hill brewery were still running the fleet with Atkinson's livery. I suspect that they were still operating with some autonomy out of Aston.

View attachment 141595

wonderful kieron...the large building in the distance i think would be aston uni...but you most likely know this....cheers

lyn
 
Back up the hill a bit now to No.101 High Street which was, for many years, the premises of William Henry Owen & Son, a tailoring business. Born at Thornby in Hertfordshire, William and his Halesowen-born wife Edith had earlier kept a tobacconist's shop across the street at No.104, a few doors from Burlington Hall. Edith probably managed the fag shop as William was already documented as a tailor. The couple, along with their four children, moved across the road to these premises by the end of the Victorian period. William Owen died, aged 75, in June 1939 and the family business was continued by his son Clarence who had become a master tailor.
View attachment 141596
Great photos of a road I used a lot but until I saw these photos couldn't even remember those shops. If it's the same one, I remember the tailors shop because in1960 my Dad bought a roll of suit fabric from a bloke in a pub. He took me to be measured up and a suit was made. Problem was, for me anyway, the trouser bottoms were not narrow enough. One day, after I had saved up my part time wages, I sneaked the trousers out and took them to Goulds on the corner of Inkerman St and had them tapered to 14inch bottoms. I don't think my Dad ever did notice the difference.
 
Great photos of a road I used a lot but until I saw these photos couldn't even remember those shops. If it's the same one, I remember the tailors shop because in1960 my Dad bought a roll of suit fabric from a bloke in a pub. He took me to be measured up and a suit was made. Problem was, for me anyway, the trouser bottoms were not narrow enough. One day, after I had saved up my part time wages, I sneaked the trousers out and took them to Goulds on the corner of Inkerman St and had them tapered to 14inch bottoms. I don't think my Dad ever did notice the difference.
I remember Goulds for the same reason...it was across from The House that jack Built. Unfortunately, my dad hated narrow pants so I had to change into them and leave them at my mates house.
Dave A
 
I remember Goulds for the same reason...it was across from The House that jack Built. Unfortunately, my dad hated narrow pants so I had to change into them and leave them at my mates house.
Dave A
Story of our youth Dave. Our Parents just didn't understand us.;)
 
By the way, the photographs I have posted today date from 1961. Also from that year is this 'fuzzy' view looking down the hill from somewhere near the chippy. It shows a cluster of shops down towards the Globe Cinema. This is interesting in that it shows a dray from Atkinson's Brewery Ltd. The company had been acquired by Mitchell's and Butler's two years earlier but it would seem that the Cape Hill brewery were still running the fleet with Atkinson's livery. I suspect that they were still operating with some autonomy out of Aston.

View attachment 141595
That's a great shot! obviously a telephoto lens..you can even see some of New St, where the bingo (arcade) was.
Dave A
 
No I wasn't expecting that! I'm just grateful to see the photos of that area :) Thank you !

getting closer lynn...if you look at the map i posted you will see where it says HALL here is a photo of the hall so your moms house is just out of shot to the left of the hall6 Burlington Hall (6).jpg....would anyone know if it was hawkins jellied eel shop at no 88..i have a vague memory of it being on a corner somewhere around there...

lyn
 
getting closer lynn...if you look at the map i posted you will see where it says HALL here is a photo of the hall so your moms house is just out of shot to the left of the hallView attachment 141599....would anyone know if it was hawkins jellied eel shop at no 88..i have a vague memory of it being on a corner somewhere around there...

lyn
Wow Lyn that's fantastic!! Silly me getting a bit emotional now thinking thats where my lovely Mom came into the world...
 
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