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Lightwoods Park, Bearwood

rosie said:
Thanks for this lovely picture LLoyd, I have happy memories of Dad putting his remote control boat on there in the Summers of the 1950's.
rosie
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I have a not-so-happy memory of riding my bike down the steep path from the house, the brake failing and my riding straight into the lake! I was taken to the keeper's office (left hand door in this ell brown shot) to dry out in front of a roaring coal fire until my dad came with some dry clothes for me!
 
The children go down that steep path now and straight onto the skate/bikepark!! You have to have your wits about you when walking around there now!!

I use to paddle there but only with plastic sandals on because of the broken glass. One lad cut himself badly and Mum had to help him. I've still got a scar in the form of a dimple where I was pushing someone on the swings. I didn't duck as I walked away and got a black eye.
 
Thanks Ell for the pictures. Lightwoods House looking very good from the road at night as they are floodlighting it at present. Probably good for security
 
rosie said:
In the early 1950's we called it the "Sons of Rest". It was such a big treat to buy ice-cream there in the summer while Dad sailed his remote controlled boat which he made from plans. I paddled there too in the place where they are starting to build a new skatepark. The building was also used as a military hospital in WW1.

By the entrance there used to be all sorts of birds in an aviary.

Please go again when the blossom comes out, as you walk through the entrance it's so beautiful.
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I think I can remember having ice creams from there, we lived nearby at one time, I always assoccoated the building with "clunky" wooden floors, wasnt there a cafe/tea room in the lower floor?
 
The cafe was to the left of the front door and had its own doorway since closed and converted to a window on the left hand corner. The Sons of Rest had their club room inside the front door to the right. I don't know what was upstairs in those days. The house was closed for many years and the Sons of Rest moved to a wooden hut round the side off Adkins Lane but that go burnt down. John Harman had the house for many years but they have now gone to the Jewellery Quarter.
 
Farrell. Lightwood Park..jpgFarrell, Lightwoods Park..jpg

These are a couple of pictures of my brother and sister in lightwoods park about 1952/3. What lovely memories of this park. This was where the family would spend a whole day together, dad worked 6 days a week, so it was great to have him with us. At this time we lived in Elizabeth Crescent, Warley . we left home with picnic, crossed the Norman road, and cut through Warley Woods and into lightwoods park. We would paddle in the pond and play on the swings, i hated the cobweb, which i flew off once. (no health and safety in those days). I wasn't keen on the umberella either. The days always seemed sunny and O so long. We would start off home again and pass the pub i think it was called the Abbey and have a glass of pop, great i can still taste it. We would get back home exhausted.
 
Lovely memories, this is about the same era when I used to play in it, up to about 1957. The pool was a health hazard though!
 
hi can recall lightoods park as well ; when we was little kids a gang of us twelve years old from ladywood ;used to go there on a sunday afternon
we would watch th posh kidswith there dads sailing these precious little boats sailing around the pond whils we was paddling ;
i surpose it was we never had one but what we did we got out of the pond after thee fathers started shouting to us get out of the way
so we got out alright then we would start throwing stones at the posh kids boats there parents would get ngry and shout abuse to us
across the water ; we shouted back to them then we would scarper ; but when i think back later in life how pathic we was ; but when you are young i do not think about things like that ; it was the case of being and mixing with the wrong crowd ;
but i will certainly that when i became an adult i crtainly brought my kids up respectfuly and prevented them for falling fowl like i did as a kid
they never got into any scrapes or fights and never used bad swear word ; and to this da they are still the same polite guys and well mannnord ;
and they do not do the pub and clubs scene or smoke nor dope ; work hard and save hard ;
best wishes astonian;;
 
Astonian, you made me laugh.......my Dad had a remote-control boat which he made from a kit, and we went to Lightwoods to sail it while I paddled!!! (About 1956 I guess).
No, we didn't have any stones thrown so that's OK, but Dad wouldn't have shouted at you, he would have prefererred to show you how it worked.
We certainly weren't posh though, Dad used to save threepenny-bits in a jar to pay for the batteries it needed, and we walked there and back with the boat on a converted push-chair to save money on bus fares.
My brother has still got it, but my little home-made yacht gave up along time ago!
The pond is a skate-park now, at least it's being used for something useful I suppose.
 
There are notices in the Park to say many trees are being damaged by certain dogs. It seems it's a way of training them (for fighting ?). They are doing serious damage to the bases of the trees, and have also ruined the newly planted ones. The bark is being clawed and chewed off, mainly the silver birches but also oaks etc.
I don't know if this is happening anywhere else?
rosie.
 
The annual May Day Festival at Lightwoods Park is taking place on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May and will run 11.00am - 7.00pm. The festival will host a variety of activities including a stage with live music. The bandstand, will be bustling with a ukulele band, morris, maypole and bhangra dancing and a brass band. There will be a graffiti art workshop around the skate park area and Sandwell’s Strongest Man Competition will be taking place on the Bowling Green. The day will also feature a fun fair, Punch and Judy, craft workshops for children, refreshments, market stalls…and this year, a Real Ale Festival!

For those who do not know Lightwoods Park the park address is: Lightwoods Park, Adkins Lane, Bearwood, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 5DP.

If anyone would like further information please call on 0121 569 4740.wpid-Photo-15-Mar-2013-1316.jpg
 
Hi all, I remember light woods park in the late 60's when there was a children's paddling pool. The house was used as a artists' studio, not sure of the time when that was though. Also I remember my nan taking me to the rose garden, it was so pretty. 30 years later I took my children to the playground, where the paddling pool used to be, (I think) !
 
I find this thread extremely interesting. As the Lightwoods Park Project Officer leading on the Lightwoods Park and House restoration it is always useful to see old photographs of Lightwoods Park and House (and the one above I have never seen). Peoples memories of Lightwoods Park and photographs will help inform the restoration proposals. For those of you who don't know the physical restoration works to both Lightwoods Park and House are set to commence on site in October 2014 and the construction period will be around 18 months. If anyone has any questions then please post here or get in touch with me via [email protected] . Many thanks, Cherie
 
Hi Cherie, I'm glad the restoration is under way at last, it's so sad to see the building so run-down.
There was an open day a few years ago (Heritage Day?) there were some photo albums on display on a table, I hope they are safely stored somewhere, in Sandwell Archives in the Library perhaps?
When I walked through last week I was thinking about the aviary that used to be just inside the entrance, and the little putting green. Dad used to like to watch the bowls on the lovely green, it's hard to imagine now how lovely and smooth it used to be!!
rosie.
 
Hi Rosie,
Thank you for your message. Yes, there are lots of historic photographs in the Sandwell Archives and the Smethwick Heritage Centre hold the red book with the photos of Lightwoods House in which was on display at the Bearwood: Past, Present and Future roadshow at St Mary's Chruch in Bearwood in September. We are hoping to put an 'aviary shelter' in the park with interpretation and seating in on the same location as the aviary once stood and the shelter would ressemble something of the former aviary.
Please keep in touch for progress on the restoration project.
Kind regards,
Cherie
 
Hi Rosie and Cherie,
i also remember the aviary and the bowling green , looking like new carpet.
I may have some old photos, I will see if I can find them.
good luck with the works,

Carole
 
Hi Cherie and Carol
The album was on show actually in the house itself on that particular day.
The pool was a little larger I think, they took some of the space for a bigger playground. I have seen pictures of swans on there but I haven't seen any! ....just the pretty birds in the aviary.
Shakespeare's Garden was always popular too.
rosie.
 
Thank you for your best wishes with the project.

I hope you can find some more photos - it is always interesting to see ones I haven't seen before.

We are hoping to recreate a part of the pool on an area of its original footprint (where the playground is today), move the playground more centrally in the park and update it and rejuvenate the Shakespeare Garden based on its original designs.

Cherie
 
Preparations are being made for the restoration on the House, Bandstand etc. Fences are being put up around certain areas. At least this bit of history is being cared for at last.
rosie.
 
Sad to say the firm doing the restoration has gone "bust"!
They have ripped up the flower beds, the play area and grassed areas and left devastation! The Shakespeare Garden is ruined. The Bandstand has fencing round it, so has the House, but the roof has not been fixed as far as I know.,
I don't know whether they have been paid all the money! It's disgusting the way they have left it, plans have been revised to put things right, I don't know how!
rosie.
 
I got to hear about the problem only two days ago and I was sorry to hear it. The company apparently had good credentials having worked on other important restoration projects. I understand that Sandwell Council are taking steps to protect the site. Former project manager Cherie O'Sullivan has moved on to another job within Sandwell Council and I have not yet met the current project manager. Much to my annoyance the Friends of Lightwoods Park voted not to hold anymore AGMs until after work was finished so that the officers did not have to stand for re-election.
 
Work seems to have started again on the House. The Park is still in a dreadful mess and on Thursday there was some fly-tippng of old furniture. It makes me sad when I think of all the happy times I have spent there.
rosie.
 
An update on the restoration project from the projects Autumn Newsletter
Project News
Heritage Building and Conservation through a management buyout are the new company carrying out the restoration of Lightwoods Park and House. They started on the 12 October 2015 and here is some of what is currently going on with the build:
 Steel work is being fitted to replace the existing floors.
 The chimney pots continue to go up.
 The stonework of the pediment at the front of the building is being repaired.
 The windows are being restored sympathetically.
 The landscaping contractors are now on site to continue with the play area and pathways.
 
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