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Shops Muntz st/The Cov

i had my wedding reception at the maltshovel corner of cov road and munze street i got married at the holy family church by smallheath park and had my outfit from the co'op on the cov road
 
hi sue
we lived in hawks street my sisters would know more about munze street as not long after we moved there 1965 i got married my mom and dad left in 1972 but i worked at a little factory in tilton road they made parts for acto lawn mowers and worked at the bsa in golden hillock road
josie
 
If anyone is interested there will be a lecture /talk about
Small Heath – A journey up the Coventry Road
On Monday 18 March 2013
At Solihull Local History Circle.
Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start
Visitors welcome £3.00

Further details on request
or visit Solihull Local History Circle website https://www.solh.org.uk/
 
Great to see this picture of shops on the "Cov" ,especially Coronet Motors,I bought my first m/bike from them in 1960,a little Triumph Tiger Cub,I can still remember the reg. 664 KHA !
 
Stitcher said:
When I was a school lad our moms baker asked if I wanted a part time job helping him mainly Saturdays.The bakery was in Muntz Street but I cant for the life of me remember the name, was it hardings? Along Muntz St. From the Cov and it was on the right as the road does a left hand bend.
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Hi. Stitcher. Harding bakery was on the Coventry
Rd. between the Swan and Lily Rd.
 
My mother used to send to me the Co-op shoe repairers shop for stick on shoe soles,my aunt worked there..the shop faced the Greenaway if I remember right.
 
I have a pair of scissors inscribed with the name of Maturi & sons.

My Dad had a shop a few doors away from their hardware store in the 1930's, and i guess he popped next door to buy them.
 
pmm1978 said:
Hello All,

I stumbled across this forum whilst doing various google searches so thought I would post. My great grandfather was Antonio Maturi who founded Maturi's in 1898. It was later run by my grandfather Victor.....and is now run by my dad! The shop on the Coventry Road was closed about 5 years ago, but only becuase they relocated to Whitmore road (just around the corner) where it is still trading from... https://www.mowerspares.co.uk/ShopBuild2009/photo109.html

The new shop is now built on the original site of the garages/workshops that used to house the grinding vans that somebody mentioned earlier in this post! The company no longer does the hardware side of things as it focuses solely on the lawnmowers & spare parts but it does still sharpen tools, scissors and knives, all in house and by hand.

Believe it or not, considering the company has been in existence for 114 years we have relatively few old photo's of the shops and no photo's of the grinding vans. If anyone has any they could post or send to me I'd be very grateful.

Quick history for those interested:

Founded in 1898 by Antonio Maturi after he and his brothers had emigrated from Italy, originally sharpening knives on the back of a bicycle powered grindstone.
His brothers founded similar companies, one in Northfield/Selly Oak (I think) and one in Leeds.
Opened a shop in the early 1900's at 259 Coventry Road (opposite the Blues ground, where the houses are now)
Opened a shop at 125 Ladypool road around the same time.
Moved to 393 Coventry Road around 1935, and a couple of years later bought the current plot behind 393 Cov Road on Whitmore Road
There was also a shop on the Birmingham Road Sutton Coldfield for a number of years.

The Ladypool Road shop closed in the 80's, the Birmingham Road shop closed in the late 90's, and we moved from the Coventry road around 2007

Thanks Everyone, great to learn about the history of the area where my family have been based for so long!
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Great stuff. You must be Tony's lad???? ...never met him very often, but we were great pals and I was a bowling companion of Johnny Maturi and his wife Gwen for twenty years or more...also knew young Robert quite well before his untimely demise...Didn't Tony run a nightclubby mecca at Hillfield Hall before it became a housing estate in Solihull? One of the Maturis did I think...

Heres a few bowls club pics featuring dear mad John...the World's maddest driver...

Broadway Wed Side 1970.jpg
Broadway BC 1970 John 3rd from left back row..smart bugger...always the Tom Waters or Pressburger suits...

Yew Tree BC 1976.jpg
Yew Tree BC 1976


Yew Tree BC 1982ish.jpg
Yew Tree 1982


Hillfield hall.jpg
Hillfield Hall...the afterlife...
 
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Dennis........Would I be right in saying that the Tom Waters mentioned used to have a Tailors shop in Hurst Street.
 
My very first job upon leaving school (1981 I believe) was in one of the Coventry Road shops. Tesco, on the left as you come out of town and virtually next door if not actually to the Brighton Arms. I seem to remember there was a Boots opposite and a Woolworths on the same side 2 or 3 shops down. There was also a Kwik Save opened virtually next door which went a long way towards sealing Tescos fate. I was only there for 6 months to a year earning my £35 a week I think it was, until life took me in a different direction. Alas, sometime around or about the late 80's I ended up working for a company selling Carpet Tiles based in what had previously been Boots the Chemist. Tesco was long gone, as was Woolworth, Hitchens was further down towards the Blues Ground selling clearance goods, and Maturis was still there. I actually fitted a new floor in the shop there, though I cant for the life of me remember who was running the place. The Brighton Arms remained, and was being run by a couple called Kevin and Mary, and I remember doing a Conga from the pub along the Coventry Road in the early hours of 1991 after Blues had lifted the Leyland Daf Trophy. I then slept at my desk that evening, before walking into Birmingham with a crate of Newcastle Brown from the Brighton ready for the civic reception outside the Town Hall !
 
Whilst I'm here, anyone remember The Nest in Muntz St, Small Heath? Went there to a mate's stag do in the 80's after hours. Broadway Bowling Club On Tour. We had nearly all the Black & White Minstrel Show stars from the Hippodrome (invited by another pal who knew one of them well). They kindly did a few spots for us in spite of being as bladdered as the rest of us. Apart from a brilliant sing-along, the highlight was the Ventriloquist Neville King, who did a hilarious and very blue slot especially highlighted by slagging off anyone brave enough to get up and go to the Gents. Cracking night. Cracking little pub. It could have gone now - it was up for sale last year.


View attachment 85299Nest Pub Small Heath.jpg
 
Anyone remember Baker Street, which I believe was off Muntz St but was demolished before I was pottering around there...my Great Granddad lived there at No 3 in 1888...before moving to 144 Muntz St in 1891
 
I seem to recall a factory called Butlers,was'nt they on the corner of Baker Street.
I remember the bakers shop on the corner of Grange Rd and Coventry Rd..Cox's I think.
 
Hi Dennis and Derek there used to be 6 pubs down Muntz Street now there are none the Malt Shovel was the last to close , nearest now would be the Black Horse St Andrews Tavern or the Brighton if its still open . I used to live in Grange Road a couple of doors up from Muntz Street , the corner wnere the pics of the demolition show but used to use theWhite Lion or The Nelson in Grange Road . I have come across a write up for a first world war VC who live in Baker Street and Hawkes Streetheres one for your collection Dennis Thomas Turrell VC
https://www.krajinazaskolou.cz/appl....aspx?projectId=591&lang=Primary&lang=Primary
 
I remember all those pubs Bernie,and do you know what,I never drank in any of them,honest..lol.

What a fascinating story about Thomas Turrell,the bravest of the brave...thanks for posting.
 
Hi Derek we were talking aboput Green Lane baths maybe on another thread but some work has been done they have done the roof and some of the windows by the look of it but it is not in keeping with the original building the roof has velux windows in and the replacement windows look plastic but I suppose at least it won't fall down
 
Hi Dolphie
You mentioned Hitchens on The Cov. My daughter was Manageress there for around 16 years she was named Karen Prottey later Flear............Walt00:pride::cupcake:
 
Hi to all....Iv'e been checking out this site for ages....unfortunately with no fresh pics of my own to upload....but it's got to be the best site in existence for imformation and pictorial history. Having said that...May I ask a question ? Does anyone remember 'Quicksave' on Coventry Road Small Heath? It was directly opposite the old main post office. 1970's - 80's I think. Can anyone recall what the business was there prior to it becoming Quicksave?
 
redken said:
Hi to all....Iv'e been checking out this site for ages....unfortunately with no fresh pics of my own to upload....but it's got to be the best site in existence for imformation and pictorial history. Having said that...May I ask a question ? Does anyone remember 'Quicksave' on Coventry Road Small Heath? It was directly opposite the old main post office. 1970's - 80's I think. Can anyone recall what the business was there prior to it becoming Quicksave?
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Hi Redken i remember it well we used to shop there at one time. It was an unlucky shop for me as one night on the way home from work me and the Missus decided to pop in and buy something we needed so i parked up outside and when i came out £20.00 parking ticket on windscreen. And i only spent 60p in the shop.
Wal.........
 
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