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Saltley & Alum Rock

Hi. Graham. Born 1946 did you know Nobby Worth think his name was John lived in your road. I knew Danny and Terry from the youth club in Edmund road. Still live in Brum Castle Bromwich had a look around the old end a few times makes your heart bleed, still nothing stays the same.
Hi Bish, I lived opposite Nobby Worth, he didnt play out much not into footie. I didn't know there was a youth club in Edmund road.
I had some mates from Nansen juniors who went to leigh road but would be a couple of years below you, Peter ball, Frank James, George Taylor.
I must go down the rock again before it's too late, Adderley and ward end park, so many good memories
 
Hi. Graham. Peter Frank and George all good footballer George played for Saltley and Erdington in the English schools final I know Frank played for Highgate and think Peter did. Nobby and I used to cycle to Earlswood at weekends and school holidays to a horse racing stables Nobby stayed on as an apprentice jockey after he left school think he had a few races.
 
Hi. Graham. Peter Frank and George all good footballer George played for Saltley and Erdington in the English schools final I know Frank played for Highgate and think Peter did. Nobby and I used to cycle to Earlswood at weekends and school holidays to a horse racing stables Nobby stayed on as an apprentice jockey after he left school think he had a few races.
 
Georges blonde locks, all gone now hear been bald for years.
Frank is front row far left and Pete was skipper bottom row centre.
What about prosser, next to George or Keith Jones or James? Next to me?
 
Hi. Ray.
I was born in Phillimore Rd in 46 lived there till 74 vaguely remember a Newton Family think they lived near bottom of the road near a family named Tranter I lived the top end near Wright Rd. Bish.
 
Hi Everyone

Very new to this site and found all the photo's of a Alum Rock and Saltley facinating. I lived at Ward End Close from 1959 and went to Nansen Road Primary and Naseby Secondary. My GG Granfather ran a coffee shop in Saltley High Street and died there in 1897. On the 1881 census it states that he owned 27 High Street as a coffee shop keeper and by 1891 he also had 5 High Street. Any photo's from this era would be great. My dad was born in Cato street and later moved to Maitland Road wher his mom lived until 1993. My mom lived in Ward End Close until 2003. Thanks again to everyone for the photo's.

Ron
Hi Ron,
your name rings a bell. I went to Nansen, too. I was there from 1959 thru' 1966. There were a few of us Stretton's that went to that school. My classmates were Ann Jackson, Pauline Underhill, Andrew Hall, Marcus Etheridge and I think there was an Andrew Swan,
 
some great photos coming through ,I don’t think the rock saltley or ward end park are anything like it today,does anyone on this site still live in the areas?
 
Thanks for posting those piccies, Macca. Brings back memories of when I was 'The man from the Pru' for much of the Alum Rock area in the 50's. :)
Hi ive never been able to find any pics of where I was born Argyle street nechells, we used to live next to an outdoor called Nicklins ? Corner of Rd post office come shop called Ripley. Just joined this is my first post, im trying to find my way around.thanx.
 
some great photos coming through ,I don’t think the rock saltley or ward end park are anything like it today,does anyone on this site still live in the areas?
I did just off the washwood heath rd, ward end,ive since moved to Herefordshire, used to go up the rock with my mom, my nan lived on George Arthur Rd, also went to the rock Bingo, loved shopping there then.
 
Hi ive never been able to find any pics of where I was born Argyle street nechells, we used to live next to an outdoor called Nicklins ? Corner of Rd post office come shop called Ripley. Just joined this is my first post, im trying to find my way around.thanx.
Wendy, welcome to the Forum - enjoy!
 
I did just off the washwood heath rd, ward end,ive since moved to Herefordshire, used to go up the rock with my mom, my nan lived on George Arthur Rd, also went to the rock Bingo, loved shopping there then.
My husband was born at 24, George Arthur Road and I lived in the next road up Reginald Road.
 
I wonder if you ever visited our house in Ash Rd.
A lot of my family lived around Saltley and Waswood Heath. My auntie, Liz, ran the greengrocers by the no 8 bus clocking in point, Saltley. She used to make and sell the most delicious toffee apples. She had a large silver till with the houses parliament on it. She lived with Len who played the accordion and they had a daughter called Pat. She moved to Shard End and worked in a greengrocers there until she was in her late 80s.
My uncle Cecil and Aunt Nancy lived in Saltey by a park, maybe at the end of Hams Road. They ran a grocers. When I visited as a child I used to get sent to buy beer in a jug from the outdoor. They had two sons, Gary and David. All these people are deceased apart from David.
My sister and I had some wonderful times staying with them. Eating sweets from the shop, playing in the park, learning how to make tablemats and teapot stands. Great.
 
I wonder if you ever visited our house in Ash Rd.
I don't know. Maybe. We used to go to the pantomime at the Hippdrome every year courtesy of Uncle Cecil's factory. We were given paperbag with toffees. We loved to put 6d in the slot and get the opera glasses. We thought we were the bees knees.
 
The park would have been Adderley Park. It's still there. I knew Hams Road very well as I had a friend who lived there. As I lived in Ash Road I could see her house from the back of our flat and I used to shout to her across the gardens! I wonder if your uncle and aunt had the grocers that used to be on the corner of Ash Road and Arden Road.
 
Thank you for replying. It's likely to have been that grocers as I think it was on a corner. My aunt and uncle were very soft and kind. They allowed so many people to have things on tick that they lost the business and had to leave the shop. My uncle worked at DAF afterwards and my aunt became a nursing auxiliary. The park you mentioned was where my sister and I spent many a happy hour, playing on the swings or roundabout. I do remember the factory horn that sounded each day as it used to wake us up. Both their sons worked at the paint place, I think it was Holdens.
 
A lot of my family lived around Saltley and Waswood Heath. My auntie, Liz, ran the greengrocers by the no 8 bus clocking in point, Saltley. She used to make and sell the most delicious toffee apples. She had a large silver till with the houses parliament on it. She lived with Len who played the accordion and they had a daughter called Pat. She moved to Shard End and worked in a greengrocers there until she was in her late 80s.
My uncle Cecil and Aunt Nancy lived in Saltey by a park, maybe at the end of Hams Road. They ran a grocers. When I visited as a child I used to get sent to buy beer in a jug from the outdoor. They had two sons, Gary and David. All these people are deceased apart from David.
My sister and I had some wonderful times staying with them. Eating sweets from the shop, playing in the park, learning how to make tablemats and teapot stands. Great.
what a lovely post dianad..full of smashing memories

lyn
 
My husband worked at Holdens for a while, he was young at at college too. I played a lot in Adderley Park (I might even know you!) I also went to Adderley School. The "outdoor" you ,mentioned was on the other side of Ash Road, opposite the shop your relo's ran. Do you remember the sweet shop that was just down Arden Road, could have been a couple of doors away from the corner and it was next door to a Betting Shop. It was run by two elderly sisters and we often stopped on the way from school to buy something having been given a 1p to spend there. My mom loved their "Hundreds and Thousands" and they also used to sell that toffee in trays that they broke up with a small toffee hammer.
 
My husband worked at Holdens for a while, he was young at at college too. I played a lot in Adderley Park (I might even know you!) I also went to Adderley School. The "outdoor" you ,mentioned was on the other side of Ash Road, opposite the shop your relo's ran. Do you remember the sweet shop that was just down Arden Road, could have been a couple of doors away from the corner and it was next door to a Betting Shop. It was run by two elderly sisters and we often stopped on the way from school to buy something having been given a 1p to spend there. My mom loved their "Hundreds and Thousands" and they also used to sell that toffee in trays that they broke up with a small toffee hammer.
Thanks for more memory sharing. My brother in law went to work at Holdens too as a chemist. He learned his skills in the lab there and went on to become a chemist in Sullom Voe in the Shetlands. He was there during the Piper Alpha helicopter crash and worked on the platforms. His name is Peter Wall and he originally lived near the Pelham in Washwood Heath. We all used to go to Mothers night club in Erdington so I'm going to have a look to see if there's another thread for this!
Meantime, I do remember toffee being sold after being broken up by a hammer. We also had coloured puffed wheat in a pointed white bag and loved the licorice roots you could buy.
When dad dropped us off at our aunt and uncle's, he used to look out for the rag and bone man and buy things off him to wear on the building site as he was a bricklayer. We kids were often given a goldfish. Our mother was mortified when he arrived home with a bag of old clothes and I think they were likely given back to the rag and bone man on his rounds in Sheldon where we lived!!
 
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Can you recognise those three plus Malcolm prosper and Keith Jones? I'm second from right bottom row
There's a couple of faces in the photo below which could also be in Graham's photo. Anyone recognise and suggest names. Photo taken in Ward End Park, the grey cells are unable to provide names with any certainty.
 

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Thanks for more memory sharing. My brother in law went to work at Holdens too as a chemist. He learned his skills in the lab there and went on to become a chemist in Sullom Voe in the Shetlands. He was there during the Piper Alpha helicopter crash and worked on the platforms. His name is Peter Wall and he originally lived near the Pelham in Washwood Heath. We all used to go to Mothers night club in Erdington so I'm going to have a look to see if there's another thread for this!
Meantime, I do remember toffee being sold after being broken up by a hammer. We also had coloured puffed wheat in a pointed white bag and loved the licorice roots you could buy.
When dad dropped us off at our aunt and uncle's, he used to look out for the rag and bone man and buy things off him to wear on the building site as he was a bricklayer. We kids were often given a goldfish. Our mother was mortified when he arrived home with a bag of old clothes and I think they were likely given back to the rag and bone man on his rounds in Sheldon where we lived!!
Sure there is a thread for Mothers. I was a regular there. The last time I went was to see Pink Floyd - must have been about 1970. Can't imagine anything like it now can you. A band like Pink Floyd playing in a room above a furniture shop to about 100 people! My husband worked in the labs. He decided he didn't like college so stopped going. When they found out at Holden's they gave him the sack!
 
Was Peter Wall any relation to David Wall?
No, his brother is called Michael John who he would love to trace as he has lost touch. Peter is going to join the forum as he is a keen music fan who knows so much that he will be able to share his knowledge of all the band's from the 60s and 70s. He says King Crimson is the best ?
 
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