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Pype Hayes Park

Well folks, I just couldn't help myself. In the nicest possible way this thread opened up so many nostalgic thoughts for me that I decided to embark on a personal "Bucket List".
I grew up very close to Pype Hayes Park and even after we moved to the Bromford Estate I worked at Cadbury Schweppes in Hanson's Bridge Road for another 10.5 years. So the park played a part in my life for a good 25 years or so.
I now live in a lovely part of Derbyshire, but I just couldn't resist it, I travelled down for the day and revisited my youth(lol). Firstly, I went into Erdington village and was staggered by the changes but that's a different thread. From there I went to the park. It's hard to describe but to me as a youngster the park was massive despite being enclosed by prefabs. Well not no more. It's tiny, and even some of the monumental landmark trees have been felled but it is still lovely. I stood outside the remains of the old farm/barn type building that sometimes used to open as a cafe selling Vimto. Happy days. I will write more about this visit on a later post but I would like to ask if anyone remembers the water drinks fountain that stood just at the entrance to the above courtyard? It even had a little trough for dogs to use. The mere thought of sharing a drinks fountain in this day and age would horrify but it never did me any harm!
ps the pond is still awesome!
speak soon,
GT
 
For years my aunt and uncle lived in the little close that backed onto the park. How lovely to open your bedroom curtains and have the park at the back of the garden to look out onto!!. There little dogs loved their freedom in the park too.
 
pjmburns said:
Was it this:
In May 1974 the body of Barbara Forrest, a child-care worker, was found in the grounds of Pype Hayes. After a long police investigation, Michael Thornton was identified as a suspect and interviewed by senior detectives. Thornton worked at the same children's home as Barbara and was eventually charged with her murder
www.birminghammail.co.uk

The chilling links between two brutal murders 160 years apart

Both women, aged 20, were killed returning from dances, their bodies left in the same spot.
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
Click to expand...
Barbara Forrest 20 years of age in 1974 was murdered and Mary Ashford 20 years of age in 1817 was also murdered in Erdington Birmingham !!!!.both cases were never resolved !!!!!
 
Mike was never guilty the police had no evidence against him. As in those days they only wanted a hit whoever it was. Mike was a private man and lived in a small flat in the hall. He was a sitting duck.
 
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So many links to those two poor murdered girls, although they were 157 years apart. I often played parks cricket there on Sunday's in the 70s and remember reading about the Mary Ashford case, so sad that neither case led to a prosecution.

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