Elmdon Boy
master brummie
Gary, are you sure the railway line went to Baginton airport! I'm not aware of any railway line near the airfield. It was some 15 miles from Elmdon, surely easier and safer to use the roads anyway.
Was that the small garage 50 yards past the Marston Green Tavern ? about 1963, I came off my motorbike at that little island. Fortunately the bike was all okay. Ripped my jeans-but that didn't matter. For the record it was a NORTON JUBILEE 250cc !Hi all I worked at Griffins garage 1960 -1963 I thought Marston Green was a lovely village. Three brothers owned the garage George Eddy and Frank (I think that was there names) and I loved working there. I was only a kid so it was my job to fetch the sandwiches from the little cottage shop almost next to the garage, there was a little old lady who served me and we got to know each other and would have a good chit chat together. I remember my lunch breaks I would ride my bike into the blue bell woods and sit by the stream and eat my lunch. At the time I thought Marston Green was a little heaven on earth.
Odds And Sods Page 2: I think this is another view at the very end of Elmdon Lane looking to Birmingham airport. Circa 1976
Yes the small garage had been there for years, it was very old and dated. When I started working there a new garage had been built opposite with all the mod cons. I believe the new part was built in about 1958.Was that the small garage 50 yards past the Marston Green Tavern ? about 1963, I came off my motorbike at that little island. Fortunately the bike was all okay. Ripped my jeans-but that didn't matter. For the record it was a NORTON JUBILEE 250cc !
Colin Stark
The Birmingham Rugby main line runs not far from Baginton island, just a mile or so from the airport.not to far for young legs to travel.
The Griffin Brothers were George, Jack and Eddie, J.Hi all I worked at Griffins garage 1960 -1963 I thought Marston Green was a lovely village. Three brothers owned the garage George Eddy and Frank (I think that was there names) and I loved working there. I was only a kid so it was my job to fetch the sandwiches from the little cottage shop almost next to the garage, there was a little old lady who served me and we got to know each other and would have a good chit chat together. I remember my lunch breaks I would ride my bike into the blue bell woods and sit by the stream and eat my lunch. At the time I thought Marston Green was a little heaven on earth.
i like that pic its like the quiz. spot the mistakesHi Lyn, taken from the bridge at Marston Green. Here is the other one I took without the buses. I'm trying to date these...
From Odds And Sods Page 1:
View attachment 131644
Yes that's right Jack not Frank my memory coming back, I haven't thought about them for along time.The Griffin Brothers were George, Jack and Eddie, J.
My Mom an Dad used to take me to Chelmsley Wood too. We traveled from Sheldon via the Radleys, under the Railway bridge and doing a right turn onto Bell Lane, up the hill and then turn off left into Chelmsley Lane.This must have been the same route as you describe. In those days Chelmsley really was a wood and densely populated with purple flowering rhododendron bushes. We would make our way as far as Alcott Hall, on the junction of Berwicks Lane and what is now Moor End Avenue - I believe it was a farm then. There was a boundary fence with a style nearby with a footpath leading to more woodland.We lived in Saltley and used to go to Marston Green (out to the country) on Sunday afternoon in the Summer. We would get the number 14 bus to the terminus. There used to be a Mynah Bird in a cage on the other side of the road and it used to screech and shout if anyone passed the house. We then walked passed the Bell Pub (used to get a bottle of pop from the shop opposite) and mom and dad always admired the houses and bungalows along the way. I was fascinated by a sign in one garden saying BRYDOR. Mom told me that the people who lived there were probably called Brian and Doreen! Then there was a garden with an ornament with the inscription about every dog having it's day. Can't remember it now. On we would walk, take a left then we would almost be "in the country". On the right we could see across the fields to what I think may have been a children's home and also Marston Green hospital, but I am not sure, someone on this forum will know. There was also a sign in a tree that told us it was Private Land and Trespassers Will Be Shot. That used to worry me. We would walk through the Bluebell Woods and sit on a tree trunk to eat our sandwich lunch. Happy and innocent days for us children.