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Stratford Road

I don’t remember Dinah but Keith rings a bell! I was at York Rd School from 1941-1947 - it was such a lovely school. The last time I saw Sylvia and her Mother was one afternoon around 1980 outside their garage when Sylvia was there on a visit so sad to hear your news. Do you remember the large detached house next to the bungalows? A boy called Charles lived there and he also went to York Rd School.
 
I don’t remember Dinah but Keith rings a bell! I was at York Rd School from 1941-1947 - it was such a lovely school. The last time I saw Sylvia and her Mother was one afternoon around 1980 outside their garage when Sylvia was there on a visit so sad to hear your news. Do you remember the large detached house next to the bungalows? A boy called Charles lived there and he also went to York Rd School.
I remember the house but not the boy. We are obviously a few years apart in age. It makes a difference at that age, doesn't it? Other older children I remember were neighbours of ours - Roger Moody and two Ranstead boys. Yes, York Road was a lovely school. I was sad to leave! My memories of those days are still pretty sharp considering the time that has elapsed. I remember the first hymns we learned there 'Glad That I live am I' and 'The Morning's Bright with rosy light....', Was Millais' picture 'The Blind Girl' hanging in the Hall, near the door out to the boys' playground when you were there?
 
I have. O recollection of the picture!
Did Pat.Crowther play the piano whilst you were singing your hymns?
Her classroom was next to the hall and Miss Woolcock’s
classroom was on the other side then the reception class with that wonderful Dolls house that you could sit in.
Up a few steps and past Miss Crowders room was Mrs Spetigues class - she was very scary! And then there was the ‘top class’ of Jack Carter. He was a brilliant teacher who’s enthusiasm enabled many of us to get into grammar schools and I will be forever grateful to him. In his year we had our only ever school outing to the Rhayader Dam in Wales - the first outing after the end of WW11
 
Yes Mrs Crowther (as I remember her) with her red hair - played stirring Sousa marches to get us in and out of the halll in the morning. I was never in her class. I jumped into Miss Woolcocks (freckles!). She didn't like me much - preferred my twin brother and sister! Miss Pettigrew (is that right?)became Mrs Harkin(?). Yes she was scary (glasses and dark, curly hair) but I quite liked her - also Mrs Maxon. My favourite was Mr Spencer who must have arrived after Mr Carter. He took the top class and was similarly inspiring!There was also a Mr Grainger (scarred face and thick glasses) and Mr Bellfield (morris dancing!). Mustn't forget the boss - Miss Dunton.
 
Miss Condrey was Head in my early years and she was hateful and because I was left handed she insisted my left hand was tied behind my back.
Miss Dunton came later - the calm after the storm - lovely lady - gentle - wore her grey hair in a bun.
There were school dinners - cooked by the caretakers wife and served in the infants classroom!
.
 
This superb photograph, first shown by Old Mohawk in the Electric Trams thread #510, shows some of the features of the Stratford Road described by Elf9 in #375 of this thread. This photo must have been taken in about 1936 and therefore predates the trio of us who went to York Road School (Pat Hayward, Elf9 and myself). The College Arms is still there and is at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side. Dave.
IMG_20210315_164136919_HDR (2).jpg
 
What a wonderful picture! I can just see our old house - at least, I think that's the one, just behind at the back of the tram. There were no trams when I lived there - or rails, as far as I recall. Many thanks. BTW FD, I saw 'Merry Andrew' at the Rialto and laughed like a drain - I can't believe you didn't find it amusing!
 
This superb photograph, first shown by Old Mohawk in the Electric Trams thread #510, shows some of the features of the Stratford Road described by Elf9 in #375 of this thread. This photo must have been taken in about 1936 and therefore predates the trio of us who went to York Road School (Pat Hayward, Elf9 and myself). The College Arms is still there and is at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side. Dave.
View attachment 154477
What a wonderful picture! I can just see our old house - at least, I think that's the one, just behind at the back of the tram. There were no trams when I lived there - or rails, as far as I recall. Many thanks. BTW FD, I saw 'Merry Andrew' at the Rialto and laughed like a drain - I can't believe you didn't find it amusing!
 
Yes I noticed that. And the bank with the bungalows. I used to walk up one of the steep paths every morning with my mother, on my way to York Road, to call fora friend who lived in one of them . I remember the winter snows when it was necessary to crawl up!
 
Those bungalows always had a fascination for me and that steep bank of grass leading up to them - they never seemed quite in keeping with the rest of Stratford Road - they had an air of mystery about them.
Most Saturdays the family went to the cinema - perhaps the Rialto or the Robin Hood or even the Springfield or the Piccadilly. There was always a queue for the evening performance and it was mine and my cousin’s job to go and stand in the appropriate queue until the rest of the family got there. After the show my cousin and I would be treated to fish’s chips in the shop in Formans Road and as a treat we ate in the back part of the shop. Then back onto Stratford Road to get the 31/31a bus back to Hall Green.
 
I do agree with you about the bungalows. They were fascinating. One of my York Road friends lived in the second one from the left (I think that was the one). Subsequently, a physics teacher from Camp Hill GS moved there so all in all I got to know it quite well! I believe there was an air raid shelter underneath the grass bank. My mother, I think, sheltered there at times during the war. She blamed the loss of her teeth on something she contracted there - referred to as trench mouth!
In 1950 we moved to School Road, Hall Green. I was a film junkie - haunted the Rialto and Robin Hood cinemas! But I only went once to the Springfield. Wasn't there a bomb site next to it? The Piccadilly was near Camp Hill when it was in Bordesley. later the school moved to Kings Heath. So I swapped the no. 32 bus for the Outer Circle 11.
 
Elf9,

The bombsite was behind the Springfield Dance Hall, now an Asian functions place. I lived at 215 Knowle next to the demolished houses and there's a picture on the Knowle Road thread.

Maurice :cool:
 
I do agree with you about the bungalows. They were fascinating. One of my York Road friends lived in the second one from the left (I think that was the one). Subsequently, a physics teacher from Camp Hill GS moved there so all in all I got to know it quite well! I believe there was an air raid shelter underneath the grass bank. My mother, I think, sheltered there at times during the war. She blamed the loss of her teeth on something she contracted there - referred to as trench mouth!
In 1950 we moved to School Road, Hall Green. I was a film junkie - haunted the Rialto and Robin Hood cinemas! But I only went once to the Springfield. Wasn't there a bomb site next to it? The Piccadilly was near Camp Hill when it was in Bordesley. later the school moved to Kings Heath. So I swapped the no. 32 bus for the Outer Circle 11.
Have you discovered the Camp Hill thread. There are quite a few of us on here!
 
Have you discovered the Camp Hill thread. There are quite a few of us on here!
Yes, and it would also be interesting to know what life was like on the other side. The girls school, which Elf9 attended, was separated from the boys by a six-foot wall, barbed wire and land mines! This particularly applied to the Stratford Road site. Things were a bit more relaxed at Kings Heath. They took away the land mines.
 
Dave,

Ha ha! The playing field at Moseley Grammar was separated by one used by Moseley School for Girls by a fence, trees and bushes, but there was always a hole in the fence however many times they patched it up. There was also 3 or 4 yards of "no mans land" in the bushes! No land mines though. :)

Maurice :cool:
 
Hi Phil
The Cascade Club on the corner of Showell Green lane & Stratford Road Actually CASCADED in the mid 80's onto the Stratford Road, littery, and is no longer there on that spot, I was to young to go there, Ha Ha!
I'm surprised you haven't posted a photo of the place (see my request for a whiskey a go go Photo)

A belated reply to #314 which showed a 1987 view of shops on the Stratford Road near the Showell Green Lane junction :

The above post is taken from the "Sparkhill" thread, and probably explains the wrecked state of the rightmost buildings.
Here's an old view of the same row of shops.

Sparkhill Stratford Road 8.jpg
 
I can remember that among the row of shops between Palmerston Road and Walford Road, Sparkbrook were, first, a haberdashery shop (name not remembered), Greens record shop, a picture framing shop, Cotterill's Ironmongers (always wearing a shirt and tie under his grey dustcoat), Dyson Richards Funeral Directors, Roadleys (Prams and pushchairs) and Moss Zissmans men's outfitters. There may have been more but going back to the 60s plays tricks.
Earlier in this thread was mention of a gents outfitters on the other side of Stratford Road almost opposite Palmerston Road. That was Phillip Colliers.
Between Walford Road and Poplar Road was a butchers, John A Bates. I'm reasonably sure they advertised as home slaughtered meat although I'm not sure what that conjures up.
Another shop not previously mentioned was in the row of shops at the top of Sparkhill between Durham Road and Showell Green Lane. It was where all our local knitting ladies obtained their wool and patterns and I think it was called Raines.
I was another one who spent many happy Saturday evenings in the Star Ballroom above Burton's, Sparkhill.
 
I can remember that among the row of shops between Palmerston Road and Walford Road, Sparkbrook were, first, a haberdashery shop (name not remembered), Greens record shop, a picture framing shop, Cotterill's Ironmongers (always wearing a shirt and tie under his grey dustcoat), Dyson Richards Funeral Directors, Roadleys (Prams and pushchairs) and Moss Zissmans men's outfitters. There may have been more but going back to the 60s plays tricks.
Earlier in this thread was mention of a gents outfitters on the other side of Stratford Road almost opposite Palmerston Road. That was Phillip Colliers.
Between Walford Road and Poplar Road was a butchers, John A Bates. I'm reasonably sure they advertised as home slaughtered meat although I'm not sure what that conjures up.
Another shop not previously mentioned was in the row of shops at the top of Sparkhill between Durham Road and Showell Green Lane. It was where all our local knitting ladies obtained their wool and patterns and I think it was called Raines.
I was another one who spent many happy Saturday evenings in the Star Ballroom above Burton's, Sparkhill.
Firstly Kellys 1966 showing Palmerston to Walford road (should bring back a few memories), then references to John A Bates, Butchers
dyson.PNGBates John A.PNG

Then references Kellys 1955 to Durham Road to Showell Green Lane
1955 to showell grn lane.PNG1955 from durham rd.PNG
 
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