• 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

Parks Policemen Park Keepers

i was a tractor/digger driver at leslie rd in the 70s. delivering and collecting from parks ,and allotments, when they was filming
kings heath park,for tv. also i pulled out old anderson shellters from allotments,much to the horror of the gardeners,who had tools in them.becouse they were rotten with rust. some were in my shed is the p27 key to all park locks. the blue thames .vans and thames lorries, also one like greengrass had but it was blue yes i remember them.
 
Retirement of Sutton Park park keeper. Some may remember him. Viv.

B8DB7B18-7636-4CAE-BDE1-31EE2878B77B.jpeg
Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

Attachments

  • EA1988C1-2941-4C42-A6C7-A07F4C149F43.jpeg
    EA1988C1-2941-4C42-A6C7-A07F4C149F43.jpeg
    99.2 KB · Views: 17
My Grandfather was Charles Beesley (known as Charlie at work but for some reason Gordon in the family!) and a parks policeman. He was based at Manor Farm Park on the Bristol Road and covered the Lickeys as well. He retired around 1971. I would love to hear from anyone who may remember him.
Sassy
 
I remember when there was a park keeper in Perry Hall park, he used to shout at you if you walked on the grass round the ornamental ponds.

It must have made an impression on me as I still feel a bit guilty if I walk on the grass in local parks!
 
My father(George Ellis) was a Parkie, probably in the 1960's. I can not remember where he was based, but do recall one night when he did not arrive home at the usual time. He did turn up, raging. :mad: Kids had somehow, managed to lock him in his hut. :D

Steve.
 
I remember when there was a park keeper in Perry Hall park, he used to shout at you if you walked on the grass round the ornamental ponds.

It must have made an impression on me as I still feel a bit guilty if I walk on the grass in local parks!
I was born in 1958 on the Kingstanding road B44 8AX. My mother used to take me in my pram to Perry Barr and also Perry Hall park as her brother lived in Pendragon road. Perry Hall playing fields in the 50s and 60s were magnificent gardens with a japanese style garden that ran at the side of the stream that exited the moat. There were even goldfish is this stream and ornamental pond. I visited in 2018 prior to the Coronavirus pandemic and was appalled how they had turned to a virtual jungle. A large tree that I clearly remember that was closeby the original brick gates to perry hall had been felled. I can clearly remember the parks patrol sorting out the unrully kids treading on the grass and flower beds !!
 
 
The Parks Police used to have a Warrant Card and powers of arrest. This was removed by the Council in the early 80's and a few years later they morphed into a Parks Ranger Service delivering nature conservation. I think inspector George Niblett (ex policeman) was the last senior Parks Policeman.
They were a funny lot, the parks Police, working nights and quite militant at times.
 
Back
Top