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Birchfield rd shops Perry Barr

B

BrummieJayne

master brummie
Can anyone remember shops in Perry Barr, around George Baines bread shop? Dewhurst butchers was to the right, Senior service to the left..... was this a cleaners? Any more info on this would be great. ByWaters next to that, but what else was there?
Also, Can anyone remember Henrys Store in Aston, or even better, have any photographs.
Thank you.
 
Hi

Heres a list from Kelly's Dirctory of the shops on Birchfield Rd in the 1950's if that any good to you. I will have a look at what photos I can come up with.

Phil

BIRCHFIELD RD. Perry
Barr (20), continuation of
Birchfield road, Six ways
to Aldridge road. MAP
H 27 & 26.
EAST SIDE.
here is Aston la
339 Barclays Bank Ltd
343,Dewhurst J. H. Ltd.
butchers
345 Baines George Ltd. bkrs
347A, Pratt A. & Sons, turf
commssn. agt
349 Bywater M. & Co. Ltd.
butchers
351 Clarkes Fruit Market
Ltd. greengros
353 New Crown & Cushion
. P.H
355 Alt-Kinsey Ltd. typing
school
357 Woakes J. G. butcher
363 Weston B. (Chemists)
Ltd
CROWN AVENUE :
Medlam & Machin, shop
& office fitters
365 Sweeney R. F. Radio
Ltd
367 Mayfair (The), confectioner
369 Wilson Mrs. D. L.
draper
371 Dodd Geo. Ltd. ironmongers
 
I can remember Mr Watts' toy-shop on Birchfield Road, more or less opposite the Birchfield Cinema. He was a very nice, very patient man, used to hoards of kids invading his premises with their pocket-money on Saturday mornings. He always had the latest Dinky Toy, and a good range of model plane kits. If memory serves, when he retired his shop became a West Indian grocers, and then together with all the shops on that block disappeared when the Birchfield Underpass was built.

I also remember Dodd's Ironmongers as my dad was forever sending me there on errands for various bits and pieces. It smelled of paraffin, and I can remember a very tall bald man who served there.

In the 1980's I used to have my business printing done at Alt-Kinsey, which was then run by a very nice and helpful Jamaican lady. I think it might still be there.

Big Gee
 
Jayne my nan lived in Franchise street Perry Barr and I remember collecting her wool from a shop on the corner and can't for the life of me remember it's name but I can see the owners face now but can't remember her name also. Maybe someone out there can remember. If I do I will post it. By and good luck. Jean.
 
Hi Jayne

I know the one photo is going to interest you. The other I have just thrown in as I have no doubt you will recognise where it is.

Phil
Photos replaced by what I think are the same as lost originals

Perry Barr Birchfield Rd 1951 (2).jpgPerry Barr Birchfield Rd 1962 .jpg


PerryBarrBirchfieldRd1962.jpg
PerryBarrBirchfieldRd19512.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks Phil the Wimbush shop is now a Greggs that sells their produce very cheaply as it has a defect in the baking, trouble is you can't park [or shouldn't] anywhere close.
 
Can anyone remember the 'Senior service shop', shown next to George Baines in the photo? My Mum thinks her gran used to take blankets and curtains there to be cleaned as they didnt have a washing machine. Is this right, as on the Kellys list, for shops in the 50's its not mentioned. I believe the photo shown is early 1960's.
Mum used to work in the Gas Showrooms in Aston Lane in 50's.
Apparantly they had rats in the back that she was terrified of! x
 
Jayne Pete remembers the gas show room and I have a vague recollection. Is that where there was an advertising board outside with two little birds in that nodded all the time while appearing to drink water?. Jean.
 
Jayne please forgive me, I was looking at the wrong disc. The listing you have is from the 1967/68 Kelly's Directory. I'm sorry if I have put you wrong. I will have a look at the 1950 disc.

Phil
 
Jayne

Here is the correct copy of the 1950 listing from Kelly's. Sorry about that, Still no mention of the Senior Service Shop though.

Phil



EAST SIDE.
here is Aston la
31 Birmingham Co-operative
Chemists Ltd
339 Barclays Bank Ltd
(Clifford H. Carter,
manager)
341 Wimbush A. D. & Son
Ltd. bakers
343 Field Geo. Raymond,
butcher
345 Baines George Ltd. bkrs
347 Perkins Mrs. Lily, newsagent
349 Bywater M. & Co. Ltd.
butchers
351 Clarke Sidney, greengro
353 New Crown & Cushion
P.H. Mrs. E. Meredith
355 Bill Harry R. draper
357 March W. A. pork
butcher
359 & 361 Wilkins W. H.
Ltd. chemists
363 Foyle's Cycle Depot,
cycle dlrs
GROWN AVENUE :
Medlam & Machin, shop
& office fitters
365 Callis Albt. C. cooked
meat dlr
367 Withers Albt. & Arth.
confctnrs
369 Wilkes Ernest, draper
371 Dodd Geo. Ltd. ironmongers
 
The shop next to Baines didn't seem to be there very long, and had been turned into a bookies by 1966, but in 1963 was
347 Heath & Whitley, confectioners
Mike
 
Thanks Mike, Mom will love all this info. She was reeling off names of places earlier and I am trying to gather more information for her. Thanks ever so much. x
 
Thanks Phil, youre an angel! Bit of a conundrum about the Senior service shop though, as it is on the photo you sent, and Mom remembers it..... someone else must remember it too.
I appreciate your time. x
 
Mom also worked in Englands Shoe shop, I believe it was on Stratford Rd. Does anyone have any photo's of this? Or memories of Mom there,,,, Sylvia White in the 50's?
 
The picture's dated 1962 and the shop with the striped facia is Bywaters so Mike's Heath & Whitley in 1963, got a good chance.

Colin
 
The Senior Service sign on the shop is an advert for Senior Service cigarettes, from the list of shops I would say it was Lily Perkins, newsagents, and the shop you are looking for.
 
Thanks Sylvia, I think you may be right about the Senior service. I thought it may have said 'cleaners' but now you have said that, its obviously 'cigarettes'! Lily Perkins newsagents it must be. x
 
I went to Birchfield Road junior school so I remember quite a few of the shops.

My mother worked at Wilkes the Drapers when she left school in the early 40's so I knew the people who ran it when I was a child.
I also remember Dodds very well and 'Uncle Rex' who worked there.
 
G.G.Jean, A wool shop was on the corner of the Broadway and Birchfield Rd for many years - certainly during the '40's. The name was "Rees Woolshop" Regards. willey
 
Willey the one I am on about was just up from Franchise street in the fifties. I didn't know anyone from the Broadway till the early sixties and that was a Dave Chatterton who went ten pin bowling. Jean.
 
And there was Margot Sweeney's ladies' fashion shop between Bragg Road and The Broadway. My brother was good friends with her son Robert.

And also Lloyds Bank, where the manager (can't remember his name) would sometimes stand outside on fine days smoking his pipe, with a kind word for anyone who happened by.

Big Gee
 
I remember the Lloyds Bank as I have a savings account there as a child.
There was also a hairdressers in that block of shops called Maison Celeste
 
In the same block as Lloyds Bank there was a Wrenson's (on the corner of Bragg Road) and also an office-supplies shop, name of which I can't remember. I think on the corner of The Broadway was another bank - TSB probably.

Big Gee
 
All those shop names are very familiar. Does anyone rember the unexploded bomb on the forecourt of the Odeon Cinema during the war when the Bomb Disposal Team were awarded with a lifetime's free admission to the cinema? There was also another unexploded bomb dropped into the gardens of the houses adjacent to Holy Trinity Church. My wife's grandfather built the Birchfield Cinema and was presented with an engraved cigarett case to commemorate the occasion. Finally, does anyone remember wthe large houses that were knocked down to make way for the multi-story flats that are now themselves being knocked down. Many many memories of that area! willey.
 
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