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Sheldon shops

R

radleys

knowlegable brummie
Hi all,
I grew up in Sheldon in the late 60s and 70s, and was wondering if anyone could dig out some information on the shops in sheldon, and the changes between 1970 and 74? I'm particularly interested in the names of shops on Brays Road, Church Road, and Comberton road. If anyone could help, that would be really appreciated.

Many thanks, jerry.

(Ps. I've posted this on the '1974' Kelly's enquiry thread too. Hope this is the right thing to do!!!)
 
Hi Radleys
I lived on the radleys to about 1969, and my parents lived there well
into late 70s early 80s.

Coming from the Radleys with your back to Marston Green. The first shop was Masons or wrensons, then Halls (hardware) then Taylor and Wayne (post Office and sweets)
then Nurseryland (toy) Then the butchers then Wagstaffs (clothes etc) then a Jewlers then a couple i am not to sure about, i will have to talk to my kin to check.
but there was a chemist (boots) i think. Then a gully which led up to the big house. the other side of the gully was Jacksons (fruit and veg) a bit further along
was Stanley James (hardware, Carpets etc. I think it is still there. Over the other side was The bookies (i used to take my moms bets up the back of the shops where i was
met by a man who was waiting to take bets), this was before he got his licence, the Delesha Cafe, then Johnsons. When i get a bit of time i will update
this for you Jerry. Mikejee is good at this he may have a map listing the shop numbers

Regards Stars
 
took my test from comberton road, used to be a pub there, never went in it, was it the trip to jerusalum or something like that?
 
Thanks for your replies. I also passed my driving test there in 1985. I remember buying lots of bike stickers from Williams as a kid, and being sent to Hathaways on errands. I'm not familiar with Kelly's directory...does it give a complete list of businesses on streets, or is it just those who register with them who get mentioned?

jerry
 
On Church road was the Birmingham Co-operative society supermarket, my aunty lived in a flat above it as her hubby ran the co-op green grocers in the Coventry Road. there was the entrance to the flats, double wooden doors, then a greengrocers, can't recall the name, will ask dad later if no-one else comes up with more.
Sue
 
I've got a Kelly's for 1969:

Comberton Road: from Rotherfield to Frodesley on the right side:

Peter Ltd Turf Accountant
17 Chas. Holland, Newsagent
19 Kim's Drapers
21 DJ Hathaway, Fruitier
23 Denise Shirley, Ladies Hairdresser
25 RH Goode Flooring Ltd.
43/45 Birmingham Co-operative Society
49 Ministry of Transirt Test Centre
47 Burbidge & Sons, Butchers
51 Williams Cycles
53 Tennants Fancy Goods
55 Jim's Hairdressers
57 Mrs Hatcher, Beer Retailer.

I lived in Rotherfield Road in 1969-1970. I used to buy LP's from the Williams as they also sold a few records as well as cycles. My friends mother used to live in a flat above the shops.
 
Just to add a few more shop names at the radleys in the late 60s. Coombs, News agents they had 2 shops, Foster brothers, Allens tv and radio sales, there was also a launderete. Johnstones general stores, as stars mentioned ,also had a shop further down church road towards the wheatsheaf at the junction with Common lane next to that shop was a news agents and an outdoor.
 
Many thanks your replies. Suemalaings, thanks for the list of shops on the Comberton Road- they're really interesting. I wonder if there were shops between 25 and 43, or did the numbers carry on on the opposite side of the road perhaps. Robert, I have absolutely no memory of a Foster Brothers being at the Radleys, although I remember my Dad used to go the the branch at the wheatsheaf quite regularly. I seem to remember a hardware shop on the junction of Church Road and Common Lane called 'Woodroffe's'??? I remember going there with my brother to collect some paraffin for those cold 70s Winters.
jerry.
 
Yes i remember Foster Bros, 12/6p for my sky blue jeans and i would put them on and sit in the bath
to make them shrink, (i needed a shoe horn to get them off.My mother would say you will regret that
when you are older,how right she was. I think these are on the Sheldon thread, but beings we are on about the shop names
i thought i would put them here. Also at the end past maypole was Paynes the shoe repairers.

Image1.jpg



Image1.jpg

Regards Stars
 
I think one of the shops was the Yardley School of motoring, the owner was David Furey and is still operating in Solihull. I learnt there and so did loads of my friends and family, we then took our tests at Comberton Rd test centre.
Regards trebor
 
radleys said:
I seem to remember a hardware shop on the junction of Church Road and Common Lane called 'Woodroffe's'??? I remember going there with my brother to collect some paraffin for those cold 70s Winters.
jerry.
Click to expand...

I think Woodruff's shop was on the corner of Cranes Park Road.
Nick
 
Yes you are right Nick Woodruffs was at that junction. One of his sons has a pet shop at the Yew Tree.
 
does anyone know what happenened to "Griffiths and Fullard"? remember being dragged up there for school uniforms and sulking in the shop!
 
That's right Nick, I remember now that Woodruff's was on Cranes Park Road. Robert, I also seem to remember the Newsagent on the junction of Church Road and Common Lane- I used to call in for sweets on the way to school. I think it was called 'Fred's'? - although I may be completely wrong!
 
Hi All
There was a doctors house about 4 houses down from the Radleys shops, across the road from
The big old house ( The Elms i think) The doctors name was Redlitch, sorry for the spelling, she was a German
doctor.
 
Yes Stars..I have vague memories of going to her as a very young child...from what I remember, she seemed really brusque and really scared me. I think the surgery closed, and we registered with Dr. Rodriguez on Garretts Green Lane. He had his surgery as part of his home, and he seemed a lot more friendly.
 
Hi Radleys
I remember having a stye on my eye lanced by her. And yes she was
very straight and abrupt. I remember she had a pug dog who was allowed to
roam the surgery.
 
Your right Radleys, his name was Fred Evans, there was an artical about him in the Mail when he sold the shop to developers and retired. He had been trading there for over 50 years.
 
I remember Dr Redlich, she used to put the fear of god into me as a kid. I think she was Austrian although I may be wrong.

John
 
Yes, it was called Woodroffe's at the junction of Cranes Park Road and Church Road, on the side of the Midland Red bus stop that was for the buses into Solihull. Old man Woodroffe lived on Dovehouse Lane in Solihull and he would sell fireworks to all of us who were under 14. I can still see his balding head, white hair and sharp-nosed face now when I think back.

It was a fascinating store, there were hardware shelves upon hardware shelves and one side of the store sold sweets that Rowberry's the Newsagents didn't. The store had such a particular smell to it and I can still remember that smell today, easily 40 years later.
 
Thats a perfect discription of mr Woodroffe, He used to sell groceries as well and if you bought certain things on a Sunday he would wrap them up in news paper to hide them. The only origanal shop left is the newsagents.
 
stars said:
Hi All
There was a doctors house about 4 houses down from the Radleys shops, across the road from
The big old house ( The Elms i think) The doctors name was Redlitch, sorry for the spelling, she was a German
doctor.
Click to expand...
I lived in Sheldon Heath road from 1956 to 1970 and remember her!!, I too was petrified of her, you had to have your polio etc injections and I'm sure she used a knitting needle to inject, soo painful, I dreaded going for injections. I once gashed my hand and had to have 3 metal clips stuck in there to close the wound,i was about 6 years old I still have the scars from the cut and the
holes from the staples, when it healed she had to pull them out pouch happy days :(( she was a bit abrupt I must say.
 
stars said:
Yes i remember Foster Bros, 12/6p for my sky blue jeans and i would put them on and sit in the bath
to make them shrink, (i needed a shoe horn to get them off.My mother would say you will regret that
when you are older,how right she was. I think these are on the Sheldon thread, but beings we are on about the shop names
i thought i would put them here. Also at the end past maypole was Paynes the shoe repairers.

View attachment 82868



View attachment 82869

Regards Stars
Click to expand...
Wow what great photos, brought back memories. The sweet shop had a cadburys chocolate vending machine outside and you could get your hand up and get a bar without paying. The sweets were on the right as you entered and the papers on the left.The land down Sheldon Heath road had not been developed yet and opposite that land was open shrub land where every year there was a fair with big wheel, dodgers etc that as a young kid I used to visit, I remember the early Stones music playing on the waltzers and all the smells from the candyfloss and diesel fumes.

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Heres a pic of Comberton Rd shops 1956. I think I took my driving test from here somewhere.

Comberton Road Shops sheldon 1956.jpg
 
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