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    Woodman Public House Easy Row

    When I used to go to the CBSO symphony concerts in the town hall in my 20's (in the 1950's) I would sit at the back sometimes, behind the orchestra, and during the interval would nip out the back entrance for a quick drink in, I think, The Woodman. Half the orchestra would be there downing a...
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    WWII Barrage Balloon Sites

    There was a barrage balloon unit in a playing field off Oakhurst Road, Acocks Green. It was manned by a team of women, WAAFs I think. At least they wore WAAF type uniforms. I remember them hauling the balloon down in the morning after it being up in the sky all night during the blitz. There was...
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    Air raid shelters

    There was a large public underground shelter on the central reservation of Fox Hollies Road, opposite Hall Green Church. It would have been filled in I guess after the war. I wonder if there are any traces of it beneath the surface? The reason I know about it is because I used to go to the Hall...
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    WWII Barrage Balloon Sites

    There was a barrage balloon (largely female) crew sited in playing fields half way down Oakhurst Road, Acocks Green. Used to watch them inflating the balloon and raising it up into the sky attached to its steel cable. One night we also had an anti aircraft gun in the road firing away (mainly to...
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    The Adam and Eve, Bradford Street

    Thanks for the information "Shawcross" I can't believe George Huxley is still playing his clarinet, he must be over eighty now! Have you any news of the other band members? - many years ago quite by chance I bumped into Charles the trombone player strolling along the prom in a Spanish resort...
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    Stratford Road

    Maurice: Froggy Hughes was my form master for a while. You may also remember Conny Constable who taught the same subject philm
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    Stratford Road

    Don't remember a Ron Jones but I certainly remember "Gasser" Jones the wordwork master. He gave me an almighty clip round the head for putting a jackplane down on a steel rule. Corporal punishments were the norm in those days! My grandsons would be horrified. philm
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    The Adam and Eve, Bradford Street

    that was george huxley. the trombone player was i think charles powell and pete rollason was on piano.brings back happy memories, Em
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    Stratford Road

    Are you still looking for replies? - as a schoolboy at Moseley Grammar School in the first half of the 1940's i.e. during the war, we often used to wander down to the Stratford Road at lunchtime. I remember Mr. Samway's junk shop (sorry, antiques) a little way along on the left past College...
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    Pub Bombings

    My dad walked into a city pub on his way home from work during the war and asked the barman for a pint. "You must be joking" was the reply "look out here". He opened a door behind the bar and there was a huge crater where the rear of the pub used to be.
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    Soap Box Preachers - Bull Ring

    I may well have seen your dad in action (or should I say "in full flow") - as a youngster I thought it great to wander amongst the crowds in the Bullring of a Saturday and Sunday afternoon in those long-gone days. The escapologist with his assistant, the strong man, the horse race tipster and of...
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    The Antelope, The Bear, The Mermaid; the same architect

    Hi ed the magnificent interior is probably due to the fact that the building was built as local council offices. That area was originally part of Worcestershire before being absorbed into the ever expanding Birmingham. If you look up you will see "Yardley UDC " carved there, Yardley being an...
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    The Antelope, The Bear, The Mermaid; the same architect

    Check out "Sparkhill" on Wikepedia and you will be rewarded with magnificent views of the above three Stratford Road pubs (plus one of Sparkhill Library). These buildings were all designed by the Birmingham architect Holland W. Hobbiss, examples of whose work is to be seen all over the city. The...
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    Tank 'Ouse

    Does anyone know how many "Tank Houses" there were in Birmingham in their heyday? I remember two, both on the Stratford Road, one was The Antelope but I forget the name of the other. Mild ale was delivered by tanker - I kid you not - and pumped to an underground tank at the pub. I think the...
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    Soap Box Preachers - Bull Ring

    Ernie McCulloch (not sure of the spelling) was up on his soap box every Sunday evening back in the 50's talking a lot of garbled nonsense, but mainly political rather than religious. I heckled him to "get to the point" once and he was most put out. Another regular was Little Jackie Win, a...
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    The Grand Turk

    Thank you very much Phil
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    The Grand Turk

    Does anyone have a picture of the Grand Turk, which was in the old Bull Ring, I think next to the Market Hall. You could buy very cheap draught rough cider there. The escapologist used to come in and tip all his pennies out on the bar, buy a drink and take away the change converted to shillings etc.
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    Woodman Public House Easy Row

    My memory of The Woodman is when I used to sit in the cheap seats in the town hall (behind the orchestra) at the CBSO symphony concerts. I used to nip round to The Woodman for a pint in the interval and half the orchestra, in their tail coats, would be there knocking back drinks.
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    The Adam and Eve, Bradford Street

    Thank you for those two pics phil, especially the older one. Isn't it strange how places seem much larger in your memory than they are in real life.
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    The Adam and Eve, Bradford Street

    Yes I think that's it - thank you very much. As I remember it, as you entered the lobby there was a set of stairs directly in front of you. That's where we went up to the club in the room above to listen and dance to the dixeyland jazz. The locals ignored us and got on with their drinking. We...
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