• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Yardley Wood

jmadone : That sounds like my wife's Uncle Harry .... is your cousin's name Margaret ? If so, we know her well, and we'll be seeing her on Saturday.
Geoff that's wonderful. I have tried to send a message to you but with no successs. can you private message me please?
 
jmadone : That sounds like my wife's Uncle Harry .... is your cousin's name Margaret ? If so, we know her well, and we'll be seeing her on Saturday.
Hi Johnny, your name rings a bell with me. I think I am the same age as you (born in 1949) and we may have been friends as children. Do you remember Ivor Parkin from number 34. I also have memories of Blacks, especially the smells of cheese, ham and vinegar and, of course, the fly papers covered in flies hanging over the counter.
Hi Ivor can’t say I remember you but I was friendly with Geoffrey Broadbent and his sister Betty.
They lived in Pendeen road can’t recall the number but would have been father down the road from you towards Yardley wood road.
 
My mother-in-law used to call them "Skinflints".
Flints stores one at either end of the row of shops. I did a paper round for Mrs Flint when 13. There was a clothing shop in the row of shops but can not remember the name. I used to go the Tudor Saturday Matinees stamping our feet when Ming appears in the Flash Gordon episode. Then went again on Sunday night finished about 9.15 then the Valley pub as they used to close at 10 on Sunday stand in the corridor. My father would bring out a packet of Smiths crisps the ones with the salt in a twisted blue paper, then hopefully the mussels and cockles man would come around.
 
My mom was caretaker of the church hall - Christ Church and we used to go to Flints - I went to HH school and we lived on Prince of Wales Lane. Dad frequented the social club for a game of dominoes and a “shandy” aka pints of mild! We hoped to get chosen to clean up wedding confetti at the church after we sang in the choir!
 
My mom was caretaker of the church hall - Christ Church and we used to go to Flints - I went to HH school and we lived on Prince of Wales Lane. Dad frequented the social club for a game of dominoes and a “shandy” aka pints of mild! We hoped to get chosen to clean up wedding confetti at the church after we sang in the choir!
Yardley Wood Social Club. Prince of Wales Lane. My father's yard was behind the shops which were opposite the allotments. We spent more time in the cafe in that row of shops. The Chantelles used to have a practice night in the room above the Warstock pub on the corner. Ace Kefford was in the Chantelles at the time. Blonde guy went and resurfaced in the Move when they made it.
 
Last edited:
Flints stores one at either end of the row of shops. I did a paper round for Mrs Flint when 13. There was a clothing shop in the row of shops but can not remember the name. I used to go the Tudor Saturday Matinees stamping our feet when Ming appears in the Flash Gordon episode. Then went again on Sunday night finished about 9.15 then the Valley pub as they used to close at 10 on Sunday stand in the corridor. My father would bring out a packet of Smiths crisps the ones with the salt in a twisted blue paper, then hopefully the mussels and cockles man would come around.
Clothing shop was "Simpsons"....it survived against all odds until not too long ago. Empty for ages, but otherwise untouched. Those of us who could not afford Simpsons had to resort to "Patricks" just around the corner on YWR, near Jones' bike shop and "Decorate".....
 
Beautiful scene at the Dingle of a horse drinking at the ford. Sorry, no date. Viv.

View attachment 172130
I remember the local MP who came to see my father when he was alive, he brought him a similar photo. Charlie you will like this old photo of Yardley Wood Road. My father said this photo is of Stoney Lane and that’s where Stoney Lane Sparkbrook gets its name from. My father said I had to go down to that ford to collect the milk and bread when the brook was flooded as the horse and cart could not get through it. The Dingles are still there, I used to swim in a deep stretch just below Trittiford Park. It is now YWR. But it was not in 1925.
 
Clothing shop was "Simpsons"....it survived against all odds until not too long ago. Empty for ages, but otherwise untouched. Those of us who could not afford Simpsons had to resort to "Patricks" just around the corner on YWR, near Jones' bike shop and "Decorate".....
Simpson’s that right. Mrs Flint you had to keep a track if you did any extra paper rounds if the paper boy for that round did not turn up. She had a selective memory.
 
I remember the local MP who came to see my father when he was alive, he brought him a similar photo. Charlie you will like this old photo of Yardley Wood Road. My father said this photo is of Stoney Lane and that’s where Stoney Lane Sparkbrook gets its name from. My father said I had to go down to that ford to collect the milk and bread when the brook was flooded as the horse and cart could not get through it. The Dingles are still there, I used to swim in a deep stretch just below Trittiford Park. It is now YWR. But it was not in 1925.
Arrgh. When I was a kid in the 1960's we used to go down the Dingles. The bit just at the bottom of the park where it used to go under Trittiford Road used to be swarming with horse-leeches. We used to collect 'em in jam-jars.

Not nice.
 
Arrgh. When I was a kid in the 1960's we used to go down the Dingles. The bit just at the bottom of the park where it used to go under Trittiford Road used to be swarming with horse-leeches. We used to collect 'em in jam-jars.

Not nice.
The things we used to collect when we we’re kids. Used to dredge the brook up by the Aquaduct using a hessian sack. You could get stone loach and small roach in that stretch. The overflow in Trittiford Park what went into the brook used to be full of kids paddling in hot weather even in those days many got bad cuts as someone had smashed a bottle in the brook. Scribblers Lane ford was also full of kids when the weather got warm it had a really sandy bottom. I went a few years ago this ford and the one at the Aquaduct have been concreted over and the stream runs through ducts underneath. I may be mistaken perhaps it was only the Aquaduct ford that was concrete.
 
Last edited:
There is a lot of reminiscences about the Aqueduct -the one in Shirley - maybe earlier in this thread. It was a wonderful place for enjoyment back in the late ''40s and early 1950's. Not that many cars around then.
 
The things we used to collect when we we’re kids. Used to dredge the brook up by the Aquaduct using a hessian sack. You could get stone loach and small roach in that stretch. The overflow in Trittiford Park what went into the brook used to be full of kids paddling in hot weather even in those days many got bad cuts as someone had smashed a bottle in the brook. Scribblers Lane ford was also full of kids when the weather got warm it had a really sandy bottom. I went a few years ago this ford and the one at the Aquaduct have been concreted over and the stream runs through ducts underneath
I spent many happy days down at the ford in Scribers Lane in my early childhood. Also in the fields next to it - fishing with nets and putting the fish into jars; we also did drag fishing with cloth, but that wasn't as exciting for me.

The last time I was down there was about 10-12 years ago on a nostalgia visit. The ford was still open water then and looked pretty much as I remembered it, although quite leafy with overhanging trees.

I found this photograph of my dad taken paddling in the ford. Not sure of the date but would be late 40s - early 50s.

new-28.jpg
 
I spent many happy days down at the ford in Scribers Lane in my early childhood. Also in the fields next to it - fishing with nets and putting the fish into jars; we also did drag fishing with cloth, but that wasn't as exciting for me.

The last time I was down there was about 10-12 years ago on a nostalgia visit. The ford was still open water then and looked pretty much as I remembered it, although quite leafy with overhanging trees.

I found this photograph of my dad taken paddling in the ford. Not sure of the date but would be late 40s - early 50s.

View attachment 172163
Love it used to love paddling in that ford. Do you remember the old sharabang in the field further up towards the Shirley end. Can not remember if it was Ian Hatfield who threw a banger in the petrol tank that still had fumes in after all those years blew it up. If it was not you Ian I am sorry but we all got a lecture at assembly in school about the incident. It got a sand lining after Hoveringham Gravels opened up the sand quarry further up stream past the Drawbridge Pub towards Whitlock End Halt station on the Stratford on Avon line. I need to go back that way sometime to see if the pool is still in Priory Road, I do know the wind mill went years ago.
 
Last edited:
There is a lot of reminiscences about the Aqueduct -the one in Shirley - maybe earlier in this thread. It was a wonderful place for enjoyment back in the late ''40s and early 1950's. Not that many cars around then.
A young boy fell off the bridge and died whilst I was at Yardley Wood School.
 
We used to play in the ford down Scribers Lane. Caught loads of sticklebacks in jam jars.
We moved from Reddings Lane to Doveridge Road when I was about 2 yrs old.
Many halfpenny sweets were purchased at Warwicks, Robert the son was in our class at Chilcote if I remember rightly.
 
Back
Top