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My Fathers Home

I was in St Georges St 1982 (Coop and the building that was the public baths were still there) and one of those lamp posts was still there also. Birmingham Arms end, school side of the street. I imagined kids swinging from a piece of rope tied to the crossbar at the top.
Simple pleasures.
 
Astoness said:
birmingham arms pub corner of st georges st on the left... looking towards hospital st

View attachment 167703
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Many thanks for this excellent Photo. This would have been dads local. There would have been houses where the wooden fence is and an entry there would have led into Court 11.
Further down the street are buildings with corrugated roofs. Looking at Google maps they are still there (now a car repair firm) but that was the old Coop building. Somewhere on the same side of the street was the public baths though I'm unable to place exactly where. I know that part to be true as I did go in there in the early 80s and the outline of the pipes that carried the water could still be seen in the ceiling.
Of course, some of this may be the imaginations of an old mind !

PS - On recollection, I believe the public baths were situated BEFORE you get to the Coop.
Seems to have been demolished.
 
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wilkesworld said:
Many thanks for this excellent Photo. This would have been dads local. There would have been houses where the wooden fence is and an entry there would have led into Court 11.
Further down the street are buildings with corrugated roofs. Looking at Google maps they are still there (now a car repair firm) but that was the old Coop building. Somewhere on the same side of the street was the public baths though I'm unable to place exactly where. I know that part to be true as I did go in there in the early 80s and the outline of the pipes that carried the water could still be seen in the ceiling.
Of course, some of this may be the imaginations of an old mind !
Click to expand...
i am sure that your memory is not failing you....a kellys directory may prove there was a public baths but i am sure in the back of my mind i have seen a photo of the old co op or at least what used to be the co op...been searching my photos files for ages but so far i cant find it but i am sure it was posted somewhere on the forum...again i cant locate it at the min but will keep searching

lyn
 
I have seen the Coop photo also (this CWS is above the door)

PS - On recollection, I believe the public baths were situated BEFORE you get to the Coop.
Seems to have been demolished.
 
Let me thank you all for the help and information.
It is MUCH appreciated.

John (Charlie) Wilkes
(Charlie is what my dad called me)
 
wilkesworld said:
I have seen the Coop photo also (this CWS is above the door)

PS - On recollection, I believe the public baths were situated BEFORE you get to the Coop.
Seems to have been demolished.
Click to expand...
i seem to recall there was a public baths in nearby brearley st but like i said a kellys look up should tell us if there was also one in st georges st
 
Astoness said:
i seem to recall there was a public baths in nearby brearley st but like i said a kellys look up should tell us if there was also one in st georges st
Click to expand...
It was light industry in the early 1980s and that was the story given to me by the man working there and......... I was shown the pipes in the ceiling.
Of course, was he making it up? Maybe ?
Thanks
Lyn
 
Last "Dad Story"

Social History is often littered with moments that if not passed on can easily be lost.
This one stuck with me.

My father was posted to just outside Norwich where he met my mother.
As was customary he went to meet "The Parents" for Sunday tea (a generous portion of shrimps I'm told)
After he left Mum excitedly ask her father what he thought of her new boyfriend.

Her Father replied " He seems like a nice boy but ..... I couldn't understand a single word he said !"
Must have had a bit of a Brummie accent !

I loved that man !!
 

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lovely story john and lovely photograph of your parents...something to treasure

you will be pleased to know that your memory is spot on...there was indeed a co op and a public baths in st georges st...so i have learnt something new regarding the baths...further confirmation to follow asap

lyn
 
to add to the above map here is some info about the baths which was bombed out...st georges st must have taken such a battering for a small street...also attaching the 1932 kellys which also shows the co op as listed

lyn

st georges st 1932 kellys.jpgst georges st baths.jpg
 
pjmburns said:
I think it is St George's Street. I assume it is this one.
www.google.co.uk

St George's St · Birmingham

Birmingham
www.google.co.uk www.google.co.uk
Click to expand...

I have had the same problem whilst doing my Broughton family, I am 99% sure it is St Georges St, and would be happy to put this in mine.
I would not be surprised to find one of mine on that page. I have looked at a 1921 map of the area and there is nothing else that looks like it.

Why are you paying this site to see census reports free to anyone else with ancestry? You could just sign up for a month (or get the 14 day free trial), load up with all the information you want and then cancel.

If you do this and link up with me, I will give you anything you need.

Cheers, Carole
 
Carole
Are you referring to the first post on this thread?. If so, then the 1921 census is not yet available on Ancestry and , I garger, will not becfor several years as FMP has an exclusive contract
 
As mikejee says :
National Archives signed a deal with Findmypast and so Ancestry does not have access to it.
Findmypast has monetised this by charging for each page you wish to see. (£3.50)
 
The Hockley Social Club is listed as 60 Hampton street but the social area looks to be in the footprint of The Birmingham Arms. My family lived not 30 yards from there (I'm sure The Birmingham Arms was frequented by them often) and I am planning on having a bite to eat there and a beer (sadly Ansells and M&B are no longer available) in August. Open invitation closer to the time.

Home - Hockley Social Club

Hockley Social Club is a former 10,000 square foot printing factory, that is now a street food venue. Brought to you by the team behind Digbeth Dining Club,
hockleysocialclub.com hockleysocialclub.com
 
And finally.
John James (Jack) Wilkes born St Georges St in 1917 was my father's favourite brother and my uncle. He served with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in WWII. On June 6th he stormed ashore on Sword Beach and fought their way into Lebisey with a view to meeting up with the Americans. On June 7th aged 26 he fell under Germans fire.
He is buried in Bayeux Cemetary where he has been ever since. During that time he has never had a family visit.
On Sunday I travel to Bayeux on behalf of my father and the family he never knew to thank him for his sacrifice.

Royal Warwickshire Regiment Re-enactment Group

A re-enactment group portraying the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as it was on D-Day and D-Day +1, 1944.
www.royalwarwicks.com
 
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