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Dorridge

Cock and Thextons, I remember old Bill Cock and Ben Thexton, My mother worked there after giving up her job to look after her Mother and have me. I remember Giles the hardware,by the signal box near the bridge, the cleaners and Mrs Pooler next to the chemist, (Mr Dyehouse spl;). Opposite the chemist used to be the local GP's practice (Doc Allan and George Thorpe) and above them the dentist Mr Needham. I also spent many wasted hours in The Candy Shop, Mrs Brown (daughter's name Hillary) and bless Miss Nelly Boucher! and at the top next to the Forest Wrensons another grocers.
We as a family used to go on Holiday with the Wickets.
And you're right not Tapster house but Tapster Mill
 
Ah well, our mothers would definitely have known one another in C&Th then! Fancy you knowing the Wickets so well.
Wrensons - I had forgotten that. Weren't they a bit lower down, in a double-fronted shop, between the Candy Shop and the post office (Tallises)?
I remember the butcher's, one or two up from the sweetshop, and one day seeing the butcher hang up a beef carcasss by the back legs on hooks either side of the doorway and proceed to split it in half with a meat chopper.
 
Yeah! That was my mother's car, the first on the left, outside the ironmonger's!! I learnt to drive in it. A Ford "Squire" with three gears, and a tendency for the starter-motor to jam.
Thanks so much for the link. I have just sent e-cards of the pic from the Francis Frith site to my sister and brother!
 
map.JPG

I'm so glad I made someones day! Here's a map quite clearly showing that until Poplar Road was built through to Mill lane it would have been a no through road.
 
Here's a load of Dorridge images from my files. Lived at 118 Poplar Road from birth in 1960 through to 1970. My parents lived there from earlier when the house was first built. The "back garden" shots are looking behind Poplar Road to Elmdon Close. dorridge1904.jpgdorridge1950s.jpgdorridgepc.jpgdorridge-poplarroad1911.jpgdorridgestation.jpg
 
Wonderful pix, Paul33! I had forgotten Gillooly's shop. What did they sell? Was it shoes?
The second picture in the first batch must have been taken from opposite Cock and Thexton's, and shows the shrubbery still there next to the chemists, between which we had to wheel our bikes to get to the yard at the back before we went to school.
 
Mr Gillooly was a chirpodist, he moved his practise into Manor Road, actually opposite where the Bouchers lived and very near the church. I was in the same class as Janet Gillooly at Dorridge infants and Junior school. And Jimmy Knibb was the demon barber.

Thanks Paul for this collection.
 
Omg this is amazing totally, if I had not have asked for any of this I would never have seen them, it's so special for me as I live on the road now. I had never seen one of the road where it used to end before the newer houses were built , fantastic , and the story about the air raid shelter , superb. Please keep them coming if there are any more. Does anyone know who built the houses that were built in the 1950,s????
 
garge.jpg

That's another picture of number 17. The place was a builders yard as I remember it Thompson's, later National Electrics took the place over and now I believe it's occupied by a design company. To the left of where my Uncle is standing is our old house and due to the lack of traffic I used to bang a tennis ball against the wall without fear of being run down.

vine in.JPG

I can't verify this picture, it's taken as you turn left out of Poplar Road and start to head towards Knowle. Less than 50 yards on the left is this building. Dorridge has always been known for having a couple of drinking places. The Railway Inn (also known as The Tavern) and The Forest Hotel. The Forest was my local until they messed about with it and closed the public bar. The picture above is of a smaller coaching type pub called The Vine (so I'm led to believe)

Please forgive the wait but I've loads on my mind at the moment. I'll be back!
 
Applet....where was the house that was knocked down then ??? I walk past this house every day to get home .....as for the pubs ....there is a building on station road called VINE HOUSE, so im presuming that this used t obe the pub ? , when did it cease to be a pub ?
 
15.jpg


We moved from 15 to 68 Polar Road back in 1968. The house was raised around then. Here we have my Mother showing her cycling skills in the drive to the right of 15. Access to small businesses all up the drive. I do remember the small business next to our house was a motor cycle repair man. His name was Lol Statham. I know he lived or later moved to a property in Slater Road, Bentley Heath. and I knew his son. You'll see the great iron gates then leading to the flats that were built some time ago. When we moved out the sheds had long gone and Archers had the major business, car repairs. As for Vine House, if you have google earth take a road trip and check out the doors in the little court yard. They look like stable doors to me. I'm still trying to vindicate myself here by checking out census records for the turn of the century. No joy so far after 4 hours of digging.
 
wow ....im trying to work out where that is , is the house to the left on the pic where you uncle was standing outside no 17 ??and is that drive way where you mom is on her bike the drive to the now NEW FLATS....
 
According to the census of 1881 there was a Vine Inn on the site mentioned. All I can tell you is the landlord came from Shropshire! Due to privacy stuff. That took almost 6 hours! If you have access to these records, which I do, Poplar Road is sited as part of Knowle. I'm going back to 1871 if possible.
It appears that Poplar Road was deemed to be in the Parish of Packwood in 1881 whilst Station Road, temple road etc were in Knowle.
Just for good measure The Vine was there in 1871 and get this according to census 1861 there was a pub on Knowlewood Road (The Royal Oak). That is news to me.

Poplar Road. In 1911 where most houses were 5 roomed dwellings there was still one house with nine rooms and servants!
 
the last time i went into the vilage of dorridge was in the late sixtys and i went to an elderly couple to do a painting job
and the occupants was very nice a well kept house the gentleman whom name i have forgotten was a piano tuner for his living
and he was virtualy blind it was amazing guy to do piano tuning with very little sight he used to feel is way around the house ;
i think its amazing how these people whom are sadly in that postion get around i recall going to the harborne sgool for residentals kids and teenagers whom was blind and beleive me even thou they could not see they used to run around some of them closely built walls of coridors for them to feel and get around
one or two was virtuly running around at a speed i said to my mate its amazazing how they run around
on one of the corridors there was a little elcove where they sat and listened to the telly sounds and not seeing the picture it was incredable to see
best wishes Astonian;
 
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