Aston Road North

[Alf Rogers]

Thank you so much Lyn, for posting those wonderful photos of Aston Road North! You've made an old boy very happy, and I hope your cold is better, now! A question: the first photo in post 64, Aston Road 1967, with Premier Cycles and Vespa Corner. I can't for the life of me recall the name of the road on the left. I thought the Premier showroom was a two storey building; or were there two showrooms on Aston Road? Can anyone enlighten me?! Best wishes to you all!

 

[brummy-lad]

Apart from a few exceptions (post #91) I think we are all aware that very little remains of this area of Aston Road North.
This however is intriguing, most members are aware that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spent time at 63 Aston Road North between 1878 and 1881 here is a picture showing the original plaque (unveiled 29/10/1976).
The google street view attached shows what appears to be a very old section of wall where the later plaque is displayed.
Overlaying the google map onto a 1950s street map gives an excellent correlation and I think this section of wall would have been the original 63 Aston Road North.
What do you think?

 

[Vivienne14]

Yes Brummy-lad, I agree. I think it’s possible the footprint of the house where ConanDoyle stayed roughly covers the same spot as the current Titan Aston Academy. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

And I still like this story (from https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/made-in-birmingham.31212/#post-566720):

Yes. Conan Doyle worked as a doctor in Aston while he was training to get his full qualification. One of the first surgeons in charge of the Thimble Lane dispensary ( a branch of the main city one) was reputed to be a friend of his. His name was David Holmes. It is more often accepted that the invented Holmes name came from another aquaintance, but I prefer this source

 

[brummy-lad]

This is the only image I can find showing 63 Aston Road North, residence of Arthur Conan Doyle between 1878 and 1881.
The brickwork looks similar to the that on the image of the plaque unveiling in 1976 but I'm not sure that the school sign is correctly placed.

 

[brummy-lad]

I'm still working on compiling the Aston Road North images approx. 60 so far. I was rather confused by a fault on the 1955 Kelly's directory. On the 1939 version, Nos. 39-42 come before St. Mary's Church (this is correct), on the 1955 version, Nos. 39-42 come after St. Mary's Church and The Avenue PH is consequently 3 buildings away from the corner of Avenue Road (where it actually stood).
Unless I'm missing something and there is a logical explanation.

 

[mikejee]

I don't think the enumerators for Kellys were always very conscientuous. I have a number of times found the east side of the road described as the west in Kellys and also occasionally at a road junction the building on one corner is placed on the opposite corner

 

[brummy-lad]

This is a fantastic photo, so much detail. If houses like that were demolished now there would be an outcry, if they had been renovated they would have looked superb alongside the post office.

 

[brummy-lad]

I have found all of these pictures from around this junction of Aston Road North and Sutton Street but can only find this poor resolution image of St. Mary's Church, does any member have other pictures of it please?

 

[brummy-lad]

It's so nice to see that the Whitehouse & Co. Printers building still exists. It has been renovated and extended but I think that this has been done in a sympathetic manner and they have sourced materials for the extension that match the original reasonably well. I imagine the brickwork underneath the render was in a such a bad state that it needed covering. At least it has survived!

 

[brummy-lad]

This beautiful house shows up on many pictures from the 50s and 60s. I hope it survives although it's not looking too promising. I imagine that with all the challenges that businesses are facing with Covid the last thing on their mind is to put money aside for building maintenance, such a pity.

 

[mw0njm.]

Struggling to place this 1937 image of Aston Road North, near the junction with Sutton Street. The road system has altered so much I can't see how it would have been close to Sutton Street. Viv.

View attachment 108057

nice pic of

Struggling to place this 1937 image of Aston Road North, near the junction with Sutton Street. The road system has altered so much I can't see how it would have been close to Sutton Street. Viv.

View attachment 108057

nice pic of dobson and crother building on the right before it was bombed. i think the bollard is avenue rd.

 

[brummy-lad]

I have found all of these pictures from around this junction of Aston Road North and Sutton Street but can only find this poor resolution image of St. Mary's Church, does any member have other pictures of it please?

I found this by accident when I was searching for images of Aston Brook Street, it has now replaced the very poor image on the map.

www.leroux.co.uk/aston

 

[EFTRabbi]

From 1855 directory:
Yates Jolin B Co. edge tool manafacturers, 56, 57 & 58 Pritchitt street
Yates John & Sons, patent eleetro plate mnnufacturers of patent electro silver & albata spoons, forks etc. 56, 57 & 58 Pritchitt street
But Wests 1830 Warwickshire directory
Yates and Portway,coal merchants,Pritchett st. Wharf.
I think that when only some could read and write, spellings differed
:

Hi mike on e bay you can find silver and fine glass from Yates and sons
I have a 1 of a kind fine carved clear glass cornucopia signed Irene Yates which must be from the 1850-1900 English fine glass period. Could Irene be from this family and how could I find history?
Thanks

 

[MWS]

Hi mike on e bay you can find silver and fine glass from Yates and sons
I have a 1 of a kind fine carved clear glass cornucopia signed Irene Yates which must be from the 1850-1900 English fine glass period. Could Irene be from this family and how could I find history?
Thanks

There is a John Yates living at Furnace Meadow in 1841, he is listed as an Edge Tool & Spoon Manufacturer. He marries twice and has a number of sons.

Henry (from 1st marriage) is listed at Cattles Grove in 1851, he is listed as an Edge Tool Maker...Firm of Yates & Co.

William Joseph (from 2nd marriage) is listed at The Firs, Chester Road in 1881, he is listed as an Electro Plate Manufacturer employing more than a 100 people.

He has a daughter Irene (b1878), though she is listed as a Teacher of Singing in 1911. However she does appear to be the only Irene Yates born/living in Bham in the second half of the 19th century.

 

[brummy-lad]

An aerial view of Aston Road North (1933), no humungous Ansells sign at this time.

 

[John Lester 44]

Not strictly Aston Road North but two pics of the corner of Hubert Street and Aston Road. I know which one I prefer to look at.

My name is John Lester, I lived at number 1 Hubert Street , it was the first house up ,behind Mr Morgans shop, it was where the wire fence is shown.
that picture bring back some lovely memories.
I used to clean Mr Morgans black Rover every Saturday and the barbers car for pocket money.
The barber was very strict, he showed me how to wash it and wax it and could not deviate.
Mr Morgan had a grand piano in the front corner room, i bet the only one in Aston.
Regards
John