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ASTON MANOR TRANSPORT MUSEUM

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DAVE BRICK

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I went to the bus museum in Witton Lane last Saturday, Christ,What the bus staff had to do to keep the public happy in those days. Cap clean, Badge polished, Faces shaved, Tunic smart, Trousers brushed and pressed, Boots polished.
Drivers must watch their personal appearance and look for passengers, do not wait to be hailed.

They had a nice Ford Transit open back truck, I could have done with that when I was in the building trade, I only had a Bedford van most of the time with a sliding door, when I slid it closed it used to fall off when it came to the end.
 
ASTON PARK- IT'S A DISGRACE.

I drove up Nelson Road where I played as a kid for 15 years. I walked around Aston Park, it's gone downhill. Paddling pool gone, lots of hedges and brick walls gone, the lower garden near the back of Bevington Road is just rough grass, the steps leading to it are all broken up. The parks greenhouses gone, Peter Pans head gone and he's been anointed with black stuff. Piles of stone and brick behind bars against the hall building itself, it just don't look good. When I was a kid old gentlmen played a relaxed game of bowls, people sat on benches around the edge watching them, all gone. Toilets demolished, parkeepers building gone. Lots of tarmac paths just broken up and not just potholes, they are a disgrace.

Birmingham could afford to keep Aston Park up to scratch after the war when we were supposed to be hard up. They would not let this happen to Cannon Hill Park, why is this ?
 
I enjoyed my visit to the park last Spring Dave. I put some photo's on the album of the top end  by the Hall, bathed in spring sunshine. The beds were planted out, and the grass cut. Pan's head was gone but he hadn't been daubed then. We didn't go down by the old swings. Maybe you were there on a rainy day, everything looks better in sunshine :).

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ITS JUST NOT MAINTAINED

Di, ' I have to say' , I walked the perimeter of the park not just the area surrounding Aston Hall, I'ts as I say, falling to bits. I'll tell you what, I'll take my camera next time, there's plenty of grot spots to use a film up on. If you had walked further back from where you took your photo, you would have broke your neck down the second lot of steps.

As for Witton itself, I only really saw Witton Island, there's some 'new' building gone on on one of the corners and it looks o.k.
 
I.M.I.

I forgot to say, I saw that the I.M.I. office building is down. An impressive building, bulldozed. What a shame.
 
DAVE M8,,just look at that beautiful photo posted by Our Di Poppitt and remember the Beauty of the ASTON
that You enjoyed,,the "Best of times" whereas today is "the worst of times" in many ways,,
Areas,places,,significant buildings etc All undergo periods of "Change"
Its the Quality of the People,,,,thats the most important,,in Any "Time & Place" :) Ok Buddy,,,John
 
Dave, what you say is sad but very true and reminds me of this...

...There are places I remember/ all my life, though some have changed/some forever not for better/some have gone and some remain... /Though I know I'll never lose affection for people and things that went before... - Lennon & McCartney.
 
I saw the crumbling steps Dave, but I still loved being in the park again. It had been more that 40 years, and it felt like yesterday. I must have helped to make those steps crumble the times I ran up them. :)
 
OISIN,,, buddy Your Lennon/MaCartney posting :coolsmiley: Just so appropriate,,so right
The words/lyrics Fit the Time, place, nature,as Di,s photo & reminiscences show the "Feeling"
Conceptual Brilliance by Both of You,,, Thanks John  :-* for Di,,,
 
ASTON PARK-RESURRECTED

You are correct, I should remember how it was and be thankful that I spent my childhood there and did'nt come to any harm. I remember sitting on the stone edge around Peter Pan and putting my hand in the water, that used to be there. Even so, I would like to see the park brought back to something like it was, and then kept nice with ongoing work.
 
Dave,
those things the bus staff did was what you would call personall pride,
sadly missing these days unfortunately
 
My dad worked most of his life for BCT - Birmingham City Transport - and it was more like being in the army in those days. Yes, they were proud of their uniform and their driving skills. When he was a conductor he could have all the fares collected on a full tram in two stops - The Knob (Alcester Lanes End terminus) to the Livingstone road stop.
There were benefits in the form of regular employment, and the sports and social club at Billesly. Us kids got two parties a year, one at Christmas, complete with pantomime and one in the summer with a circus. these were paid for by weekly subscription from ur dads (& sometimes after the war, Moms)
 
Brings back memories Frothy. Everything in the old photo is shipshape and as you say the drivers were under scrutiny from the Inspectors as well as the Managers at the Bus Depots. Thanks for posting.

Looks like the adjoining buildings are still there. I can remember the Engineering company. Just after their gates years ago stood the dreaded Bundy Clock which the No. 39 bus drivers used to clock in with. I was often late going into town and the clock told it's tale of my tardiness for every minute until we pulled away.
 
went into Aston Park 2 weeks back and drove around Village Road Yew Tree Rd ans Holte Road my old stomping grounds sad very very sad and Aston Hall well what can one say Bobby B
 
Hi Bobby:
Do you know how the renovations to Aston Hall are coming along?
Shame that the area you mentioned isn't in good shape.
 
I remember the last tram the 3x coming back to the sheds and the next day the 39 bus operating on the route
 
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