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Aston Road North

Thanks Ray. Very good photos. In photo #3 of Ray's post #14 does anyone know if there was a Boots the Chemists in the row of shops on the left-hand side, going towards Ansells? This would be around the very late-1960s. It would have been just before those shops were demolished. Viv.
 
Hi Vivienne
Boot's was on Aston Cross Corner Aston road North and Park Lane, Jeff's Café was over on the other corner of Rocky Lane.
It was to the left of this picture, I think it's a part of the West Midlands Police HQ.
 

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Hi Vivienne

This a picture across the road Woolworth's and Jeff's Café

Ray
 

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Thanks Ray. Just looked on Streetview and its difficult to get bearings as its radically changed since then.

I was sent to work at the Boots chemist there one Saturday (from the Erdington Boots) to help out when they were short staffed. I was horrified. Bearing in mind this was a chemist shop, literally everything was covered in dust. It was filthy. I think it was down to the demolition work going on. What a very sad and depressing place. The interior was a typical old-style chemists shop with the walls covered in oak shelving and drawers. But it was so dark and neglected. When I returned to work at the Erdington shop the next Saturday I PLEADED with the manager NEVER to send me there again!

It must have been about 1969, so around the time of your photos. Viv.
 
have to say aston cross lost some fine building...would not give it a second glance now:(
 
Hi ray
Nice to see you back on record again and by the way i have found one of clews cycle shop of monument road
in one of the several books i was looking i had three books all with the picture of clews family
the one i have found is a bit of distance shot but you can see the name clews and the intial
which i cannot quite make it out but in the other book it was in print under the picture of his shop
i think it was nicholas but i need to find that book with its writing under the shop
but any way i will post what i have got but i will still search out the other two missing books okay
And whilst i am on the topic of posting picture ,i have to thank you for the Aston road north topic
and the pictures of the shops , and just say you spelt jelfs incorrectly on the first paragraph
when mentionioning the cafe,s of jelf coffee shop on the aston cross rocky lane and park lane
So once again ray thanks for posting the pictures of the shops
i see the timpsons shop firstly my younger brother dave got his first job there at timpsons shoe shop
and of course good old woolworths and it was his first girl friend whom he got married to and she lived
around the corner from you and she was a superviser there as well at woolies
She was one of the Bagshaws family and they are still together after all these years
And yes the chemist was on the corner as you said then there was the chippie next to the chemist then the crocery hire and caturing by jelfs and then there other coffee shop with B,B lodgings all the tennnts was women according to the records
and theone across the road from taylors tooy shop lichfield road and at the bottom of park street around the corner of
Sandy lane and park street as well by the forge
ray do you recall the widdows arm on lichfield road by thompson the slaughter butchers next to the cake shop on lichfield road and of course mrs cocks shop facing
by the way you was correct about the bookie runner on sandy lane it was the right one old man williams as he now
he came back to england now from america his son is richard a top clas dance instructor across the globe
well ray i will end here for now hope to speak to you soon ,, Alan,,, Astonian,,
 
Hi Viv
Nice photographs of Aston road north brings back memories for me
The first picture i had not seen before that being the debrie in front of that big premises
i think at the left hand sde of the building there was a little side road and the white flash of a strip showing on it
I think it was a little forecourt and they sold little motor bikes like the old bantams BSA if i recall correctly
After that episode 12 months later they rebuilt a shop front for selling motor bike of all discriptions
I am trying to think of there name our kid was working at Buttons limited in portland street
and he saved his moner hard to buy one from them and he did
the second pic is one of the older pics that went missing and i remember seeing it on here
many years ago be for the chang hi of pics
and i recall those workers digging that hole there from the very beging of the createing the hole
as i walked back and forewards to my grand mothers in whitehouse street
and going to st mary school every day and as you turned there out side that pub
to walk up the Avenue road within the first 12 houses was old man fletchers house whom put old Apple boxes
with all sorts of car parts head lamps alsorts accesserorirs for a bob or half crown dependant to what you want
my old grand father jelf refused to but any think from him for his cars he said he was a rip off man with his prices
There again our old grand dad was a very tight man with money
thats where the fletchers family started there car parts business along darthmouth street
best wishes Alan,,, Astonian,,,,,,
 
Sweet shop at 78 Astn Road North in 1937 - window dressed for the Daily Mail window dressing competition. It was given 'highly commended'. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
This is my Uncle Arthur's parents shop in Aston Road North. Arthur is the little boy standing and the baby is his brother Archie I've probably posted it before but I can't remember! Arthur married my Auntie Dolly and they bought Clifford's Cafe in St Stephen's Street after WW2. It's a very old pic as Arthur was born in 1903 - perhaps someone can sharpen it up a bit p;ease.
 

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what a smashing photo pen..i am going to post it under the picture restoration section for you as it will be spotted easier there by our experts...if mike sees this maybe he can post you a map showing exactly where no 211 aston road north was..i always find it interesting to tie them down to a spot

lyn
 
Couldn't resist a bit of a fiddle to bring out the detail. Someone can probably do better. But for now .... Lovely, lovely photo. I bet they had a great big marble slab running across the window inside. It looks like a classy place to me. The dishes on brass arms in the window for presentation of fish look upper market. And look at the canaries in their cages. A very cared-for establishment.

Today around London the trendy oyster bars have a similar look. Viv..

image.jpeg
 
better effort than i could do viv:)...posted it under the restoration thread as a challenge for others
 
Thank you both. I hadn't thought about restoration, I suppose being sepia and 110 years old hasn't helped. I wonder if anyone will be able to decipher the notice on the door and the one on the window. I think the door one is for a circus. I've got an idea that the shop was near Pritchett Street but confirmation would be nice. Thanks again Lyn & Viv.
 
Slight correction Lady Pen. Aston road North does not go as high as 211. However Aston road does and Clifford's is at 211 in 1900 between Pritchett St and New John St. Position is shown in red on the map.

map c 1905 showing 211 Aston Road.jpg
 
What was the reason for dressing little boys in girls clothes ? It seemed quite common practice years ago. Eric
 
Not in the UK, but on some islands of Indonesia - and maybe elsewhere - boys are understood to have "a form of power" which the witch doctors home in on. Sorry girls you do not possess it so the witch doctors leave you ( or what appears to be a girl) alone. ;) No, I am not making this up.
 
The older, decorative scripts are not easy to decipher. I did wonder if the second word, on the window sticker, said pickles or pickled. However what is more easy to see ( I think) is that they sold malt vinegar for 1/- per gallon.
 
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