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Small Heath Park (Victoria Park)

M

mazbeth

Guest
As you'll probably come to realise  ;D my mom took us to most of Birmingham's parks through our childhood. A number we walked to.
I can't remember if we walked to Small Heath park from Aston (probably got the number 8 I suppose)

Anyway, I remember the stone? concrete? ship that was in the middle of the paddling pool there, and enjoying paddling out to it to sit on it along with other boys and girls.

As an adult and mother of 2 young children we were living in Small Heath in '92 and used to go to the park regularly, but I don't think the paddling pool was there then.

Next time I'm at mom's I'll see if she has any photos of it.
 
Hi Marion
I've got a photo somewhere of the paddling pool in Small Heath park, when I find it I'll post it on the Small Heath site. Mind you i think Jim's got a copy of it as well so he'll probably beat me to it. either way it should be appearing soon O0
 
Keith,

I remember Small Heath Park very well as it was only a stones throw from Sparkbrook. I used to test all the model boats that I made, yachts and even jet engine speed boats, there before taking them down to the special model boat pool at Bourneville. They used to have cycle racing there too in the 60's and on another thread I've posted a photo of that.

Graham.
 
Graham, Small Heat Park was probably the only one I wasnt taken to as a child.
You mentioned the Model boat pool in Bournville Lane. I read somewhere recently that model boats are no longer allowed on this pool. I cant remember how it was worded or why it has happened but I am pretty sure I am correct on this point. If I find out more I will let you know.
 
Graham, forgime please. I have just done what I should have done before my previous post. I checked the website and by all accounts they are still allowed to use the pool. I know I read someting about it and there is a large notice by the pool. I will take a look when next I pass. Sorry about the mistake.
 
re Bournville Model pool they still use model boats on there now as I come by there fairly often you can see them with kids of all ages must stop one of these times as some of the boats are like mini ships
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No problem Stitch.

Bourneville pool was/is a specially built pool for model boats and they did have some very fast high powered model speed boats on there. I wouldn't be surprised if the board isn't a warning about the danger those boats can be.
 
Thanks Tom, talking about that pool brings back great memories.

BTW, that's a very popular Flemish saying "No today without yesterday". (History is a thing of the past but it is also what shapes the Future:) )

Graham.
 
Graham we occasionally take the grand kids to feed the ducks there or at least the Canadian Geese cause the ducks are few and far between just a few mallards now and again
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View attachment 23811The pool used to split into 3 sections the baby pool, the second pool had a ship with funnels in it and the third pool which was the deep end used to have an island with a bridge across to it it also had a fountain which was broken in later years. it used to be filled with water from the pump house which was beside it. I think in the seventies they put tarmac on two of the pools to stop leaks. the pools used to be a sky blue upto that. Then in the 1980s they ripped the whole place out and put grass in. it was a shame because it was a great place to play even when there was no water in it. You can just get a glimpse of the pool from this photo.
 
When you were talking about the pool, I assumed you were talking about the boating pool. Which I though had been filled in some years ago, so I took a look on Google and to my surprise its still there.

The paddling pool that I remember has long gone, I don't remember the concrete ship though, but perhaps that is down to aging memory. Funny though it doesn't show on either of these photo's. The first one is from 1958 which I think is believable, but the second (the one with the pram) is supposed to be 1967. I thought the paddling pool had gone by then.

Phil
 

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its a shame now its used by joyriders and such to dump stolen cars and burn them out on there spoiling it for people who want to use the park for what it was meant to be
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Hi PMC
you can see the ship in the first photograph its on the left half way up with the bough facing torwards the camera. The second photograph shows the deeper pool with the island, you can just see the wooden fence blocking the view from Tennyson road. The pool definitely didnt go till the mid 1980s. I have seen that second photo in a book before and regreted not buying it so thanks for posting. This is another cropped photo from the baby pool looking onto tennyson road torwards the coventry road.View attachment 23824
 
My memory tells me that there was a boating pool and you could hire a rowing boat, but i will have to ask my older Brother for comfirmation. Len.
 
Great photos Phil.
My mate, Pete Ellis, was on the Parks Police as a dog handler. His dog, Prince, was an easy going character who managed to get himself stolen! He was never recovered! This was mid sixties.
Ted
 
They used to rent out boats on the pond but i think this stopped in the late 1970s the boat house is still there. The pond was drained in the late 70s I think explosives were found in it, but it was empty for quite a while maybe this put an end to the boating.
There used to be a parkie called mac he was in charge of the hut and probally worked with your mate.

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I remember the park & its pools so well. I went when I was little with an elderly lady known as 'Auntie Mary' who lived down the end of Golden Hillock. Does anyone remember a stabbing in the park around the late 1960s (possible about 1965-ish) that unfortunately us kids were witness too (it was by the Golden Hillock Rd end of the park)......if I remember rightly it was over a game of football & happened during the day.
 
Wasn 't it about 3/4 years ago that Small Heath Park was given a makeover by Charlie, Tommy and Alan Titchmarsh from their gardening programme - can't recall the name - local people also helped with the work, but within a short time it was all vandalised.
 
Going to work circa 1943/44 i was on a trolley bus going towards the City one morning, there had been an heavy air raid in the night and when we reached Tennyson Rd/Coventry Rd corner we saw a unexploded parachute mine lodged in a tree approx 30 yards down Tennyson Rd there was one Policeman standing on guard and a piece of tape across the road all the passengers including me were standing up, looking out of the windows at this mine nobody seemed to think it might explode!, later in the day the bomb disposal squad defused it, brave Soldiers every one. Len.
 
Hi, Is Small Heath Park near to Watery Lane - I don't rememb er my mum talking about going to a park? would it have been there after 1912? Thank you
Sheri
 
sheri, From Watery Lane out of the City past the Blues ground along the Coventry Rd you will find Small Heath Park on the right its still there i passed it 1h ago. Len.
 
I remember taking the children to Small Heath Park on Bonfire Night in the 1970's. A huge bonfire, hot dogs, toffee apples and fireworks too. It was freezing cold, but we all enjoyed that particular time in the park.

Anthea.
 
Hi,
New on site and just found this thread! What a trip down memory lane. Small Heath Park - one of my haunts! Great to see the paddling pools! I remember them with water and without! I always used to want to live in the house by the Coventry Rd gate!
Jan
 
I used to go to school with a Jill maddox she married one of the olivers vernon I think.
 
My cousin was a Jill Maddox before she got married but her married name is Hobbs. I am recalling somewhere that my mom talked of my uncle and aunt (her parents) living in Herbert Rd before moving to Castle Bromwich where I remember them living.
Jan
 
There was a large shoe shop on the corner of Coventry Rd/Charles Rd named Cresswells? (spelling) at the traffic lights Small Heath. Len.
 
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