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Smells Of The Past

Everybody in the area used to moan about the pong from Tufnol. Mom used to complain it made her washing smell. Tufnol is still there, but they must have installed some efficient extraction equipment since I lived in Perry Barr, as there's no smell now as far as I know.

Another smell which I remember from when I was a kid was the British Road Services depot on the corner of The Broadway and Davey Road. Wonderful aroma of rubber and petrol used to waft out, but probably people living close by didn't think it was very wonderful.

G
 
TOPSYTURVEY said:
The smell of school after the summer holidays. New paint and polish.
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That's such a strong memory for me too Topsy. And it's still the same today when you go into school after the hols. It's the only time when caretakers can do that sort of maintenance. Viv.
 
I remember going round Cadburys on a school trip many years ago. It was fascinating, but the smell of the cocoa put me off chocolate for about a year! When I was older I worked as a temp at Dunlops one time and the smell of the rubber in the factory was so strong and horrible, you couldn't get it out of your nose. I don't know how the men worked in there permanently.
 
If you pass cov Baths you can mell the chlorine. I like the smell of your skin after you have been in the country all day or on the beach. I remember the smell of the gas ometre in Amblecote. Also like the smell of the canal. I dipped a couple of sticklebacks and a water snail. mum ousted them from the kitchen. Reminded me of when I had goldfish too. That smell.I can now smell grandad's keep net, maggott tin and fishing rods. He used to send me for a measure of live maggotts from a shop on Ball Hill and he out sugar on them to make them wiggle he said. and I would let them wrigggle through my fingers. Now wash yer ands barked nan.
Also remember bringing a bucket full of cockles back to the caravan and they opened and they stank.
 
the wonderful spicy smell from HP sauce at Aston Cross accompanied by the smell of Hops from Ansells brewery on my way to Hercules Cycles in Rocky Lane where I worked 1944 onward. Eric
 
The smell from Mitchells and Butlers Brewery! If the wind blew the smell a certain way it meant bad weather.
Dad had St. Bruno Rough Cut tobacco which I liked, next door had Digger which was awful!!
My brother used suds too, Mom used to make him sit on newspaper until he got washed with Swarfega which was worse!!
rosie.
 
That smell a lot of you mentioned never went away even when we left Aston. Pete was one of the Brewers there and he brought those smells home with him.
 
My dad used to use some reddish-brown liquid stuff when fiddling about with the plumbing. Don't know what it actually did - maybe sealed joints? - but it made a real pong. Hard to describe it, a sort of industrial smell crossed with embrocation! Viv.

Oops apologies, just realised this is about smells of Brum, but then the house, the pipes and my dad doing the DIY were all in Brum!
 
The foul smell of the Skin and Hide factory on New Canal St you could smell it on a hot day in Duddeston.
 
When coming off night duty and catching the bus from Handsworth to the city centre just after six in the morning. The strong smell of curry permeating the whole vehicle. Would enjoy it normally but not at time of the morning on an empty stomach
 
Ted's 'Ot Dogs .... after a night out, waiting for the night bus, mmmmmmm, smell of frankfurters and onions. Still love 'em. Viv.
 
I know, I can only tell you the smells of Cov. Re the post about the hide and skin, I was sent to an interview from the labour exchange. They sent me on the wrong day at the wrong time to see a Mr Swan who'se name was Mr Swain. I got off the bus at the terminus where the Ricoh is now, and walked up this country lane, got covered in mud. Had to get the bus back outside the City Butchers Hide and Skin. And it was a hot day. Yuk!
 
The smell of beefburgers and onions used to turn my stomache after I got sick after eating some, on the Octupus at Pat Collins's fair. Does anyone remember Billy Manning's travellng fair now based in Southsea?
 
When you walk past the Cadbury factory in Bournville, it still smells of chocolate or cocoa!



Think that the Bull Ring markets still smell of fish, esp at the Indoor Market on Upper Dean Street!
 
Bournville railway station 7.30 am (circa early 1980), air heavily laden with the smell of Cadburys choc, coupled with the multi-sensory cream and brown station decor. ... well, what more could you want to kick-start your day? Answer: Something less overpowering! That brings back some very powerful memories. Viv.
 
Viv, I remember that, had just started my training in Selly Oak and loved the smells till we worked at Cadburys when they took on extras, then like you it became overpowering! Would love to go back to those days though
Sue
 
Wonder if ingesting chocolate through the skin is fattening Sue!

Surprisingly nobody has mentioned Snow Hill station .... choo ... choo ... hiss ..... hiss. Yes the smell of steam! I remember that smell very well. I think it's a very pleasant smell too. Viv.
 
I used to travel along Bradford Street on my way to work in the city centre.The smell from the slaughter house and the hide and wool factory made me wretch
 
205mal said:
I used to travel along Bradford Street on my way to work in the city centre.The smell from the slaughter house and the hide and wool factory made me wretch
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That's a strong (!) memory Mal. The smell of the slaughter house - couldn't even open the office windows on Bradford Street on some days. It was a disgusting smell. Fortunately I didn't work there for too long. Viv.
 
the smell of carbolic soap reminds me of mom she used it for everything ie washing bathing washing our hair scubbing the table i could go on for ever
josie
 
Bradford Street is pretty much dead now, so many derelict / abandoned office / factory buildings. Many with broken windows and graffiti.

 
Loved the smell of Ellemans Embrocation Nico. A similar type of smell to me was Vic, when you had a chesty cold. Viv.
 
As a Kid,Used to put this (embrocation) on my legs before playing football, was told this is what professional footballers used before a match, and we All wanted to copy our heroes
 
After sitting in Germany for months, ticking off the days on your "Chuffchart", then finally getting off the train in New Street station at the start of a fortnight's leave.
That bubble of excitement in your chest.
The smell of chimney smoke.
The smell of Brummagem.
Indescribable.
Gone forever.
 
In the late eighties I moved to a small mining village in South Derbyshire. As most of the population were miners in those days, they had concessionary coal, so there was no gas in the village.


There was always the small of coal fires in the air, which then bought back this forgotten memories of how it smelled in Brum when I was a kid.


It was even better when someone’s chimney caught fire, which happened on a regular basis.
 
Oh yes, chimney smoke. The other aspect of that was the notable difference when we went to the countryside. Clean air, farmyard smells, sun on hedges. All smells that bring back the past to me. Viv.
 
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