Guildford Street Lozells

[Astoness]

oh i do agree with you pete i have always said that although the written word is great its the old photos of now demolished streets etc which bring our memories to the fore...so pleased that your family will also be enjoying all of the guildford st pics..i myself was born just off guildford in paddington st in our nans back to back so a very good chance she knew your family and although we moved from there when i was about 5 due to over crowding nan refused to move until the last min as she had been in that house since at least 1911...

lyn

 

[Pete W.W]

oh i do agree with you pete i have always said that although the written word is great its the old photos of now demolished streets etc which bring our memories to the fore...so pleased that your family will also be enjoying all of the guildford st pics..i myself was born just off guildford in paddington st in our nans back to back so a very good chance she knew your family and although we moved from there when i was about 5 due to over crowding nan refused to move until the last min as she had been in that house since at least 1911...

lyn

My memories are fragmented Lyn but I do remember the entry between the houses led up to more houses at the back. Also although the house was basically a two up two down the front room was like Aladdins cave to me with a glass cabinet full of ornaments.

 

[Astoness]

Thomas and Laura Phillips were listed in the electoral roll in 1945 at 22 guildford st

hi mike could we have a map please highlighting no 22...cheers mike

lyn

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Just saw the photos of the back of number 22. As kids we would start in our back yard, number 26 and climb across the walls and through the gardens until we reached Eden Place, behind number 14

 

[mikejee]

Below is map c1950 showing no 22 Guildford St in red

 

[Rosebury]

On a 1889 map also on this thread a building is shown on this corner. The BCIRA in its early days would have needed offices and laboratories. As you say it was possibly bombed during the War. There is a picture of a shop at 52 probably the other corner. Will try Trade Directories but the BCIRA was a government organisation so probably not listed.

 

[Rosebury]

I am asking on most pages to see if anyone rembers a family name shaw not sure which road they lived in they had a son in mearchant navy name david

 

[Michael_Ingram]

My family were friends with a Shaw family. I knew of Lil Shaw; by the time I was around she lived in Bevington Road

 

[Richard Dye]

We lived on Radnor Rd in Handsworth, not far. the people who lived upstairs were the Shaw's, they moved there in about 1959 with two children about 5&6. this is not far away.
Just a thought...……..

 

[Rosebury]

Terrific photos Brian. There are loads off photos of places I knew on the forum, but I never recognise the people. Jim and Winnie are as I remember them though, but a little younger. May looks familiar too.
Number 31, the front of where May and her family lived was a house in the 40s and 50s. It was originally a shop were one of my grandmothers lived. I am sure it was on the Forum once. I will have a look

Thanks for replying to me on shaw family. Could you rember if they had children

 

[Rosebury]

We lived on Radnor Rd in Handsworth, not far. the people who lived upstairs were the Shaw's, they moved there in about 1959 with two children about 5&6. this is not far away.
Just a thought...……..

Thanks for your reply

 

[PCA]

I have just finished reading "tales of Guildford Street" which I thoroughly enjoyed however it was after my families time there, we lived at number 3 backa 162 Guildford street from 1949 until 1961. I remember that a mrs Brown lived next door, and that everyone was so friendly and kind I could walk into anyones house and receive my favorite, a cup of tea with seven or eight spoons of sugar in, Lovely. The Guildford pub was at the end of our entry and The old lady twins who lived at the start of the entry used to let me fetch their daily jug of beer from the outdoor once I was old enough of course, I think I was about six when I started doing it. My mum used to send me down to the corner shop for her fags, bread and a jar of jam which was all we ever seemed to eat when mum could afford it. Mr Shock was the owner at that time, a really kind man who didnt accept money for things We just had to say can you put it on the slate please and he would give you the things you wanted! amazing . If you said have you got any specs he would give you apples and pears with brown marks on, the only time we ever ate fruit, again amazing. I went to Lozels Primary School as soon as I was old enough. I had a lovely girl friend who lived on the other side of Guildford Street Her name was Lenita Price I liked her because her mum used to wrap a brick in a cloth and put it down the drain in her yard and flood it we could paddle for hours, great fun. My family and I have so many memories of our time in Guildford street but they were not easy and very very cold in the winter.

 

[Astoness]

hi PCA a warm welcome to the forum..what lovely memories you have..i was born in nans back to back in paddington st...left round about 58/59..

we do have a thread for guildford st where i have posted lots of old photos of the street...you maybe interested...just type in guildford street in the search box...any problems finding it let me know

lyn

 

[dazpclark]

Evening all, I have a 1930's photo of my Late Nan, I note on the back an address 150 Guildford Street, Lozells, it does say Allen on the back her married name but as far as I am aware our family have no association with this road, or address as my Family lived on Park Lane, Aston a short distance away.

 

[Astoness]

lovely photo of your nan....maybe she moved to guildford st after she married...if you are happy to give us her name and when born maybe we could solve it for you

lyn

 

[mikejee]

Here are some of the people listed in that house on the electoral roll in that period

 

[Astoness]

thats great mike thats it solved...beatrice and george allen at no 150 in 1935 and to go with that info here is a photo...the gap you see is either 142 or 144 as we have researched those numbers before when the houses took a direct hit during the war with loss of life...only a guess but i would say no 150 is just about where the car is parked

lyn

 

[dazpclark]

Many thanks all, your spot on it. Just called my mom and it jogged her memory, she did recall them living there when they got married. We think they moved to Park lane in 39, living next door to my Great Nan. I've enclosed below my Nan and Grandads wedding photo, taken December 1933, by Purcell and Bells 57 Aston Road North. The other photo was taken at the same studio but at some point in 1916 I believe, My Mom says it was sent to my Great Grandad, but was returned from Paris as he was killed at the Somme 27th August 1916. We do have a photo of the 4 of them also taken at the same studio before he went. Interestingly through my research and with help of a work colleague we found out he fell during battle in the Skyline Trench, fighting the Germans who were in a trench named Constance.

 

[Astoness]

thanks for the photos...glad we got the info correct...do you have your gt grandads service records...

lyn

 

[dazpclark]

I know he was a Private James Alfred Parsons, the 1st 8th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire's, and from the book by God do they fight and was able to ascertain which battle he died in. A colleague who is into WW1 went out to the Somme and traced the trenchline from records and found out that it was Constance trench the Germans were in, which I thought was a big coincidence considering that was my Nan's middle name. I've not got any service record as my lates Nan's Brothers Children don't seem interested in knowing, I know my Mom would but I don't think I'm able to ask myself without their permission?

 

[dazpclark]

thanks for the photos...glad we got the info correct...do you have your gt grandads service records...

lyn

I just thought they were a nice bit of Birmingham History, and nice period clothing of the time.. I would have also expected there to have been quite a bit of history captured by the photographers the family used on Aston Road North. I suspect many family used their services at some point.

 

[Astoness]

on the 1939 eve of war records beatrice constance and george p allen are at 162 park lane aston

many of ww1 service records were destroyed during ww2 bombings so you have to be very lucky indeed to find rellies records...i was lucky that my grandads records did survive and also those of my gt uncle who died at the somme...i was able to download them and print them off...

surviving records are available on ancestry so if you would like me to see if your gt grandads are there let me know?

looking at the soldiers effects (which were not destroyed) info it says death presumed and his effects were sent to his widow annie...also his medal card is on ancestry

if you want the soldiers effects info and medal card i am happy to post them on here for you

lyn

 

[Michael_Ingram]

I am always fascinated with the top end of Guildford Street; I lived at the bottom end. I think I had a mysterious dream about being at the top end once or twice and also later in my 20s, getting it mixed up with France. My first sort of girlfriend (I was about 10 so not really a girlfriend - just a first stiring of a boy girl fascination, we just walked home from school sometimes together). I sent my first Valentines day card to her - popped through the letterbox. Later in the day, her mother came storming down to the bottom end and into Rudhalls shop next door to us, demanding to know who I was and where I lived. Fortunately, Mr Rudhall claimed not to know.
Now, nearly 70 years later I cannot remember what the girls name was. I haven't been able to remember for a very long time.

 

[dazpclark]

on the 1939 eve of war records beatrice constance and george p allen are at 162 park lane aston

many of ww1 service records were destroyed during ww2 bombings so you have to be very lucky indeed to find rellies records...i was lucky that my grandads records did survive and also those of my gt uncle who died at the somme...i was able to download them and print them off...

surviving records are available on ancestry so if you would like me to see if your gt grandads are there let me know?

looking at the soldiers effects (which were not destroyed) info it says death presumed and his effects were sent to his widow annie...also his medal card is on ancestry

if you want the soldiers effects info and medal card i am happy to post them on here for you

lyn

Hi Lyn yes anything you can see is appreciated. It helps me fill in any gaps my mom has.

 

[dazpclark]

Many thanks as well for responding

 

[Astoness]

Many thanks as well for responding

happy to help...here is james parsons effects info and also his medal card...looks like he has 2 service numbers so served with 2 regiments...had a quick look last night for his service records but i dont think they survived but i will go back and double check

lyn

 

[PCA]

Below is map c1950 showing no 22 Guildford St in red

View attachment 136499

Hi, I am very impressed to see this map of Lozels especially Guildford Street were I lived at 3 back of 162. unfortunately even with glasses my eye sight is not what it was is there any chance you could make it larger? even better could you point out where our house is on this map?Sorry to be a trouble but I was never good with maps, I spent a full career in the army getting lost!!!

 

[mikejee]

PCA.
Usually if you save any of the maps, or photos , on the forum, then you can then view them at a higher magnification on your computer. However, in this case, 3 back 162 is not on the map, as it is further up the street than that part shown on the map. Below is a map showing the house

 

[PCA]

PCA.
Usually if you save any of the maps, or photos , on the forum, then you can then view them at a higher magnification on your computer. However, in this case, 3 back 162 is not on the map, as it is further up the street than that part shown on the map. Below is a map showing the house

View attachment 146550

Thank you so, so much, now I see why we were back of 162 presumably all the other houses in the terrace were back of 162 as well? I never knew that part of our address would have been Ventnor Terrace? I knew there was a pub on the corner because I used to play in the cellar with the boy that lived there. I thought it was the Guilford Arms but obviously not! I wonder what it was called? You can even see the toilets and the wash house at the top of the yard. Brilliant, you have made my day once again thank you.

 

[mikejee]

The terraces often had several names ,. Thus your terrace could be called Ventnor terrace, back 162 or possibly part of court 8. Which was used varied , often over time. The pub on the corner, no 64 Gerrard st was the Weymouth Arms