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Knowle Road Sparkhill

An aerial view of the area dated 1950 and Knowle Road runs across from centre right. A block of taller houses in the centre of the view look unusual. Large allotments area.
1_KnowleRd1950.jpg

A similar view today.
2_KnowleRd_Now (Large).jpg

Enlargement part of the road in 1950
3_KnowleRd1950enlarge.jpg

Enlargement part of the road now
4_enlarge_iOS.jpg
1950s image source (britainfromabove) website.
 
Phil,

Yes, our old house is upper left with the bombsite next door, rebuilt on the modern picture. The old Springfield Cinema and next door to it what was the ballroom, now an Asian banqueting outfit. College Road infants and Junior Schools behind again. Bromyard Road across the bottom left. Congregational Church on the top left side edge, and pre-fabs offscreen. Centre top you can just see Springfield Road joining Stratford Road. Cheers.

Maurice :cool:
 
Oh wow what lovely memories I moved in when I was born in 1988 so 21 years after you left but it’s so interesting reading all about the road and the river Cole and sarehole so many good memories and how differnt it was from when I was younger . I don’t remember the cinema or the bomb site I think houses were built again . People use to fish at the river Cole further down when I was a kid and I do remember the Ford we use to play by there too . I have been passed it recently it’s still there for cars to drive through . Oh yes you can look on google maps can’t you and see what everywhere looks like now . I would love to know who lived at number 64 before we moved in but I know u was further down . Yes the church at the bottom of the road is now called Mughal muhzam something like that an Indian restaurant . From when I was born and still now there has always been green gates on Knowle road that lead into the allotments cars can go in . But they lock and the other gate is on formans road . I don’t think many people use the allotment as much when I go my dads I can see the allotments from my old bedroom cause the backfarden has a gap and the allotments are at the back of my dads house .
 
An aerial view of the area dated 1950 and Knowle Road runs across from centre right. A block of taller houses in the centre of the view look unusual. Large allotments area.
View attachment 153237

A similar view today.
View attachment 153238

Enlargement part of the road in 1950
View attachment 153239

Enlargement part of the road now
View attachment 153240
1950s image source (britainfromabove) website.
Love these photos my dad still lives in one of them smaller houses you can see in the photo before the bigger houses
 
Ancestry has 1930 and 1935 online. The Langleys are there in 1930 but had gone by 1935. In 1935 it was Mary Slater with William and Ada Whittingham.
Do u ever remember a lady at 68 Knowle road called Lilly . She was really old when I was young and died in the 1990s sometime. She use to have a sewing machine in her window and I’m not sure if she had a shop in her house years ago . I moved into Knowle road 1988 when I was born my dad still lives there
 
Charlene,

We were only there from a September 1941 until 1950, after that we sold up and moved to Albert Road, Kings Heath.

Fishing was mainly sticklebacks & minnows, and if you were very lucky a "Daddy Ruff". Lots of frogs and the occasional toad. The allotments now look pretty tatty, but of course I was there during the war and immediately post-war, when everything was still on ration and the Government was urging everyone to grow their own food.

Apart from the two electoral rolls mentioned by Janice, the only others online are at:-https://www.midlandshistoricaldata.org/ and are not free, but you can buy 20 credits for £5. If you want more recent ones it's a case of going to Birmingham Archives at the Library of Birmingham - when they are open!

Maurice :cool:
 
Do u ever remember a lady at 68 Knowle road called Lilly . She was really old when I was young and died in the 1990s sometime. She use to have a sewing machine in her window and I’m not sure if she had a shop in her house years ago . I moved into Knowle road 1988 when I was born my dad still lives there
My father Douglas Brownley lived at 68 Knowle Road in 1955. He then married my mother but I think he moved from there after that though. Mum and dad migrated to Australia in 158. The picture is no 68, even though bin 66 is at the front.
1640246533825.png
 
Oh yes this is the house I was on about . I was born in 1988 and when I was about 4 I remember the old lady Lilly but I think maybe ur dad would have moved then unless the Lilly was ur dads mom
 
Oh yes this is the house I was on about . I was born in 1988 and when I was about 4 I remember the old lady Lilly but I think maybe ur dad would have moved then unless the Lilly was ur dads mom
No, that wasn't my father's mother, so Lilly is not related. And it was way back in 1955.
 
Hi my name is Colin Jones and I was born in 93 Knowle Road in 1958. i lived with my parents, Bernard and Joyce and my older brother Alan. My grandparents lived opposite Harry and Eva Green at no 84. I remember Lil Sharp at 68, the last house before what we called the big houses, which were 4 storeys tall. Lil did have a shop there with her mom or her aunt. There were several shops in Knowle Road as I was growing up. Mrs Hall at I think no94, Mrs Wiltshire a sweet shop next to the allotment entrance, Mrs Frain, I think at about no43. Mr Neil ran the corner shop at.the Formans Road end and at the other end on the odd number side was Mrs Hagleys. All must have done a reasonable trade. I remember a lot more if people are interested.
 
Some relatives of mine lived in Knowle Road, Sparkhill. William and Lil Green lived at 122. Lil was born Lilly Strong and her family lived at 55 Bertha Road, Greet.
On the opposite side of the road Doris and Horace Waring lived at 109. Doris was a Green before she got married. They had two daughters and a son. Always had a warm welcome at their house.
 
Hi my name is Colin Jones and I was born in 93 Knowle Road in 1958. i lived with my parents, Bernard and Joyce and my older brother Alan. My grandparents lived opposite Harry and Eva Green at no 84. I remember Lil Sharp at 68, the last house before what we called the big houses, which were 4 storeys tall. Lil did have a shop there with her mom or her aunt. There were several shops in Knowle Road as I was growing up. Mrs Hall at I think no94, Mrs Wiltshire a sweet shop next to the allotment entrance, Mrs Frain, I think at about no43. Mr Neil ran the corner shop at.the Formans Road end and at the other end on the odd number side was Mrs Hagleys. All must have done a reasonable trade. I remember a lot more if people are interested.
I have only just looked back on this site . And have noticed u said u remember lil sharp at 68 that is so interesting my mom always did tell me she had a shop there . As u know we moved in 1988 when I was born . But I do remember her . I think she was old when she passed away . Unles she seemed older cause I was young . I also have a lady I work with who said she use to go to the shops on knowle road as a kid she is in her 60s . How times have changed
 
I have only just looked back on this site . And have noticed u said u remember lil sharp at 68 that is so interesting my mom always did tell me she had a shop there . As u know we moved in 1988 when I was born . But I do remember her . I think she was old when she passed away . Unles she seemed older cause I was young . I also have a lady I work with who said she use to go to the shops on knowle road as a kid she is in her 60s . How times have changed
That’s what we call them to the big houses haha .
 
I lived at 156 Knowle Road moved there from Solihull Road in 1959 when I was 11 we were the Thomas family
My grandma Thomas lived at 138 my uncle Cyril and his family lived on the same side in a new house where houses had been bombed in the war just before the big houses
I knew Margaret Holmes at 203 her brothers Phil Robert sister Judy also remember the Farrs the Greens who lived near us
My brother was Alan sister Lorraine we all went to College Road School they went onto Moseley Modern
Happy days
 
I lived at 156 Knowle Road moved there from Solihull Road in 1959 when I was 11 we were the Thomas family
My grandma Thomas lived at 138 my uncle Cyril and his family lived on the same side in a new house where houses had been bombed in the war just before the big houses
I knew Margaret Holmes at 203 her brothers Phil Robert sister Judy also remember the Farrs the Greens who lived near us
My brother was Alan sister Lorraine we all went to College Road School they went onto Moseley Modern
Happy days
Hi Linda,

i knew your Uncle Cyril and his family, Graham Sue and Gary I think. I knew a Peter Green around that number, I think he still might live there. He kept pigeons. The Mayes family lived near there and a very old friend of mine Geoff Rogers lived at 151 I think.I was only 1 in 1959!
 
Hi Linda,

i knew your Uncle Cyril and his family, Graham Sue and Gary I think. I knew a Peter Green around that number, I think he still might live there. He kept pigeons. The Mayes family lived near there and a very old friend of mine Geoff Rogers lived at 151 I think.I was only 1 in 1959!
I think I can remember Geoffrey Rogers he probably knew my brother Alan better think he went to College Road
Peter Green had a brother name escapes me he was older than me
Graham Sue and Gary are all well
My dad Sydney Thomas lived with his family at 138 Knowle Road
till he married my mom Doreen Ravenscroff in 1947 I was born at 170 Solihull Road when I was 10 dad bought a house 156 Knowle Road happy memories
I went to Harrison Barrow in Acocks Green when I was 11
We moved to Hall Green when I was 16
When my dad passed away in 2004 we drove passed 138 and 156 Knowle Road as it was a big part of his life as was the Springfield
Social Club
Good memories
 
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