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Saltley & Alum Rock

Hi Wendy. I used to live in High Street Saltley and went to St Saviours School next to the Rock Cinema, and to the annex in Ralph Road. My Father told me a story about Reginald Road concerning the builders of the houses in the road. One set of builders started at the Alum Rock Road end, and the other at the other end. When they met in the middle there was not enough room for a full size house. So, somewhere in the middle is a 'narrow' house. I am fairly sure he took me to see it, but can't be certain if it was a fact or a local myth. Any thoughts?
 
Hi Bobbygee,

Well thats a tale isnt it? I have never heard of that and cant say there was a house smaller than the others, but who knows!
Where abouts in High Street did you live. I didnt realise that you went to an annex in Ralph Road after St. Saviours school. My brother went to St. Saviours and then to Nansen Road Juniors. He would have left St. Saviours in about 1955.

Wendy
 
I have just asked my husband he said he never heard about a small house in Reginald Road. He said was the anex Norton Hall?
 
I would have probably known your brother. I left St Saviours in 1957. From what I remember we were at the Alum Rock site until we were about nine. We then moved to the Norton Buildings in Ralph Road for our last couple of years. Your brother would remember Mr Brady and Mrs Gill. I was born above Strutts the Chemist, on the corner of High Street and Gate Street. I stayed there until I was thirteen. My Fathers family had the shoe repairers and timber yard on the corner of High Street and Washwood Heath Road. I have a picture of the shop somewhere. I will post it on the site.
 
Wendy
Was your husband from Reginald Road like I was? If so whats his name?

I see you were from Handsworth, my husband lived there till we got married in 68 - in Victoria Road.
Wendy
 
Hi both Michael was born in Ralph Road (1945)and was a bell ringer at St Saviour's. He has many recollections of Norton Hall. But doesn't remember it being used as a school. It was used as a Sunday school of which he attended......didn't we all. He remembers a wonderful ballroom upstairs with full curtained stage, complete with glitter ball. Downstairs was the kitchen and another couple of rooms. The hall was St Saviors church hall. It was also used as a youth club. Meeting room for various groups like womens guild.
 
Seeing the Reginald Road pic reminded me that my sister and her family lived at number 53 between 1950 and 1970 approximately. As I worked locally in the 50's, I often popped round for a visit at lunchtime. They had a large black Oldsmobile car in those days. Their kids names were George & June Davies. Ring any bells?
 
Don't know about the smaller house, but on the 1902 OS map it shows entries between the houses every 8 houses on both sides of the street, except in the middle of the south east side, where there is a block of 16 houses without an entry in the middle. Perhaps this was done to correct a mistake like that described
Mike
 
Yes thats right about the entries. Our house was actually over an entry so we gained all that extra bedroom space - it was massive.
 
Hi miggy3

Sorry but these are the best photos of Havelock Rd that I can put my hands on at the moment.

Phil
 

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Wendy

If this is the Norton Hall under discussion it started life as a Reformatory on five acres of Land donated by Charles Bowyer Adderley, later to become Lord Norton of Hams Hall. Originaly it was a working farm for young offenders. It opened in 1853 with 25 boys. It later became known as Norton Training School and it eventually moved to Kineton Warwickshire.

Phil
 

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evening all
is it me or are all the old areas as shown in these photos and others on this site the best places to live at the time and it is a pity that they deteriate to what they are now, whose fault the council or the people who inherit them its a shame either way
phil
 
thank you phil for those havelock rd pictures i am trying to let it jog my memory your so kind .x
 
I lived in Havelock Rd from 1959 to 1964. Mom and Dad owned a shop about 200 yrds up from the Havelock pub on the same side of the road. I think it was No72. I don't remember much about it because I was only a youngster but I remember helping mom lay out the plastic grass on the tressle tables out front for the veg every morning. All I can remember about the inside of the shop was the hand powered meat slicer. the toffee in a tray (we still have the toffee hammers) and spuds in a sack behind the counter. Next door to us was a driveway up to a small coal yard at the back of the houses. We have several photo's of the shop and the area but unfortunately I don't have the means to convert them onto the computer.
Whilst living there my mom decided to sell the pram that I had been pushed around in as a baby and by pure coincidence 24 years later I found out who had bought it. My wifes nan who also lived in Havelock road had bought it because she needed something to push her around in . So both my wife and I had the same pram all those years ago. Strange eh!
 
Hello Chocks2,

I remember a girl from school who's parents had a shop in Havelock Rd, her name was Maureen Worrall.
Do you remember a family with the surname George, Mr George was the local insurance man, there was a son Lesley and a daughter Linda. Linda and I are still friends.

Trebor
 
Hi Trebor.
I seem to remember the Worralls owned the shop further up Havelock Rd on the corner of Wright Rd but I dont remember any of the others you mentioned. Mind you I was only about 5 or 6 years old when we left the area. Can you remember what years you a talking about? my sister is older than me so she may know them.
 
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