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Harborne

It started off at Gem Street as a free school for poor children they moved it to Harborne but later on changed Free from its title but that was its original purpose
 
Thanks, just wondered who it was for or how you got in.

As one of about 12 from a combined family from Erdington (youngest step son of my 2 x great grandmother, who was on her 3rd marriage) I'd guess he would probably qualify as poor.
 
SALVATION ARMY
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Great shot Elizabeth, Highlight of my week was standing at the horse trough in front of the Junction pub with my big sister listening to the Salvation band. Must have been about four years old, which would make it 1950. Been a big music lover since. Frankie Turner
 
I went to Harborne yesterday, the Post Office is in W. H. Smith now so all the books are upstairs. I couldn't manage all those stairs.
The pavements are quite bad in places too, it's not very good if you are not too steady!
rosie.
 
Just seen this photo of my parents newsagents shop next to the garage name of Thurlows in the mid 60s also they had a band b in Serpentine Road lots of happy times. Also just like to say that shop had hidden aspects of the old Police Station which a lot of people did not know.
 
Just seen this photo of my parents newsagents shop next to the garage name of Thurlows in the mid 60s also they had a band b in Serpentine Road lots of happy times. Also just like to say that shop had hidden aspects of the old Police Station which a lot of people did not know.
Lorraine, I used to deliver papers for the shop which then was owned by Mr. O'connor. Delivered all along Serpentine Rd. in 1952. The shop had police cells at the back. Was probably the old police station way back.
 
In the late 1800s, my great grandfather lived at 22 Serpentine Road and the family occupied that address for many years.
Bob
Hi BOB thanks for the info on serpentine road .Was the cinema where the sports and social club is. When I lived there I remember the building but is was not used as we used to play along side the aly. My parents also had the newsagents shop next to the mews garage on the hight st just around the corner and at the back of the shop was the holding cells and stables of the old police station our bathroom walls were about a foot thick and the bars were still intact on the back window.
 
Lorraine, I used to deliver papers for the shop which then was owned by Mr. O'connor. Delivered all along Serpentine Rd. in 1952. The shop had police cells at the back. Was probably the old police station way back.
Hi Handle bar thanks for your reply, my parents had the shop in the mid 60s next to the mews garage,which recently I found out that the garage was once a farm building . I got in touch with Harbourne Library to see what they had on the old police cells,but they have not got anything. But did send me pictures of the shop with D & B Thurlow on the front. I ve looked at google earth and don't recognize the places, same where I live now in Barry South Wales the council have destroyed loads of iconic buildings to be replaced with flats.
 
Hi BOB thanks for the info on serpentine road .Was the cinema where the sports and social club is. When I lived there I remember the building but is was not used as we used to play along side the aly. My parents also had the newsagents shop next to the mews garage on the hight st just around the corner and at the back of the shop was the holding cells and stables of the old police station our bathroom walls were about a foot thick and the bars were still intact on the back window.
Only my grandparents lived in Harborne and although I remember the cinema, I cannot give you any up to date info as I have only just driven through on a nostalgia trip. Yes I am a qualified anorak and perhaps should get a life.

Bob
 
Does anyone remember Eddie Matthews who used to play at the Junction every week. He played the trumpet and his band was called the Jump Band. This would have been in the late 1960's probably.
 
In a quote from https://mikeinmono.blogspot.co.uk/ , there is mention of the Pinsent family: "In November 1911, Ellen Pinsent became the first woman to be elected to Birmingham City Council, standing in the Edgbaston ward. She stood down from the post two years later when Hume retired, prompting the Pinsents to move to Oxfordshire. During her time on Birmingham Council Ellen Pinsent led the Committee on Special Schools. Amongst her reforms was to appoint an officer to oversee Public Health in these schools. The officer appointed was George Auden, father of poet W.H. Auden."

There are two mentions of Ellen Pinsent on the forum, both in this this Harbourne thread. She is often mentioned as Mrs Hume Pinsent.

The first is in Post 90 by Aidan is in connection with W.H. Auden, and says that she lived next door to him. He continues...”Ellen Pinsent became the first woman to be elected to Birmingham City Council and famous for her work on conditions for the mentally impaired (fighting off Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain who both supported the views of the Eugenics lobby - a fact I find surprising.”

Lloyd also mention her in this post 402. In 1913 she was appointed Honorary Commissioner on the new Board of Control in connection with the Mental Deficiency Act, and therefore Birmingham would loose her services.

Aidan is right to be surprised, Ellen Pinsent was a notable eugenist...

“The Cambridge Association for the Care of the Feeble-minded, formed nationally by Mary Dendy and Mrs Hume Pinsent in 1896, wrote to the Eugenics Education Society Council in London in 1910 suggesting that the two societies co-operate to pressurize the government to pass a Bill for compulsory segregation of the feeble-minded.”
 
Sorry Brenda, can't say I ever heard of the Venetian Flooring Company. Lorraine, the 'OldHarborne' cinema in Serpentine Road is still there but belongs to the Village Social club. If you type into the search bar 'The Picture House Harborne' it will bring up the Cinema Treasures site. Click on comments, and my description will appear. If only I could find a picture of the insid.
 
Hi everyone; Has anyone any memories of the caretakers ( the Hughes family) at St Peter's School, Harborne in the late 1940's and 1950's. My brother remembers playing with Betty Hughes and her brother and I remember practising my tennis against the wall of a building in the playground when the school was closed in the evening. We also went to the shelters in the school at the beginning of WW2 when there were air raids !! At that time we lived very near to the school. Regards - KINS
 
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