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Brookvale Park & Witton Lakes

Pedrocut - do you still have those lovely curls? I'm glad you printed the larger version as I hadn't realised it was taken at Brookvale Park.
 
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Pedrocut - do you still have those lovely curls? I'm glad you printed the larger version as I hadn't realised it was taken at Brookvale Park.

No curls now. I think it must have been the whisky that the old man put in me botttle, smoking at an early age (see thumbnail), and spending too much time in Witton Billiard Hall and Perry Barr Dogs!
 
Wow! These photos are superb, and bring back many, many memories of when I was a nipper. My dad loved the rowing-boats, and we'd head for Brookvale Park most Sunday afternoons if he had nowt else on, weather permitting. He would never let me have a go, though! Years later I knew someone who lived in one of the houses in Photo No 1, approximately opposite the horse-drawn vehicle travelling along George Road. I don't know if my ancient memory-banks are playing up, but was there some kind of Pageant in Brookvale Park to mark the Coronation in 1953? Does anyone remember? Or am I thinking of another local park, possibly Aston Park?

Thanks for the pics, Two!

G
 
Brookvale Park
Higher Quality image of my picture 18a that I posted. (Brookvale Park - Fish Pond - 1915)18 a QualityBrookvale Park - Fish pond -1915 - Copy copy.jpg

#57 Brookvale Park - ( George Road to the right & Swimming Baths centre right - c1912)
#57 Brookvale Park 4 - 1912 - Copy copy.jpg
 
I have to say that every time I see that overflow my legs go all funny (no comments please). I keep thinking about all those young children and the wall being so low. Wouldn't happen today would it?

As a postscript, I went to the library today to look at a 1760 map of Erdington. Brookvale is shown with Witton Slade alongside. What fascinated me was that the pool was known as Goglo's pool. Who, I wonder was Goglo? Answers and suggestions on a postcard please, preferably of Brookvale Park!
 
The brook at Brookvale Park in 1912. "We waz doin nuffink .. onnist"

Now these boys were either insensitive to the cold or were just plain daft, paddling in a stream on what must have been a very early spring day .... Well, nuts if you ask me. Viv.

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Fishing in Brookvale Park.
I fished in Brookvale park many times in the 50`s, it was a beautiful park back then. Now it has no soul, all the hedgerows ripped out. I haven`t been back since `65 when i rowed my future wife around the lake & my feathering must have impressed her! That was something Brum was good at, it`s many parks.
 
I fished in Brookvale park many times in the 50`s, it was a beautiful park back then. Now it has no soul, all the hedgerows ripped out. I haven`t been back since `65 when i rowed my future wife around the lake & my feathering must have impressed her! That was something Brum was good at, it`s many parks.
My father in law a countryman from Cornwall could not believe how many parks and trees Birmingham had, a trip to the City always left him dumbfounded and that took some doing.
Bob
 
Images #276 and #278 I think may be very early 60's maybe late 50's. There is now a concrete bank around the lower lake, that's always been there since I was a kid. I have a feeling that when they reinforced the banks of the lower lake, they also reduced the depth too. you can see the new bank in #277.

The lakes were drained about once a year or so. I have certainly seen them drained a couple of times. In the upper lake there was always a build up of silt to left of the incoming brook. It would interfere with the model yacht club activity's that my dad was a member of, so they would drain it and dig it out.
 
Although I don't know that area at all and by the age of four years old was living in Sparkhill, my younger brother & I were photographed in Brookvale Park in 1939.

Maurice
 

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