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Smethwick

Smethwick Striver said:
Yes. Used to catch the B82, B87, or B88 buses into Brum from there. The drivers had to do some sort of clocking in there.
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You are correct , drivers or the conductor did have to clock just there by the Grove.
It was a large Green cast iron thing with a large clock face at the top and half way down there was a key hole ,each crew had a key with a number on and when the bus was leaving the Grove stop they had to put the key in and turn it,inside was an ink pad of some sort and this would put the key number on a paper roll inside so it recorded what time they had left the Grove.
I lived just around the corner in Halberton Street when I was about 6 or so and would wait by the clock hoping that the driver would put the key on the back of my hand once they had clocked so the number was on my hand,I would also ask them for the ends of the ticket rolls so I had tickets to play my own game of buses.
If you remember the clock perhaps you can help me with the shops that were by the Grove,I think that there was a sweet shop ,chippy (or perhaps the chippy sold sweets)and then a bike shop which was on the corner,from an earlier post I think the bike shop was Major Nichols ??
Cheers
 
Paul.J.T said:
You are correct , drivers or the conductor did have to clock just there by the Grove.
It was a large Green cast iron thing with a large clock face at the top and half way down there was a key hole ,each crew had a key with a number on and when the bus was leaving the Grove stop they had to put the key in and turn it,inside was an ink pad of some sort and this would put the key number on a paper roll inside so it recorded what time they had left the Grove.
I lived just around the corner in Halberton Street when I was about 6 or so and would wait by the clock hoping that the driver would put the key on the back of my hand once they had clocked so the number was on my hand,I would also ask them for the ends of the ticket rolls so I had tickets to play my own game of buses.
If you remember the clock perhaps you can help me with the shops that were by the Grove,I think that there was a sweet shop ,chippy (or perhaps the chippy sold sweets)and then a bike shop which was on the corner,from an earlier post I think the bike shop was Major Nichols ??
Cheers
Click to expand...


Next to the Grove cinema going towards Birmingham was a newsagents, then a chemist, then the chippy, then the bike shop on the corner.

Major Nichols's bike shop was on the corner of Raglan Rd/Durban Rd near Cape Junior school. The bike shop on Dudley Rd was run by different people (I remember an old man who ran it)

I lived in Grove Lane as a child, until i was 14 when our house was demolished in 1969. We then moved to Cape Hill estate, off Raglan Rd.

Paul
 
I remember Spud Taylor's history lessons - he was fond of using the pump (footwear) to whack people as I recall. I think we used to get him telling us war stories to distract him from the (far less interesting) history lessons (hope I'm not thinking of the wrong teacher!)

I stsrted at Holly Lodge in 1967 and spent the first year or two at the Crocketts Lane site, Holly Lodge and James Watt had merged.

Paul
 
correct,the newsagents was dhillons,and then the little green chemist with the step up into it,the chipshop was great 15p bag with batter bits,the little indian man kept the best chips,major nicholls had to get out as the shop was falling down so he moved to raglan road,who remembers the barrels falling off a brewery truck at the grove when it was cobbles and the last pic at the grove was bambi
 
Hi Everyone. This is my first post. I have trawled through all the other post on this site and would like to add my own memories of Cape Hill.

Waterloo Rd - Baxters woolshop, Mary Williams Newsagents, the Wood Yard, Pedleys hardware, Bakers garage, Loves decorating, Ray Hyett car parts, a fish and chip shop near The Waterllo pub.

Cape Hill - Marsh & Baxters butchers, Perks (sic), Timpsons, Woolworths, Hewitss newsagents, the slaughthouse behind anothe butchers, the Cinema (on site of the Post Office), Wrensons, Mansell & Booth.

Shireland Rd - Rogers sweetshop, Blewits newsagents, Conyers, Crocketts decorating, Fish & Chip shop, St Chad's Church.

High St - Co-op Shops, Roadleys toy shop, Blacks, Gospel hall Garage on corner of Claremnt Rd, Cox's bakery, Lisles decoratingGrooms, Welch & Rayner, MEB.

Windmill Lane - As well as the makets, Copes garage, Walter Smith Butchers, Gaument cinema, Scribbans bakery, Morriss's corn merchants Nashes Coaches.

Misc - Masons pop in Wilson Rd, Hadley Playing Fields.
 
Hello Toad!

My first pet mouse came from Pedley's!! I was forever in the Woodyard fetching wood, screws, nails etc. for Dad. Wallpaper was quite cheap in those days from Paul Love. The chocolate in Rogers never

seemed too fresh, always a bit white at the edges! I loved the old Market, Nan had a stall there many years ago! "Walter" always had something useful...shoelaces, buttons, harnets etc. It was well worth

the long walk from "over the border" in Brum!!!

rosie.
 
Welcome Toad.Here is a picture of Cape Hill,taken in 1953.moss
 

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Hello Striver, how am ya? :) I too was born and bred in Smethwick and have never seen myself as a Brummie. I was born in Smethwick,41 , Staffordshire, then it got changed to Warley Worcestershire and then to Warley West Midlands and finally Sandwell without moving house! Except for the B67/68 postcode we were given I have never regarded myself as living in Birmingham or being a Brummie. By the way I was in Alvechurch last weekend and they too have a 0121 phone code and a B postcode.
 
My memories of Smethwick are working at Ash and Lacy, working as a barmaid at the Cape of Good Hope, The Moilliet and the Hussars. The things you do to top up your wage... The Cape Hill market and the general community spirit of Smethwick (that was). I loved it...
 
I used to love 'going up the cape'. I have bought more than one pair of shoes from a stall within the indoor market in the 70s
 
Yes, you term it didn't you 'going up the Cape'. I can practically see every stall that there was on the market. But the last time I went up there (couple of years ago) the stalls were a bit sparse.
 
The old market has gone now Sue, and the little one next door, It's all called "The Windmills" now as it's a retail park.
I had shoes from there too! Teddy Gray's sweets on a Friday in school holiday, cheap squashed strawberries for jam, remnants of material to sew dolly clothes, and little dolls with my pocket money from the errands!
rosie.
 
Thanks carolina.....no wonder I haven't many teeth left!
In the "Little Market" there was a monkey in a cage for a short while.
rosie.
 
Remember Bakers the butchers!!! Top of Cape Hill, hand made pork pies and the best bag of scratchings for miles! My Nan and my Mum both worked there (as well as the Ionic, GKN and Kunzells (was it Scrivens?).....Happy days. My dad was born next door to the smallest house in Smethwick which was on the old Oldbury Road just up from the Crown pub on the high street.....was that the a Mitchell pub? - or was it a Butler one! I was too young to use it when it was there. I went to Holly Lodge Grammar....first pint sneaked in the Swan one lunchtime...mild as I recall ha ha.
 
The 'Waterloo' .....Bobby Fields ran it for a while bless him. Public conveniences in Windmill Lane, pock marks visible from the bullets of the German plane that straffed the lane and killed a young chap outside the toilets. Anyone know his name? Dad told me about it as a kid, seems they thought the market was a small factory too and tried to bomb it. A rogue lone aircraft it seems....anyone know any more?
 
Hi jonathan.This is a coincidence,my GG Grandparents lived at no11 Oldbury Rd which was 2 doors from the smallest house in Smethwick.This picture shows numbers 11,12&13.number 13s frontage measured 4foot 10inches.moss
 

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Not many memories of Smethwick, but they were all fond ones. Used to play for a football team called Kings Highway (think that was Quinton but never went there) in the Smethwick league. We used to meet for most games in the Red Cow. Is it still there?
 
The Red Cow is still there, my two Aunts used to have a sweetshop opposite in the '50's. Our friend knew about the person who was killed but he died a while ago.

Bakers had the best steak and kidney pies!!! I've just remembered those tubs of lard on the shelf which were sprinkled with rosemary.
 
Moss, we have a postcard showing those houses somewhere in our family archive (my eldest brother has it)....I remember those houses quite clearly even now.
Rosie, my brother was a market trader on Smethwick market for a good many years selling batteries, general hardware and odds n sods (torches, radios etc). He went on to run a total of seven markets including Cradley and Kiddy. Bet you bought nail clippers off him when you 'went up the Cape'! :)
 
jonathon2, yes I loved the Old Market! Do you remember Walter with all his shoelaces and elastic, hooks&eyes, and hairnets! There was a lino stall, curtain fabric, eggs, veg, and of course dolls and toys...couldn't afford them but loved to look. If there was a glut of fruit I would struggle back home with Mum's heavy bags to make jam. We bought live eels once.....never again!!! Loved the shellfish from Dennis the fishman. I also miss the shoestall where they had samples and were very cheap, I had lovely dancing shoes from there. Also when my son was a baby (he's 40 soon!) I used to take him into the photo booth to have passport sized pictures of him as it was cheaper than a photographer! Happy Days!!
rosie.
 
Hi Rosie, yes I remember all that. Do you remember Brian (at least I think his name was Brian) who used to be a regular visitor to the market...played the bones?? My brothers mate Vic had the toy stall.....had a number of stalls all over and he became a millionaire so I'm told! More profit in toys than batteries it seems lol. On the Cape it was broken biscuits from 'Woolies' opposite the pic-n-mix :) School uniform from Foster Brothers ( Dad used to do his 'Harry Worth' impression against their angled window....I always laughed like a drain! Photography was Peter Gaffney on Waterloo Road. Allmark sports next to the church where I got my first pair of rugby boots from, little did they know what that would spawn in years to come! Ha ha! As you say Rosie, happy days!!
 
My Winson Green Dad had relatives in Smethwick (Edith Rd).
I'm sure a lot of the things he used to come out with he made up himself.
When we kids were shouting "where ya gooin' Dad, where ya gooin' ? he'd say "Up Smerrick".
When we asked where he'd been he'd say "Washwood Heath park".
 
Hi Jonathan2, I remember the Crown pub, my uncle had his wedding reception there.The Swan has gone too. What years were you at Holly Lodge? I was there 65-70.
 
Hi mommaCas, I was there 71-76. The 'changeover years'! My twin brothers were there 61-65. Remember the cafe just up from the Crown?....bit of a haven for pin-ball wizzards as I recall :) Swimming at Rolfe St baths....omg I don't miss that!!
 
My Mums side of the family came from Smethwick and I was an Avery Apprentice too. The Avery apprenticship was excellent. Remember going past the drop forge many times with the pounding and hammering. Great memory of 1 of the green grocer shops up at the top of Londonderry Lane / Londonderry Road.... (by the Queens Head .. those shops are still there I see). In the days of the gollywogs on Robersons jam - the lady assistant in the shop gave me all the gollys from all their jars so I could send off for a badge. Made my day never forgot it (early 60's).
 
Hello Stephen
I see you are a ex-avery apprentice as I am. How many of old Avery people look at this forum?
I was at Averys from 1940 to 1992
Regards
John Hughes
 
HI JOHN
Just been reading your thread about averys and asking how many avery workers read or on our great forum
well; I am one i used to work in he electro plating department along side my uncle billy smart whom was the caretaker at the church down lodge rd
just yards from the devonshire arms pub and it was him he got me the job at averys before that i was in the painting dept painting the scales
we both worked there for years until he died also i noticed your surname is hughes ;
well my great grand mother was mary ann hughes; so she was a hughes as well ; but i do not surpose we are from the family tree
but i never knew any think about her back ground as to yet i have only recently been sent a couple of pics of her ;
but any way i thought i wpould just let you know i am another avery worker ;take care best wishes astonian;;
 
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