thevillawizard
Brummie babby
...you obviously haven't read my comments correctly.....
-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team -
HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
Marston Green Hospital
- Thread starter loisand
- Start date
pjmburns
master brummie
I read it several times before I found your comment as it was actually difficult to see your reply since it was inside the box containing the quote you were replying to.
Can someone help me please? I am researching my friends mother who worked at Chelmsley Hospital in the mid 1960s. She qualified at Worcester Infirmary but according to letters we have found she was the youngest sister there and The Matron at the time wanted her to qualify as a Sister Tutor?. Sadly letters are not dated but her name then was Pat (Patricia) Flavin, she was from Limerick in Ireland and we are trying to find out anything about her life. She sadly passed away before we knew any of this ... Did anyone on here work there then or recognise the name? from reading previous threads it seems it was a Mental Hospital is that correct?
Any info would help... Thanks
Any info would help... Thanks
thevillawizard
Brummie babby
..*marston green maternity hospital.....you don't need to be married...lol..x.......if you were born in hockley...your first choice hospital would of been dudley road hospital..(city hospital).. but due to limited space..alot were referred to marston green...
My sister was born in Marston Green Maternity Hospital in 1951, i was born in the same hospital in 1952. Followed by another sister and a brother. My children were also born in this hospital 1971, 1972 and 1981. My mom lived in Small Heath so that would of been a long journey for her. When my first child was born i lived in Aston then when i had my second one i lived in Kingshurst then i moved to Yardley so the 3rd one also born in the same hospital. Wasn,t given the choose of hospital
Thanks saw the 1966 but not the 1961so that fills in another gap!
thevillawizard
Brummie babby
I lived right by there, and was born there, but there was also a mental hospital next to it, my godmother worked there for years
Hello. I was doing some research and noticed the site and a post mentioning Marston Green Maternity Hospital, so stopped in to visit.
I was born at Marston Green Maternity Hospital on May 31st, 1952. My first year of life outside the womb was spent living in Millington Road, Castle Bromwich, before we moved to Erdington where I grew up until choosing to emmigrate.
My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins were born and raised in Aston and later in Erdington.
Many families were assigned to Marston Green for child birth in those days. As I understand it, the area in which the family lived, dictated the hospitel where we were born in those days. There wasn't really a choice, except for having home births.
I immigrated to Canada in 1974 and married a Brummie girl from Stockland Green who I'd never met, until she visited England in 1974, to attend the wedding of her cousin who was a friend of mine. She had immigrated to Canada in 1969, with her parents, rounding out her family members here. Love at first sight does funny things!
We had never met, despite me having lived less than half a mile away and having gone to Marsh Hill Boy's Technical Grammar School, with one of their next door neighbour's boys.
She had attended Stockland Green Comprehensive School, on opposite side of the site and lived in Lambourn Road. Quite literally, we likely passed one another walking to and from school.
In my early teens, I worked just around the corner in a Moyle and Adams grocery store on Stockland Green after school, with a boy who lived in the house on the other side of where my wife, now of 47 years lived.
It wasn't until some years later, that I learned that Marston Green Maternity Hospital had been a Canadian Forces establishment, which is fitting since I've lived in Canada since 1974 and became a citizen in 1978. I visited the hospital grounds simply to visit my birthplace, on one trip back to England to visit my parents many years ago.
Was it fate or just dumb luck that I'd end up in Canada? I guess that I'll never know! My wife's name is Sue and wouldn't you know that one day about six or seven years ago, we gave some gold fish from our pond to another Sue Smith, who had grown up on Castle Vale, right across the Chester Road from where I had worked at Pressed Steel Fisher (Jaguar) from 1968-1971. It really is a small world!
BTW, there was a photo of the main entrance to the hospital building, posted on the Birmingham Forums, some years ago.
Regards,
Martin Smith
Mission, British Columbia, Canada
I was born at Marston Green Maternity Hospital on May 31st, 1952. My first year of life outside the womb was spent living in Millington Road, Castle Bromwich, before we moved to Erdington where I grew up until choosing to emmigrate.
My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins were born and raised in Aston and later in Erdington.
Many families were assigned to Marston Green for child birth in those days. As I understand it, the area in which the family lived, dictated the hospitel where we were born in those days. There wasn't really a choice, except for having home births.
I immigrated to Canada in 1974 and married a Brummie girl from Stockland Green who I'd never met, until she visited England in 1974, to attend the wedding of her cousin who was a friend of mine. She had immigrated to Canada in 1969, with her parents, rounding out her family members here. Love at first sight does funny things!
We had never met, despite me having lived less than half a mile away and having gone to Marsh Hill Boy's Technical Grammar School, with one of their next door neighbour's boys.
She had attended Stockland Green Comprehensive School, on opposite side of the site and lived in Lambourn Road. Quite literally, we likely passed one another walking to and from school.
In my early teens, I worked just around the corner in a Moyle and Adams grocery store on Stockland Green after school, with a boy who lived in the house on the other side of where my wife, now of 47 years lived.
It wasn't until some years later, that I learned that Marston Green Maternity Hospital had been a Canadian Forces establishment, which is fitting since I've lived in Canada since 1974 and became a citizen in 1978. I visited the hospital grounds simply to visit my birthplace, on one trip back to England to visit my parents many years ago.
Was it fate or just dumb luck that I'd end up in Canada? I guess that I'll never know! My wife's name is Sue and wouldn't you know that one day about six or seven years ago, we gave some gold fish from our pond to another Sue Smith, who had grown up on Castle Vale, right across the Chester Road from where I had worked at Pressed Steel Fisher (Jaguar) from 1968-1971. It really is a small world!
BTW, there was a photo of the main entrance to the hospital building, posted on the Birmingham Forums, some years ago.
Regards,
Martin Smith
Mission, British Columbia, Canada
Thank you. I lived in Glendon Road off Short Heath Road until I was 22. It was a nice area back then. Things have changed and everything looked pretty glum last time I visited in 2004.
During my childhood and teenage years there was a miniature village in the front garden of the house on the corner of Elstree Road and Streetly Road, that has long since gone. I recall being taken to the Childrens' Welfare Centre at the bottom of Marsh Lane for vaccinations etc.
I worked at Wheelers Timber and Builders Merchants in Hampton Road on weekends. They later moved to Short Heath Road on the former site of the lower Stockland Coaches repair shop, but the Bromley family retired and it is now some form of super home renovation store.
Fond memories of my youth in the area too. Moyle and Adams was a two store company. The second shop was in Kingstanding. I worked in the store and delivered groceries by bicycle after school and on Saturdays, all for 10 shillings a week! It was not exactly as grand as the Coop on Marsh Lane next to the Plaza Cinema or on Erdington High Street, but a busy independent.
I still have my Mom's (Mum's) CO-OP number ingrained in my brain and the card to back it up if I forget!
Yes I did, from 1957-1963.
Teachers from recall were Mrs. Keeping, Mrs. Gilbert, Ms Diane Clarke (Canadian from Edmonton), Mrs. Wales, Mr Hill and others I don't recall at this minute. Mr. Mortiboys seems to ring a bell as being one of my teachers.
Mr's Dunscombe was the secretary. When Ms Clarke visited again from Canada when we were a bit older, we met at her house off Orphanage Road.
I was in the main school building and the dark brown building across the yard that had a couple of classrooms.
I entered the school via the alleyway at the end of the cul-de-sac in Glendon Road next to the "Villa House", up across to Jerrys Lane and the back entrance of the school, which is now all secured.
Teachers from recall were Mrs. Keeping, Mrs. Gilbert, Ms Diane Clarke (Canadian from Edmonton), Mrs. Wales, Mr Hill and others I don't recall at this minute. Mr. Mortiboys seems to ring a bell as being one of my teachers.
Mr's Dunscombe was the secretary. When Ms Clarke visited again from Canada when we were a bit older, we met at her house off Orphanage Road.
I was in the main school building and the dark brown building across the yard that had a couple of classrooms.
I entered the school via the alleyway at the end of the cul-de-sac in Glendon Road next to the "Villa House", up across to Jerrys Lane and the back entrance of the school, which is now all secured.
Last edited:
Yes, that would be correct, especially according to the fading tattoo on my right arm. I left the nickname behind when I left England, but friends still around in England still call me "Butch"
Attachments
I recall you had a younger brother about my age (1955) who was also at Court Farm too.
Yes, two younger brothers. Keith and Roger. Each of us were born two years apart. Keith in 1954 and Roger in 1956.
We all went to Court Farm on Tedbury Crescent. You may recall a mound off to the side of the playground. It was a covered over entrance to an air raid shelter, just like the air raid shelter mounds on Marsh Lane by the childrens' welfare centre.
A side note. As a young adult, I moved out of engineering with BL, into motorcycle and car repairs. I also drove taxis for Star on the night shift. Star Radio Cars was originally JJJ Cars at Stockland Green, next to the corner shop on Hampton Road and Slade Road. They changed to Star Taxi when they moved to South Road at the Reservoir Road end. Star then moved to York Road opposite where the Pop In restaurant used to be.
I certainly recall one of your siblings, I think possibly Roger. He had a fall in the school playground a broke his teeth.
I also recall the air raid shelters in front of the caretaker’s house. A few were removed to extend the playground. The rest of them removed a few years later.
You may also recall the Harris family, who lived near you in Glendon road, a whole family of red head kids. David was a super cricket player. Harris’s mom was really strict with he kids. David and I were late back from somewhere once and she was waiting in Jerrys Lane by the smallholding with a leather belt. She gave David a right good lashing in the street and thrashed him all the way home. David and I were schoolboy smokers.
I too recall the air raid shelter mounds on Marsh Lane by the children’s' welfare centre.
A couple of others in Glendon Road were Brian Bates and Ann Grant. There was also a guy who had a double garage at the top of his garden that backed onto the alleyway. I recall he was a biker to and quite handy. He had a motorised go-kart that he made.
I am sure you and Tommy Lee were always eating curry, chips and rice from the Chinese takeaway on South Road
Yes, Roger broke both his front teeth in a big V. Good memory!
The Harris family moved in two doors away from our house, lived next to the Menears (sp?) Mark was the son and his Dad rode an ex-paratooper Corgi fold up motor scooter to work. There mom was pretty tough on them.
The place to experiment with smoking was behind the pigs stys at the end of our road. Rizla Rollers and anything that would burn, including tea leaves was the routine. I tried it once and was forever cured, never to smoke again!
I went to school with one of the Grant girls, perhaps Francis or Amy, I can't recall. They lived just above the middle turn around on the opposite side of the road. One of our friends lived on that circle. I cannot recall his name, perhaps Hillingsworth or Holdsworth, but he rode Jawa 2 strokes and then Ariel Red Hunters. His first car was an ancient MG TA. He second was an Austin Mini, which we picked up and put into the front yard one dark night after he'd been a bit of an ass.
Our next door neighbours were the Goodmans. Norman became a test rider and I got to ride on all sorts of motorcycles. His Dad rode a motorcycle outfit for many years then drove Reliants. He was killed in a Relant Robin. Mr's "Aunty Goodman" was from Edinborough. Norma would be retired a long time by now, but he became a test driver for Jaguar in later years.
I think that you are referring to my friend Colin Mills who lived with his grandparents, Mrs and Mrs Bayliss. The double garage was behind their house.
The double garage behind the Bayliss Home was equipped with everything that we needed to fabricate, weld and machine. Colin went on to become a welder for IMI. His cousin Philip Reynolds also lived in the cul de sac end, where there was once a tram turntable grid under the road. We notices metal brackets in the ground under the tarmac and someone told us that the trams used come down the road and turn round at the end of the cul-de-sac.
We spent countless hours in that garage building stuff. Down a set of concrete stairs under the garage was an air raid shelter. Colin's granddad owned a construction company in Nuneaton, next to a wrecking yard (oops, scrap yard). He would bring us tools and equipment. He brought us several BSA Bantams and a 1959 Lambretta LD150, on which I learned to ride along that back alley, around the bollard and up to Jerry's lane.
We had a lathe that was salvaged from a fire at General Electric and several other pieces of salvaged tools. When we were working and playing, both garage doors were always open.
From recall, a few of our creations:
We built "The Creep", which was a 35cc BSA Winged Wheel rear hub unit in a reinforced bicycle frame. I still have the copy of the "CycleMotor Manual" by the editors of Motorcycling that my Mom bought when I was 11. That really got me started.
The "Banana Kart" ran a Triumph Tiger Cub 200cc engine. We built that from scratch too. The kart had 4 Spitfire tail wheels complete with brakes and wooden blocks inside. It had a nice little aluminum nose cone around the pedals.
We built a "monkey bike" frame from scratch using photograps. For wheels, we fitted traditional go kart hubs and tires. We put a 98cc New Hudson Autocycle engine into it.
In the garage we had a Ducati Elite 200cc and outside in the Bayliss' back yard was a "garden gate Norton International 500cc motorcycle.
Colin's first road motorcycle was a green BSA C10L, with plunger frame and sidevalve engine. The frame was a little bent, making for a weird ride around corners in one direction, much like my 2001 Yamaha V Max rides differently on right handers to left handers due to an offset rear wheel. He had "ape hanger" handlebars with tassles.
Colin bought the 350cc Norton Model M from Mick who lived next door to the Stockland Coaches garage at Stockland Green. Mick used to tear down the Streetly Road dual carriageway from Stockland Green to the 65 bus terminus. He sold the Norton after he had a nasty accident.
Next to the alley was an Aston Villa house where players stayed when they moved to the area. It was painted in maroon Villa colours when I was little, but changed later.
Across the road directly from our house was the Cadbys house. Alf Cadby Senior had the Stockland Garage on short Heath Road when I was a little gaffer. Alfie was the older son, then Paul and their was a sister too. Paul was still living there in 2004, but his health was always poor after suffering from ulcerative colitis when we were just kids.
Old Alf Cadby was a pack rat. He drove Humbers and Land Rovers and had a boat in his back yard.
Mr. and Mrs. Gain lived across the lane next to the Cadby's Mr. Gain was a builder/handy man. Next door to them lived the Hunt family. I am sure that others might come to mind, but I haven't had much cause to think about them, such as my friends on the corner of Ilford Road.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibson lived further along the street on our side. He worked for the school board and rode an Ariel Leader, heck of a nice man who would always treat us kids as adults. He was the first person I know of who died from cancer, which flared up after he stubbed his toe at work.
The original far house was directly down the lane at the end of the cul-de-sac, the pig sty was a brick building around the corner to our side of the street. Tha lane at the back of our house backed onto the old orchards that faced Streetly Road. The lane between our house and the other neigbours was gated and kept locked. The lane is completely overgrown and back gardens extended over the lanes these days. I used to drive the Ford D5000 truck to deliver goods from Wheelers around that back lane.
We spent countless hours in that garage building stuff. Down a set of concrete stairs under the garage was an air raid shelter. Colin's granddad owned a construction company in Nuneaton, next to a wrecking yard (oops, scrap yard). He would bring us tools and equipment. He brought us several BSA Bantams and a 1959 Lambretta LD150, on which I learned to ride along that back alley, around the bollard and up to Jerry's lane.
We had a lathe that was salvaged from a fire at General Electric and several other pieces of salvaged tools. When we were working and playing, both garage doors were always open.
From recall, a few of our creations:
We built "The Creep", which was a 35cc BSA Winged Wheel rear hub unit in a reinforced bicycle frame. I still have the copy of the "CycleMotor Manual" by the editors of Motorcycling that my Mom bought when I was 11. That really got me started.
The "Banana Kart" ran a Triumph Tiger Cub 200cc engine. We built that from scratch too. The kart had 4 Spitfire tail wheels complete with brakes and wooden blocks inside. It had a nice little aluminum nose cone around the pedals.
We built a "monkey bike" frame from scratch using photograps. For wheels, we fitted traditional go kart hubs and tires. We put a 98cc New Hudson Autocycle engine into it.
In the garage we had a Ducati Elite 200cc and outside in the Bayliss' back yard was a "garden gate Norton International 500cc motorcycle.
Between our house and the Goodmans out on the pavement, was a gas street lamp. The lamp lighter would walk the street in the early morning with his pole ladder extinguishing the lamps. It seemed like his spent half of his day extinguishing and the rest re-lighting the lamps!
So many memories of days gone by! Sorry if this bores the pants off you!
BTW, yes, we ate that bright yellow Chinese curry at the shop. Star taxi moved in a few doors away, so it wasn't hard to eat there! On night shift at Star, I'd eat at one of the Indian restaurants on Smallbrook Ringway at about 2:00 am!
Our frind Phil Wright lived further down South Road on the opposite side, past the Greeves motorcycle shop. His brother Malcom was deaf. In the back shed was Malcom's ZB31 plunger framed BSA Gold Star 350cc. I never heard it run.
Last edited:
If its ok with you, can we do this conversation off the main public board as we are both reminiscing old times and not the topic of the thread.
Andreadenton
New Member
My son and daughter 74 & 76 respectivley were born in Marston Green and I looked at it every day I was pregnant, I lived opposite! As the birmingham/ solihull boundary changed in between , they were registered one in each!
I did work experience at Chelmsley hospital 73 and their were children and adults there. I spent time with both. For the adults their was a workshop where they could earn a small wage.:handshake:
Jan Hedger
Andreadenton
New Member
Do you remember a girl called Sharon Byrne? She was about aged 10/11?My son and daughter 74 & 76 respectivley were born in Marston Green and I looked at it every day I was pregnant, I lived opposite! As the birmingham/ solihull boundary changed in between , they were registered one in each!
I did work experience at Chelmsley hospital 73 and their were children and adults there. I spent time with both. For the adults their was a workshop where they could earn a small wage.:handshake:
Jan Hedger
Colin J Brookes
New Member
Colin J Brookes
New Member
I worked at Marrston Green on the telephones, and confirm that it was a large Maternity and Womens Hospital, nothing to do with unmarried mothers, confused possibly with Chelmsley Hospital next door. MG was a group hospital under Little Bromwich hospital, later Heartlands and was the largest womens' hospital in the country at that time. Babies born at the hospital were registered by Mr Donald the Registrar, the registration district was Meriden RDC and not Birmingham, so explaining why they were registered in a different place than where they lived. It was a wonderful hospital to work in, and as telephonist the job carried a huge responsibility.
You are correct that the Registration District was Meriden, (sub-District Coleshill), County of Warwiskshire.
I was born at Marston Green Maternity Hospital on May 31st, 1952 and my birth was registered on June 05th 1952, by Registrar F.S. Goldby, just to add another Registrar's name to the list.
I was born in Marston Green Hospital April 1954. My father was demobbed and worked in the Raleigh factory. My mother came from Aberdeenshire and returned when I was a couple of months old. I have never been to the area I was born but would dearly love to. Is it worth a trip? Is there information I can gather? A museum, the hospital, anything?
kmt
My father was a Canadian soldier in WW2 and was hospitalised at Marston Green Military Hospital.
batmadviv
