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Stechford - The Village

No didn't know they lodged players down there, it was mid 80's i lived there, but my wife is in contact with someone who still lives there, Dadd is his surname, and he has lived there for maybe 40 years now. A guy at work lived on Westacre Garden, just past the Yardley Arms, and he remembers Blues players that lived up there, that would have been maybe late 70's early 80's. Couldn't see them living in either locations these days!
 
dwilly said:
No didn't know they lodged players down there, it was mid 80's i lived there, but my wife is in contact with someone who still lives there, Dadd is his surname, and he has lived there for maybe 40 years now. A guy at work lived on Westacre Garden, just past the Yardley Arms, and he remembers Blues players that lived up there, that would have been maybe late 70's early 80's. Couldn't see them living in either locations these days!
Click to expand...

Blimey I went to school with a guy called Dadd, but I can't remember his first name. That was 1947 -1953! The Terry Hennessey days were circa 1959-60! Nowadays even a modest player could buy the whole of Stechford with a fortnight's wages...
 
Might well be the same one, believe he and his family have lived in or around Stechford for a number of years, so if not him might be one of his family members,
 
Once again, many thanks, Dennis; you have excelled yourself this time.
What great pictures of Corpus Christi Church.
My knees ache just thinking of the hours I spent in there as a girl, kneeling on the hard benches; it was freezing in there in the winter.
As for the rest of the photos, a real treasure trove, I feel like I have had a tour around old Stechford - marvellous!
 
I'd still like to keep this thread going, it's been too good to stop now, so...
Another view of Albert Road, one we have all become familiar with, I know, though I think it's interesting that this old picture has been entitled 'Market Place'.
Any ideas what the two men on the right are pushing along? Even at a close zoom I can't see clearly.
 
batmadviv said:
Hi Dennis,

re the Richmond

Do you remember Ray Parfitt or George Walker? Dad used to talk about them along with your dad.

batmadviv
Click to expand...

Played briefly with Ray when he came along to Birmingham City Offical which was on Sedgemere Road, big guy!
 
Angela K said:
I'd still like to keep this thread going, it's been too good to stop now, so...
Another view of Albert Road, one we have all become familiar with, I know, though I think it's interesting that this old picture has been entitled 'Market Place'.
Any ideas what the two men on the right are pushing along? Even at a close zoom I can't see clearly.
Click to expand...

Could it be one of those knife sharpening contraptions?
 
OK, to keep things moving Vivvy, here are a few from my collection. First is Dad & Mom in the Richmond ( Assembly room) with Harry Romney and Hilda ( Albert Rd just up from the Deerings) either side and Uncle Bob on their left. Saturday night ritual in the 50s. Then Bowls Club photo (Yew Tree 1976) featuring your brother with big beard and outrageous cheque jacket back row extreme left.
 
Dennis Williams said:
OK, to keep things moving Vivvy, here are a few from my collection. First is Dad & Mom in the Richmond ( Assembly room) with Harry Romney and Hilda ( Albert Rd just up from the Deerings) either side and Uncle Bob on their left. Saturday night ritual in the 50s. Then Bowls Club photo (Yew Tree 1976) featuring your brother with big beard and outrageous cheque jacket back row extreme left.
Click to expand...

Yes, thanks Dennis. That is my brother indeed. I'm so glad we don't look alike!

I notice how smart everyone on the other picture was. Ordinary working class people used to make an effort when they went out even to the local. How times change.
 
dwilly said:
Played briefly with Ray when he came along to Birmingham City Offical which was on Sedgemere Road, big guy!
Click to expand...

He was a policeman and ended up as an Inspector I think. He used to call in at the Richmond on his way home. He lived near Hay Mills nick at the time which is a pub now.
 
Does anyone remember Bradbury's the haberdashery shop - opposite side of the road to Deerings. I can remember my mother shopping there - it was quite upmarket (as was Stechford village itself!). The shop fittings would be worth a fortune now, they were 'good wood' as my mum would say, solid oak drawers all with glass inserts and printed labels. One drawer for gloves, one for scarves etc etc. You could buy anything there. Dorothy Bradbury, daughter of the owners, took over when her parents retired/died but can't remember the date. When I was first married (1965) and still living in Stechfordused to shop at the general store (name escapes me) - last shop after Deerings going towards the church. The till was about 100 years old then and really ornate. The village is looking very sad these days, many shops turned into houses which look pretty awful.
 
I agree it looks sad along by the shops, so many have either closed or become neglected. In the sixties and early seventies, when I lived there, it was a thriving and bustling area.
I certainly remember the haberdashery shop and the huge variety of goods they sold. I used to love all those little glass-fronted drawers. I recall my mother buying all manner of things from there - buttons and zips, stockings and underwear, embroidery silks and many other items. As a child I was fascinated by it all.
I don't remember the name Dorothy Bradbury though.
 
I agree that Stechford village was a lovely place to live. The general shop was called Oakley's, run by a husband and wife team. In the second half of the 1960s a shoe shop run by Tony Bowers opened near Oakley's. I cannot remember if it was in Burrows' grocery shop or not. It may have been nearer the pharmacy. Burrows' was next to the greengrocer's which was next to the gully.

Bradbury's was a gem. Thanks for reminding me of the name. Another good shop of a similar type was Sylvia Hood on Station Road, almost opposite the swimming baths.
 
When I first started work on the railway at Tyseley the shop over the road was run by someone called Oakley, they used to cure their own hams, was a right grumpy bloke but happy to take your money in exchange for his cheese and ham cobs! Wonder if there was any connection with the Oakley who ran the shop in Stechford? From what i remember it was a general food store but with a counter and everything on shelves behind, cobs made on a big wooden chopping board, butter sliced off and just about spread on fresh crusty cobs, thick slice of ham sliced off the ham on the bone behind him, blimey mouth watering now remembering his cobs!
 
Hi All, have been tidying in mom and dads loft and came across these postcards of Corpus Christi - not sure of the dates - but dad remembers it like this when he was an altar boy. Sorry haven't got nay newer ones for comparisonthough.
Dads family were devout Catholics although his dad was not quite so devout, preferring to spend time in the Richmond with the shop-keepers, Mr Smith the greengrocer, Mr Hunt the shoe mender and Mr Spann the sweetshop owner!
The group picture we think is of members of the church, my great aunts are on the back row and dad says the man in shorts on the left as you lookat the photo is Tom Cheshire who ran the Scout group.
We have also found photos of Fr Norman Davitt who was a missionary who looked ,like Jesus, I remembr thinkiing Jesus had come to visit when he came to my Great Aunts house. Dad was friends with his brother Gerard, they played football together.
Hope they might bring back memories for some of you,
Sue
 
Have now found a history of the church, written by Fr Corcoran, telling all about its original site purchase, then the latter one and the re building after the fire in 1959.
Also Lyn, found loads of family photos and weddings from the late 50's which I think are mom and dads friends, mostly in black and white, mom now needs to label them all!!! Problem is, the ironing is still waiting and the washing up.......................
Sue
 
Thanks for sharing the photos of Corpus Christi church, it is great to see it in such close detail.
I remember Father Corcoran very well, he seemed quite scary to me when I was a child.
I went to Corpus Christi school next door to it and the headmaster there, Mr Conklin, was always pretty scary too!
 
Hi
This is one of Albert Road Stechford.




Image5_Albert_Road_Stechford.jpg



Regards Stars
 
Thanks for sharing a great shot of Albert Road.
It was taken just a few years before I lived in Stechford but very much as I remember it, especially the greengrocer at the top of the alleyway.
 
Thanks for the memory of Albert Road. It looks like that in my mind's eye. The lady outside the greengrocer's next to Burrow's grocery shop looks like my grandmother - but a lot of ladies looked like that. Incidentally, the baker and his wife at Holtom's were called Mr and Mrs Hall.
 
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