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Formans Rd, Sparkhill.

Re : Formans Rd, Sparkhill
Does anyone remember Harley's Pork Butchers. They used to make their own faggots and peas every Tuesday and Friday and you had to take your own large jug to bring them home in. Also nearby was Mrs. chambers sweet shop then Mr.Boulton the shoe repairer and Bowens the Butchers. Further down towards Percy Roafd was Terry's the ladies and Gents Hairdresser and Barbers.
 
Hi

I noticed the 1936 Aero photo of Formans Road Lucas Factory. It was as I remembered it
2 years there in Diecastings and Plastics in Time Study and Estimating. Later on I covered
for my sins Batteries with Lucas and Yuasa with Rover Group/Land Rover. Erie picture
I lived at 156 with my Nan for a couple of years. I can still see her climbing up those steps
with various messages forgot my Lunch.
Those happy memories were shattered when i looked at the site via Google Earth. A terrible
mess the Plastics Factory survives in some form.
Attach pictures

Mike Jenks
 

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Hi all, my great grandmother was Mrs chambers who owned the sweet shop on Formans Road. I was wondering if anyone has any memories or photos of the shop?
 
I'm sure all of us who lived in that area of Birmingham had a friend and/or a relation working part time piece work in the plastics factory. It was one of my mother's three part time jobs when my father died, inspecting plastic mouldings, the others being a tote operator at both Kings Heath & Hall Green Greyhound Tracks. The plastics factory was also popular with several of my musician friends because they had a night shift and they stayed awake by taking benzedrine.

Maurice
 
I remember the shop well and I think it was between Harley's - the pork butchers and Boltons - the shoe repairers. I recall Mrs Chambers as being a very friendly lady and she kept a wide range of sweets and chocolates. She had a daughter called Pat who married David and they moved to a new house in Shirley in the late 1950s. I seem to remember seeing a picture of Mrs Chambers with her daughter in one of the Solihull newspapers as she was celebrating her hundredth birthday and she described what life was like in a sweet shop during the war.
 
Here's a couple of old Formans Road pictures that haven't appeared in this thread yet.
Sparkhill Formans Road 1.jpg Sparkhill Formans Road 2.jpg
I lived around the corner in Thornhill Road 1956-1977, and frequently visited lots of the shops named above. In the late 60's I delivered meat for Halliwell's the butcher on the corner of Formans and Percy .... on my bike to houses in many of the roads off Formans.
 
I also spent lots of time playing in (and falling in) the Cole by Formans Road. Here's a Nicklin photo dated 1968, taken from the bridge. It shows the tree where I built a treehouse at about that time.
Sparkhill Cole from Formans Road Bridge 12 November 1968.jpg
 
Were there any fish to be seen in that part of the Cole? Minnows where prolific in the upper reaches in the late 1940's and early 1950's.
 
Only minnows and sticklebacks in my day Radiorails .... but I recall being told by an old angler that he used to catch trout in that stretch of the Cole in earlier times.
 
Have you any idea the date of the newer photo ,my dad lived in the road frim1908-1978 and I from 1935-1961,just windering if he or myself would have known any of the people in the picture
 
BrummieGeoff said:
Here's a couple of old Formans Road pictures that haven't appeared in this thread yet.
View attachment 121330 View attachment 121331
I lived around the corner in Thornhill Road 1956-1977, and frequently visited lots of the shops named above. In the late 60's I delivered meat for Halliwell's the butcher on the corner of Formans and Percy .... on my bike to houses in many of the roads off Formans.
Click to expand...
Any idea the date of the newest picture on this post, my dad was born in Formans in 1908, and myself in 1935 i was wondering if either of us would know ant of the peaple in the picture.
 
Caggyken : sorry, I don't have a date for the picture above. But if I had to guess …. the lack of motor traffic, and the clothing on pedestrians, suggests 1930s to me.
 
PatHayward said:
I remember the shop well and I think it was between Harley's - the pork butchers and Boltons - the shoe repairers. I recall Mrs Chambers as being a very friendly lady and she kept a wide range of sweets and chocolates. She had a daughter called Pat who married David and they moved to a new house in Shirley in the late 1950s. I seem to remember seeing a picture of Mrs Chambers with her daughter in one of the Solihull newspapers as she was celebrating her hundredth birthday and she described what life was like in a sweet shop during the war.
Click to expand...
Hi! Thank you so much, you are correct. My grandparents, pat and David have both passed away now but remained married and had two children. They were always based in Shirley/ Solihull. And Mrs chambers lived until 104! Doyou have any memories of Mrs chambers or pat?? I would be so grateful!
 
I knew Pat from when she was a little girl - we were the same age and we lived next door but one to Pat and David in Shirley and had our children at the same time - David's two lovely aunts lived with them. Bill Harley lived opposite to us. They were wonderfully happy days - all in our early twenties - new houses- we had so much fun!
 
Wow! I am sitting with my dad, Steve, now! (Pat and David's son). We are wondering what the name of your children are (If you don't mind). Maybe my dad played with them! And Nan often spoke of Bill Harley. Did you live in Ufton crescent or northdown road? :)
 
I have a picture of Steven and my daughter Lindsay standing on a garden wall together in Ufton Crescent - my son is Alistair - all the children were around the same age and played together and we all moved into the newly built houses together - Steve and Lindsay were around 12/14 months old when we moved in and Lyn and Alistair were born in the Crescent. The road was not built and no drives or front gardens were done and we had huge back gardens to dig.
 
lerryngal said:
I believe my Mom lived in Formans road till she got married in 1956. The family name was Allden, (Eric, and Violet) and there was 7 kids. Doreen, Fred, June, Eileen (My Mom), Angela, Margaret, and Sylvia.
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Hi There, I'm June's youngest daughter Susanne(Sue). You must be my cousin from Aunty Lana.
 
I remember your mom, her name was Dobbin's before she we'd, lived up the long gardens ,as the houses were called.I lived at 139 next to Clayton's fish shop opposite Bromyard Rd.My name is Ken Harris
 
Wendy said:
Found this postcard today and thought I would put it on this thread.
Click to expand...
caggyken said:
The reason i asked if you went to Formans Rd was i saw you lived in Allcroft, some of my old school friends lived in that area and i wondered if you new them.Three i can recall are Clive Guest, George Haynes , and Wendy Guy
Click to expand...
PatHayward said:
ken - thank you for all the pics - I was right about one of George's pics and my I-Pad has mislaid the other football pic.
that was how I remember him. What a great VE picture - what wonderful memories. I went to the one in Percy Rd then the
one in Formsnd roadster the side of the mirror Laundries and I remember George Barratt's father bringing out his next door neighbour's piano into the street for a sing song. The bonfire was huge and the party seemed to go on all night and all the kids dressed up in red white and blue paper dresses and shirts. Pat
Click to expand...
Hello George Barrett was my dad I spent my first few months at 57 Formans Road.
 
PatHayward said:
I remember my cousin June Harrison had mumps so couldn't go to the party and she still wore her victory dress and stood for hours looking out of her bedroom window. Do you remember the Barratt family - George was the oldest then Hazel and then two younger boys and two younger girls a great family- their dad George worked at Lucas's up the road and used to come over every other Friday night to cut Uncle Ted's hair and also Frank Helliers and I think mr. Hone's too.
Pat
Click to expand...
Pat this Anthony George Barrett’s Son, Dad passed away in 2013. Thank you for all of this history.
 
Tony37539 said:
Pat this Anthony George Barrett’s Son, Dad passed away in 2013. Thank you for all of this history.
Click to expand...
Anthony - hello - do you remember your Dad talking about Cyril & Pat Hayward? We saw your Dad on his last UK visit before he became ill - so much to tell you.
 
PatHayward said:
Anthony - hello - do you remember your Dad talking about Cyril & Pat Hayward? We saw your Dad on his last UK visit before he became ill - so much to tell you.
Click to expand...
Yes of course would love to see you and do a FaceTime with mom. We are in Solihul until Wednesday not sure if you are anywhere near that we can take you out for lunch. Not sure how secure this site is for exchanging info so you will have to advise. I just joined yesterday to see what I could find for “uncle D”
 
PatHayward said:
Anthony - hello - do you remember your Dad talking about Cyril & Pat Hayward? We saw your Dad on his last UK visit before he became ill - so much to tell you.
Click to expand...
Have a way if it works for you, we put a SIM card in one of the phones that you can text, the number will be discarded when we leave on Wednesday. Number is 44 7367182940
 
Best to exchange numbers by messaging as anyone can read the forum. Messages are confidential. To message Pat click on her name and "start conversation". That is then between the two of you.
Edit your message and remove the number.
 
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