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Soho Road Handsworth

I wonder sometimes if those of us who may not see 60 again might just look at the past through rose-tinted spectacles. When I was a nipper, Witton Road was our local 'high street', and I loved it, even though many of the properties and some of the shops were run-down even then. But you could buy whatever you wanted somewhere along Witton Road, which you certainly can't do now. My late mother was born just off Witton Road in 1911, and she used to say how bad Witton Road had become in the 1950's compared with 25 years before. I suppose at best it's an organic thing - nothing stays the same for ever, which is probably just as well, and I guess that universal car-ownership, supermarkets and online shopping have had a far greater effect on communities than we ever imagined. But who can live without cars and supermarkets and computers these days? As my wife says, she wouldn't want to be walking to the corner shop every day, as her mother had to, because we didn't have a fridge - and that's how it used to be. Much better to drive to Tesco's or wherever, and load the boot with enough grub and drink to last a week. Isn't it...?

G
 
Sue, I lived in Dawson Road during the war years,there where no bomb buildings in Dawson Road but there was a bomb site in Baker Street which is off Dawson Road I also used to play there too, I am sure this is where you mean.
We did not see any danger but thinking back the place was an accident waiting to happen,we also "played" on the bombed buildings on the main road they where even worse and Douglas Road,I can remeber grown ups saying "STOP IT OR YOU WILL GET YOUSELF KILLED" can't tell kids anything can you.
 
As kids, we used to call this patch of land (which you could tell at one stage had had buildings on it) the bombed buildings. This was around 1964. I think for us kids it was just a figure of speech. It was on Dawson Road, near to Lindwood Road (end), and there was another Road running at the side of it houses in it.
 
SueB58 said:
Hi Big Gee

I don't know about the technical college. Tried to look on the net, but all a bit confusing. There is a Handsworth College in the Library building. That building used to be the Council House didn't it - looking at the old photos on this site.

I wish I could remember where you worked. I can remember the chemist that had the weighing sales (human ones) outside. Did you work by there?

Union Row is still there. When I went to Handsworth in March, I went to look for it as I aimed for Grove Lane. It still looked like an alley, as I did not venture up it. For some reason I was reluctant to. There is a temple place on the corner, but cannot remember what was there before. It's awful really, as I knew it changed, but I could not remember why.

Do you remember (as you walk along Grove Lane just down from Union Row- on the same side), there used to be a double frontage shop (Brown), which sold bread, sweets and Icecream. Always went there on Sundays to pick up the block of icecream for after Sunday dinner - with the peaches if we were being extravagant. Next to the Grammer school, do you remember the little pub - my sisters friend Angela lived there.

Then further down opposite the Grammer School was a set of houses (Grove gardens or something), that is still there and the houses still look good.

I also walked along Dawson Road up to Lindwood as I was looking for what we used to call the 'Bombed buildings' the site on Dawson Road that we used to play on as kids. That has been developed. Going passed my old school - I couldn't believe I used to be so little. What was a big playground, looks so small.

I don't remember an Indian restaurant way back then. Perhaps in those days, if you did not go to them, you were oblivious to them.

Then I walked back onto the Soho Road and up to the top of Rookery Road, the coach place (that used to be flights) is still there, the co-op building (by Murdoch Road), that was a lovely building up stairs - the wood, and the glass - were I had my dancing lesson - must be listed - what do you think?

It's changed so much - character has gone. I will go back armed with camera the next time, and try and gets some proper shots of areas that have been mentioned on this site.

Sue
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Sue the pub you mention was the "Woodbine, and before the Temple in Union Row there used to be a Methodist Church, which I attended from about 1948,it was taken over by an Indian religious group and the old church burnt down.
 
I can't imagine the current generation being able to reminisce (can never spell that word), the way we are able to - we are the lucky ones...
 
Quote: Sue the pub you mention was the "Woodbine, and before the Temple in Union Row there used to be a Methodist Church, which I attended from about 1948,it was taken over by an Indian religious group and the old church burnt down.



I remember now Alan.
Thank you for that...
Sue
 
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SueB58 said:
I can't imagine the current generation being able to reminisce (can never spell that word), the way we are able to - we are the lucky ones...
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We are indeed Sue, very lucky to be in the generation or era where we can can treasure what has gone before. I would hate to be a 20-something now in 40 years time looking back to this decade. But then you need anappreciative ability to realise what you are missing.....
 
Sue, I lived on the corner of Linwood (not Lindwood) and Dawson for four years from 1960 to 1964 - I don't remember any bombed areas there, but Baker Street was another story from memory. In Dawson Road there were some terraces at right angles to the road which is the bit I think has been developed. The house I lived in which was a shop, has been demolished, I wish I knew why, it's the only one in the road that has gone.
 
hi all
been a long time since i was on here last but i thought i would pop in and have a nosey round and came across the soho road thread and oh how it bought back some happy memorys.

As some of you may know i was born and bought up on the handsworth new road in winson green during the 1970's.
Every saturday morning my mother would drag me and my sister up the soho road to do the weekly shopping.
There used to be a kwick save supermarket i think about half way up where we did our shopping and if my memory serve me right there used to be a big woolworths where if we had been good my mother bought us a pick a mix to share between us.

My father used to go to rookery road junior infants school i say used to go but nine times out of ten he would wag school and hoped the wag man didnt catch up with him
I know my father was born in loveday street and at the time of his first marriage lived in mostyn road but during the ww2 he was evacuated to wales and i noticed in the early part of the thread that rookery road was bombed
so im not sure if he lived in rookery after he was moved from loveday street and them moved to mostyn road road after being bombed
unfortunatly i cannot ask him as he is no longer with us.

i did go and visit soho road last year after 30 years of living in tamworth and was surprised to see how much and how little it has changed
the road is still the same but the shops have changed

thankyou for a great thread it has bought back so many happy memorys
 
Three weeks ago my husband and I visited Handsworth for the first time in years; Soho Road was his backyard when he was growing up and he knew every inch of it.
There were some places he remembered very well but many parts of it were unrecognisable. Sadly, the same can be said of most 'High Streets' across the country nowadays.
Some have become run-down with half the shops standing empty while others have got rid of everything familiar and become anonymous. My nearest small town has gone all upmarket and 'trendy' with overpriced clothes shops, ridiculously expensive coffee bars and costly car parking charges.

Perhaps in years to come the teenagers of today will be looking back at MacDonalds, Starbucks and Topshop and thinking what a shame they disappeared forever - we can but hope so!
 
Angela K said:
Three weeks ago my husband and I visited Handsworth for the first time in years; Soho Road was his backyard when he was growing up and he knew every inch of it.
There were some places he remembered very well but many parts of it were unrecognisable. Sadly, the same can be said of most 'High Streets' across the country nowadays.
Some have become run-down with half the shops standing empty while others have got rid of everything familiar and become anonymous. My nearest small town has gone all upmarket and 'trendy' with overpriced clothes shops, ridiculously expensive coffee bars and costly car parking charges.

Perhaps in years to come the teenagers of today will be looking back at MacDonalds, Starbucks and Topshop and thinking what a shame they disappeared forever - we can but hope so!
Click to expand...
Angela, Please don't start me off how Handsworth used to be and how it is now.
 
Shortie said:
Sue, I lived on the corner of Linwood (not Lindwood) and Dawson for four years from 1960 to 1964 - I don't remember any bombed areas there, but Baker Street was another story from memory. In Dawson Road there were some terraces at right angles to the road which is the bit I think has been developed. The house I lived in which was a shop, has been demolished, I wish I knew why, it's the only one in the road that has gone.
Click to expand...

I have seen the site that it was on when I was up that way in March. I assumed 1964. It may have been afterwards. Did you remember the lady who had a daughter called Ruth who was slightly disabled. The lady used to look after Canon Hill Memorial Baptist church. It was opposite there. 'Bombed' buildings is just a term. I will liaise with my sister and put it to Face Book if need be...
 
Sue I think it was afterwards, because a company was resident there for a short while after we left, it may have been Doorwingear, but not exactly sure. I had a feeling it was 1971 when the demolition took place but why I think that I have not got a clue. Sorry I don't remember anyone with a disabled daughter. I do remember a chap called Dave Plumb, and another girl called Janice who had reddish hair (might have been coloured, everyone was trying it out then with Polycolour). A lovely girl called Jenny who lived in Chantry Road who married a chap called Roy. Stephen Eagle and David Sparrow (or Sparrie) were two I knew who lived in Whately or Dawson I think. That's all I can remember - four years is not a long time.
 
Shortie said:
Sue I think it was afterwards, because a company was resident there for a short while after we left, it may have been Doorwingear, but not exactly sure. I had a feeling it was 1971 when the demolition took place but why I think that I have not got a clue. Sorry I don't remember anyone with a disabled daughter. I do remember a chap called Dave Plumb, and another girl called Janice who had reddish hair (might have been coloured, everyone was trying it out then with Polycolour). A lovely girl called Jenny who lived in Chantry Road who married a chap called Roy. Stephen Eagle and David Sparrow (or Sparrie) were two I knew who lived in Whately or Dawson I think. That's all I can remember - four years is not a long time.
Click to expand...

I was definately at Junior School, by 1971 I was 2 years into Secondary School. It was the time of plastic skirts and long plastic boots that did up with laces, because at the time, although this fashion was for the grown ups (Twiggies), we wore them. My friends (The Browns, Hinds' (Steel Pulse band), and Ewbanks) lived on Linwood Road and invariably played locally. So for them it was just round the corner or just across the Road into Dawson. But on the way from Grove Junior school we would stop off at this site, I can see it now, it was derelict land with different mounds of earth and bricks and odd sofas and weeds and appeared massive at the time - but quite small now. So looking from Linwood into Dawson, past this square of demolished land was a road with terrace houses on the side hat had not been demolished an Irish Family (Sean the son was at our school - his hair was so blonde it was practically white) lived there - amongst others. That's all I can remember. So if you remember plastics skirts and lace up red and black plastic boots, that was the era.
Sue
 
Well Sue, I had long boots myself, white shiny ones, but by 1971 I was 24 and shortly to move out of Birmingham to Tamworth. You are obviously much younger than me, but then most people are, so it seems!

I agree the site of the shop does seem small, but it was a large house. Three rooms, a large hall, and a scullery downstairs and six bedrooms if you count those in the 'attic' although they had proper windows, albeit dormer. The bathroom which did not exist originally was at the end of the landing and was quite awful. Had it been my house I would have made sure the bathroom was placed elsewhere, the landing needed the light. I would love a house like that if it was in a desirable area, it would suit me down to the ground, although two sets of stairs to clean might put me off! The house had a large cellar too. When I am next in the library I shall make enquiries as to when and why it was demolished - it will all be there, as permission would have to be sought to demolish as it was not detatched.
 
I have emailed my mate in America to see if she can remember the site. Although I think she went straight home after school. I won't know now until tomorrow.
Sue
 
Had occasion to day to drive from the New Inns (which i think is now flats) to Kenrick Way which I haven't done for a few years. I realise that this is Holyhead Road but it is a continuation of the Soho Road. I thought it was interesting to look at some of the old buldings even if they are showing signs of age and neglect. As I tell people if I am leading a walk, always look up above the shopfronts.
 
Hi Sue - been out all day so just catching up on emails. I will be interested to hear what she says. you thought it was 1964 when the house was demolished - we were living in it until late August 1964 so I can positively say we did have a roof over our heads, so if it was demolished it was late 1964. I am sure it was quite a bit later than that because another company went in there after we moved out, although I don't know how long they were there for.
 
I am not sure Big Gee, because although supermarkets and car's brought convenience, I think that's all they brought. Community was gone when the relationship between customer and shop keeper was lost. Personally, I enjoyed walking my babies to the shops in their prams every day. It didn't seem any bother to go and buy fresh bread, meat and groceries to me. I had a fridge and a car at this time, but still preferred my walk, which seemed a healthy choice for both myself and the children. These days children are carted around in cars everywhere, is that such a good idea? I remember going with my step mother shopping either on the flat or in Icknield St, and when we went to the butcher he would say 'Hello Dinah, what it to be this week, a nice bit of beef with eyes to see you through the week'. Now where would you make relationships with people like that today? When you get to the checkout at a supermarket, there is no time for a chat because the person behind in the queue is always getting restless to be served and move on. I don't really think it's looking at the past with rose coloured specs. People were generally happier in those days. Today, we seem to have everything and nothing. I do agree that things have to move on, but everything that changes is not always for the better.
 
HI GRAH ;
I have just been reading some of the threads and i have just read one about your late mother inlaw on witton rd ;
in her early years of her life it was a slow pace of life and yes there was a community of familys and of whole rake oflocal shops
that qiute rightly you saidyou could get all your means needed that you needed it catuerd for all your needs from the circle and up to six ways island with out crossing over to lozells rd ; and you had plenty of corner shops and the pubs and a snooker hallif you can recall as i do ;
this being before the fifties in the early fifties the shops and the area started to decline and the community started to break down ;
and deteriated very rapid ; i am said to say i started on lichfield rd a very busy aND LIVELY COMMUTITY we had all the shops we wanted
we did not need the cars and no super markets afew years down the line we moved to victoria rd very close to the old six ways island
we used to used witton rd shops ut still went back to lichfield rd afte a period the rot of witton rd when down vey fast and people was moving on
selling up and moving away ; thats in the mid fifties and some shops layed empty for donkeys yonks
but lichfield never let any body down as regards yourshopping alway buzzingsix days aweek ;
i can under stand your late mothers comments as she was correct and so was maria ;
but i do not like the idea you have to drive to the super markets of today but we are forced to do to do your weekly shopping for aweek ;
but in time to come we are getting the big hypo markets just like the americans ; i have heard the other day at the old car works
of longbridge opersite that rubbish dezign of a colledge wich is already up and running the blue corner looks like a front of a ship
and most of all that gold colour bulding next to it looks disgusting ; quite sickly i personaly think ;
but on the other side of the traffic lights ther at longbridge i beleive its sainburys are building one of those giant hypo markests
which most of us people always thought that given time and this talk was around the late fifties and sixties that we will have what theyanks have got ;
and slowly but sure we are slowly becoming americanise way of thinking; we started to change our schools to accadimedys and
and now they are trying to break down the house of parliments and they are trying to do away with royalitys
laugh you may . but it will not be in our time in a generationor two yes they want a president ;
just like changeing boundrys now and creating indivisual lord mayors of the counties and then folowed by each county own police force and then the bounty
hunters tracking the crimimas ; yes our way of life is changing very rapid and we are becoming poorer by the day and years because all these big super markets are taking away our small but veryhandy shps where you got the personal servive not like these super markets treat you as a numbe and no yes thank you for your servicelike of yester years ; astonian ;
 
Hi Maggs,

I agree with what you say. The "isn't it...?" at the end of my post was ironic. All I was implying was that we look back to our past as 'the good old days', but I wonder in fact if they really were as good as we remember them. But my wife says, that so long as the memory is good, that's all that really matters. There are still one or two 'traditional' shops around and about, and we use them when we can.

G
 
Hi Alan,

totally agree. We lived for a few years in the USA, returning to Blighty in 1980. The local 'shops' where we lived was a huge shopping-mall, consisting of ice-cream parlours, shoe-shops, clothes-shops, drug-stores, and a massive hyper-market. Note all the 'shops' in the plural - there were 4 shoe-shops in that Mall, all selling the same stuff at about the same price. The hyper-market wasn't too bad once we got used to it - at least all the check-outs were staffed, and there were kids to pack your stuff into those stupid American brown-paper bags with no carrying-handles, that burst open half-way back to the car. But it's how it was, and you either accepted it or went hungry. The only alternative we found was to drive about 40 miles to a small town where there was still a genuine, traditional grocery-store. Lovely shop, very polite staff, but the prices compared with the hyper-market were astronomical.

What I really miss are shops like the old George Mason grocers, where they provided chairs for aching feet, and wrapped each purchase individually. The only problem was that it sometimes took for ever to get served, even if you only wanted a packet of tea. I can remember my mother would look into George Mason's on Witton Road, and if there were more than say half a dozen customers in there she'd come back later. And the manager didn't like kids....

Still, what the hell - these days I regard each time I wake up in the morning as a bonus!

All the best,

Graham
 
Yes Big Gee, I did notice your 'isn't it' at the end of your thread, which why I replied with my thoughts. Our memories are a mixture of the good bits and the bad, because of course no one would want to live in some of those awful slum areas anymore, it's just the warmth and friendliness has disappeared with them. Things seem too antiseptic these days, as though the pendulum, as always, has swung too far. We were at the shops yesterday, and one of them had posters just about covering every window saying 'Closing Out'. So I went in to ask what they mean't, thinking that perhaps they were closing down. They said it means we are getting rid of the summer items, so that the new autumn stock can come in, and that Closing Out was the American way of saying 'Summer Sale'. I was left in utter disgust that we can no longer even speak English. They remarked that endless people had called in and asked if the shop was closing down. I sometimes think we are going mad in this country.
 
What a good retort you give Big Gee when they ask in the shop of you are 'Alright there'. Whilst I was in this particular shop yesterday, I spotted an elderly man struggling to find his size in some trousers, because the sale tickets had been stuck over the sizes, so I offered to help him, it took quite a while lifiting the stickers to find what he wanted, all this time an assistant was watching right next to us, and not once did she offer to come and assist this kindly old gent. After reading 'Closing Out' and seeing the lack of respect for a struggling customer, I've vowed never to use this shop again. Incidentally it's one of a chain of shops in this area.

Glad you were astonished too Shortie. English is a lovely language, and what a shame we are losing it to Americanism.
 
Things change over time ~ some good, some not so good.

But what I really like are the memories shared on this thread ~ takes me straight back there in my head.

Places go up and down, we've seen the buildings we liked and loved change for better, worse and back again.
But as long as the memories are there and we share them ~ thats all we really need.
 
I remember Handsworth Market.
I remember the fruit and Veg at the front as you went in (lots of the King Edwards potatoes).
My friend Pete used to work on there.

Also the Toy stall half way up on the left hand side.

And the (jewish man ?) selling cotton etc on the right hand side opposite.

There used to be an Army and Navy type section at the top as I remember.
 
Stephen0002002 said:
Things change over time ~ some good, some not so good.

But what I really like are the memories shared on this thread ~ takes me straight back there in my head.

Places go up and down, we've seen the buildings we liked and loved change for better, worse and back again.
But as long as the memories are there and we share them ~ thats all we really need.
Click to expand...

Well put Stephen. They can't take our memories away and I have some great ones of Handsworth.

Judy
 
Stephen0002002 said:
I remember Handsworth Market.
I remember the fruit and Veg at the front as you went in (lots of the King Edwards potatoes).
My friend Pete used to work on there.

Also the Toy stall half way up on the left hand side.

And the (jewish man ?) selling cotton etc on the right hand side opposite.

There used to be an Army and Navy type section at the top as I remember.
Click to expand...

I remember the market, though I didn't go in very often.
I seem to have a vague recollection that there was a record stall in there? Maybe Reggae?
 
Shortie said:
Sue I think it was afterwards, because a company was resident there for a short while after we left, it may have been Doorwingear, but not exactly sure. I had a feeling it was 1971 when the demolition took place but why I think that I have not got a clue. Sorry I don't remember anyone with a disabled daughter. I do remember a chap called Dave Plumb, and another girl called Janice who had reddish hair (might have been coloured, everyone was trying it out then with Polycolour). A lovely girl called Jenny who lived in Chantry Road who married a chap called Roy. Stephen Eagle and David Sparrow (or Sparrie) were two I knew who lived in Whately or Dawson I think. That's all I can remember - four years is not a long time.
Click to expand...

The Websters.
 
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