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Brookvale Park & Witton Lakes

hi guys
could some-body tell me if george rd houses have been rebuilt since the war years
or are they still the original house standing
because i am conterplating whether to travel to george rd erdington in the new year to
take a look and try and find 179 george rd erdington to see what the house looked
like as my grand mother lived there in 1922-25
her name was jennings
merry christmas and a happy new year to each and every one of you
Astonian ;;;
 
Astonian I can't remember them ever being rebuilt and my parents lived near till 1980s and they looked the same last time I was up there, if you search the photos on the Brookvale thread ( If they are still there) you could see the changes if any over the years
I use to pass them to get to their house everytime I visited
 
Hi Alf
Many thanks for that ,and for replying prompt for me ,
by the way Alf , i hope you don,t take it to heart when i welcomed fran back on the thread
i gave you a mention to him ,
Alf . have your self a merry christmas and a healthy and happy new and prosperous new year to you and all yours sincere best wishes Astonian ;;
 
TO astoian
I have more detailed information, Nos 175 and 173 were rebuilt imediately after the war as they received a direct hit. The same stick of bombs damaged a house in Doige Road And one fell in the lake, one on the GEC.There was one Fatallity at 175 at least. Nos 177 ,179 171 169 had roof repairs. My parents bought 175 following the rebuild, I was a few months old, and my brothers were born there. We have happy memories of 175, overlooking the park. It was fenced off then.

mike
 
I have not quite got the hang of putting photos into the posts at the moment, and so I have put it on Google Earth’s Panoramio. If you follow the link and click on to the picture it will enlarge.

https://www.panoramio.com/photo/30192239

The picture is a scan of a slide taken by my late uncle, and I think it is around 1960.

Incidentally I lived for 60 years until recently within spitting distance of Brookvale Park and am sure the houses in George Road have not been rebuilt, only refurbished.

When I come across any other old photos I should have worked out how to put them into the text

Happy Xmas to All Pedro
 
Hi Dek
many thanks for that info; i never gave it a thought .about the google streets
i have just done a flash on it. but its only showonh george rd from the arial view at the moment
to what i can see of it they are afew blocks away going by the blue insertions they put along the roads when they do them . once again thanks mate . i must remember this about google
i should have remembered it they had the one of coventry rd where i lived before some years ago
and in fact the one in hay mills is also there before that .
well Dek . i have got to dash today the old durchess is getting the last few items
before we take off to the states for a couple of weeks
so have your self a merry christmas and i wish you and yours a happy and helthy and prosperous new year
for 2010 .. astonian;;;
 
Astonian Not at all friend it was Fun when Frantic around and I miss my Grace
 
pedrocut
the car photo is taken by the bowling green,almost from the same spot that the photo of the band stand was taken.
The photo of Brookvale road shows the River Tame, it would flood completely across the road, so a flood wall was added,.The other side of the river was Higgs Motors that used to have a large motor turning with a black drum on the shaft, and a white spiral painted on to show the rotation.
mike
 
Hi Mike

I remember the motor with the black and white drum, it fascinated me. My late uncle worked at Higgs Motors!

Now that you mention the flooding I must search for a photo taken before the War with my father walking in the water near the shop at Tame Road.

If I remember the Sons of Rest would have been just down on the right.

Best wishes Peter
 
Pedrocut
The Sons of Rest is still in the same place,alongside George Rd opposite Doige Road. I think your photo is taken outside the bowling club shack.
mike
 
hi. late 60,early 70,s used to play football behind the tennis courts nearly everynight then hangaround the bandstand above the boathouse
 
Alf,
Just found this site. The football team you mentioned, was it not Brookvale Park Rangers or was that later?
The path over the top and down to Deykin Avenue was called "The Gully"- an odd contradiction in terms. From Deykin to the park was a good half hour walk. It was fenced either side, paved and well lit at night. Does it still exsist? If it does I don't think I'd fancy the walk at night these day
I attended George Road Baptist Church in the early 60's in a youth group called The Covenanters - Church on Sunday Morning and games night Monday. I'm sorry to say that they started to get really heavy in the religious zeal dept and it really proved too much and I left. Although I do have a sort of religious belief I must say I was mighty relieved. No ffence meant.
 
View attachment 57008

This photo was taken from near the "Gully" not long after the appearance of Spaghetti Junction. The Magnet Club was the name of the building at the time.

The Gully can be seen on Google Earth, and it appears to have been a footpath from the canal to the Park at least 150 years.

Regards Peter
 
View attachment 57008

This photo was taken from near the "Gully" not long after the appearance of Spaghetti Junction. The Magnet Club was the name of the building at the time.

The Gully can be seen on Google Earth, and it appears to have been a footpath from the canal to the Park at least 150 years.

Regards Peter
 
Walked the Gully many times on ourway back to the office from the GEC MAGNET CLUB Lunch time break. Just another fantastic memory jogging Photo fron this site!
 
I lived in Hawthorn Rd untill the age of 8 when the family moved to Sutton Coldfield. I have vivid memories of walking down a pathway from College Rd to Witton Lakes which at that time went through a large number of allotments. The sweet smell of Bon Fires and all the vegitables growing on hot summer days is still with me.
I can also seem to remember a thatched building at the far end which sold drinks and ice cream and always had that sweet smell of tobaco smoke to it. There was also an ex R.N. chap who had a large life boat powered by a Diesel engine who gave pleasure trips around the lake, this would all have been in the late 50's. I think I had better go and sit down after all that, Mike.
 
Remember it well Mike, they built houses on the Witton Allotments but the road though still is there, if my memory is correct Sid Green of GEC Buying Office lived in one of the new houes when they went up just by THE BARN?
 
My Father and his brother used "The Gully" to walk from Wyreley Road where they lived to Brookvale Park for many years. Brookvale Park was a "monkey run" in the late 1920's and I have photos of them in the Park. My Mother, who lived in Brantley Road used to dance regularly at the Magnet Club and walked over "The Gully" with her friends to Brookvale as well. My Father's family had an allotment along there somewhere. From our back bedroom window high up on Hidson Road we could see the Wyrely Birch lands and they were quite barren for several years until they started building on them on the late l950's and early 1960's.
Mike. I remember the little place near the Lake with the thatched roof which was a cafe. The thatched roof theme was continued in the park as I certainly remember one shelter with a thatched roof at one time.
 
Hi Jennyann,
When I finally retire, I keep promising myself that I will take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of these places that helped to shape me as a person. I have done it once already , my Brother died in 2005 and during this period I took the family and Grandchildren to Sutton Park which turned out to be a great success. However, they say that if you have happy memories then keep them that way, trying to re-live them only brings disappointment and then the memories are never the same.
I think the children are probably right---I am sounding more and more like my old Pop!
Keep safe, Mike.
 
Mike its no bad thing sounding like your dad but it when you look in the mirror and see him looking back LOL
 
Mike I too am returning to where I spent my childhood holidays for many years with my parents and half of Holte road. I have butterfly's thinking about it now. I have been looking through my many photo's of those days but I do still want to visit. I just hope it is not a disappointment. Jean.
 
You only live a stones throw away Jean I should think you could do it in an hour anytime
 
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