Farm Park - huge boulder

[RobT]

Tali is right it was definitely there in the early seventies. I also remember a structure we called the Fort which had zipwire running from it, and a climbing frame shaped like a dome hich I am sure health and safetey would not allow today.

Following photos are taken from an excellent book Small Heath & Sparkbrook by Margaret D. Green first published in 2002. Photos shown here are from collections held by Birmingham Library Services and Birmingham City Archives.
Sadly no photo of a boulder but it does get a mention.
Play fort and mound 1968


Farm Park 1968



The Slides 1968

Finally Aerial Wire 1968 and a mention of the ice-age boulder

 

[Clive F]

It all looks very different to the 50s and 60s but quite clearly well used. My mother, who was born in 1915 and lived all of her life on the edge of the park, could remember the pool which she told us was filled in due to a tragic drowning accident, and that would be pre WW2. She could also remember sheep grazing in the park in her younger years.

 

[JONrb211]

Thanks for that wonderful picture of the wooden fort RobT I look forward to showing my brother, it could even be us in the photo, We lived on Grantham road does anyone remember the boys brigade band marching through the streets on a Sunday morning.

 

[Ray T]

Thanks for that wonderful picture of the wooden fort RobT I look forward to showing my brother, it could even be us in the photo, We lived on Grantham road does anyone remember the boys brigade band marching through the streets on a Sunday morning.

Yes, I well remember the boys brigade Sunday marches. I always felt compelled to follow alongside for some distance, enjoying the bugles and drums, like something from the Pied Piper!

 

[Butterfly]

Tali is right it was definitely there in the early seventies. I also remember a structure we called the Fort which had zipwire running from it, and a climbing frame shaped like a dome hich I am sure health and safetey would not allow today.

Tali is right it was definitely there in the early seventies. I also remember a structure we called the Fort which had zipwire running from it, and a climbing frame shaped like a dome hich I am sure health and safetey would not allow today.

So nice to read about the 'giant's stone' as it was called often in the 50's onward. It seems it was a bit of meteorite (sp) but whatever it was my siblings and I had many happy times on and around it. Farm Park had at that time just swings, see-saw and a 'hobby horse' type ride. There was also an old stable/carriage building complete with, half way up one wall, almost every name of every child that went into it, written in chalk! Happy days from long ago.

 

[MapMike]

I remember the boulder in Farm Park when I played there as a kid in the mid 1950's.

The story went that it was a meteorite that had landed in the park a few years before and had nearly killed some kids playing football!

I think it was situated on the edge of an area which was used mainly for football. It was a hard surface and had fine gravel on it, so if you went down, your knees got really scraped.

Although I didn't really appreciate the beauty of the flower beds and landscaping of the park at that time, I can still remember some of the layout and details of the park and how lovely the park was.

I went back there a few months ago to show my family where I was born and raised.
Oh dear, what a sad disappointment Farm Park was. Everything seems to have been flattened and grassed over with just a few trees remaining.
I took a photo of the park and Lloyd House which is still there.

Hi, i used to visit Farm Park as a young child, my Aunt Joan Grimes, used to live in Lloyd House as
a resident for a few years. Have some pics & newspaper articles about the House & Park. Remember the stone well, was told it was a 'meteorite' at the time! Lloyds house was full of empty rooms, loved running around the place (1950's), last visit to the park 10 years ago,
My Aunt left Lloyd House some years ago. mapmike