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Davenports

Astonian said:
HI CROM , AND EVERYBODY WHO,S CONTRIBUTED TO THIS THREAD
ON DAVENPORTS .
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ,THAT PIC,S ARE GOOD OFF CROMIE
AND THE THREADS ARE GOOD READING ,FROM EVERYBODY ELSE
AND THAT DOLL,S COMMENT , BROUGHT A BIG SMILE TO MY FACE
WHEN XMAS TIME IT WENT MISSING DOWN NEWTOWN ROW ,
I PRESUME SHE MEANS DOWN AND AROUND THE OLD
ALMA ST, GERRARD ST LENNOX ST AND OF COURES SUMMER LANE ,
THE CROOKS PARADISE ,WE HAD SOME GOOD OLD CHARACTERS IN AND AROUND THAT QUARTER
I COULD NAME AFEW , EVEN THOU THEY HAVE PASSED ON , BUT I WILL NOT
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OLD BIRMINGHAM BOTTLE EXCHANGE ,
THAT WAS DOWN THE FACTORY RD HOCKLEY , THEY HAD A DEPOT IN WOLVERHAPTON , AS WELL AS BRUM
THEY WOULD GO TO ALL THE BREWERIES AND MILK DEPOT ,
MIDLAND COUNTIES , THE COO/OP WAGADON , DAIRES ANSELL, M,B, AKINSINSON,S
YOU NAME THEM THEY WOULD GO ALL OVER THE BRUM
COLLECT GRATES ,AND GRATES OF THEM
AND THEY WOULD WASH AND SORT THEM OUT FOR THE INDIVUAL PARTIES ,
BY THE LORRY LOADS DAILY
WITH OUT THERE HELP THERE NUMBER OF BOTTLES WOULD HAVE TWINDLED
BECAUSE THEY ALL ACCUMELATED FORIGN BOTTLES ,

I THOUGHT I WOULD MENTION THEM , I DON,T WANT TO CHANGE OF THE SUBJECT OF DAVENPORTS
BECAUSE I,M INTRESTED IN THE SUBJECT
CARRY ON FRIENDS , I,M WATCHING ,

BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL FOR 2007 ,
ASTONIAN ,;;;;
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Astonian just a quick aside any chance of getting the The Birmingham Bottle Bank back now we're supposed to be trying to find an alternative to plastic
 
Alf said:
Davenport's Beer at Home My Mom & Dad had a delivery every week with 6 bottles of POP couldn't wait
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I used to have six bottles of light ale delivered every Thursday whilst living in Selston Rd Aston in the late 70's , truth is I could never work the pricing out , I'm sure there was a reduction with return of bottles delivered the week before but each week it was a different price . When I lived in William St off Granville St , I used to stand and look through the windows on Bath Row mesmerised at all those bottles going around and around empty at first then full up and off
 
llamafarmer said:
I remember my grandad having a Davenports delivery every week! 6 bottles of beer and 6 bottles of pop!!!! And i remember the slogan.... beer at home means davenports!!!! :D

Does anyone have any photos of the Colmore Arms that used to stand on Latimer Street South? Almost on the junction of Great Colmore Street and opposite St Asaphs church? My grans cut through was between Colmore Arms and Toogoods the plumbers. Colmore Arms was an Ansells pub. Latimer Street and most of Lee Bank was pulled down in the sixties and replaced with flats and maisionettes which is in turn being pulled down now to make way for Park Central. My grandad would be spinning in his grave at the thought of all those yuppies!!!!
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My only recollection s of this pub was dropping in there for a game of darts with a work colleague on a Saturday morning between 1969-71 . The manager and his wife had a theatrical background I think looking at them. He was always immaculately turned out along with his wife they had theatre pics scattered around the wall , when I went to the bar I always found myself staring at a sign on the wall above the spirits shelf which read Tour Du Monde . I often thought was this what the both of them were waiting for , he once corrected me for tapping my finger on the counter , he was serving me I wasn't trying to get his attention as there was nobody else in the bar he looked at me eye to eye and said "Your nerves playing you up" . I've used that expression myself quite a lot when someones tapping around me . I will ad I think it was just called The Colmore in those days I went there
 
hmld said:
WHAT HAPPENED TO DAVENPORTS AND THE FEW DAVENPORTS PUBS? IT WAS A THRIVING CONCERN IN THE 1970s.
ALSO THAT 700' WELL HOLE? WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE WATER?
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It was taken over by Greenall Witley Brewery in the 80’s. I worked there in the laboratory and as a packaging supervisor until 1979 when I transferred to M & B in Smethwick. Just in the nick of time. The pubs eventually came under Greene King.
 
Davenport said:
Thank you Wendy. i am suprised that i have not made contact with anyone who is researching the surname Davenport in the Birmingham area, whether or not they have connection to the brewing family.A few years ago now i made contact with the last surviving Brewing family member Mr Eustace Davenport, after a family fued over as far as i can remember over the sale of controlling shares , Eustance' wife destroyed all family archives and photographs. My 3rd x Grt grandfather may be the brother Robrt Davenport.
I would always be interested in contacting anyone doing this family history.
Thanks Clive Davenport
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Hi
I am related to Baron Davenport and am sorting through some family bits and pieces (lockdown).. I am related to the 7th daughter and my mother had shares which helped when I was a child. I would need to dig a bit to get names etc but would be interested in knowing more about the davenports. I have a copy of Barons funeral service and somewhere an article that said he left a very large sum to charity when he does which fits in with his character. Dale Gooding
 
Just looking at the Charity point, it gives a glowing description of Baron Davenport....interesting!

Baron Davenport's Charity
"...He was described in a newspaper article dated March 1930 as being ‘public spirited and kind hearted’ and ‘an ideal employer’. Baron provided excellent working conditions for staff at the Brewery..."

About Baron Davenport's Charity

Mr Baron John Davenport 1868 - 1939 Mr Baron John Davenport was the chairman of Davenport’s Brewery. The brewery, which was founded by his father in 1885, was situated on Bath Row in the centre of Birmingham. Baron was an astute businessman and took a prominent role in the direction of the...
www.barondavenportscharity.org www.barondavenportscharity.org
 
Dale Gooding said:
Hi
I am related to Baron Davenport and am sorting through some family bits and pieces (lockdown).. I am related to the 7th daughter and my mother had shares which helped when I was a child. I would need to dig a bit to get names etc but would be interested in knowing more about the davenports. I have a copy of Barons funeral service and somewhere an article that said he left a very large sum to charity when he does which fits in with his character. Dale Gooding
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Hello Dale, Ada was the 7th Daughter b. 1878 of Joseph Davenport b.1832 d.1910.
She married William Robert Walker Murray , Solicitor.
Her Brother Baron John is my 2nd Cousin 3x removed. Sounds distant but we share the same 4 x Great Grandfather Robert Davenport b.1765.
so you and I are related albeit distant.

I have done a large amount of family research and would love to hear from you.Thank you. Clive D.
 
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Davenport said:
Hello Dale, Ada was the 7th Daughter b. 1878 of Joseph Davenport b.1832 d.1910.
She married William Robert Walker Murray , Solicitor.
Her Brother Baron John is my 2nd Cousin 3x removed. Sounds distant but we share the same 4 x Great Grandfather Robert Davenport b.1765.
so you and I are related albeit distant.

I have done a large amount of family research and would love to hear from you.Thank you. Clive D.
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Davenport said:
Hello Dale, Ada was the 7th Daughter b. 1878 of Joseph Davenport b.1832 d.1910.
She married William Robert Walker Murray , Solicitor.
Her Brother Baron John is my 2nd Cousin 3x removed. Sounds distant but we share the same 4 x Great Grandfather Robert Davenport b.1765.
so you and I are related albeit distant.

I have done a large amount of family research and would love to hear from you.Thank you. Clive D.
Click to expand...
I am the secretary for central edgbaston bowls club which Baron John Davenport was a member we have some interesting history of how he and other members supported the troops injured at the Soome 1916 .
 
I spent some of my apprenticeship working at the Davenports brewery. The bottling lines were in the main entrance to the old building and the brewing happened behind that in a factory that had been built later.

I can guess why they closed it down as it wasn't a very efficient place to carry out brewing and the bigger lorry's, that were starting to be used in the 1980s, struggled to get in and out of the site at times.
 
O.C. said:
John Davenport and his sons had a small malting business at the beginning of the 19th and by 1846 it was growing quite rapidly till in 1897 it became a limited company
It was not until 1901 when Baron John Davenport took active control over the management that rapid changes were made and he was the one that had his eye on the home delivery trade rather than the public house trade and using the slogan Beer at Home he started the home delivery trade
In 1919 to 1936 the Brewery was completely rebuilt and they sunk a bore hole over 700 feet through the earth which took 5 years to sink till the found the purest water they could find to make the beer. A note I should add that the Brewery received two direct hits with 1,000 Ib bombs during WW2 and both failed to go off causing only minor damage
Photo shows the delivery trucks out side the front of the building in Bath Row
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I am the secretary of the Central Edgbaston Bowls Club and John Davenport was a member for many years at the time we held fun days for the injured troops every month . when we gave the troops and the nurses a chance to relax for a day with free cakes and drinks plus a small present to leave with. John Davenport was there on 12th July 1916 when we had a day for the injured Troops from the Somme .this is a rare picture of him with the troops [ hes the one with the pipe and bowler ]
 

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I have just come across this thread having made a reference to Davenports on another thread so I am posting this link.

Vintage TV Ads » Davenports Beer

www.davenports.co.uk www.davenports.co.uk

I apologise if this link has been given before as i said I have just come across it. If you go to the link you will find some of the vintage Beer At Home cinema and TV adverts. Also there are a couple of archive films giving the Davenports story.
 
Good to see they consistently won medals at the Brewers Exhibition over many years. And love the telegram address “Beer Birmingham” ! Viv.
 
My grandfather John Dale known as Jack used to let me stencil the wooden beer crates with the name of the Brewery which they belonged to on the sides when I popped in on a Saturday morning in Watery Lane. He made them for quite a few of the Birmingham based breweries. Most Saturdays he would give me a fiver a large white note. He would then say go and see your nan before you go the match. I only remember the Mitchell and Butler stencil but I know there were more than one brewery he did them for. Granddad Dale was a chain smoker, I think he only used one match a day. Imagine trying to get business insurance nowadays being a chain smoker in a timber mill. I think he was 93 years old when he died.
 
I used to work at the white lion in the early 1970s as a bar maid in the evenings and all day Saturday and sunday, I'm sure the celler was haunted I use to hear weird noises when I used to do stock taking. The theatre people would drink in the lounge and at the back the local people from the flats opposite would drink they had a competitive darts team also.behind the bar was a small outdoor which was always busy on a Friday and Saturday nights.
 
I remember my Dad having Davenports Beer . It was delivered to the house , that would of been 50,s or 60,s
 
Peter Walker said:
My memories of Davenport's beer don't go back very far - only about 25 years ago, just before they were taken over by the Wem Brewery, as I remember, which in turn was swallowed up by Greenall Whitley, all in the mid-1980s. There were two nice pubs, one in Horsefair I believe, and the other probably in Inge Street or Thorp Street, a sort of theatrical place, which left a nice impression on my memory.
Going back earlier, I remember the brewery in full steam in 1957 when I had a little industrial accident and had to use the Accident Hospital almost opposite.
Peter
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the Australia Bar was on Hurst street and that was a Davenports pub. My dad was a relief manager in their managed houses from 1976 to 1978 so we got to see lots of their pubs from Bristol to Loughbrough, Kenilworth to Shardlow. As a ten year old I couldn't wait for mum to drive us across to whatever pub he was managing that week or for longer stays in the summer holidays
 
My Nan used to have a beer at home delivery, it was a wooden crate which held 12 bottles - she lived in south Worcestershire but I guess it would have been from Davenports.
She enjoyed a beer in the evening before she went to bed!
 
JulieJacqueline said:
My great grandmother used the beer at home service weekly and always ordered several bottles of sherry at Christmas to give as gifts - probably to make sure there was a tipple in the house when she visited!
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Smart lady! We have some friends who like to entertain but somehow never get around to buying any wine. That became our house gift, a bottle or red and bottle of white :cool: Self-preservation.
 
When I was young I used to play on the front of Davenports and watch the bottles being filled through the window. We lived at 3/21 Pigott street.
 
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