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Hi mike I cannot remember the exact part I notice that my cousin (pamhol) has a thread further back so it would be that the shop was in brasshouse lane and Mike Holland her future husband lived in rolf street, her husbands family were big smethwick people his brother had a scrap yard for years hollands scrap, and his mom had a wholesale food distributors also in rolf street.
thanks paul
 
I pass The Red Cow on my way to work in the building in Middlemore Road where the old locomotives used to be made

Martina x
 
I amy trying to find about my rels, All lived at one time 107 Cheshire Rd, Grandad Will worked at the Brum Carriage works for years, The whole family went to the USA in the early 1900s Grandad came back with his bro a deaf mute who worked with Grandad at the Carriage works, any suggestions how I can out more about them, John Crump Parker Colorado USA
 
My Granparents lived on Cheshire Rd round the corner on the photo to the right, use to walk down to the park on Sundays. Is it still there with the City buildings on the left on the first photo? John Crump OldBrit Parker. Co USA
 
View attachment 68024I have had this photo on the snaps part of Webring to have the place identified. The clever folks on here tell me it is Portland Garage, Corbett St, Smetthwick. We wonder if the occasion was a carnival to celebrate the end of WW!. Any ideas?
 
View attachment 62469Here are a couple of photos to get the ball rolling!View attachment 62468
The first photo I THINK! My Grand parents house was up Cheshire Rd that is the street around the corner on right, On Sundays we all would go walk around and play in The park past the buildings on the left in the photo, Photo must have been taken in late 40s by the car and the tram. John Crump oldBrit in Parker, Colorado USA
 
View attachment 68024I have had this photo on the snaps part of Webring to have the place identified. The clever folks on here tell me it is Portland Garage, Corbett St, Smetthwick. We wonder if the occasion was a carnival to celebrate the end of WW!. Any ideas?
NAW! Thats the movie crew for The Pirates movie on telly to night! John Crump oldBrit, Parker. Co USA
 
smeffik boys like me recall foster bros up cape hill,major nicholls bikes when it was down the grove,the old picture house,cape of good hope dudley arms,engine etc all around cape hill,ionic,mansells,barclays up cape hill on the left by monument rd,the 82 bus to bearwood,when windmill lane had 2 markets,bill and den the seafood men,tandy electricals,lloyds bank on the corner and so on,the real heart of smethwick was cape hill,never mind what anyone else tells ya
 
My project to photograph the listed buildings in Smethwick is nearing completion, with final images to be completed in the next few weeks when the final location has been photographed. Some images are on my site now, and I'm currently preparing for an exhibition and book to be available when complete. Sample pages can be viewed my site and you can register for updates and pre-order a copy too.

https://www.kdharrison.co.uk/photo_8196176.html#photos_id=8196176
 
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.

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
 
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


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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  • Cape Hill 1953..JPG
    Cape Hill 1953..JPG
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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...
 
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