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Marston Green & Tile Cross

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.
 
Hi Elmdon Boy, yes, many times! We'd cycle to Coventry and cut across country. We were only 15 or so and we didn't drive. In those days, it was mainly commuter trains with the odd express but I recall a path along side the line that we'd use - at least for some of the way. We did it frequently! And we were young and fit!
 
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.
 
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 seem to recall tales of a murder in the bluebell woods, Marston Green- Chemsley around late 50s or early 60s, seemed to remember it putting me off going there.
Am I correct, or is my imagination and memory playing up.
 
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.
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
 
Brilliant set of photos ... I can pick out a 1-11 and a Viscount, both types of which I flew on from the old terminal ..:)
Odds And Sods Page 2: I think this is another view at the very end of Elmdon Lane looking to Birmingham airport. Circa 1976
index.php
 
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
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.
 
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.
The Griffin Brothers were George, Jack and Eddie, J.
 
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.
 
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.
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.

When I was older my friends and I would walk or cycle there, across King George V playing fields to Marston Green Station. Along Chelmsley Lane there was a hospital or maybe a care home for children - I say this because there was a tall fence and we couldn't see inside but could often hear children playing on the other side. I used to feel sorry for them knowing that we had complete freedom to go wherever we pleased.

Around 1963 everything had changed, on reaching Alcott Hall all I could see were rows on rows of tree stumps, in preparation for building work, revealing distant traffic on what must have been the Chester Road. The Farm was now derelict and we took time to explore the many empty rooms.

I'm glad to see that the farm survived. Its now a Grade II listed building and has been recently converted to private living accommodation. See past and present pictures and location maps below. Ps the black and white picture shows the front elevation that that now faces Moor End Avenue.

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The route you describe is the one taken by myself and family and friends on many occasions. After walking or cycling through the park and then ascending the path up the hill to Marston Green do you remember passing this farm house which became the clubhouse for the golf club.
P1000221.JPG

In the small enclosure on the right just behind the stone wall there used to be two or three wooden huts used by the T.A.
 
We saw Baldie!!! He was surveying his land with his rifle over his left arm!! We were peering through the hedge and when we saw him we nearly died! Story was, if he saw you, you were dead!!! We ran all the way home!!
 
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