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Lichfield Road Aston

mallyb2 said:
I would put money on the basis the chimneys were under construction, they even look brand new,no staining or weathering, If you blow up the picture,there appears to be a workman working from inside the chimney...………………..Mal
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Yes I think you are correct. When the aerial pic was taken in 1952, the chimneys were being built and when the last tram went past in 1953 the steelwork for the Ansells building had been erected. The street pics in#122 show the completed chimneys and the steelwork erected in front of them.
edited date ref #143
 
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Chimneys were built "overhand". The bricklayers worked from the inside. I recall the rate for overhand was extra as it was bit more awkward, however I understand that this method is quite normal in Australia (not confirmed). I remember in the 60's those chimneys were extended in height.

I think that the steel frame structure was the boiler house bring built, I used to look in off the 65 bus when it was operational. There was a row of six Lancashire boilers, with chain grate automatic stokers. There was always one boiler being worked on and a couple on standby.
 
Yes they was brand ner w built for there new boiler house which was also built and the frontage was finished by 1956how do i know because colin gaskin and myself used to creep in the yard which was around the corner in upper portland street and there was a very huge drop pitt for there coal to feed there boilers which had a over head crane bucket to pick up the slack because mainly that was what it was we was silly little kids i was ten years of age both of us we both dared each to jump down into that pitt so we both jumped down it it was a fair way down at least fifty feet with he wight of our little bodies sank to our waist we struggled to get to the wall of the pitt we both kept looking up to the crane bucket and no one would have seen us but we got across to the pitt wall and climbed up the steel ladder afix to the wall on the subject of the first picture where the tram was passing was by the gully that took you throgh to wainwright street and to the back gardens of those frontage houses at the top of the gully on the right had was a little cobblers shop is name was Albert Lloyed he was there for years he chatted up my aunty Ivy Jelf whom was one of the coffee houses of Aston her shop was on Tyburn road getting back to the picture regarding the scaffold that was being errected and you will see a wall already built and along that road from aston cross was the old terrace and old court yards all those were demolished to make way for that extention to be built and where the first tram showned the exit was where the horse and carts of the draymen went into and eventual they stuck traffic lights out side on the main road so the tram stops a little further along the road before rumblows had the shop it was mr matty radio and tv shop in 1953 1954 he had us in his shop awaiting father christmas and uncle holly to come along making his way to greys department store i have said many times i have seen from my days being born the whole of aston brewery being built and seen all the one time little shops being demolished and rebuilt along to upper portland street all this history was on here about 14 years ago and the original story of aston from long time gone members and eve myself put alot more at the time best wishes to you all Alan Astonian;;;
 
Where did all these wonderful pictures of Lichfield Rd come from, I've been looking for pictures anybody got any pictures of Lichfield Rd near to the junction of Victoria Rd and Sandy Lane.
Has anybody got picture of the dirty old Hardware shop just before Portland street it han very large Bass broom attached to the outside of the shop, Iknew as the big broom .
 
I've been looking through my loft again and I found a book my Uncle gave me must be 40 years ago it's in a very fragile condition.
The book is called " The History of Birmingham " the author is A W Hutton F.A.S it's a 6th addition Published by James Guest, Steelhouse Lane in 1835 all the pictures are engravings
The book go's back to Roman times with history of old street names, he talks about the battles fought in Brum He tells the story of the Battle of Camp Hill in 1643.
He tells the story of the trust that started the General Hospital how the rich were against it calling the poverty people Idle and not helping themselves out of poverty.
It really is in insight into Birmingham I've never heard of.
One of the engraving is of Ansell's original building on Aston Cross I'll scan it and post it.
I'm finding I can't put the book down it's wonderful it has over 500 pages of Birmingham
 
Ray Griffiths said:
I've been looking through my loft again and I found a book my Uncle gave me must be 40 years ago it's in a very fragile condition.
The book is called " The History of Birmingham " the author is A W Hutton F.A.S it's a 6th addition Published by James Guest, Steelhouse Lane in 1835 all the pictures are engravings
The book go's back to Roman times with
Ray Griffiths said:
I've been looking through my loft again and I found a book my Uncle gave me must be 40 years ago it's in a very fragile condition.
The book is called " The History of Birmingham " the author is A W Hutton F.A.S it's a 6th addition Published by James Guest, Steelhouse Lane in 1835 all the pictures are engravings
The book go's back to Roman times with history of old street names, he talks about the battles fought in Brum He tells the story of the Battle of Camp Hill in 1643.
He tells the story of the trust that started the General Hospital how the rich were against it calling the poverty people Idle and not helping themselves out of poverty.
It really is in insight into Birmingham I've never heard of.
One of the engraving is of Ansell's original building on Aston Cross I'll scan it and post it.
I'm finding I can't put the book down it's wonderful it has over 500 pages of Birmingham
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history of old street names, he talks about the battles fought in Brum He tells the story of the Battle of Camp Hill in 1643.
He tells the story of the trust that started the General Hospital how the rich were against it calling the poverty people Idle and not helping themselves out of poverty.
It really is in insight into Birmingham I've never heard of.
One of the engraving is of Ansell's original building on Aston Cross I'll scan it and post it.
I'm finding I can't put the book down it's wonderful it has over 500 pages of Birmingham
Click to expand...

The contents of the book are available online, but to read a copy from 1835 is something different! As you say the problem, as I know from my own experience, is the fragility.
 
Hi Viv, I've seen the first picture before but only just noticed the tall chimneys which you can see behind the bridge. Do you know which factory these belonged to? I think they're probably about where the garage is which is opposite to where the King Edward pub used to stand although they may be further on and something to do with the power station. I just can't place them although I spent a lot of time around this area. Thanks.
 
That 1st pic brings back memories, 1st left into Grosvenor RD, past the washing baths (opposite the Grosvenor pub, my Dads local) then left into Queens RD were we lived next door to Atkinson's brewery. I think there was a greengrocers where it shows Workmens Supply Co. when we lived there 1930 to 35 then 1943 to 48 and finally 1956 to 61, twice in Queens Rd and once in Vicarage Rd. Those chimneys are about were the salvage department was along side the canal, but can't be sure Eric
 
They may have been a part of the Waterworks that was opposite Salford Park. We do know that there was a stationary steam engine there, so there would have been a chimney stack too.
Lady Penelope said:
Hi Viv, I've seen the first picture before but only just noticed the tall chimneys which you can see behind the bridge. Do you know which factory these belonged to? I think they're probably about where the garage is which is opposite to where the King Edward pub used to stand although they may be further on and something to do with the power station. I just can't place them although I spent a lot of time around this area. Thanks.
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Lady Penelope said:
Hi Viv, I've seen the first picture before but only just noticed the tall chimneys which you can see behind the bridge. Do you know which factory these belonged to? I think they're probably about where the garage is which is opposite to where the King Edward pub used to stand although they may be further on and something to do with the power station. I just can't place them although I spent a lot of time around this area. Thanks.
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I think 1si one is John Wrights I think it was a rope factory, It can't be Power Station B station wasn't build till the 50's
 
Morturn said:
They may have been a part of the Waterworks that was opposite Salford Park. We do know that there was a stationary steam engine there, so there would have been a chimney stack too.
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Ray Griffiths said:
I think 1si one is John Wrights I think it was a rope factory, It can't be Power Station B station wasn't build till the 50's
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Thank you for the information gentlemen.
Morturn, my great Uncle Edward was a stationary engine driver at the sewage works and died of typhoid.
 
i have looked at that chimney round about there before and if i am correct it still has at least part of the name wrights on it.. a street view may help
 
Astoness, I would imagine the chimney has been lowered in the past which would remove the name above 'Bros Ltd, may very well have been 'Wrights'. Eric
 
yes thats what i wondered too eric..the chimney caught my eye a couple of years ago...

lyn.
 
The position of the chimneys would suggest to me that the chimneys were of the Factory marked on the c1889 and c1950 maps as Victoria Rolling mills. In the 1908 Kellys this seems to be listed as Emery Bros, so the stub mentioned by Lyn is probably from there, though this may not of course be chimney in photo.
 
The Elan Valley water scheme cam on tap around the turn of the century, so this waterworks was effectively redundant then
 
mikejee said:
The position of the chimneys would suggest to me that the chimneys were of the Factory marked on the c1889 and c1950 maps as Victoria Rolling mills. In the 1908 Kellys this seems to be listed as Emery Bros, so the stub mentioned by Lyn is probably from there, though this may not of course be chimney in photo.
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According to this site https://www.brumsghostsigns.com/north/ it was indeed Emery Brothers originally and was damaged in WW2 .
 
Interesting site, Janice, owned by a lady called Tracey Thorne, who seems to have quite an interesting artistic profile according to Google.

Maurice
 
I didn't look much further than the sign I wanted I must say. Will have another look - I imagine quite a few of the signs are already featured on here.
 
Lady Penelope said:
My great grandparents lived in Bridge Road, now under Spaghetti so I have always presumed it was the sewage works near to there. From memory he was married and lived somewhere in Nechells.
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Ok thanks. There was a sewage works just off Tyburn Road where the industrial estate is now, so it may have been there.
 
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