This was situated at 142a Park Lane - opposite Parliament Street and was originally bought by my great grandparents for my Grandad when he was 21 (which would have been in about 1899 I think!) The lived in the corner shop opposite - Parliament Street/Park Lane though I don't remember either of them as they died way before I was born. I have a picture though of Great Grandma Mariah Dunn with son Tom (great uncle Tom) and a baby though have no idea who that is, standing on step of the shop. The shop was run by my grandad until he went to war for WWI (not sure who ran it while he was away but it was family) and in 1918 he returned and married my Grandmother - Edith Turner . He was 40 then. The shop remained with them and their 3 surviving daughters (one died of diptheria) all through WWII until they retired to a house in Erdington, when it was passed on to my Mom to run. I was about 5 I think when we moved in there having previously lived in Upper Webster Street which I only have very hazy memories of!
There were originally 2 shops and the one next door was run as a fish and chip shop around the time of WWII by - I think - Mrs Meek or Mrs Mears?? Not sure but the shop was sold to my grandparents who extended the shop and my Mom was a florist and used that side when we moved in to sell flowers and do wreaths and bridal bouquets and such like.
Before it was a fruit and veg shop it was at one time called The Shakespeare Inn and had cellars beneath which were fortified in WWII and acted as the air raid shelter for quite a few. I can remember going down there and seeing the old metal bunks still there and the brick standing for the barrels. Family verbal history says that in the attic they found 2 busts of William S and Anne Hathaway on long wooden beams that used to be let into the chimney but Joey Turner who was by all accounts a bit of a lad broke their noses off! They were disposed of well before I was born so sadly have no further knowledge of them. The Inn though was apparently set into the wall of Aston Park which ran down Park Lane. It was said that a bit of the wall up by the coal yard was part of the original park wall but that may be apocryphal.
All I have is a very small picture of part of the window display in the shop but I will try to scan it and post here. I remember the shop being open even on Christmas day so that people could come and get potatoes for christmas dinner! Happy days of helping in the shop - I can still gather spuds in the supermarket and tell you how much they weigh
And find the biggest egg in a large tray - a skill taught me by my Grandad though I still don't quite know how I do it!
There was a big gate opening to the side of the shops which dated back to the heavy horse dreys and was brilliant for drying washing on wet days. It all seems huge in my memory but I was only young so it probably wasn't that big in reality. We had a big blue brick paved yard and outside privvy (always occupied by big spiders so I avoided!) and a stable area up the top with drains etc as Grandad had a horse and cart to get to the wholesale market and back, No deliveries in those days!
Sadly it ended when the area was bought by compulsory purchase for redevelopment although the shop was rented for a short time after we moved in the 60's to a pet shop. I have seen a picture of the pet shop somewhere but can't remember where now.
We always supplied Burlington St School - both Junior and Infant - with their big Christmas trees and my Dad used to carry them down on his shoulder to the school. We always sent flowers for the halls every week too.
Later on my aunt bought the cooked meat shop over the road next to the little grocers. Bit further up was Old Man Jones's fish and chip shop and next door was his daughter's wool shop - her son Keith was in my class at school and is on the school photos for Burlington Street.
Loads of family memories from Mum and Aunts (now sadly all deceased) from the war - like fetching water from the HP at Aston Cross in the tin bath in the war. The wonderful library at Aston Cross where I read all the childrens section and was allowed adult tickets when I was about 10. Red brick and gorgeous.
I do have some family pics and history but mostly of the Turners / Hinks (grandmother's side of the family) and from the school as we all went there from my grandmother and great uncles and aunts up to when we moved away in the 60's.
Will try to put pics and more info into the school thread (though not sure where as there seems to be a lot of them!)
Any memories of the shop anyone has would be wonderful!
There were originally 2 shops and the one next door was run as a fish and chip shop around the time of WWII by - I think - Mrs Meek or Mrs Mears?? Not sure but the shop was sold to my grandparents who extended the shop and my Mom was a florist and used that side when we moved in to sell flowers and do wreaths and bridal bouquets and such like.
Before it was a fruit and veg shop it was at one time called The Shakespeare Inn and had cellars beneath which were fortified in WWII and acted as the air raid shelter for quite a few. I can remember going down there and seeing the old metal bunks still there and the brick standing for the barrels. Family verbal history says that in the attic they found 2 busts of William S and Anne Hathaway on long wooden beams that used to be let into the chimney but Joey Turner who was by all accounts a bit of a lad broke their noses off! They were disposed of well before I was born so sadly have no further knowledge of them. The Inn though was apparently set into the wall of Aston Park which ran down Park Lane. It was said that a bit of the wall up by the coal yard was part of the original park wall but that may be apocryphal.
All I have is a very small picture of part of the window display in the shop but I will try to scan it and post here. I remember the shop being open even on Christmas day so that people could come and get potatoes for christmas dinner! Happy days of helping in the shop - I can still gather spuds in the supermarket and tell you how much they weigh
And find the biggest egg in a large tray - a skill taught me by my Grandad though I still don't quite know how I do it!There was a big gate opening to the side of the shops which dated back to the heavy horse dreys and was brilliant for drying washing on wet days. It all seems huge in my memory but I was only young so it probably wasn't that big in reality. We had a big blue brick paved yard and outside privvy (always occupied by big spiders so I avoided!) and a stable area up the top with drains etc as Grandad had a horse and cart to get to the wholesale market and back, No deliveries in those days!
Sadly it ended when the area was bought by compulsory purchase for redevelopment although the shop was rented for a short time after we moved in the 60's to a pet shop. I have seen a picture of the pet shop somewhere but can't remember where now.
We always supplied Burlington St School - both Junior and Infant - with their big Christmas trees and my Dad used to carry them down on his shoulder to the school. We always sent flowers for the halls every week too.
Later on my aunt bought the cooked meat shop over the road next to the little grocers. Bit further up was Old Man Jones's fish and chip shop and next door was his daughter's wool shop - her son Keith was in my class at school and is on the school photos for Burlington Street.
Loads of family memories from Mum and Aunts (now sadly all deceased) from the war - like fetching water from the HP at Aston Cross in the tin bath in the war. The wonderful library at Aston Cross where I read all the childrens section and was allowed adult tickets when I was about 10. Red brick and gorgeous.
I do have some family pics and history but mostly of the Turners / Hinks (grandmother's side of the family) and from the school as we all went there from my grandmother and great uncles and aunts up to when we moved away in the 60's.
Will try to put pics and more info into the school thread (though not sure where as there seems to be a lot of them!)
Any memories of the shop anyone has would be wonderful!
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