Recent content by Roy Rocket

Gordon L Jackson was born in Perry Common, Birmingham in 1937. He is a link in my family history search and I would like to trace him or a relative. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks both - very, very helpful!!

Does anyone know of a Brewery Street in the Summer Lane/Nechells area of about 1870? I cannot seem to find a trace of it.

I recall a visit to my mother and upon answering the door she said "Thank goodness it's you - I thought it was those church people again". What church people, I asked. She said "Them Joanna's witnesses". Another one was "You know your auntie Florrie has been in hosptial and very poorly"...

You might find St Saviours in St Saviours Rd to be the nearest.

We were not 'posh' enough to have a pram. We had a folding push chair with a makers name of Tan Sad. This was 1948 and we would take it to Saltley Gas works and queue to pay for a ticket and then shuffle forward to the coke shute. It was then a long and heavy load to push from the 'Gate' back...

Malcolm Stent - a Birmingham folk singer - put words about the Bull Ring to a song "Messing about on the river". I hope he does not mind if I recall the words for you. It started "When I was a lad - I'd go with me Dad - Each Saturday night to the Bull Ring". He went on to mention The Sally...

I've just read a lovely book by Dennis Harding "From the Shadows of Poverty". Referring 1900 to present day - schooldays to manhood situated around Nechells/Duddeston.

Well, I've waded through the amazing list of B'ham night clubs but I don't think I saw one for "The Ambassadors" which was just off the Hagley Road and not far from the 'Rainbow'.

philbee refers to a small run down cinema near to the 'Gate'. I'm thinking of a building in that very location that became a "nightclub" in about the 1970's called the 'Jigsaw' and operated by a group of Irish guys. I don't know what it is now!

All the comments re the 'Outer Circle' brought back memories of my brother and me being sent off for the afternoon with sandwiches and a bottle of cold tea - grabbing the upstairs front seat and completing the entire circuit. I didn't see any mention of the shorter escapade on the No.8 Inner...

This is probably a long shot but - my g.grandfather was John Cox b: 1870 and married Caroline Allwood. They had a greengrocers shop in Nechells/Aston. My paternal g.g.grandfather James Cook b:1809 and lived Cato St/Grt Lister St areas. He was a glassblower - as were his later generations.

It may have been said already, but the site of this former garage was a theatre. The Carlton Theatre (opened 1900). It changed it's name in 1911 to the Birmingham Coliseum and in 1921 it became the Carlton cinema. That was demolished in 1940 and the site cleared for the garage as shown. My...

This may have been said before but - alum rock has had a number of uses over the centuries. For instance, the chemicals gained from the rock have been used as a fire retardent. During the 16th/17th century - ships' sails would be soaked in this sort of mixture. Just thought I'd mention it...

Surely, any Brum will recall the parting cry of "ta ra a bit - love to the babbies"