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Formans Road Sparkhill

B

BrummieJayne

master brummie
Does anyone have any old photographs of Formans Rd, Sparkhill that they would be kind enough to share? Also the Lucas Girling factory in Tysely, the allotments along Formans rd, (I think they were called Springgrove), St Johns CofE school Stratford rd, etc... and anywhere in that vicinity please? Pre 1980's, preferably 60's.
I am looking for images to paint.

(I live in Wales now, but have wonderful memories as a child going to the allotments with my Gramp, and school at St'Johns, Stratford rd). I see from Google Earth is has changed ..... and not for the better!
So, if anyone has any lovely old photos to rekindle happy memories I would be very grateful.

Thank you!
 
Hi BrummieJayne,

A couple of these might be from before your time, but Foremans Rd hasn't changed that much that you can't recognise the locations

Phil

Sparkhill Foremans Rd Rd.JPGSparkhill Foremans Rd (2).jpgSparkhill Foremans Rd 1976.jpgSparkhill ForemansRd 1961.jpg
 
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Thats brilliant, thanks ever so much Phil, the 1976 one is my time, so I must remember all of those shops! will look closer..... see if the old grey matter works!
 
Great photo, it reminds me of the days in the late 70’s I used to frequent a café in Formans Road, Dinner – sausage or steak pie, mash and two veg with gravy, apple crumble, bread, butter and a mug of tea….37p.
 
Yes I used the same café myself many times in the early 70's. The only trouble was it was very difficult finding somewhere to park a lorry that close to Stratford Rd.

Phil
 
Hi great pictures.my dad lived at 109. He always told me of the rd before they built a permanent
bridge over the river cole.he said as a child they would hang on to the back of the horse and carts
as they went through the river.its the first picture i have ever seen of it.once again many thanks.
Ken
 
Thank you for those photo's Me and my wife used to live in Percy Road, and you can just make out the off licence on the corner. Happy days.

Barrie.
 
Hi Phil
Your photos may not be lost, i have just vewed them. If you have not got the photos or did not back them up. If you want to inbox me i could put you right.

regards Stars
 
Thanks for posting the pics, I lived at 204 Formans Rd.

Sadly for some reason can't open the pics, has the system changed?
 
I believe this was Oaklands Stores, Formans Rd, Sparkhill.

In the 1911 Census it was jointly run by Julia Annie Wilson-single, & her sister Rosina Jane Bassett [nee wilson] Widow.
They were the daughters of William Jacob Wislon (seen here stood in front of the shop with his granddaughter Dorothy Francis Bassett)
W.J Wilson was the youngest son of Jacob Wilson the last Town Crier of Birmingham.

W.J Worked as a Brass Dresser in his youth then became a Gas fitter until his retirement.
Dorothy was born in 1906. I'm guessing she looks about 8 or 10 on the photo, giving an aproximate date of 1914-16.

xxx Sioux



BassettWilsonShop.jpg
 
Easily confused now! The shop sinage says Morley Stores! There used to be a small general store on the junction of Formans Rd and Leominster Rd, whether this was it I don't know. The detailed stoneworks above the shop door and that of its neighbour on the left would clarify its position. Sadly I am nowhere near to verify unless Craggyken can remember.
 
That shop looks remarkably like the one that stood at the corner of Solihull Rd and Formans Rd. In the late 1970's I lived in Percy Rd, and we bought our green grocery from the Sikh man who owned the shop at the time, but of course, all those shops tended to look the same.

Barrie.
 
Yes Barrie,
That's the one I'd narrowed it down to using Google Map street view! The little Bird box shaped finnials over the shop window and the plain sills under the upper floor windows match in well. The only thing different is the scroll stoneworl over the front door of the neighbouring property (which is very indicative of the area) it's different to what you see on the neighbouring property today.

I can't account for why the Name Morley stores differs from the Oaklands Stores on the 1911 census entry Sparky. Certainly the Sisters' names are there emblazoned on the left Window. P'raps someone with a Kelly's Directory may know.....ahem.....is hopeing Mikejee reads this
wink.gif


xxx Sioux
 
You could both be right, Well done! I left Formans Rd in 1962 so the old grey stuff is getting a bit thin these days. Morley may well have been the previous occupier and the sister's didn't change the window.

I didn't think to look on Google Earth.
 
HI ALL
Sorry i am unable to help on this one.The last person that would been able to help passed away 6 weeks ago.It was my aunt IDA.
She was born at 109 FORMANS RD in 1910.
KEN
 
HI
Just had a look on GOOGLE EARTH at the shops on the corner of KNOWLE and SOLIHULL RD. They are completly different now to the ones
in the picture. Where did the photo come from in the first place?? You are unable to see the stonework now ,they have been updated???
Ican say for sure that it was not on the corner of BROMYARD orLEOMINSTER roads.
KEN
 
Slightly off topic here, but the adverts at the side of my Explorer page are for houses for sale in Formans Rd and Solihull Rd.

Big Brother is watching us. :blue:
 
Hello Barrie.

Staying off topic I had the same problem with being watched and then targeted with adverts. I moved from google to Startpage a private web search engine.

Graham
 
Grrr this is frustrating. The image came from another decendant who knew the people in the image not the location of the shop!

I've tried illustrating what I can see and what's not there.
In Red the bird box finnials I referred to. Therefore a local design feature still present today.

In Blue, the pretty masonry over the door next door does not match :~( While the style of scroll work is common to the area I haven't been able to find ANY that match it. Despite the fact the shop door is probably covered the neighbour's property should still be visible (Unless it has one of those hideous porches tacked over it now!)

Green. The one fact I did spot when staring again for ages, is the double window upstairs on the left side. Obviously the Google earth image doesn't have this. And the wall/ bay window next door on the right of the shop. Again the modern image shows just a one long blank wall.

So it's similar but just not quite there! There's a lot of large buildings/warehouses between Solihull Rd and the Stratford Rd. Maybe it was there and was pulled down?

It's certainly a lot less likely to be any of the buildings at the other end of Formans Rd as they're different in style.

xxx Sioux

WilsonShop.jpg
 
Basset & Wilson had a shop in Asquith Rd Ward End which was on the corner of Morley Rd No 69 which could very much be the shop in the photo.


Phil
 
OH....MY......GOD!!!! HOW?!!! How on earth did you find it?
Hug2.gif
You're a complete superstar, THANK YOU!

The double window on the upper floor is right, it even has perfect matching scroll masonry over it . The whole building has been plastered so I'd never have found it.
Just leaves the conundrum, when did they swap from Morley Stores to Oaklands Stores in Formans Rd ? (1911 census)

LOL I guess it should be moved from here now then! :~) This site is amazing, for all the help you get, I'm so glad I found you all.

xxx Sioux
 
Goodness, I've just realised how close it is to Burney Lane! That's where my Gran (Other side of the family from the shop owners) lived and I spent my childhood visits!!! Considering how big Brum is, it's a small world! :encouragement:

xxx Sioux
 
The information comes from the 1913 edition of Kelly's Trade Directory so the information would be for 1912 so perhaps at that date they were living at Foremans Rd and still trading at Asquith Rd, though it would be a long commute in those days

Phil
 
I'm wondering if they started off in Formans Rd, (1911 census) and tried to find somewhere 'closer' to home - wich was Aston & Derritend - if your info comes from after the census. *shrugs* I dunno....I'm just glad you helped me find where it actually was! :~)))


xxx
 
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