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Gospel Oak, Acocks Green

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my mom and dad met at the gospel oak way back in 1949, mom lived in ormsby grove the name was gardner lived next door to a family called the groves's it was a great area in the 1960's-70's when we used to visit my nan when we were growing up.
Did anyone live here in th50's 60's 70's

yes i did
lived next door to mrs gardner one door up from mrs groves mrs clarkson on our other side knew ballards mathews hughes boyce froggats hanson/barclays woodwoods williams merters larvins owls walls and most others in area and all the old gospel gang most were not bad lads some turn out very good the gospel i believe holds the lunchtime most beer consumed recod under the old licence laws henry hall was the gaffer my dad would sort out any problems he had teddy boys etc good old day 50s early 60s great comunity
 
Reference the Gospel Oak I used to take my Dad's betting slips down to a chap who was located in a passge to the bar far right of the pub as you looked at it I think his name was Harold. We lived in Arkley road at 102 and Dad's monica was Bush 102 the year would be around 1955 / 56

John
 
Chinnychin, Larry Barclay lived on Lakey Lane at the Gospel Oak end opposite the cycle shop as I remember. Nobby Groves's mom used to stand outside the flats on the corner of Pitmaston Rd and Lakey Lane selling fresh flowers from a pram. Do you remember the Chippy on the end of Lakey Lane? A kid named Terry Miller used to work there while he was still at school. He used to prepare the shelfish and cut all the chips. as soon as he was old enough he used the money he had saved to buy a beautiful motorbike.
Trevor.
Larry lived in ormsby grove untill he married he then moved to stetchford then returnsd to acocks green and lived at the top end of gospel farm road .The people living opposite the bike shop were the Biddles
 
Hello ormsby, my apologies, of course you are correct. I really don't know too much about Larry Barclay but it was the Biddles on Lakey Lane, was it Lenny Biddle??
 
Hello ormsby, my apologies, of course you are correct. I really don't know too much about Larry Barclay but it was the Biddles on Lakey Lane, was it Lenny Biddle??
yes and his brother Harry.
 
Ormsby, my dad played bowls for the Gospel Oak for some time. He also played for other teams as well and I really don't know which photo's are of the Gospel Oak team. I will sort them out and put them on here, you may see an old neighbour.
 
Ormsby, my dad played bowls for the Gospel Oak for some time. He also played for other teams as well and I really don't know which photo's are of the Gospel Oak team. I will sort them out and put them on here, you may see an old neighbour.
hello stitcher, i would be very interested to see the old photo's and perhaps put some names to them.
 
does any body recall tony the little italian guy whom ran the gospel in the seventies he later went to the harborne stores harborne
he let the smoke os in the place [ whackie baccies ]
the brewers through him out
and i trained the lady whom took over his postion at my pub
and she went to the harborne stores many years ago when i look back and reflect how times fly,s time awaits no man ;;
best wishes astonian ;;;
 
Astonian, we were mystery customer for some years and we were sent to the stores about 4 years ago for a meal. You get a cheque through the post to pay for it, then you are expected to write a report on the establishment. The Harborne Stores was a dreadful place. So bad in fact we would not eat in there.
 
Hello again ormsby, I have been looking for some photos and I found these three out. One is the BSA team so I doubt they would have played at the G. Oak. The other two could be The Maggies, The Red Lion in Acocks Green or the Gospel. I hope you recognise someone.
 
stitcher, sorry i don't recognise anyone but by the sort of trees in the background of the 3rd bows photo i would say it was the maggies
 
would they have a son called nobby groves, he had a bit of a gang then. i lived in oakhurst by the shops
chinnychin
 
Hi Stitcher, Larry Barclay got killed many years o go he fell off a roof whilst working I new Nobby Groves and remember his mom she used to walk to the markets in town with her pram to get the flowers and walk back'I also remember Terry Miller he lived in Broomhall Cresent, my brother Brian Onions also worked in that chippy he worked out the back loading the spuds into the peeling machine and then getting all the eyes out by hand. I heard afew years ago that Nobby Groves had become a tramp. I used to use the Gospel nearly every night I lived in Overton Grove I believe where the Gospel used to stand is now a supermarket. I met my wife in the Gospel in the early sixtys happy days.
 
hi johnio, i knew your brother brian and was friends with david morton who lived near you. knew nobby groves, did you know the mathews family in the gospel oak
 
Hi
Did Larry Barclay go to Pitmaston Rd school???? if so i played football for South Bham Schools in 1951.Ihave infront of me a character drawing of some of the team that played against Brieley Hill at the old Moor Green ground in 1951 Both he and myself are on it. It is from the old Sports Argus and was done by Len Pardoe in the dressing room before the match
 
Hi Stitcher, my brother is still alive he had a stroke just before Xmas but he has recovered quit well and is now living with his daughter, I remember David, Jimmy and Micky Morton I was big mates with Micky and used to go to school with him, I also used to go to school with Stan Mathews ( not the footballer ) and knew him well, up until my brother had his stroke he used to see Dot Larvin and Charlie Daniels who she was married to where about did you live. I have only recently got on this site but it is great to read all the old memories of the Gospel in those days it was a good pub.
 
Chinnychin did you live next door to the paper shop in oakhurst nearly opposite the park entrance. johhnieo
 
If you look up BIRMINGHAMSCHOOLS FOOTBALL HISTORY/PHOTOS,and look at posts 171/172 you can view the Argus feature. Also on it is John Hill another from Pitmaston Rd school, some one may remember him from the area.
 
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