General Wolfe Public House

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

Hi Folks
I am doing a little research into the General Wolfe on Aston Road. I am, of course, able to look up historical information from the 19th century but was hoping to tap into some 'local' knowledge from people who may have visited this pub. Just to jog the memory banks, here's a complete list of post-war publicans........

1934 - 1953 George James Middleton
1953 - 1956 Dennis Arthur Ashton
1956 - 1957 Sarah Winifred des Ascoyne
1957 - 1961 Alma Tredaway
1961 - 1961 Matthew Joseph Kelly
1961 - 1963 Eva Rose Warr
1963 - 1965 Doreen Mary Morris
1965 - 1966 Peter Bloomer
1966 - 1966 Miklos Vendel Pasztov
1966 - 1967 Gertrude Johns
1967 - 1968 Arthur James Ford
1968 - 1972 Albert Richard Faulkner
1972 - 1974 Evelyn Margaret Hawthorn
1974 - 1976 Victor John Lee
1976 - 1984 ? Haljo
1984 - 1986 Susan Hughes

If anyone can remember any of these people and have a memory to share please post it here.

Talking of Aston Road [and North] I noticed some pics of the General Havelock Ladies Darts Team on the forum. I was going to ask O.C. if I could use one of them but I noticed that he/she is no longer a member and it actually says 'banned' - what does this mean? and how do you get banned?

Cheers
Kieron
www.midlandspubs.co.uk

 

[mossg]

Hello Kieron.
My aunt Gert Johns managed the pub !966-7.I didn't use it in those days but used to flit from there to the Sacks in the early 1980s.

Mossg.

 

[Ray Barrett]

The first bottle of pop I had all to myself,was courtesy of George Middleton.Us cheeky scruff's gave him some cheek,(c1949)and he gave us a lesson in how to behave properly,and then he gave us half a crown,split 5 ways,we had a large bottle of lemonade each.He must have impressed me,I still remember it.

 

[printmeister]

Hi Kieron,

If I'm thinking of the same General Wolfe, it will be fondly remembered by a lot of printers as it was over the road from the School of Printing which was attached to Aston University.

I can't remember if the pub I'm thinking of was in Aston Road or Holt St.

We used to be in there a lot on dinner breaks when we were on full time courses and used to meet there before evening classes between 1971 and 1976.

Unfortunately I don't remember any of the publicans at the time.

We also used The Pot of Beer, The Union Mill (or was it The Old Union Mill?)
and The Sack of Potatoes....I always remember it being 'Sack' and not 'Sacks' as it is now. Is my memory playing tricks on me?

 

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

Hi Printmeister
Thanks for your message. You probably were in the General Wolfe as it was located on the corner of Love Lane in Aston Road [on the right as you leave the city towards the Lichfield Road]. All gone now of course - just a corner plantation of shrubs and small trees stand on the site, not too far from the Aston Triangle cinema frontage.

I went down Aston Road today just to check what is left - not a lot. I didn't have a pic of the Albion and so we cycled along the canal into Brum in the boiling sunshine - very nice though. Cycled straight through the city on the Fazeley Canal, a nice way to see the city from different angles. My partner Emma took her camera as it is lighter and compact but the battery ran out just before getting to the Albion as I took others pics on the way! So I need to go back again!!

The plaque for Arthur Conan Doyle is still in place - not far from the site of the Avenue pub. A couple of surviving buildings but not much of the old road is left. We had a pint in the Sacks [called this in most old Trade Directories by the look of it] and it was only £2.20p for Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted which is quite cheap for Birmingham City Centre.

By the way everyone - if you have never had a look inside the Woodcock Sports Centre then it's well worth a peek inside. Plenty of original 1920's fixtures and fittings and the baths are beautiful.

Rambling on so I'll log off and have a beer.

Cheers
Kieron

 

[darkie49]

Hi
My father Joseph Jeffries [Darkie], does anyone remember him, he was barman/cellarman on occassions at the General Wolf between 1951/ 61, It was also his local watering hole because he worked at Delta Metals in Love Lane.
Another couple of his pubs were The Duke in Duke St just off Gosta Green and there was another on Gosta Green but I cant remember its name, it had a concaved frontage I think with a deep window, can anyone help with its name?

 

[brumgum]

Picture of The General Wolfe.

Moss.

My family used to live a few doors away from the Wolfe and it indeed was on Aston Rd, it would have stood just down the road from the sack of potatoes and near to where the fountain has been relocated,

Brumgum.

 

[Louisa]

My father was the window cleaner at both the General Wolfe and the Sack of Potatoes in the 1950's.

As a child I used to make his leather window cleaning mops from off cuts of leather we got from the Chamois Leather Company on Aston Cross. I used to thread them on a length of strong twine and knot the end. We also bought scrim from the same company.

Louisa

 

[Ray Barrett]

This is a list of General Wolfe gaffer's.
Hi Folks
I am doing a little research into the General Wolfe on Aston Road. I am, of course, able to look up historical information from the 19th century but was hoping to tap into some 'local' knowledge from people who may have visited this pub. Just to jog the memory banks, here's a complete list of post-war publicans........

1934 - 1953 George James Middleton
1953 - 1956 Dennis Arthur Ashton
1956 - 1957 Sarah Winifred des Ascoyne
1957 - 1961 Alma Tredaway
1961 - 1961 Matthew Joseph Kelly
1961 - 1963 Eva Rose Warr
1963 - 1965 Doreen Mary Morris
1965 - 1966 Peter Bloomer
1966 - 1966 Miklos Vendel Pasztov
1966 - 1967 Gertrude Johns
1967 - 1968 Arthur James Ford
1968 - 1972 Albert Richard Faulkner
1972 - 1974 Evelyn Margaret Hawthorn
1974 - 1976 Victor John Lee
1976 - 1984 ? Haljo
1984 - 1986 Susan Hughes

If anyone can remember any of these people and have a memory to share please post it here.

Talking of Aston Road [and North] I noticed some pics of the General Havelock Ladies Darts Team on the forum. I was going to ask O.C. if I could use one of them but I noticed that he/she is no longer a member and it actually says 'banned' - what does this mean? and how do you get banned?

Cheers
Kieron
This is not my research it is copied from the work done by Kieron.

Ray.

 

[brumex1]

used to be a haunt of students from the old matthew boulten print college just opposite

 

[xxbrainyxx]

I used to stay at the general wolfe quite a bit years ago. My nan and grandad had the Wolf not long before it was demolished. Just used to sit with my Grandad whilst he was pulling pints, and id always have a doctor pepper on the go.

 

[xxbrainyxx]

1976-1984 was Caljo Uussalu & Joan Uussalu that had the General Wolfe. My Grandparents. I know my Nan has lots of photos of the pub if anyone is interested. John

 

[Ian Forrester]

The General Wolfe was also a haunt of off duty firemen from the nearby Central Fire Station.

 

[kembar]

I was born across the road from this pub at 249 in 1934. Ex service in 1954 went back to drink &play darts

Sunday dinner times. Any one else go ther around that time.

 

[walt00]

Hi Kembar
I used The General Wolfe in 1972 when a mate of mine named Brian Hawthorne and his wife Margaret kept it had some happy times in there Brian left there and went to The Aston Tavern.I think he has passed away now as we lost contact.
Walt00

 

[wess]

My parents had the General Wolf, Margaret and Brian.

 

[walt00]

Hi Sarah
Knew your Mom and Dad very well when they had The Brown Lion, The Eagle, The General wolfe,and The Aston Tavern. Was in your house when they lived in Handsworth and Brian got into Antique's but lost contact as we moved area's Your father was a good mate of my Brother in Law Harry Sims thats how i met them in about 1969/70 used to stay all night in The Brown Lion. still remember the big Turtle Shell they had on the Smoke Room wall...........
Wal.

 

[mossg]

Hi Lyn,this is the only picture i have ever seen of The General Wolfe.A pub kept by my aunt in the 1960s.

 

[cookie273uk]

I am not very good with history, who was General Wolfe ?? Eric

 

[mikejee]

He seized the Heights of Abraham in Quebec from the dastardly French

 

[Astoness]

very good question eric...just to add what mike has posted here is a link about him...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wolfe

lyn

 

[Brock]

Picture of The General Wolfe.

Moss.

Hello Moss, I was just trying to find a picture of the old General Wolfe Inn which used to be on Aston Road, Aston Birmingham when I came across your entry on the Birmingham History site. You obviously put an old picture of the pub on there but there seems to be a problem with it & I am not able to look at the image. I just wondered if you could possibly help me out & post it again so that I can have a look at it please? My interest lies due to the fact that the pub used to hold inquests there prior to the time when we had a Coroner's Court built & I have an ancestor who had his inquest held there in 1854 which decided that he hanged himself whilst in a state of insanity.
Thank you.

 

[brumgum]

Hello Moss, I was just trying to find a picture of the old General Wolfe Inn which used to be on Aston Road, Aston Birmingham when I came across your entry on the Birmingham History site. You obviously put an old picture of the pub on there but there seems to be a problem with it & I am not able to look at the image. I just wondered if you could possibly help me out & post it again so that I can have a look at it please? My interest lies due to the fact that the pub used to hold inquests there prior to the time when we had a Coroner's Court built & I have an ancestor who had his inquest held there in 1854 which decided that he hanged himself whilst in a state of insanity.
Thank you.

This shot shows it just to the right.

 

[Phil]

Brock

Here is a photo of the General Wolfe that used to stand on the corner of Love Lane and Aston St now renamed Holt St. There has been a pub on this site since 1820 but it closed for demolition in 1986.

 

[brumgum]

Brumgum, that's wonderful, thank you so much. My ancestors used to live along Aston Road so this picture gives me a good idea what the area looked like.

My family lived opposite the wolfe until about 1935 and at other locations in that stretch of Aston Road until about 1955.

 

[brummie nick]

I wonder if it’s possible for someone to do a look up for a John Harper licensee of the General Wolfe, he was there in 1911, but someone wants to know the total years he was first there.
TIA Nick

 

[horsencart]

He was there till at least 1913 after that date it appears that he may have moved onto a pub in Aston

I wonder if it’s possible for someone to do a look up for a John Harper licensee of the General Wolfe, he was there in 1911, but someone wants to know the total years he was first there.
TIA Nick

 

[mikejee]

John Harper is listed in the 1912 and 1913 Kellys at The General Woolfe. these are the publication dates, and would probably correspond to 1911 and 1912. He has left by the time of the 1915 edition He is not at the G.W. in the 1910 edition, though there is a John Harper at the Golden fleece , 65 Edgbaston St in the 1908 & 1910 editions, and the same / another(?) John Harper at the Coach & Horses, 16 New Meeting St in 1910 edition. So, adjusting for publication dates, he would definitely be there 1911-12 and might have been there also in 1910, 1913 & 1914

 

[kembar]

I have lost my photos of the pub and the house I was born in, witch was across the road.
Any one got them.. kembar.

 

[Phil]

Hi Kembar

I have replaced the photo of The General Wolf, but I'm afraid I can't help with the other one.