Clifton Road Balsall Heath

[RobertS]

Looking for any material on Clifton Road, earlier the better. Thanks

 

[Phil]

Hi RobertS

Here's some photo's as promised.

Phil

 

[daverock]

Hi
The picture of the school & the Clifton Pub bring back a few memories, the school must have been taken before the war as the trees were not there in my time at the school ie 1950-55. It was bombsite if my memory is correct.
The Clifton Pub was the home of Ken Hawker who along with John Shakespeare formed the 60s band The Ivy League, Kens sister Joy was in my class at Clifton Road & Ken was a couple of years ahead of me at Waverley Grammar.
Nice pictures, any more to come
Cheers
Dave Rock

 

[Graham]

Phil great photos, thanks for sharing them with us.

Graham.

 

[Phil]

Another couple, I know St Barnabus is not strictly Clifton Rd, I suppose it was classed as Ladypool Rd, The other one is another pub The Gladstone , Clifton Rd certainly had no shortage of them. The only one I havent got the the one the other side of the railway bridge. was it the Prince of Wales.

Phil

 

[bobsummers]

The Secretary at Clifton Road School for many years during the 60's & 70's was my Dad's sister my Aunty Doris Tombs who lived in Durham Road.
She was also the labour MP for Sparkhill/Brook Roy Hatersley's political Sec.
She was certainly a very talented lady my aunty Doris.

 

[RobertS]

Thanks PMC 1947 for the photos and the additional information Bob Summers.

Anyone else have anything?

Posted this list before but a reminder

Clifton Road 1920's as rmembered by my Mother


130 Mr and Mrs Johnstone

Between 130 and 132 May Place with back houses

132 Monaghan then Reynolds
134 Bert Brigdon

134 Mr and Mrs Quinton
136 Mr and Mrs Hadley
138 Mr and Mrs Ward Bread Shop and Bakery
Entry to Rear
140 Mr and Mrs Stanton Hardware Shop
142 Mr and Mrs Harrison Paper and Sweet shop
144 Green Grocers
House with Pickling works attached

Private House Summerton and Mann Funeral Directors, Horses,
Stables and Hearse at rear
Billington Ice Merchant and Removals



Sycamore Avenue. Each garden has a sycamore tree. This is the only place left from the original road.

Rainbow family. Removal firm with vans kept in side garden

Kemp family. Father Carpenter all 5 sons became builders

Wills


161 Frazier. Shoe repairer and second husband of Annie
Johnstone (nee Ravenhill)

Huckerby Family

The dairy had a goat that was often let out to terrorise the neighbours.

Cattle sheep and pigs were often driven down the road to butchers where they were slaughtered.

 

[RobertS]

Duplicacate posting, tried to erase but left this instead. How do you erase a duplciate?

 

[bobsummers]

I remember in the early 60's the delightfully, gorges, beautiful Moreen Fullerton who lived at the bottom end near Stoney Lane corner, Les Davis who lived close to there He was the local plumber and caretaker of Carnegie Boys Club in Moseley Village. They all lived close to Spires Building Supplies on the said corner.
Don Spier's was a very keen golfer and I did hear bad news a couple of months ago of his death, great chap he was.RIP

 

[Graham]

Duplicacate posting, tried to erase but left this instead. How do you erase a duplciate?

Robert you can't, only the team can do that.

Opposite Clifton Road School was the Kirby Grip Co, I used to pick up the spillages outside for my mum's hair.

Graham.

 

[RobertS]

Thanks Cadeau. Now I know why I can't do it! I got distracted by 'falling creatures clasping hearts'. Are they on the forum or have I picked up a bug?


Thanks bobsummers. Bit confused about Clifton Road Post, bit of a streach from Clifton Road, but I remember Don Spiers well. My dad was a plumber and had an account there and I was often left in the que while he went off to carry on the job. Both my dad and Don played golf together and if I remember correctly I had to caddy for Don on several occasions. We even had a Morris Oxford Estate he sold, and I learned to drive in that. He was a very nice man, also sad to hear of his death.

 

[Phil]

RobertS

His son Mark wasn't so nice, he did a runner owing us quite a bit of money, we chased him through the courts and everything else. He told the courts that his wife had thrown him out and he was penniless. The courts of course accepted that.

We knew that he was still living at the family home in Earlswood but the courts still wouldn't send the bailiffs in. We heard about a year later that he had died. He could have only been about thirty at the time. Perhaps its just me but I still wonder about that.

Phil

 

[frederick]

my self and Graham we had an aunt and uncle that lived in Clifton rd they lived oppersite the Clifton pub their name was Penny.

 

[Graham]

Ah yes Fred I'd forgotten all about aunt & uncle Penny. I always though what a nice name they had. It's funny though I haven't found them in our family tree yet, do you know from which side of the family they came.

Fred, did you read my message about our family Day that lived in Wales? You can find it here in the thread 'Famous ancestors' https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17533&highlight=famous+ancestors&page=5 Go to the bottom of this page.

Graham.

 

[Phil]

I noticed last week when passing, that they have finally demolished the Imperial Cinema on the corner of Clifton Rd and Moseley Rd. I spent many a happy hour in there. Saturday Morning the Alhambra Saturday Afternoon the Imperial. A days entertainment for a shilling.

Phil

 

[Darby]

Thanks Cadeau. Now I know why I can't do it! I got distracted by 'falling creatures clasping hearts'. Are they on the forum or have I picked up a bug?


Thanks bobsummers. Bit confused about Clifton Road Post, bit of a streach from Clifton Road, but I remember Don Spiers well. My dad was a plumber and had an account there and I was often left in the que while he went off to carry on the job. Both my dad and Don played golf together and if I remember correctly I had to caddy for Don on several occasions. We even had a Morris Oxford Estate he sold, and I learned to drive in that. He was a very nice man, also sad to hear of his death.

I once had a drink with Mr Spiers the elder in the Rose and Crown on Alcester Road many years ago and I am sure that he told me that he used to play for the Villa, can anyone shed any light on this.

 

[Darby]

I noticed last week when passing, that they have finally demolished the Imperial Cinema on the corner of Clifton Rd and Moseley Rd. I spent many a happy hour in there. Saturday Morning the Alhambra Saturday Afternoon the Imperial. A days entertainment for a shilling.

Phil

Yes that is sad news, I too spent many happy hours in there although the Carlton was my local.

 

[Phil]

I once had a drink with Mr Spiers the elder in the Rose and Crown on Alcester Road many years ago and I am sure that he told me that he used to play for the Villa, can anyone shed any light on this.

I can't say I ever remember that being said about Don Spiers, who was a nice bloke (despite my dislike of his son). Does anybody else remember the dopey Airedale that used to lay all over the shop. He was like a dead donkey laid out on the floor I must have fell over him at least twice.

I remember someone telling me that Don held a pilots license and he owned his own light aircraft.

I also remember Trumper Brothers a plastering firm from Clifton Rd. They had a contract with Birmingham Education and did all the plaster patching works in the schools. I worked for them for a very short time in the 60's about three weeks. I couldn't get used to being paid on a Wednesday. I was skint by the weekend when all my mates were going out.

Phil

 

[RobertS]

I remember the Spiers dog. It was an Airdale but can't vouch that it was the same generation. (Early 1960's)

I remember it because my Dad had a soft spot for Airdales. When he was a lad he lived a 6 Alcester Road Moseley that apart from Trafalgar Road? was next to the tram/bus depot. He had to look after the family Airdales. They would regularly escape into the bus garage and play in the inspection pits until they were black with oil. He spent hours trying to hold them down to be washed.

Still looking for earlier info on Clifton Road folks

Thanks

 

[Darby]

I can't say I ever remember that being said about Don Spiers, who was a nice bloke (despite my dislike of his son). Does anybody else remember the dopey Airedale that used to lay all over the shop. He was like a dead donkey laid out on the floor I must have fell over him at least twice.

I remember someone telling me that Don held a pilots license and he owned his own light aircraft.

I also remember Trumper Brothers a plastering firm from Clifton Rd. They had a contract with Birmingham Education and did all the plaster patching works in the schools. I worked for them for a very short time in the 60's about three weeks. I couldn't get used to being paid on a Wednesday. I was skint by the weekend when all my mates were going out.

Phil

Phil,
I think it would have been Don Spiers father who I had a drink with.

 

[Darby]

Phil,
I have done a little research and Cyril Spires played in goal for Aston Villa in 1920, and now I do recall that he mentioned that he did play in goal.

 

[Phil]

Darby

The name Cyril sounds very familiar, something at the back of my head is telling me that he was the elder brother, but there again I didn't know them all that well and most of my dealings with them were over the telephone only going to the shop if I wanted to get some plumbing gear on the cheap. So I could be totally wrong, my Uncle would know he knew them better I will ask him the next time I call on him.

Phil

 

[Darby]

Slightly off thread but if anyone is ever in the Clifton Road area and can manage it I would appreciate a photo of 2 Sycamore Avenue, it is my mother's birth place.
Thank you.

 

[Graham]

Clifton Road School in November 2008.

Darby, only read your message when I got back to Belgium; sorry.

Graham.

 

[peterkinshepherd]

Dear Cadeau

Many thanks for photos

Peter

 

[Darby]

Clifton Road School in November 2008.

Darby, only read your message when I got back to Belgium; sorry.

Graham.

Graham,

That's okey maybe next time.

Regards.

 

[Barney martin]

I can't say I ever remember that being said about Don Spiers, who was a nice bloke (despite my dislike of his son). Does anybody else remember the dopey Airedale that used to lay all over the shop. He was like a dead donkey laid out on the floor I must have fell over him at least twice.

I remember someone telling me that Don held a pilots license and he owned his own light aircraft.

I also remember Trumper Brothers a plastering firm from Clifton Rd. They had a contract with Birmingham Education and did all the plaster patching works in the schools. I worked for them for a very short time in the 60's about three weeks. I couldn't get used to being paid on a Wednesday. I was skint by the weekend when all my mates were going out.

I think that you will find that it was Don Spiers's brother was the one who had a Piper Comanche aircraft, I cannot remember his first name, although he took me on a flight from Elmdon to Edinburgh and back, sometime in the 1960's. Don was indeed a very nice friendly chap, he spent quite a time drinking tea, at the tea bar at Meteor Garage, Moseley,
(where I worked from 1950-1992), I also remember the big dog at the shop in Stoney Lane, also his father who I believe had quite a "short fuse!, if crossed, (although I think that it was a bit of an act!.]

Barney Martin.

 

[Darby]

Barney,

Do you remember my mate Brian Butler he was a mechanic at Meteor around 1957/58, I remember we used to go drinking with a few of the lads to The Cross Guns Kings Heath and The Kings Heath Engineering Club nearly opposite the E57.

 

[Barney martin]

Hi Graham,
Can you possibly remember the decorating firm of H.Devey's, opposite Clifton Road school, Harry Devey,(who also went to Dennis Road School before the war), now in his 80's, still works with us at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway, we are renovating a 1929 G.W.R. Railway Coach.
Regards,
Barney Martin

 

[Graham]

Barney,

I can only vaguely remember the place you mention but I do remember the Kirby Grip Co as I used to pick up any spillage of grips for my mum's hair. I can remember the decorators and builders of Bendy as I went to school and the ATC with their son.

Graham.