• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

BSA Factory 1940s Onwards

Hi Lindyloo,
I would be very interested in seeing this info as my dad died while working there in November 1959
Shelagh
 
Hi Shelagh, would you like me to look for your Dads name ? There are some Obituaries in the contents.
Lindyloo
 
Hi Lindyloo,
That would be great,Keeping fingers Crossed,
Name was James Joseph Mills
Thanks ,much appreciated

Shelagh
 
Hi Shelagh, Yes your father is mentioned in the column. I am not sure how to add an image to this page but if you go to my home page I have added an album "BSA" and one of the images is titled Retirement. The column is on that picture. I will look through the pages tomorrow to see if there is any other mantion of your dad.
Hope this is useful to you
Lindyloo
 
Are you able to see your dads name ok? I could photocopy the piece and snail mail it to you, It would seem you are local to me.
 
Hi again Shelagh, Im afraid there isnt any other mention of your dad in the pages I have, But the offer still stands as above.
Lindyloo
 
Hi Lindyloo,
That's great,have copied it to my photo's and can enlarge it,coincidently my cousin in Ireland had a visit from a long lost school friend and he had a photo of his dad from 1914, at the monastry school, where everyone who lived in tramore went(boys) and miracles, my dad was on it aged 11,I am waiting for the postman now to bring it !
I am really thrilled with the paper obituary,I would have hated to have missed it.The other pages are very interesting too,Will be reading again tomorrow lol

Thank you again

Shelagh
 
Hi Shelagh, Im glad I was able to help. Great news about the photo !
I will add more to the album when I can.
Off to bed now.....Nite Nite
Lindyloo
 
My dad worked at the BSA from 1949 to 1974. He worked in the spares department as a packer, mostly in Montgomery Street.

Does anyone recall the Christmas Parties that were held for the children of the employees? Or later when we were too old to go to the parties, we were taken to the Pantomine at the Hippodrome?
 
lindyloo, N/Service call up 1947 there was a Blincoe sorry don`t recall his first name in our hut at Budbrooke Brks, Warwick, i think he lived in Aston?. Len.
 
Thanks for that Lencops, I have noted it down... I'm afraid I dont know much about my Blincoes as yet, other than the fact that my Gt Grandfather, George Henry Jones married Sarah Caroline Blincoe and they lived in Montgomery Street. I have a photo of George shaking hands with the Queen Mum..and it was possibly taken at the BSA as he was a Cycle Viewer.
 
A couple of photos of my dad and his brothers in the snooker hall of the B.S.A. Social Club, in the '50's. The entrance was in Golden Hillock Rd.

Ann
 
Hi Len
Sorry don't remember a Teleky or Minton.
I left Marshall Lake Rd in Feb 1960[I was only 22 yrs old], ???? Sheeka was in charge of the Jig and Tool D.O.and ???? Vesserly was I think Technical Manager and seemed to be involved mainly on the Gun design side.Spelling of names may not be correct.I do remember Harry Reynolds who was about my age and he was an Olympic Cyclist.-he worked on gun design.I remember a lot of faces but just can't remember names.

Pete
 
Some pictures of the BSA Small Heath factory from the 1975 BBC Play for Today "Gangsters". This is from a scene where the gang running the immigration racket is collecting from immigrant workers on payday.

Tracking down this location took a bit of effort. In the background of the first pic you can just see a "Triumphs are being made again" poster.

The second and third pics are taken from inside the fence looking out onto Armoury Road (you can just make out the street name in the third pic). Anyone remember the Bass Charrington pub or the cafe ?

I assume that the fourth shot with the Mk1 Cortina is looking along Armoury Road. Does anyone know when the houses were demolished ?
 
Hi Mstepens. I just got email via the forum and see the pics you sent in. I worked at BSA and remember the coffe shop well. . The houses went gradually I would say as there are some pics in abook I have and it seems they started at the corner where the coffe shop was . In the pic there are house still left from about half way down the rd.
The book I have is called The Giants of Small Heath A history of the BSA by Barry Ryerson Published by Hayves and the reference no from Haynes is F255
You should be able to get a copy at your local Library even if the have to get it in for you.
It is fantastic reading and the pics in it are excellent and lots of them . . I have some pics here I took around 1989 while on a trip back to UK and in the pics looking down Armoury Rd there are no houses at all and looking back up tthe other way towards the main gate are just the walls of the section of the facrory where the Bantams were assembled etc / I think I have sent these pics in some time ago and they may be on Lou Dalbys Flick R pic site .
In closing I would say to anyone who reads these threads on BSA to make the effort and get hold of this book .. I look at mine quite a lot even though I have had it for several years now Cheers Old Brummy
 
hi all, there is a fantastic foto of the B,S.A. WITH BIG RED LETTERS, on the front of the building in small heath 1950s, i will find the web page out ,as quick as i can,.. regards ...christy..
 
christy said:
hi all, there is a fantastic foto of the B,S.A. WITH BIG RED LETTERS, on the front of the building in small heath 1950s, i will find the web page out ,as quick as i can,.. regards ...christy..[/quote

This may be the picture. Lou Dalby Ex BSA Test and Insp. Click on the picture title to open.

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/3075503620/in/set-72157602073893291/"]ARMOURY ROAD Small Heath. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!@@AMEPARAM@@https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3075503620_681e2c255a.jpg?v=0@@AMEPARAM@@3075503620@@AMEPARAM@@681e2c255a[/ame]
Click to expand...
 
thanks, louis dalby, that was a great photo, of the B.S.A.. there are more to look at great fotos of brum afew years back. amazing. armory rd & golden hillock rd. of the B S A. & in colour,. take care....christy..
 
Last edited:
Hi all Re the photo sent in by Lou ,just where the children are standing in about the centre of the pic there is a depresion in the roadway and when it rained the water would lie on the left hand side of the Rd. It was great fun to bore through abouy 2 inches of water and at times it felt queer as though you were aquaplaning Cheer . That is a wonderful photo Old Brummy
 
mstephens what a set of fantastic pics. from what i can remember the house were knocked down from about 1986/7 onwards. the main factory from about 1977 ish onwards. (it took years if i remember)
the first pic is taken from Golden Hillock Rd near to the junction of Anderton Rd looking towards the factory
the second is taken just inside the factory right at the top of Armoury Rd - the pub was called The Sydenham, from where the pic is took used to be a huge christmas tree every year
the third is from the same position as the second but panned slightly to the right,
the fourth......well says it all reaally
i remember when the BBC filmed gangsters, they were there for about two or three days. i have some pics of the road when they were knocking the house and the factory down if anyone is interested. also i could take my camera and take some from the above positions sort of then and now again if anyone is interested.
once again thanks for showing them.
 
captblack said:
mstephens what a set of fantastic pics. from what i can remember the house were knocked down from about 1986/7 onwards. the main factory from about 1977 ish onwards. (it took years if i remember)
the first pic is taken from Golden Hillock Rd near to the junction of Anderton Rd looking towards the factory
the second is taken just inside the factory right at the top of Armoury Rd - the pub was called The Sydenham, from where the pic is took used to be a huge christmas tree every year
the third is from the same position as the second but panned slightly to the right,
the fourth......well says it all reaally
i remember when the BBC filmed gangsters, they were there for about two or three days. i have some pics of the road when they were knocking the house and the factory down if anyone is interested. also i could take my camera and take some from the above positions sort of then and now again if anyone is interested.
once again thanks for showing them.
Click to expand...
Hi Capt Black I went to Armoury Rd around about 1989 and took some pics I will have to get my old pasports out and just verify the date but whatever year it was all the houses were gone. I will get on to it shortly and call in again Old Brummy
 
Hi Old Brummy, thanks for the reply,
do you still have those pics? would be great if you could post them on here. i think it was 87/88 when they knocked the houses down, i know it took a while because they appeared to start at the Golden Hillock rd end and then when they got to about halfway down it then ended up being a mish mash .....sort of a bit here and a bit there. there is one very small piece of the main factory left...a very small one tho, but i think it will be there for a while. i have a pic somewhere so will go digging around and post it here.
thanks
 
Bsa/Ariel Factory Armoury Rd. this is the photo i have been looking for lost off my computer, Thanks christy. Len.
 
Last edited:
c:Documentsand Settings\Front\My Documents\BSA Armoury Rd Pics
Hi Capt Black Just Having a try at sending 3 pics Old Brummy
 
Old Brummy said:
Capt Black I filled in the URL for the pics and submitted Let me know if the pics arrive Cheers Old Brummy
Click to expand...

Hi Joe, I have put your pictures here. Rgds Lou

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/3465571674/in/photostream/"]# pics BSA Factory 1988-1 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!@@AMEPARAM@@https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/3465571674_12059e40e3.jpg?v=0@@AMEPARAM@@3465571674@@AMEPARAM@@12059e40e3[/ame]

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/3464756071/in/photostream/"]# pics BSA Factory 1988-2 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!@@AMEPARAM@@https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3464756071_379f75d1d0.jpg?v=0@@AMEPARAM@@3464756071@@AMEPARAM@@379f75d1d0[/ame]

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/3465571762/"]# pics BSA Factory 1988-3 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!@@AMEPARAM@@https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3465571762_62fc810371.jpg?v=0@@AMEPARAM@@3465571762@@AMEPARAM@@62fc810371[/ame]
 
Last edited:
Wow what a pic !!
i used to live directly opposite the pic of the gentleman standing in the road, in the background you can clearly see the white painted football goals where we all used to play on those long summer evenings. there used to be a huge plate glass window there showing offthe latest bike but it was forever being broken so they bricked it up, i have some more pics that i am in the process of sorting out to scan, i will then put them upon here
thanks once again
brilliant !!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top