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Park Lane...Aston

michaelwicks54 said:
I have been trying to do some research on old houses in park lane. My grandparents used to live in one of the houses across the road from the shareholders, but have come to a complete stop. It appears that maps on line are not available for pre 1960. It would have been so nice to actually have a door number for their old home. :(
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Hi I've tried everything I can think of to find 266 Park Lane on a map. Arthur and Amelia Loake lived there with their family in the 1920's and 30's. Arthur used the front room as his workshop as a boot maker/repairer. Also from a note on a photo of the family the back garden backed onto the HP factory. We found alot out about their time in Birmingham but this has eluded us so far. Any help would be much appreciated.
 

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Astoness said:
thought we had a thread for park lane in aston..been through 20 pages and i cant find one...maybe i am thinking of park road...

park lane aston looking towards aston cross .dated 1969


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Hi Lyn

This photo was taken from very near to where I lived in Tower Road. If the photographer was to have turned to his/her left and looked up; they would have seen where I lived. I am guessing that, as I was only 14 at the time, nearly a hundred feet above. I remember it was a sheer drop looking down. I felt very uncomfortable about it. The thought that the house could go down with a landslide.

FYI Tower road was parallel to Park Lane and access to it via the very steep Potters Hill.
 
Sorry John_Gower, but you are incorrect, the photographer would have been standing on or very near the junction of Upper Thomas Street and Park Lane, if he looked to his/her left the view would have been the houses on Upper Thomas Street, with Tower Road crossing it (left towards Potters Hill and right down towards Ansells and the Clock....You may be getting mixed up with Park Road, check out the map of the area if you think I am wrong, the photo 116248 is the view from the corner of Park Lane and Upper Thomas Street looking towards Aston Cross, with Boots the chemist bottom right and the old snooker hall bottom left, walked it a thousand times when I lived in the area from 1953 to 1969...
 
Astoness said:
thought we had a thread for park lane in aston..been through 20 pages and i cant find one...maybe i am thinking of park road...

park lane aston looking towards aston cross .dated 1969


View attachment 116248
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Aston cross brings back one particular memory that stands out more than others.

Way after I left school I worked with a girl, her name was Julie. We secretly liked each other without actually knowing what the other one thought. It must have been a good six months before Christmas. When it came to the works Xmas party Julie arrived late. There were a distinct lack of chairs I recall. I slapped my thighs with both hands as a joke; and to my surprise she took me up on it. In front of everyone she sat on my lap. That was the start of something beautiful.

Eh hum!
On our first date Julie agreed to meet me at Aston Cross. We were going for a meal.
The problem was she lived a few streets away from the Bourneville factory on the other side of the city and had no idea where Aston Cross was. However, she lived on the Outer Circle bus route... Easy peasey! Right?... Wrong!

All she had to do was ask the driver to put her down at her intended destination. The first thing that went wrong was she got the 11c instead of the 11a.
I am a stickler for punctuality. I can say, hand on heart, that I have never been late for any appointment/rendezvous in my life. I was never late for school either. Being late for my own funeral? Well that's not up to me.

So there I was waiting at the bus stop on Park Lane. She was late.
It has always been fashionable for the woman to be late. So I waited patiently. Now at that time there was a bus every ten minutes. So I played a guessing game... What bus would she be on? the third, fourth... the fifteenth?

When Julie recognized the Bourneville factory... like two hours later. She approached the driver, who had forgotten to tell her when they had reached Aston Cross. She was almost in tears. She decided to stay on the bus and went around again.
When she got there she came running into my arms and told me she didn't know what she'd have done if I hadn't have been there.

So after nearly three and a half hours I was famished.
 
aston lad said:
Sorry John_Gower, but you are incorrect, the photographer would have been standing on or very near the junction of Upper Thomas Street and Park Lane, if he looked to his/her left the view would have been the houses on Upper Thomas Street, with Tower Road crossing it (left towards Potters Hill and right down towards Ansells and the Clock....You may be getting mixed up with Park Road, check out the map of the area if you think I am wrong, the photo 116248 is the view from the corner of Park Lane and Upper Thomas Street looking towards Aston Cross, with Boots the chemist bottom right and the old snooker hall bottom left, walked it a thousand times when I lived in the area from 1953 to 1969...
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I wasn't confusing it with Park Road. I realised after zooming in on the picture that it was the other side of Park lane looking in the opposite direction to what I incorrectly assumed. I remember Lathams. I used to frequent the snooker hall too.

Thanks for pointing it out.
I grew up there and I spent as much time as you did in Aston Cross.
 
John_Gower_Street_pupil said:
Aston cross brings back one particular memory that stands out more than others.

Way after I left school I worked with a girl, her name was Julie. We secretly liked each other without actually knowing what the other one thought. It must have been a good six months before Christmas. When it came to the works Xmas party Julie arrived late. There were a distinct lack of chairs I recall. I slapped my thighs with both hands as a joke; and to my surprise she took me up on it. In front of everyone she sat on my lap. That was the start of something beautiful.

Eh hum!
On our first date Julie agreed to meet me at Aston Cross. We were going for a meal.
The problem was she lived a few streets away from the Bourneville factory on the other side of the city and had no idea where Aston Cross was. However, she lived on the Outer Circle bus route... Easy peasey! Right?... Wrong!

All she had to do was ask the driver to put her down at her intended destination. The first thing that went wrong was she got the 11c instead of the 11a.
I am a stickler for punctuality. I can say, hand on heart, that I have never been late for any appointment/rendezvous in my life. I was never late for school either. Being late for my own funeral? Well that's not up to me.

So there I was waiting at the bus stop on Park Lane. She was late.
It has always been fashionable for the woman to be late. So I waited patiently. Now at that time there was a bus every ten minutes. So I played a guessing game... What bus would she be on? the third, fourth... the fifteenth?

When Julie recognized the Bourneville factory... like two hours later. She approached the driver, who had forgotten to tell her when they had reached Aston Cross. She was almost in tears. She decided to stay on the bus and went around again.
When she got there she came running into my arms and told me she didn't know what she'd have done if I hadn't have been there.

So after nearly three and a half hours I was famished.
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Did you see Julie again?
 
brummy-lad said:
Hi Emma, I don't know if you saw this picture, No. 148 would be the shop with the van at the front, in 1939 the shop was run by Edward Mears and was a 'machinery breakers' shop. I am very jealous I have never found a picture of my uncle's shop just across the road No. 143

EDIT: I'm re-checking this I think the shop with the van at the front is either 142a or 144 (used to be Dunn's fruit shop before it became Park Lane Pets). No 148 is definitely on the picture probably 2 doors closer.

ANSWER: No 148 is the right-hand of the 2 houses that appear to have newer brickwork on the front, I don't ever remember shops there, perhaps the brickwork replaced shop fronts? I'm sure someone on here will know.
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Yes - the van is parked outside our place - Dunns Fruit Stores was 142a (I can even remember the phone number!) and after the war the adjoining 144 was taken over by us after it ceased being a fish and chip shop (briefly I think - before my time!) 144 was turned into the flower section of the fruit shop. I can remember my Nan (Edith Dunn - my Pop was Charlie Dunn who owned it) and aunts telling me they ran it briefly as a fish and chip shop but whether as a favour or not I dont know! The house next to our entry (where the horse and cart got to the back of the shop) was owned by two brothers - the Thomas's @ 146 - but I only remember one of them being alive. Am pretty sure that 148 which was on the left side of the big entry archway to the backs there was owned at one time by the Mears who were great friends with my family but well before my time. I very vaguely remember the front room being some kind of closed down shop but can't be certain.
 
Ann Shear said:
Yes - the van is parked outside our place - Dunns Fruit Stores was 142a (I can even remember the phone number!) and after the war the adjoining 144 was taken over by us after it ceased being a fish and chip shop (briefly I think - before my time!) 144 was turned into the flower section of the fruit shop. I can remember my Nan (Edith Dunn - my Pop was Charlie Dunn who owned it) and aunts telling me they ran it briefly as a fish and chip shop but whether as a favour or not I dont know! The house next to our entry (where the horse and cart got to the back of the shop) was owned by two brothers - the Thomas's @ 146 - but I only remember one of them being alive. Am pretty sure that 148 which was on the left side of the big entry archway to the backs there was owned at one time by the Mears who were great friends with my family but well before my time. I very vaguely remember the front room being some kind of closed down shop but can't be certain.
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I often went to Dunn's shop for mum, this would be around 1956, we only lived 50 yds away down Parliament Street.
 
I was 5 then - just starting at Burlington Street :) I remember the (big to me) dog that lived a few doors down in Parliament St. - Ruff his name was! Black and tan dog and so patient with kids .... mY brother was 8 years older than me though - at Saltley by then
 
Ann Shear said:
I was 5 then - just starting at Burlington Street :) I remember the (big to me) dog that lived a few doors down in Parliament St. - Ruff his name was! Black and tan dog and so patient with kids .... mY brother was 8 years older than me though - at Saltley by then
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I too went to Burlington Street Ann. This was around 1958ish. Miss Rock was my favorite teacher. I remember my mum taking me for my first day, & I cried, but miss Rock looked after me, & I remember her taking the whole class to Billy Smarts Circus.
 
Oh I remember Miss Rock so well - used to have a photo of her taken at - I think - Barmouth on a day trip. My whole family on my mum's side went to Burlington St - from my Grandmother onwards so it was a bit of a tradition. I think there are more details about it from me in the school thread.
 
Ann Shear said:
Oh I remember Miss Rock so well - used to have a photo of her taken at - I think - Barmouth on a day trip. My whole family on my mum's side went to Burlington St - from my Grandmother onwards so it was a bit of a tradition. I think there are more details about it from me in the school thread.
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Will check your school thread Ann. Miss Rock was so warm & kind. My father went to Burlington Street as did 2 of my brothers too. It was such a special school to start at.
 
Ann. I remember your shop very well, regarding the fish & chip shop next door, it was there for many years, and was run by Mrs. Morris, the grandmother of Roly Morris, and his cousins Pearl, Hazel and Lynette? who all lived in Clarendon Street.
Actually we preferred Jones'fish & chip shop on the other side of the road, near the junction of Barton Street.
 
Hi, maybe it was on the old site, but I do remember mentioning my Dad's old mate, ALF LLOYD and Lloyd's Garage, which was down an ally, next to his wife's Hairdressers, in Park Lane, Aston. I recall someone saying they remembered Alf. That was in the fities. Thanks. Gerry
 
Three images showing the shop at No. 46 Park Lane, the first 2 (probably both from 1957) show the shop from 2 directions, the second image with 2 ladies passing in front of it. The third image (probably from c1960) also shows No. 46 but it is no longer a shop, the bay windows have been removed and fresher brickwork is evident (lorry parked in front of it).
 

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Ann Shear said:
Yes - the van is parked outside our place - Dunns Fruit Stores was 142a (I can even remember the phone number!) and after the war the adjoining 144 was taken over by us after it ceased being a fish and chip shop (briefly I think - before my time!) 144 was turned into the flower section of the fruit shop. I can remember my Nan (Edith Dunn - my Pop was Charlie Dunn who owned it) and aunts telling me they ran it briefly as a fish and chip shop but whether as a favour or not I dont know! The house next to our entry (where the horse and cart got to the back of the shop) was owned by two brothers - the Thomas's @ 146 - but I only remember one of them being alive. Am pretty sure that 148 which was on the left side of the big entry archway to the backs there was owned at one time by the Mears who were great friends with my family but well before my time. I very vaguely remember the front room being some kind of closed down shop but can't be certain.
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I do remember My Nan Thelma James who lived with her Grandparents The Mears mentioning the Dunns, Mr Farmalows horse and cart, Burlington St school. I'm Also working on the Pugh side of my family tree ATM they seem to be living at 185 Park lane early 1900s
 
brummy-lad said:
Three images showing the shop at No. 46 Park Lane, the first 2 (probably both from 1957) show the shop from 2 directions, the second image with 2 ladies passing in front of it. The third image (probably from c1960) also shows No. 46 but it is no longer a shop, the bay windows have been removed and fresher brickwork is evident (lorry parked in front of it).
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The shop at No 46 was my husbands father and his grandmothers shop Eli scrivens or scriven lived there with is mother Emily Scrivens prev Wilke(s)
Eli Married Annie Jelfs (bustin) they had two more children to add to Annies children Brian David Kenneth Raymond,
Annie and Eli Children were Roy and Keith Eli died in 1960 - and the shop was compulsory purchased by BCC and Annie and the Boys moved to KIngstanding area. The lorry may well have been David or Brians lorry and they both went on to work driving lorries.
 
Sorry, if this has been said before - I found this in Showell's Dictionary:-
Park Lane.—From Aston Cross Tavern to the Birchfield Road, originally being the road outside the wall of Aston Park. The first lots of land for building that were sold were those fronting Church Lane, and they fetched an average price of 2s. 2d. per yard, each lot being 12 yards by 60 yards. The next were the lots marked out by the side of Park Lane, and it was at about the middle of Park Lane that the first house was built in Aston Park in 1854 or 1855.
 
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