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Friends of Aston Hall and Park

ben0toffy1

proper brummie kid
We are always looking for new members to join the Friends of Aston Hall and Park group. If you live in Aston now, or used to live in the area and have now moved away, we are looking for committed and enthusiastic volunteers to help develop the site. If you have any ideas for events or activities in the Park, Sports grounds or Museum, it would be great if you could come along and find out how you can become involved.

Our next meeting is Thursday 24th November 2011 between 6.30pm and 8.00pm. The venue is the Stables Range in front of Aston Hall Museum, Trinity Road, Aston, B6 6JD. If you would like more information please call 07791751271 for more details.

Thanks,

Rachel
smiley.gif
 
Just to let everyone know that the next meeting of the Friends of Aston Hall and Park will be on Thursday 26th January 2012 at 6.30pm at the Aston Hall Stables cafe. Free light refreshments for all! This would be a great time to join and have your say on the things you would like to see going on at the site. Please feel free to just come along on the night, or give me a call for more information (same number as previous message).
Thanks,
Rachel
 
Please don't change it too much just keep it as I remember it in the thirties. Cool green grass, children's playground opposite the Villa Ground, the rose garden near the Aston Hall and all those wonderful stories about tunnels leading to Aston Church, Thomas Holte locking his daughter in the tower because she wouldn't marry a chosen suiter, the stabbing of a friend and the blood stains over the alter in the church. True or not these were stories , plus many more, we grew up with. Good luck with the project but please tell it as it was because the last time I did a tour through the hall a certain amount of story white washing had been replaced with the truth. Kind regards, David.
 
As most of my childhood seemed to be spent in Aston Park, I have to go and visit the place occasionally just to have a walk round - always dissapointed by the fence that surrounds most of Aston Hall - and the fact that Pan still hasn't got his head back!!.....any chance??
 
Hi Bumbellini: According to Birmingham Councillor Martin Mullaney who in August 2011 posted on another Birmingham forum that the statue of Pan was restored and ruined
again after two weeks. See quote of August 2011 by Councillor Mullaney: "We put the new stone head and pipes on two weeks ago and within days, someone came along with a ball-pein hammer and completely obliterated the face and pipes."
Too sad this vandalism.
 
Wasn't aware of that Jennyanne? - for the past few years, when I've had the occasional walk round every couple of months, I have only ever seen it as it is now - headless!
- seems to be just pointless vandalism - thanks for letting me know.
 
Now is the time!

Hi everyone - the next Friends of Aston Hall and Park meeting is on Thursday 23rd February in the Stables cafe at Aston Hall between 6.30pm - 8.00pm. If you're living in Aston now or have done in the past, now is a great time to get involved in the group! Lots of exciting projects being discussed at the meeting including the Book Bash, Stan's Cafe Theatre project and a possible event in the Park to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June. New members always welcome! Light refreshments provided - come along - we'd love to see you!

David - we don't intend on doing anything too controversial with our Friends group! Aston Hall and Park went through a £12.5 million refurbishment and reopened again in 2009 - not sure if you have visited since then? ... Can't promise to revert to the old tours either, but there are plenty of true dramatic stories related to Thomas Holte to keep everyone entertained I hope!

Bumbellini, I'm afraid that Jennyann is right - Pan's pipes and head were replaced last year and within a few days they had been smashed off again. Very sad, but we are still looking into ways to replace again with something that wouldn't be so easily destroyed.

Hope to see some new people at the meeting next Thursday!... Any questions, my number is at the top of the thread!

Rachel
 
hi benotoffee
what i say is back the old parkie; he will sort them out good and proper
if old horriss had been around it would have never happenend don,t they get parks control no more; ?.
i am sad to hear his head as ben chopped off ; the very last time i went there on a visit to aston was many ,many years ago and he had his arm and flute chopped off but now to hear of his head its a complete disgrace especialy for the second time ;
i would suggest a gage around it ; but those tatters from where ever they come from would ripp it off ; i surpose ;
surely with a stately home there must be some kind of sercurity around the grounds these hoods must be druggies they have ran out of cemetrys
now they are turning to parks i know in my years of groing up nobody ever dreamn ,t of doing this to peter pan;
yes i must admit we was guilty of running over the bowling green ; when there was no play and running over the green to peter panfor a quick paddle but to capitate him never ;especialy with old parkie horris a giant of a mam on his police hercules bike pedaled fast and whizzeed across to you in seconds and had you
a mear sight of horriss put the wind up you beleive me ;
i will put a note in my diay and try and get down there myself on this date ; best wishes astonian ;;;
 
HI DAVID
How are you fine i hope ?.yes i hope they do not change to much of the park at least the surrounding of our beloved aston hall grounds
i am hoping to get down there myself this period of time ;
and speakng of the period of time ; david; they can change the scenery if you like but if you were like me and other local kids
whom grew up in that park ; and learnt of its history and the holtes family and of the ewesom carrying ons ; and the tales your folk have spoken about and stories of the murder in the tunnels and passages ; they had years ago ; which the tour as never ver openened it up after centries
to prevent any think else happening again ; in this gloryious building and of the wondering spirits ; meaning ghostly carrying on;s
and in the early years of the 1900s how the story was said to have offered people one hundred pounds to sleep in this one part of this house
which i beleive was never taken up ; and the connection to the aston parish church grounds which was at the side rear of the entrance
which excistance was true ; as we where told by the vicar and the choir mistress a miss rice and her friend whom both were very elderly
and lived in Albert rd ajoing the Aston park ; whom was brought up in the 1n there reign of the family
but what i am saying they can change the surroundingbut they cannot take your memories away from the orinional days of the hall of your child
days and memories ; astonian
 
Hi Guys;
The holte family lived in the hall until the death of Dame Sarah Holte the widow of sir lister,when the property passed to the honarable henerage
Legge , THE nepwew of sir listers first wife . in 1818 it was bought by a firm of warick bankers whom leased it to james watt the younger son;
of the celebrated engineer. he lived there until 1848 after which the greater part of the estate was sold off for the building and the herd of deer
was sold. for a time there was a concern about the survival of the hall and the remnants of the park in 1856 it was bought by a private company formed .expressingly to save AstoN HALL , and two years later; Queen victoria came to open the hall and the park
which we all have experienced the open air and the enjoyment of seing and visting the-is granduer building which we are proud off
and lets pray that they keep this buildingin a state of repair for years and generation to come for us proud brummie of this birmingham
and lets get the tourist over here to come andsee our treasure of aston birmingham ; especial the yanky doodle ; americans whm like our heritage;
have a nice day every body best wishes astonian ;;
 
Hey Astonian - When I was growing up, Aston Park was the centre of the universe - never really knew the history of Aston Hall at the time, but it was a great place to hide in for tracking!!! - I know things change but when I go there now the little kid in me is saying "I want to go in there - why the fence"??
 
Hi bumerline
nice to hear from you ;yes we played tracking in and out all around the hall and the hedges
yes it was always bursting with kids of all ages and the witches hat you could never on ; because the kids whom was pumping back and fore you could not get on ; especialy with my big sister she was mean to other kids especialy the girls
she only got off when she thought she had enough ; mind you if the old man took us as he did but some times he never we went on our own and thats when she was bossy ;
geting back to your question ; why the cage ; well ; it would stop the vandells destroying it as its been said by the council
just gage the figure ; but there again i do not surpose it would stop them ; climbing into the font part of water
just goes to show what society we are in today ; but you know what it the kids these are kids of 16 years old or even older ; the mind boggles ; astonian
 
Love your work Astonian, and realise what our history means to so many people. The stories we heard about the hall would make your hair stand on end and even if ten percent only were true that still leaves a lot of bone chilling terror. Different times though and those involved long gone. Oliver Cromwell's men put a cannon ball through the hall too which must have made the local bricklayers happy. Kind regards Young Fella, see you on the swings one day. David.
HI DAVID
How are you fine i hope ?.yes i hope they do not change to much of the park at least the surrounding of our beloved aston hall grounds
i am hoping to get down there myself this period of time ;
and speakng of the period of time ; david; they can change the scenery if you like but if you were like me and other local kids
whom grew up in that park ; and learnt of its history and the holtes family and of the ewesom carrying ons ; and the tales your folk have spoken about and stories of the murder in the tunnels and passages ; they had years ago ; which the tour as never ver openened it up after centries
to prevent any think else happening again ; in this gloryious building and of the wondering spirits ; meaning ghostly carrying on;s
and in the early years of the 1900s how the story was said to have offered people one hundred pounds to sleep in this one part of this house
which i beleive was never taken up ; and the connection to the aston parish church grounds which was at the side rear of the entrance
which excistance was true ; as we where told by the vicar and the choir mistress a miss rice and her friend whom both were very elderly
and lived in Albert rd ajoing the Aston park ; whom was brought up in the 1n there reign of the family
but what i am saying they can change the surroundingbut they cannot take your memories away from the orinional days of the hall of your child
days and memories ; astonian
 
Hi everyone,

Great to read some stories about Aston Hall and Park on this page, so many people have a love for it, including me! ... The next Friends of Aston Hall and Park meeting is on Thursday 22nd March 2012 in the Aston Hall Stables Cafe, between 6.30pm and 8.00pm. Free refreshments - new members always welcome! Hope to see some new faces on Thursday!

Cheers,

Rachel
 
Hi everyone,

Great to read some stories about Aston Hall and Park on this page, so many people have a love for it, including me! ... The next Friends of Aston Hall and Park meeting is on Thursday 22nd March 2012 in the Aston Hall Stables Cafe, between 6.30pm and 8.00pm. Free refreshments - new members always welcome! Hope to see some new faces on Thursday!

Cheers,

Rachel
I aint coming all the way from Australia unless I get a sixpenny haircut from Wally Brannigan or better still MR Beebbe, I wonder if he's still got his parrot in the shop that would now be about two hundred years old, I would also like some faggots and peas please and some cream custard tarts from Lenny Bond's shop in Church Lane. Kind regards, and hope you have a good night. David
 
aa3.jpeg 1905.
Aston Park used to contain over 300 acres of woods, arable land and pasture along with fishponds, gardens, orchards and a herd of deer.
The park is now a fraction more than half it's original size.
 
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