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Alum Rock Road Shops

Thanks Macca, as you know i never knew if Uncle Tim was married, next time i am in Birmingham (live abroad) i want to visit the Libary and look through Electroial regisatr to see who he lived with, and hope it shows his wife and children, but thanks for that must look on Google earth again and get my Bearings
 
Hi Castalla,

I had a look at the online electoral roll (Midlands Historical Data), from 1947-1965 Timothy P Flynn and Florence B Flynn were living at 509 Alum Rock Road. The online electoral roll is currently only available up until 1965. There is a marriage record for Timothy P Flynn to Florence B Ward in Birmingham 1945 6d 887.

Macca
 
The fishing tackle shop was called Chaplin's and only disappeared in the last 5 years. Got my secondary school uniform from Griffiths & Fullards, my mom paid for it with a provident check. On the corner of Alum Rock Rd/Woodwells Rd (I think) was Foster Bros.
 
O thanks very much Macca thats a great help, can i ask where this online electoral web site is please, i went to b.ham libary last year and had a look at electroal roles but was looking for somebody else in my family, you know what it´s like you could spend hours on these things. Yet again thank you very much
 
Phyllis1957 said:
The fishing tackle shop was called Chaplin's and only disappeared in the last 5 years. Got my secondary school uniform from Griffiths & Fullards, my mom paid for it with a provident check. On the corner of Alum Rock Rd/Woodwells Rd (I think) was Foster Bros.
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We also had to buy our uniforms from Griffiths and Fullard. I wonder when it disappeared? (I think it has).
There was a shop called Goldberg's where you could buy opaque royal blue tights which were part of our uniform (Saltley) once you were a bit older and out of ankle socks!

maria
 
SandyBrook said:
Hi, I've just been reading back through this thread and was interested to hear that Wendy P lived opposite the Rock Cinema, we must have been near neighbours., while Graham S went to on to Central Grammar School. I lived at 33 Alum rock Road from about 1953 to 1960. Mom and Dad ran the Rock Café for a while, I went to St Saviours but mostly at the Annexe in Ralph Road? before going on to Central Grammar (1956 I think). After that we moved to Clipston Road until I left home in 1966.

If I remember correctly my first "proper" Dawes bike came from McGauleys cycles, I was also in the scouts for a time so must have crossed paths with many of you - It's sparked so many memories and nostalgia for times past reading this.

Regards

SandyBrook
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hi, i do not know the id of GrahamS but if he is the one I knew his nickname was 'spanner', i also went to Central, 1953-1958. Johnfc
 
wendyP said:
Hello John, Do0 you have any photos of your parents shop in Reginald Road (I lived there) and remember the shop well.
Wendy
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Hello WendyP, I do not have any pics of the shop. I have spoken to my sisters and asked if they have any, I will let you know. Did you know a Margaret Bluck? She lived on the left, half-way up Reginald Road. When I left school in '58 I worked in the projection room at The Rock for three months while I looked for a job. Cheers JohnFC
 
SandyBrook said:
Hi, I've just been reading back through this thread and was interested to hear that Wendy P lived opposite the Rock Cinema, we must have been near neighbours., while Graham S went to on to Central Grammar School. I lived at 33 Alum rock Road from about 1953 to 1960. Mom and Dad ran the Rock Café for a while, I went to St Saviours but mostly at the Annexe in Ralph Road? before going on to Central Grammar (1956 I think). After that we moved to Clipston Road until I left home in 1966.

If I remember correctly my first "proper" Dawes bike came from McGauleys cycles, I was also in the scouts for a time so must have crossed paths with many of you - It's sparked so many memories and nostalgia for times past reading this.

Regards

SandyBrook
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Hi. I also lived on Alum Rock Road no. 28 behind Reg Sales China shop. Does anyone remember it. My grandparents lived at 32 Alum Rock Road which was a sort of drapers shop. The block of shops were demolished in 1958 just after we moved out. The corner of George Arthur Road was A shop called Bagleys I think.
 
When did you live at that address, my husband was born and lived at 24 George Arthur Rd and I Lived in Reginald Rd, this was until we married in 1963. The shop on the corner of George Arthur Rd was Bagleys, we are still in touch with Ernie Bagley who was a friend Of my husband.
 
I lived there from 1949 when I was born until 1958. My grandparents lived in Ellesmere Road until 1970. I attended St Saviours School. My grandmother worked at Braggs in the tin shed.
 
I too remember Alum Rock shopping area. I lived in Phillimore Road. I am talking of the 40s and early 50s. I remember Ted Haynes the green grocer. May Mitchel the wool shop and clothes. There was a fish and chip shop opposite Ted Haynes. The Rock Cinema where I used to go every Saturday. Bata shoe shop. Woolworths. Charles Bragg or it could have Wimbush the cake and bread shop.Co Op near Saltley gate for groceries with saw dust on the floor and Lanson money system which fascinated me. I used to attend Sunday school above there. It was called Band of Hope run by Miss Wilson. Further up past Wright Road near the church there was an open site could have been a bomb site where a small fair used to come every year. There was also. High class grocers further up I think on the corner of Highfied Road called Jessops which delivered groceries on an old fashioned bike with a basket on the front. I have such happy memories of that area. Wouldn't dream of going there today.
 
Like you Dancing Queen, I'm afraid Alum Rock & district will have to remain a pleasant memory for me.
 
Dancing Queen 15 said:
I too remember Alum Rock shopping area. I lived in Phillimore Road. I am talking of the 40s and early 50s. I remember Ted Haynes the green grocer. May Mitchel the wool shop and clothes. There was a fish and chip shop opposite Ted Haynes. The Rock Cinema where I used to go every Saturday. Bata shoe shop. Woolworths. Charles Bragg or it could have Wimbush the cake and bread shop.Co Op near Saltley gate for groceries with saw dust on the floor and Lanson money system which fascinated me. I used to attend Sunday school above there. It was called Band of Hope run by Miss Wilson. Further up past Wright Road near the church there was an open site could have been a bomb site where a small fair used to come every year. There was also. High class grocers further up I think on the corner of Highfied Road called Jessops which delivered groceries on an old fashioned bike with a basket on the front. I have such happy memories of that area. Wouldn't dream of going there today.
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I have fond memories of going to the Capitol Cinema in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. The projector would count down to zero on the screen before the film began, only for the film to invariably break at some stage and nearly always at the exciting bit. Up would go the house lights while the film got mended and then we'd try and remember where it had all got to before the film resumed. The screen quality was appalling: not that it mattered too much as we were always watching it through a dense smog of cigarette smoke. No Health and Safety; no money back for irretrievable breakage of the film and incomplete showing. Happy days!!
 
Lovely photo Stitcher, Highfield road on the left where the canopy is and College road on the right , gables on the buildings can still be seen.
Wow , I have walked up and down the Rock hundreds of times in the 60s, pushing a pram.
 
Two said:
Frank (James) Funnell Shop at 13 Alum Rock Road
Picture taken c1914
View attachment 86339
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Just noticed this photo and have a (very) tenuous connection. My granddad's second cousin was married to Frank Funnel's son Albert. They were living there in 1945, though not sure if they were running the shop
 
Alum Rock Road with Highfield Road on the right. The dark rectangular object in the sky is on the the tram power lines and it's shadow shows on the road surface to the right of the men crossing the road.
AlumRockHighfieldRd.jpg

The same place today.
AlumRockHighfield.JPG
 
I had put an old pic of Alum Road shops in the 'Then and Now' thread but maybe worth linking to it from here ...
oldMohawk said:
Alum Rock Road with College Rd on the right
Then
View attachment 121421
Now
View attachment 121422
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index.php

only visible if logged in
 
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Hi all,
My Nan & Grandad had a shop in Cotterills Lane on the corner of a small road Smiths was the surname they sold groceries and veg
 
does any body remember Wavell road washwood heath or highfield junior and infants in the late 1960s early 1970s
 
wendyP said:
Wow! That's fantastic and brings back so many memories. My mom would take me every Wednesday afternoon after school and then I went to the Saturday Club every Saturday morning. Thank you so much.
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Wow . . so many memories . If that actual photo had been taken on a Saturday morning not a Tuesday, I would probably have been inside .
 
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Dancing Queen 15 said:
I too remember Alum Rock shopping area. I lived in Phillimore Road. I am talking of the 40s and early 50s. I remember Ted Haynes the green grocer. May Mitchel the wool shop and clothes. There was a fish and chip shop opposite Ted Haynes. The Rock Cinema where I used to go every Saturday. Bata shoe shop. Woolworths. Charles Bragg or it could have Wimbush the cake and bread shop.Co Op near Saltley gate for groceries with saw dust on the floor and Lanson money system which fascinated me. I used to attend Sunday school above there. It was called Band of Hope run by Miss Wilson. Further up past Wright Road near the church there was an open site could have been a bomb site where a small fair used to come every year. There was also. High class grocers further up I think on the corner of Highfied Road called Jessops which delivered groceries on an old fashioned bike with a basket on the front. I have such happy memories of that area. Wouldn't dream of going there today.
Click to expand...
I grew up in the 40's and 50's in Alum Rock . As teenagers we would think nothing of walking home all the way from the city late at night, after a going to the "pictures" or hanging out in a coffee bar . Or even from my girlfriends house in Golden Hillock Rd , Sparkbrook .
. . . How times have changed but sadly not for the better .
 
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Dancing Queen . . I remember as a child going to a fair on the empty site near the Saltley Methodist Church . I don't remember the fish and chip shop you mention but I do remember one on the left in Highfield Rd , just around the corner from the Alum Rock Rd . I think there may have been a newsagent next door to it .
When I was about 11 or 12 y/o ( circa 1954 ) I had a "paper round" at a newsagents opposite Woolworths , which entailed loading up a large canvas satchel with the days newspapers every morning around 7 am at the shop and riding around a set route on my bike delivering them door to door . I think the newsagent owners name was Mr Grinnel . . or something similar .
Sundays were hard work as a lot of customers would order two or even three different papers , plus Sunday newspapers were twice as thick as the daily ones . I seem to remember I got paid seven shillings and sixpence a week .
 
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Eric,

The chippy that Dancing Queen mentions was owned by "Mrs Annie Holland" and was three doors down from Ellesmere Road. I believe it is now part of a Kebab House restaurant.
 
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