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Alum Rock Rd - Ward End area

Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

Wat a cracking selection of pictures Pom
 
Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

Great photo's, thanks Pom. Did you notice the weather? It was a lovely day on Friday. :D
 
Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

What memories,when I first married 43 years agoI lived opposite 243 Washwood Heath road and the police station.My 1st husband was a bus driver on the 56 and when his bus stopped at the stop in the picture he would give our son a wave.No fancy bus shelter in those days.My present husband went to Anthony road school ,now called Shawhill.I remember the Manor house pub when it was the Bulls Head.
 
Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

I loved the pictures on that site.

I was christened in St Marks Church back in 1964. My grandparents lived on Harts Road, not so very far away from the church if my memory serves me correct.

I also have some vague memories of The Rock Public House. I seem to remember my parents taking me there at some point (I think it was run by friends of my father at the time).

Haven't been to Birmingham since the 1970's and never actually lived there, but I always seem to feel that it is home. I guess that is because so many of my relatives still live there now.
 
Re: Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

My husband lived in Ralph Road and went to Anthony Road School in the 50's
 
Re: Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

Yes Pom what a wonderful assembly of pictures. Well remember the area having gone to school at Leigh Road. St, Marks, the railway bridge, the police station, the hardware store by the police station and the junction of Wright Road, Malthouse Lane and Aston Church. Towards town at that junction there was a barbers shop where I used to get my hair cut. Can't think of the name right away but it will come to me.
Most mornings, after I started work, would find me at that junction waiting for a chance to cross Washwood Heath Road and go speeding down Aston Church on my bicycle en-route to the drawing office. From the photo's that corner does not seem to have changed much except that the shops on the S/W corner seem to be gone. Wrights news agents was the main shop there. Just up Malthouse lane a bit was, I believe an Outdoor, right on the bend. The goal keeper of our junior school soccer team used to live there. If I remember correctly his name was Billy Willis. What a player.
I can't say that I remember those years fondly though, well not all of the time, life was often a bit of a struggle. Two wars had decimated the country and there was only a declining infrastructure left. You always remember your formative years though for better or not so.
 
Hello Sheila, I noticed you once lived in George Arthur Rd, my husband lived at number 24 until we married 43 years ago, his name is Robert Jenkins, he went to St Saviour's and Leigh Rd schools, it's nice to see a link on the site about Alum Rock.

Rita (trebor)
 
Re: Alum Rock Rd - Wardend area

Rupert,I lived opposite the policestation in a flat owned by Ernie Lucas who had the hardware shop next to the station.

The barbers shop was split in two one half a barbers and the other a gentlemans outfitters and you could walk between the two shops.I think the father ran the barbers and the son ran the gents outfitters.

I remember the little outdoor in Malthouse lane,which I visited to get my bottles of M&B Light ale.

My husband and perhaps all of you who were children in Saltley learned to swim at George Arthur baths.
 
That's exactly right Alberta. I think the barber/outfitters name was Young. Yes.. Bert Young..a good angler, he used to fish with the Cross Guns Pub club further along Washwood Heath Road. My older pal Dave's dad was in the same club. The tram stop into town was right outside the police station. Sometimes when I went to school we woukl play marbles in the gutter all the way down Wright Road, cross over Washwood Heath and then all the way along Washwood Heath to Leigh Road and down to school. There were big wheeled carts in those days pulled by big shires. Not many cars.
You know we were not rich but the area was definitely respectable.
 
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My father was born in Malthouse Lane. My family also had connections with Wright Road and Shaw Hill. I used to live in Alum Rock during the early 60's. My dad is 85 now and would love to see some photos of how the area used to look, but I havn't been able to find any pics on the web. Does anyone know where I can find some onfo on that area?


Researching RHODES family of Saltley
 
All I'll say is there's some right pond life living around those areas right now..
Coincidently I've been working all around those places this week doing forced entries on properties that had refused mandatory gas safety checks.
So you dont think this is a racist thing Asians etc are usually brilliant at letting us in to do these things but...well, from Monday on, I've found properties that have been totally trashed by tenants, Boilers removed off the wall then claiming Burglars have stolen it..(yeah right)
Yesterday I found a complete flat dedicated to growing Cannabis...the place had a beautiful smell too.
half are 'Dole drops' with letters to 10 different names in the flat (dont worry, I pass them over to the authorities)
Some are being sublet to as many as 6 other people, lots are abusive, lots are physically threatening...all in a days work in the modern inner city...
 
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Some years ago I read on the web that this area was the most depressed area in Britain. It came as a bit of a shock at the time. It's a service industry society now. Working at making things it seems is not a good idea.
 
My husband grew up in Ralph Road apparently there was a club there he used to have to call his Dad for dinner through the door. We went there a couple of years ago to take some photo's of a house for a lady in Australia, a young Asian guy shouted at us what are you doing. My husband said "whats it got to do with you" I said to the lad its just family history photo's, he was fine then. My husband also works in these areas and is a bit more street wise than me. The graveyard at St Savior's is a disgace but not suprising. I can't imagine it has much of a congregation.
 
Thats Been A Disgrace Since The 1950,s
If Not Before When I Was A Young Whipper Snapper ,
Have A Nice Day Astonian .;;;;
 
Birmingham 8

What wonderful memories these postings have stirred.
My uncle Paddy Twittey had a driving school up "the Rock", I was born in Cranby Street, went to St Saviours, then Leigh Road when we moved to live in Warren Road. I have swam in the baths in George Arthur Rd, my aunt lived opposite, and the boating lake in Ward End Park. "get off that island" from the Parky, Long Tom, when we ran our canoes aground.
Could go on for ever, thanks to all who have posted here, especially the photographs.
Best wishes to all,
Househunter.
 
Ward End

This is Cock Sparrow Hall, St Margarets Road, Ward End. 1933.
 
Charmaine

I was raised from the age of 4 at Bromford housing estate near erdington and the rock, i grew up going to the rock on the number 26 bus. How the rock has changed i do like it still but feel i am in little india i am not complaining the people seem very helpful and kind, its a glimps into what real india must be like there is a real community feel to it, something we have lost i think. My father moved to the rock 14 years ago and only lived there for 7 weeks but then sadly died of a stroke, so the rock hold many good memories for me and some sad ones. Anyone who remembers the old rock or would like to comment on the up to date rock please feel free to contact me via this site. Charmaine.
 
modgee said:
My father was born in Malthouse Lane. My family also had connections with Wright Road and Shaw Hill. I used to live in Alum Rock during the early 60's. My dad is 85 now and would love to see some photos of how the area used to look, but I havn't been able to find any pics on the web. Does anyone know where I can find some onfo on that area?


Researching RHODES family of Saltley
Click to expand...

My Dad Les Linnecor used to live at 17 Malthouse Lane in the30's and 40's. Wonder if they know each other?
 
Malthouse Lane

Does anyone remember a mill in Malthouse Lane Washwood Heath.
I believe it was called Highfield Mill and can rember the ruins in the early1950's before Malthouse Lane was redeveloped.
 
Bennetts Road. Washwood Heath

I lived in Bennetts Road. Washwood Heath. 1945-1966.

There was a shop half way down and Mr Meredith used to be the shopkeeper in the early 50's. Then it was owned by the Strong family and later the Oldacre family. The shop is now a private dwelling.

At the top of the road there was a dairy. Later the premises were took over by RTP Crisps. At the very top was Franklins which was a grocery shop.

Families that spring to mind are Tovey,Morris, Potter, Richmond, Guest, Densley, Hughes, Strong, Potter, Bone, Williams,Smith, Brookes, Grant, Wood,Foster and a few others.

At the very bottom of Bennetts Road was a newsagents shop an off licence and a sweet shop. The sweet shop was run by the Hadley family.
 
A pal of mine David Parks lived on Bennets Road 50s and early 60s. I think about a third of the way down on the west side. Used to ride a Triumph T100 motorcycle. You may have been too far down to have known him. We all went to Leigh Road School.
 
I can remember Raymond Parkes who I believe had a brother called David.
They lived in Membury Road which is off Bennetts Road.
I knew Raymond more than David as we were in the same classes at Leigh Road School.
 
I can also remember that a Parks family that lived in Bennetts Road. Their house number would have been no 20 or thereabouts. We lived at no 28.
We lived with my grandmother Mrs Caffrey.
 
Sounds like the second one may be about right Les. Would the even numbers have been on the Gate side of the street. I think Daves fether was dead when I knew him and he lived with his widowed mother. First class bloke. Thanks.
 
Yes the even side was on the 'Gate side'. I can't really remember David but I remember his Mother who was, as you have said, widowed. I believe their next door neighbour was Fogg and a family called Richmond also lived a couple of doors from them.

Cheers

Les
 
Les,
I can't remember a mill as such in Malthouse Lane not driven by water anyway. There was no stream or brook there that I can recall. But there was a larger building of sorts that was on the corner of the little road before you got to Highfield. Could have been an old farm house and might possibly have been a mill driven by means other than water at one time. The link shows 1890 map.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/m...=10095&ox=3299&oy=1257&zm=1&czm=1&x=311&y=183

Malthouse Lane methinks goes way back in time.

Rupert
 
Yes Les, it's changed quite a bit since my time but it looks like there are just a few of the old houses still there with their long yards at the back. Looks like the outdoor has gone. A friend Billy Willis used to live there. He was the goal keeper on my school team.
 
The building was probably a Malthouse where they made Malt or it may have been a windmill as it was on top of a hill hence the name Highfield (Road). I remember in the late 40's/early 50's the area immediately behind the building had lock up garages on it. My Grandparents lived at No 17 Malthouse Lane from about 1930 until 1968. Their name was Linnecor.
I can remember families called Bamford, Onion/s and Lord who lived there in the late 50's.
Your photograph brings back memories.I knew a family called Davies who lived between the cottage and Washwood Heath Road. Across the road before the labour exchange(as they called them then) there used to be cottages. The cottages went as far as the railway bridge in Washwood Heath Road(opposite St Mark's). One of the teachers at Leigh Road Primary School lived in one of the cottages in the early 50's. Her name was Mrs/Miss Purnell. (spelling could be different).
There were some nice houses between Highfield Road and the Cross Guns Pub( The old one). One of my school mates Carl Robbins/Robbinson lived in one of them.They were knocked down and the pub was rebuilt further back from the road. A petrol garage was built on the site of the houses but this has long gone and more houses are there now. At the back of the pub there were some houses and another schoolfriend lived there. His name was Clive Woodward.
 
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