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Ladywood clearance

phillip bates

knowlegable brummie
Morning everyone.

Does anyone know when the slum clearance started in ladywood and are there any photo,s or film of the area just before demolition.
I've read the books by carl chinn and some others, but they are general to Birmingham and I'm interested in the Ladywood area.

thanks

phill
 
Phill, have a look at "Digital Ladywood". You may find something on there. I lived in Freeth Street for a time but I moved out before the demolition started.
Trevor.
 
great photo's Mike

If the area wasn't cleared until the late 60's i would imagine there might be some aerial photo's of the area, does anyone know of any ?
I have asked at the library but they don't know of any, i just thought that at such a late date there may have been some kind of photographic survey carried out before demolition.

phil
 
hi phillip
according to recollection the first phase of demolition of ladywood
was in the mid fifties there was alot of old bombed houses just after the war around morville street ran street ledsam street i know where the first building site was but because i have left many years ago and they have changed names of streets if i can try and discribe the area you may know it
it was the area that contains ledsam st grt tindal streetaround rann st
morville street if you crossed over the rd from the old childrens hospital as it was then and take an area of five miles radious back wards that was there first building of blocks of flats in the lady wood areabefore moving down to sun st west lee bank
monument rd was a later stage arond the 70,s i beleive
we used to go into these bombed houses looking for the gas masked and helmets and any other things we could find oh and down vincent are as it was in the fifties
best wishes astonian ;;
 
I have the 1969 Birmingham A-Z if you want a street checking to see if it still existed
 
Thanks everyone

The street i am looking for is Friston street, it would be interesting to see if it was still there in 1969.
I have looked around the area since and i notice that there is a Friston avenue, but looking at the old maps this is a new road created in the new development.
I'm thinking of going to one of the reunions, to see if anyone can remember it. maybe I'll get lucky and find someone who lived there.

phill
 
Can't help as to whether it was there in 1969, though as St Vincent st was there shortly afterwards, when I took photographs, and this is the next street, i would guess it was . Here is a map c 1914, showing friston st going from ledsam st to ladwood road, and also picture of friston st from ledsam st

map_friston_st_1913.jpg
 
Thanks Mike

That's one i haven't seen before. It's the terraces I'm interested in, about 50 yds up on the right by the look of your photo.
If anyone can remember them, Ladywood terrace, Portland terrace, Richmond terrace, providence terrace, Highfield terrace, i would be interested to hear from you.

by the way I'm sorry this is in the wrong section, please move to the correct one if you wish. i got carried away as usual.

phill
 
Morning everyone.

Does anyone know when the slum clearance started in ladywood and are there any photo,s or film of the area just before demolition.
I've read the books by carl chinn and some others, but they are general to Birmingham and I'm interested in the Ladywood area.

thanks

phill
if any help on date we moved to ladywood , gilby rd just off st vincent st, in 1959 estate was brandnew then but remember still were the old houses around the othe side off the now ladywood middleway on the site off the polce station
 
My Grandparents lived in Garbett Street until about 1960. They were moved out when all that end of Ladywood was coming down.
 
just found a good pic of rann st..if anyone has an interest in this street just let me know and i will scan and post it..

lyn
 
hi weoly
just read your thread about garbett street ;but i have to beg to say i think you got confused it was more the seventys
when garbett street was or started to move one by one slowly ; and not the sixtys ; i lived in king edwards rd ; all through tjhat period
and alot of my old pals lived in and around garbet street and shake spear rd and the most of the area including aditon street and st marks street
it would have been around rann street and nelson rd and ledsam street they was knocking down and building the estates around there
right back to broad street best wishes astonian
 
Morning everyone.

Does anyone know when the slum clearance started in ladywood and are there any photo,s or film of the area just before demolition.
I've read the books by carl chinn and some others, but they are general to Birmingham and I'm interested in the Ladywood area.

thanks

phill
I lived in Ladywood all through the 60's & vaguely remember them starting to demolish from the bottom of Monument Rd (near the library) My mom refused to move from one slum to another & although it's a bit of a stretch it's not to far from the truth that ours was the only house left standing in Anderton St late 68 (so guess where all the Cockroaches headed for :() it & they were disgusting!! Mom was finally offered a house in Yardley Wood boy we thought we were in a palace.
 
i have started a new thread for anderton st photos..just posted them...click the link below it will take you to the thread..enjoy


 
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