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Alum Rock Road Shops

Hi. Blueboy nice to know you have fond memories of Groves what a great shop for us kids. I remember Atkins and Barkers where I would go with my mom for the weekly meat next door to Atkins was Mrs.Brookes the tobacconist. further down was Goldbergs a double fronted shop selling ladies cloths. Are you old enough to remember the fish and chip shop between Wright Road and the Rock picture house it later became Bywaters a cooked meat shop. Ho such memories. Bish
Hi bish thanks for getting back, sorry cant remember the chip shop we used Pauls facing wright road real white chunky pieces of cod mouths watering as I type and the other chippy in highfield road next to the newsagent .I remember the name Bywaters and remember mom mentioning them with regard to some nice ham. I remember Mrs Brookes she was a frail old lady as I remember went in there for the sports argus the pink paper and occasionally blue always dark in her shop even with the light on, I used to get my sweets from Fullbrooks on the way home from St Saviours asked for the 1d tray or the 2d tray if I was flushed or a lucky bag or even a jubbly in that triangular carton frozen or liquid if I was thirsty. Collected many sets of the cards given with the bubblegum packs, this would be 1957 to 63 . I also remember the flower shop next door Dyoss they used to have buckets of flowers outside on shelves my nan Alice Hirst 41 Reginald road bought flowers from her every week and they took pride of place in the front room window there was always a lovely smell when you walked past that flower shop. You know bish this has been a wander down memory lane Many Thanks keep posting was born at 41 Reg Road Dec 1952. would spend Saturday dinner around 12 at the side of Atkins bakery up the entry waiting for Mom to fetch the hot crusty rolls out of the oven and she would spread the butter on thick and let it melt into roll before giving me one and if I was really lucky she would let me have the jar of glace cherries to have a go at i'm starving now!! cheers Rich.
 
Hi. Rich. What a good chip shop Pauls was also used the one in Highfield Road especially on a Friday night after youth club. My cousin lived in Reginald Road in the maisonettes see you also lived in Wright Road did you know Hurst family they also lived opposite Ted Haynes in one of the entries. Bish
 
Hi. Rich. What a good chip shop Pauls was also used the one in Highfield Road especially on a Friday night after youth club. My cousin lived in Reginald Road in the maisonettes see you also lived in Wright Road did you know Hurst family they also lived opposite Ted Haynes in one of the entries. Bish
Hi Bish thank you for responding, the Hirst family you are talking about is probably us, we lived in Kensington Place which was up the entry in wright road and we lived in the houses behind. We moved there in 57 I think from Reginald road what was your cousins name we used to play football on the ground infront of the maisonettes and we were good friends with the Latty's family they lived in No 6 top floor my brother Alan was Donald Lattys mate and they used to play football together. Also remember the Newboulds and the Sheasbys I went to St Saviours with Gerald sheasby. Used the Highfield Rd chippy a few times after coming out of the Labour club opposite Havelock road they used to do Telfors pies I don't think Pauls stocked them not sure. Spent many a Saturday night and Sunday dinner in the club with mom and dad used to love Sunday sessions with dad before coming home, were mom had the dinner on the table waiting and after eating it would fall asleep in the armchair CHEERS Rich.
 
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Hi. Rich. your the one knew your mom and dad very well used to drink with then in the Labour club on a Saturday night with Alex Woodford and his wife sometimes we would go back to your house to finish off the evening. Knew Alan really well played football with him for Rockwood Albion what a small world. When you speak to Alan tell him you've been in touch with Les. Bishop. and I still have a drink with Geoff Poole Ray Burrows Dave Mason Terry Capper and still see Pete Cocks. My cousins are Janet and Bryan Nokes were the Lattys twins if so my cousins lived underneath them. CHEERS Bish
 
Hi. Rich. your the one knew your mom and dad very well used to drink with then in the Labour club on a Saturday night with Alex Woodford and his wife sometimes we would go back to your house to finish off the evening. Knew Alan really well played football with him for Rockwood Albion what a small world. When you speak to Alan tell him you've been in touch with Les. Bishop. and I still have a drink with Geoff Poole Ray Burrows Dave Mason Terry Capper and still see Pete Cocks. My cousins are Janet and Bryan Nokes were the Lattys twins if so my cousins lived underneath them. CHEERS Bish
Hi bish small world indeed had an idea from your user name and where you lived I might know you, so yesterday met up with Alan for our usual visit to mom's who's down here now she's 96 and remembers you. Alan said it's sounds like Les Bishop to me ask him if he remembers Bernard Stallard and Albert Powell and Rockwood Albion !! he said if it was you , you would remember . He was telling me you worked in hairdresser supplies Aston and Finch he thinks and him working at the GEC he would get you some orders for Brylcream and shampoo etc he used to dread delivering because he walked from Wright Road to Witton with a huge sack on his back for his colleagues in the drawing office ( I'm picturing Santa in a suit) right now, the Lattys were on the other side of the road to your cousins I think they were on the same side as the Hirst's on the same side as the outdoor on the corner I have a list for 1957 and shows them at No 17not far from us at 41 got to go wife wants to get the grocery will pass your message on to Alan i'm sure he will recall other memories to share keep posting all the Best Rich.
 
Hi. Rich. I take it you are all in Paignton. Nice to know your mom is still going at 96 hope she is okay. tell Alan who could forget Bernard and Albert and thank him for all the Brylcream he sold for me. Bet your mom used May Mitchells for her knitting and sewing things there was a shoe shop near were I got my first pair off football boots aged 10 later I used Zissmans witch was in the same row of shops. Hope you are all keeping well say hello to your mom Alan and Anna All the Best Bish
 
Hi bish, yes we are all close Alan lives 100 yds up the road from me and mom came down 6 years ago and lives in a residential home 5 mins drive from us. Will see Alan tomorrow and will pass on your messages. Remember Zissmans well during my last year at school 69 used to go there for my Ben Sherman shirts and later for my Levi 2 tone trousers was a mod at that stage Lambretta Li 150 as well wished I still had it wouldn't mind one today. Prior to that most of my clothes came from Foster brothers up the rock and I had my haircut at Staffords a bit further along remember sitting on a plank across the arms of the seat until I was tall enough to sit in the chair. Remember mom knitting must have got her wool from Mitchells I can only remember rolling the wool into balls for her and seeing the end result a balaclava but I wasn't the only kid at St Saviours forced to wear them you went deaf and was constantly scratching your head because of the wool . Think my first pair of football boots were our Alans hand me downs seemed the done thing at the time waste not wont not I remember with the 6 leather studs you had to nail in what a difference when I bought my first pair of Adidas boots Are you still in Birmingham will forward your message to all Keep posting with your thoughts on the Rock which junior school did you go to ? Cheer's Rich.
 
Hi bish just remembered I bought my first LP from Reeds tv and radio shop next to Pauls chippy he used to sell them off cheap in a box outside the shop probably be about 12 at the time went on to collect records and still go to charity shops looking for 45s used to get them from Hawtins opposite the Capital cinema then to Redingtons rare records and the Diskery in town ring any bells at all. Mom and Dad bought me a Ferguson record player one Christmas from then I was hooked Rich.
 
Hi. Rich. remember Foster Brothers and Staffords and sitting on a plank n the same row of shops you had Shaws Electical and Smiths shoe shop had many a good pair of shoes from there I went to Leigh Rd infant junior and senior school still live in Brum Castle Bromwich All for now Bish
 
Hi. Rich. I also used Hawtins and Copes at the gate get my vinyl from a charity record and bookshop in Coleshill they have some collectable ones now and then I'm sure Redingtons closed a couple of years back. nice to know you still play vinyl can't beat it hope you are all well. Bish
 
Thanks for getting back Bish , couldn't remember the record shop down past the gate now can put a name to that shop thanks for that all I remember is it was opposite Chaplins fishing tackle shop Dad bought me my first proper fishing rod from there around 62 dad was a decent angler but my Grandad was mustard although never managed to go with him still have his rod and reel and my first rod in the attic sorry if i'm boring you angling was one of my passions growing up spent many a Saturday at Ward End Park learning the craft before fishing for a club in Brum with my father in law Eric Hughes and we continued to fish together when we moved to Devon. Alan is a member of this site now will get him to post so you can swap stories am putting a list of shops in the fifties together on a street map so Copes fills in another space also one for Reginald road with all the neighbours and people house by house between 1952-57 Alan has helped out with many of names he was born in 1944 and grew up with the kids on the street. Managed to use google to go up and down the Rock to get shop numbers how Alum Rock has changed keep posting with any recollections good to hear from you Cheers Rich.
 
Hi. Rich. Just past Copes on the corner of Gate St. was Lincolns chemist I remember going in with my mom a few times a real old fashion chemist opposite there used to be a fish and chip shop. In the same row of shops as Pauls was Cowans the jewellers on the corner was Lathams on the opposite corner of Ellsmere Rd was a wallpaper shop then Stanards stationery shop close to there was Fowlers TV and Radio shop they also sold records. My cousin lived at 17 Regnald Rd. the twins above were the Deans Alan might remember my cousin Bryan Nokes they are about the same age just ask if you want to know more glad to say the brain is still working Cheers Bish
 
Hi Bish , can't remember Lincolns chemist I think Mom used Boots was it up by Woolies although have vague memories of an old fashioned chemist with those peculiar shaped glass jars with different coloured liquid in them dotted around the shop were there any more chemists on the Rock ? Remember Stanards bought my first proper ink pen from there an Osmaroid screw type you twisted the end of the body to fill with Quink ink out of those small screw top bottles, I always wanted to write the same way as Alan using italic type script with a special shaped nib never really perfected it but bought many a nib and bottle of ink from him always gave you a brown paper carrier bag with string handles they used to last for ages but the string cut into your hands particularly if you had a weight to carry like fetching Dads pigeon corn from duddeston mill by the station was glad to get home. Spoke to Mom and Alan yesterday they both remember the Nokes family the name only rings a bell with me though he remembers all the lads you mentioned earlier and wishes to be remembered to them . Ivey Woodford was Alec's wife they lived at the bottom of Craddock road. Think Dad bought our first transistor radio from Fowlers cant remember what shop we rented the tele from I know we bought our furniture from Hardys by the Methodist church 3 floors to wander round it was like going up town only cheaper speak again soon thanks for the memories keep posting Cheers Rich. Where abouts on the Vale do you live we had a masionette in Hedley croft rd past the top shops.
 
HI. Rich. The other chemist on the Rock was Timothy Whites witch was just past Woolies they were bought out by Boots whose shop at the time wae just before Woolies if I remember right. Past Fowlers you had Kiddielands later to become The Shop That Stands on a Bob then you had a couple of houses with front gardens then Hollands greengrocers can't quite remember what was next could have been part of the Co op on the corner of Edmund Rd. was the Co op greengrocers on the opposite corner was the Co op haberdashery and cloths shop next I think it was there shoe shop you also had Timsons shoe shop then the Co op supermarket. your dad might have rented your T.V. from Sweeneys on the corner of Bowyer Rd. Hate to disappoint you but I don't live on the Vale I live in Castle Brom about a five minute walk from were Alan used to live been here 17 yrs. Hope you are all keeping well. Cheers Bish
 
Hi Bish , thank you for all the info, sorry for getting your address wrong saw castle and thought of the vale sorry, I remember the gardens in front of a doctors of some sorts next to Farmers the sweet shop used to get my matchbox cars from them Dad bought me one every Saturday wish I had them now that doctors would be opposite Ted Haynes who, I worked for before leaving school worked at his shop next to the Capitol cinema and the one at Ward End also before working for Radiation Gas Fires Thimble mill Lane hence the Lambretta. Remember playing for St Saviours at football and cricket against Leigh road they were always rough and ready and slightly menacing but we always gave them a game . Will see Mom and Alan tomorrow will pass on your memories and get Alan to message you Cheers mate Rich keep posting !!
 
Hi. Rich. What was the name of the shop on the corner of Reginald Road and Alun Rock think it began with a C . Cheers Bish
 
Do you remember the Butcher's opposite the Rock picture house.Could tell you a few tales.But would get into trouble
 
Sorry my reply went before I finished. I was saying in my Kelly's 1968-69 Mrs. D Gleeson, Beer Retailer lived at 55 Alum Rock Road. 57/59 was Mr Leonard A Clarke Outfitter. In between 55 and 57 was Reginald Road. In 1963 Leonard is listed at 57 as an electrical engineer, 59 as an outfitter. Leonard was at the same address in 1953 but a Mr. George Thomas Grout, beer retailer was at 55.
 
Hi Bish in 1956 there was a Leonard Clarke think he had 2 shops next to each other 1 electrical that wrapped around the corner of Reg rd and Alum rock rd and I think his 2nd was some sort of outfitters ? Thank you to suemalings for the info before Mrs Gleeson the outdoor was run by Mrs Florence Powell Cheers All.
 
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