Aston Cross

[mikejee]

I'm a little mystified mossg. Was it the original or a transcript?. When I looked at 1 lichfield road i got the details below;

Now he is listed as a victualler, so "The clock Tower" could be a pub, but doesn't explain why it doesn't seem to say clock Tower on my scan. The 1862 & 1867 directories do list Thomas Clulee as the publican at The Golden Cross , but no numbering of the road is given

 

[cookie273uk]

Carolina, If it is of any interest my late Wife worked for a George Taylor (although he was called Eric) in a toy shop on Lichfield Rd close to junction with Victoria Rd in the late 50's, he lived in Curdworth, when his mother (Ada Taylor) died and left him her house in Hillside Road Erdington around 1960/61 he sold it to us at a very reasonable price, (I had recently left the RAF and was living with my in laws and was looking for a house). Eric

 

[mossg]

Hi Mike.
Here is the page from the 1861 census that i am talking about.Moss

 

[carolina]

Nice picture of the clock.

 

[mikejee]

That explains it moss. The number in the column to the left is the schedule number of the enumerator, not the number of the house. For some reason, although houses the other side of the road were numbered by the enumerator in the census, houses on the clock tower side were not. The clock tower itself then had two stories son presumably could have housed a family

 

[Astonian]

Well that speaks for its self the house on the left s between park road and Lichfield road and where you see the postion of the tram travelling along would be the beginning of the little parade of shops that was there and a couple of houses then there was a gap then the courts of Lichfield road started
I think you will find there was no/one living there and it would have been a public conveniences as later years the toilets went down below the clock tower
And that one was the ladies to it a couple of yards to the tram was the gentlemen's and both of them you would have to walk down steep steps
And at the bottom of the steps there was a big penny weighing machine as a kid I lived just along from that lot
And I recall them knocking down number one and the shops and when an sells moved I and changed Lichfield road
By moving along and knocking down the courts and when they built there big new power station
I witness all the brick building a long Lichfield road for years right up to upper Portland street
I can recall one day seeing a army of soldiers standing around the clock with there busbyies on as well
There was a small batch of house facing with little gardens on the front and there was a blind man with a tray of matches selling for a penny and I seen the old lady standing out side sell the paper bags this is when I was a nipper then the picture house the Astoria was next to them
Astonian,,,,

 

[Astonian]

Hi mike
Just a little after thought regardind the emulaters as that little house did not come under park road or Lichfield road and the couple of little shop
And believe me they was tiny little shop windows so was the house so they must have labeled like you can see the clock tower and as I previously said mikeas the tram is passing them right on that very corner tucked in the corner the very house type shop started the Lichfield rd
There was quite an array of little shops all along the start of Lichfield red then there was the start of the little houses
Starting from the clock end and the tram half way along the Lichfield road between the tram and upper Portland street in distance
You would be facing Catherine street which had a huge posh show room on the corner of it
I can recall those demoed of the court house over the years and yes cookie was right it was little Mr Taylor ( Eric) he used to sell alsorts
Of house hold goods in and tight up from early years of the fortys and fifths and mother had a Christmas club with him and bought all our toys
For Christmas from him and even younger I used to go with my old man to get house hold goods of him if we had a problem
I always thought the lady behind the counter with him was his wife but now I know all these later by cookie it was not
Keep up the good work mike best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,'

 

[Smudger]

I worked at the HP sauce factory for a couple of hours in `67. It was so boring i simply walked out. A couple of hours later i got a job delivering coal, tripped over someones garden ornament spilling coal everywhere & so i packed that job in. Next day someone i knew asked me to help out with his window cleaning round. Whilst stretching to reach an awkward bit of window the ladder started to slide & luckily i landed on grass & only suffered a sprained ankle. I reckon i was safer in the army & contemplated signing on again, but the wife talked me out of that idea. Bit later got a job driving for a hardware firm ( Paton & Baldwins i think ) & loved the freedom that job gave me.

 

[sylviasayers]

Re pic on No.64, I am pretty sure I read on this forum or the Aston Manor forum some years ago that this was where the horse drawn cab drivers had a rest room, later to be replaced by the clock tower so many of us remember. I cannot see a clock face on the structure on post 64.

 

[norfolk brummie]

Smudger:

You really did not believe in health & safety, did you?!!

Eddie

 

[Smudger]

Smudger:

You really did not believe in health & safety, did you?!!

Removed because off topic

 

[Phil]

Re pic on No.64, I am pretty sure I read on this forum or the Aston Manor forum some years ago that this was where the horse drawn cab drivers had a rest room, later to be replaced by the clock tower so many of us remember. I cannot see a clock face on the structure on post 64.

Sylvia


The lower room of the clock tower was the actual cabbies rest room.