Smethwick

[Hilaryj]

Enjoyed reading your post about Smethwick. I also grew up there and loved shopping in Cape Hill Market and Woolies. Because Brum was only a short bus ride away, I always saw Smethwick as being part of Brum and not really a separate place. That is just my opinion and I expect a lot will disagree. I have some happy memories living there and having fun at the Thimblemill Baths disco. My friend lived in the sweet shop on Waterloo Road and my other friend lived at Bakers Garage. There was also a lady who ran a second hand shop, she was middle aged, blonde and always wore a fur coat. For some reason my nan always called her "Bob's wife". I never found out who Bob was.

Just wondering who your friend was in the sweet shop in Waterloo Street?
Was this the newspaper shop. Proprietors names Barnes?

 

[oldbrit]

It could have been Victoria Park, next to the Council House,that's a big building. Did you cross a road by a Post office and a couple of shops?

What is amazing my Grandad and his brothers lived there and emigrated to the USA My Grandfather did not like the USA and moved back to Cheshire Rd dies with nothing worked at the carriage works, His Brothers that stayed in the USA died very wealthy they started a printing business in the USA

 

[MUZZA Smethwick child]

What is amazing my Grandad and his brothers lived there and emigrated to the USA My Grandfather did not like the USA and moved back to Cheshire Rd dies with nothing worked at the carriage works, His Brothers that stayed in the USA died very wealthy they started a printing business in the USA

My father also worked at the carriage works as a slinger in the yard loading carriages on to flat bed bogies due to different gauge to the british rails destined for abroad.

 

[Johnfromstaffs]

My great uncle, and my uncle were both at the carriage works. I remember my great uncle as reasonably well off, in Victoria Road, but his wife, who was my gran’s sister, was stricken with arthritis, their daughter died shortly after the birth of her daughter and unc had to look after them all, as well as earning his living. He was an absolute hero, I still have a cabinet he made, no doubt the veneers were destined for somebody’s railway carriage!

 

[oldbrit]

My great uncle, and my uncle were both at the carriage works. I remember my great uncle as reasonably well off, in Victoria Road, but his wife, who was my gran’s sister, was stricken with arthritis, their daughter died shortly after the birth of her daughter and unc had to look after them all, as well as earning his living. He was an absolute hero, I still have a cabinet he made, no doubt the veneers were destined for somebody’s railway carriage!

My Grandfather William (Wil) Crump and his deaf mute Brother, Frank Crump, worked there all their lives

 

[MUZZA Smethwick child]

Does anyone remember Glovers sweet shop on the corner of Londonderry Lane and Francis Road, Smethwick, in the 1950s? Known by locals at the time as "Dirty Betty's"

Do you also remember Steans, the shop the other end of the block of shops, The nearest to the Playing fields.

 

[Steve de grey]

hi col...i have that episode of time team on disc...they dug up a friend of mines back garden and patio in south road but drew the line there as the rest of the factory site ran under the living room

lyn

I have a 1797 cartwheel twopence made at soho mint on a machine designed by Mathew Bourton . Weighs 2 Oz solid copper. Only made for 1 yr cos within a year they were worth more in scrap than what you could buy with it. Ps does anyone know where soho mint was

 

[mikejee]

It was at the Soho Manufactory which was where the red marker is on the map

 

[rosie]

Time Team did a programme along time ago about Soho Mint. perhaps it's on the Internet somewhere?

 

[mikejee]

You might find this of interest:
http://sohomint.info/reconstruction.html
It looks like, unless you subscribe to amazon prime, you have to pay to see the Time Team episode

 

[mw0njm.]

 

[rosie]

I passed where the "Puffing Billy" pub used to be in Raglan road, it has burnt down now! It had been empty for a while. The Waterloo is still empty too in a terrible state.
rosie.

 

[paul stacey]

I am really sad to hear that, Rosie , local pubs I visited in my youth seem to all be going, or recycled, this was a great part of the Birmingham culture, of course at 74, I know things change, but still sad they are not part of the community any more. Paul

 

[Johnfromstaffs]

Does anybody remember the builder’s merchant, or builder’s yard in the Uplands Smethwick, that had the row of chimney pots on its front wall? Better still, a picture?

 

[kraggy]

I used to work at a factory in Rolfe Street in 1985 called Midland Injection Moulding / Midland Vaccum Metalisation. I lived in Handsworth and walked from Soho Road all the way up, past a foundry and then onto Rolfe Street.

 

[googoo]

50s BUSES IN SMETHWICK
Does anyone remember the little single decker bus that used to run between Shireland Road, on the boundary with Birmingham, and West Bromwich?
It belonged to West Bromwich Council, I think. It went past Victoria Park, the Council House, up Oldbury Road, over Galton Bridge to W.B. Light blue? Rickety, but nippy.....

the 252 bus

 

[googoo]

Does anyone remember the Radio Rentals control room next to the bus-stop in Waterloo Road, Smethwick? It was the earliest form of cable, I suppose. A bloke sitting on public display, operating the dials, would pump out the programmes for the town.
Other places at the top of Cape Hill - Marsh and Baxters, with sawdust on the floor, Wrensons (posh) and Fosters, or its predecessor, with those wired cash canisters zooming around the ceiling.

its was British relay who did the cable tv I worked there in the late 1960s

 

[Lloyd]

50s BUSES IN SMETHWICK
Does anyone remember the little single decker bus that used to run between Shireland Road, on the boundary with Birmingham, and West Bromwich?
It belonged to West Bromwich Council, I think. It went past Victoria Park, the Council House, up Oldbury Road, over Galton Bridge to W.B. Light blue? Rickety, but nippy.....

Yes, the terminus was outside the next door shop to my Uncle Holly's drapery shop, (his full name was Holford Edison Penfold) and as a youngster I used to watch these two-tone blue, and cream single deckers with a peculiar rear entrance (quite common in Scotland, apparently - so called a Scottish Entrance!).
One is nearing the end of a lengthy restoration by it's enthusiast owners, and should be back on the road later this year.

The finished bus.

 

[paul stacey]

What great pictures, I remember the double blue, double Decker that ran from outside the Snow Hill Station entrance, down Soho Road Handsworth, in the 50's,

 

[Lloyd]

What great pictures, I remember the double blue, double Decker that ran from outside the Snow Hill Station entrance, down Soho Road Handsworth, in the 50's,

One of those survives as well, seen here with a Wolverhampton trolleybus (yes, pollution free since before WW2!) at the Black Country Living Musuem, Dudley.

 

[rosie]

The Pheasant Pub on Abbey Road near Bearwood is due to be demolished next week. Some so-called "renovations" rendered the building unsafe and it will now be destroyed.
rosie.

 

[paul stacey]

Yes they will do anything now rather than save our heritage and history Rosie, so sad, Just seen your pics LLoyd, I do remember them so well going to see my cousins in Handsworth, My dear cousin Pam has just passed away so very poignant. Regards Paul

 

[BiggChris]

What a great thread, came here looking for the Chinese Playground and ended up in the Pheasant. There was a small boxing gym in a wooden shed in rear car park of the Pheasant, run by John if I remember. I used to drink here quite a bit when I was in my early twenties. Mom still lives on Hurst Rd but I made my life in Norfolk. Great memories about the pubs, they would cash your giro in the Brewers, I never even knew what a giro was as I went straight to work at 15, at Wellmans down Cornwall Road. Walked down Stoney Lane, (always got attacked by the geese) to the High St, over to the canal then into work.

 

[rosie]

Hello Chris, they are demolishing the gym at the moment! The Thimblemill is now housing development too. One pub has been turned into a vet's, the Queen's Head. (Near the new Aquatic Centre).
rosie.

 

[Paul.J.T]

The Pheasant Pub on Abbey Road near Bearwood is due to be demolished next week. Some so-called "renovations" rendered the building unsafe and it will now be destroyed.
rosie.

I seem to remember that British Featherweight boxer Pat Cowdell trained there for a while ?

 

[Stokkie]

Hello, I've mostly been posting about my mom's family who lived in Ladywood, but I lived as a child and young adult in Gladys Road, Bearwood, Smethwick, Staffordshire. I was born in St Chads hospital on Hagley Road, and spent the majority of my working life in Birmingham. When I was a child there was a strong sense that Smethwick was not Birmingham, but Bearwood was the posh end of Smethwick and the on the edge of the Black Country which had a very strong distinct identity. I relate now to both Birmingham and the Black Country having roots in both. I live between Bromsgrove and Droitwich now, but there are some old nail shops within walking distance.

I walked up the road to infant school, Bearwood Road. At 11 I went to Uplands Secondary then a year of Holly Lodge.
My parents bought a house with a very long garden with an apple tree at the bottom. Dad died unexpectedly when I was a baby, so I was brought up by mother. Dad had earned good money at Chamberlain & Hookham, cycling there down Hagley Road. But he had not insured his life, so mom was left to pay the mortgage over many years. We were poor, living in a two-up two-down terraced house with coal fires and a single cold water tap. The toilet was outside. There was a bath, but across the end of the kitchen with a gas heated water tank. But this was all I knew, so it was ordinary to me.

Warley Woods was paradise and Lightwoods Park interesting with Shakespeare's garden containing all the plants mentioned in his plays. Before the smokeless zone everywhere was coated in black soot, including Birmingham Town Hall when we travelled there. I caught bronchitis in the snowy winter of 1963. There was a smog which lasted for days.
But I enjoyed my childhood. Mom was a good cook and bought fruit and veg from Dalloways on Bearwood Road. New Zealand butter, cheese and bacon sliced number 6 from Mr Parr's grocer. He would chat to her as she had worked in wholesale grocery and was a foodie, before anyone used the term. Plants and bulbs came from Webbs in Three Shires Oak Road, which I'm delighted to see is still a family firm going strong.

I went to cubs and scouts at St Mary's Bearwood which enabled me to go camping. Bob Baines was the scoutmaster. Until then I had very little experience of boys and men, being brought up by women. Enough for now.

 

[Johnfromstaffs]

Good stuff, mate. I was born in St. Chad’s, and my two brothers, all on the same day! Only me left now.

 

[Richard Dye]

Hello, I've mostly been posting about my mom's family who lived in Ladywood, but I lived as a child and young adult in Gladys Road, Bearwood, Smethwick, Staffordshire. I was born in St Chads hospital on Hagley Road, and spent the majority of my working life in Birmingham. When I was a child there was a strong sense that Smethwick was not Birmingham, but Bearwood was the posh end of Smethwick and the on the edge of the Black Country which had a very strong distinct identity. I relate now to both Birmingham and the Black Country having roots in both. I live between Bromsgrove and Droitwich now, but there are some old nail shops within walking distance.

I walked up the road to infant school, Bearwood Road. At 11 I went to Uplands Secondary then a year of Holly Lodge.
My parents bought a house with a very long garden with an apple tree at the bottom. Dad died unexpectedly when I was a baby, so I was brought up by mother. Dad had earned good money at Chamberlain & Hookham, cycling there down Hagley Road. But he had not insured his life, so mom was left to pay the mortgage over many years. We were poor, living in a two-up two-down terraced house with coal fires and a single cold water tap. The toilet was outside. There was a bath, but across the end of the kitchen with a gas heated water tank. But this was all I knew, so it was ordinary to me.

Warley Woods was paradise and Lightwoods Park interesting with Shakespeare's garden containing all the plants mentioned in his plays. Before the smokeless zone everywhere was coated in black soot, including Birmingham Town Hall when we travelled there. I caught bronchitis in the snowy winter of 1963. There was a smog which lasted for days.
But I enjoyed my childhood. Mom was a good cook and bought fruit and veg from Dalloways on Bearwood Road. New Zealand butter, cheese and bacon sliced number 6 from Mr Parr's grocer. He would chat to her as she had worked in wholesale grocery and was a foodie, before anyone used the term. Plants and bulbs came from Webbs in Three Shires Oak Road, which I'm delighted to see is still a family firm going strong.

I went to cubs and scouts at St Mary's Bearwood which enabled me to go camping. Bob Baines was the scoutmaster. Until then I had very little experience of boys and men, being brought up by women. Enough for now.

A great history Stokkie!

 

[Stokkie]

Good stuff, mate. I was born in St. Chad’s, and my two brothers, all on the same day! Only me left now.

Cheers John! Keep battling on! Being awkward I was Caesarian.

 

[rosie]

Here's an update on The Pheasant pub.

Demolition work on Smethwick pub left unsafe by 'third party works' begins | Express & Star