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Lesly's Union Street

K

Kandor

Guest
Does anyone remember Lesly's at the bottom of Union St and its perpetual closing down sale? I dont think you'd be allowed to do that these days but they seemed to be closing down for years.
I also remember Henry's further up and along the other side, I think its WH Smiths now.
I remember them simply because the 56 bus used to stop up there and it was handy for the Odeon etc.
Now, this has got me thinking about all the other places that I visited as a child and as a young man,
I remember Bingley Hall, I really enjoyed going there, I even convinced my girlfriend (now my wife) that the little bar in there was known as the 'Bingley Duck'
I also remember Albert Judd, one of Birminghams most famous Milkmen,
From what I gather he was a fairly brave man during the war, I only remember him from my time spent working at Vauxhall Dairy (I was a Plumber/Pipefitter)
If you ever tried to have a little banter with Albert and you were winning , he always ended it with 'Get some service in'..hardly likely to match Albert mind as he'd done nearly 50 years at the time.
I can also remember the horses going down Ashted Row and half the neighbours rushing outside with a bucket and shovel to get the Horse muck for their gardens..I remember also going down to the stables at the Co-op to go and see the Horses there..I remember clearly the one Horse was called 'Redstick'
Hmmm...does anyone remember that fabulous Pieshop on the corner of Gt Lister St and Cromwell? it was right near a barbers as I remember...
I also remember going up to St Mathews Church for Harvest festival and suchlike..I really admired and liked Vicar Thomas..a really lovely man,
 
Henry's

Does anyone remember the Easter displays at Henry's, in the basement they had real lambs and rabbits, probably other small animals as well, this was in the early 60's when my son was a toddler, he loved it. I was with my mother and we had other shopping to do, and I wandered off leaving Michael with my mother, sometime later I bumped into her - but no Michael, we each thought he was with the other, I panicked and got one of the staff to put a message on the tannoy, then inspiration, back to the basement, and there he was as happy as larry looking at the animals.
 
Henry's and the Cohen family. Do i remember the store? Yes i do!
I did Saturday work there, while they were still in the prefab (which was hastily erected, after a visit one night from the luftwaffe in about 1941) in High Street - facing the News Theatre - remember that one?

One of the counters that I was assigned to was the bra and corset - think of a badly run jumble sale - and you'll get the idea. And Kandor i think the love of your life (the one you dumped - you ratbag) came in one Saturday and asked me to measure her for a bra.....I used one of those roll tapes that they used for the 'gas works' in those days (well maybe not but they could have done).

Also i remember that one of the Cohen brothers, was getting married, and somebody had the bright idea of buying him a wedding present, i think they must have collected all of 19/11 and then this 'jobsworth' went downstairs to their basement and bought him a white tea service.. I bet he felt right chuffed about that. My pal and me were under the counter wetting ourselves. :D :lol: :p :wink:

Oh Yes! I did my Saturday job while we were saving to get married, and got 17/6 a day; which was rubbish even then :twisted: ; in the 1950s.

They had a floor walker (a woman, i think it was anyway) i think she was conscripted from the SS...she was cashiered because she was too much of a neanderthall even for the 3rd Reich (neanerwot? you'll know what i mean).

Working my way through your posts - but i really must start pushing out the Zzzzs now.

PS and before you say anything i know big bertha couldn't have been yours; because this all happened when you were little lad in short socks or melted wellies. 8)
 
Dear Dorothy...

She Could have been my girlfriend!, it just so hapens I was a very mature and sophisticated two year old back then.
And I remember the bra she bought, it was two RAF parachutes sown together...she told me a nice lady had served her...This is amazing how we both know the same people! the floor walker was (and still is) my Mother in law...you were right about the ex SS,
She was later kicked out of it for cruelty.
And no wonder Henry's went bump having to pay that extortionate fee of 17/6 to you every week, have you no heart? give it back!
 
Hi 'K' mate

Have you been up all night? - just noticed the times of your postings.

In answer to your question - do i not have a heart - I'm the worlds only surviving 'Heart Donor' one of a kind that's moi! :wink:

And i remember Lesleys as well, i well recall standing in Steelhouse Lane waiting for the tram to Aston and thinking ... 'I dont remember them opening .. so how can they have a closing down sale' I reckon they were the forerunners of 'tat' vendors, Ratners, and they had to close down pretty sharpish didn't they?

But back to Henry's it was like an episode of 'Are you being served?' we had young and old Mr Cohen (as opposed to the young Mr Grace) and i bet none of the kiddywinks at Xmas realised that Old Mr 'C' was Santa.

Have to go off-line now for most of the day, got things to do, money to collect ; gorra get me baseball bat oiled.

Stay cool

Dot
 
Does anyone remember Lesly's at the bottom of Union St and its perpetual closing down sale? I dont think you'd be allowed to do that these days but they seemed to be closing down for years.
I also remember Henry's further up and along the other side, I think its WH Smiths now.
I remember them simply because the 56 bus used to stop up there and it was handy for the Odeon etc.
Now, this has got me thinking about all the other places that I visited as a child and as a young man,
I remember Bingley Hall, I really enjoyed going there, I even convinced my girlfriend (now my wife) that the little bar in there was known as the 'Bingley Duck'
I also remember Albert Judd, one of Birminghams most famous Milkmen,
From what I gather he was a fairly brave man during the war, I only remember him from my time spent working at Vauxhall Dairy (I was a Plumber/Pipefitter)
If you ever tried to have a little banter with Albert and you were winning , he always ended it with 'Get some service in'..hardly likely to match Albert mind as he'd done nearly 50 years at the time.
I can also remember the horses going down Ashted Row and half the neighbours rushing outside with a bucket and shovel to get the Horse muck for their gardens..I remember also going down to the stables at the Co-op to go and see the Horses there..I remember clearly the one Horse was called 'Redstick'
Hmmm...does anyone remember that fabulous Pieshop on the corner of Gt Lister St and Cromwell? it was right near a barbers as I remember...
I also remember going up to St Mathews Church for Harvest festival and suchlike..I really admired and liked Vicar Thomas..a really lovely man,
Talking of Albert Judd, does anyone know if he had a son called Eric ?
 
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