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Stratford Road

H

history_fan

Brummie babby
Hello,

I'm working on a HLF funded project called My Route and we are looking for any information about the history Stratford Road (Sparkbrook to Hall Green) from the 1940s onwards. The kinds of subjects we will be covering include entertainment e.g. cinemas, pubs, dance halls; shops/businesses/industry; parks; World War II experiences and memories of residents throughout the years.

If anyone can help us with providing information, photos or just taking an interest in the project, we would be very grateful if you could get in touch and reply below.

At the moment we are trying to find out about the army barracks near where Wickes was in Hall Green.

Thank you!
 
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I know that my parents (in their "courting" days) spent many nights dancing at the Cateswell barracks and then walking back home to Shirley as the last bus had gone by the time the dance finished. My Mom is 93 and her memory is not what it was but I will see what she can tell me and try to write it down. Don't think there are any photos though.

Janice
 
Hi

I can't tell you much about Hall Green, other than Cateswell House opposite Cateswell Rd on Stratford Road became a TA barracks for a while.
 
pjmburns said:
I know that my parents (in their "courting" days) spent many nights dancing at the Cateswell barracks and then walking back home to Shirley as the last bus had gone by the time the dance finished. My Mom is 93 and her memory is not what it was but I will see what she can tell me and try to write it down. Don't think there are any photos though.

Janice
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your reply, that would be fantastic if you could! We are very keen to know about the dances and events that happened at the Cateswell barracks.
 
I was brought up in Sparkhill from 1936 until I left in 1958 and so the area you mention was very familiar to me before, during and after the war. I'm just going away for long week-end. Will help all I can next week. Will rack my geriatric brain in between!!!! Shawcross
 
what i can say to you is that the stratford rd from camp hill right through along the stratford road passing the police station
there was loads of pubs and that was an complete Irish comunity and a very good high shoping place for bargains in brum from all those years
and slowly up to thelate sixty -seventy it slowly changed completely and now its a asian comunity that as taken over
and the top end from camp hill to stoney lane was bed sit accomodations with large house and that was another part of the irish comunetity
stratford road was the best part of brum to do you your bargain hunt for any think and there was one or two irish owned tea tooms which serverd
Irish food [ tradional ]well kept and tradionional furnishing inside ;you name it you could get it from wall paper and paints ; clothes and shoes etc
and of course the irish pubs ; great for singing and and music ;and to top it off was the liquid gold guiness best wishes Astonian ;;;;
 
I lived in Sparkhill 1935-1961,Saturday night was always a good night in the 50s at Catswell barracks. Like many of the dance halls at that time the night always ended with a good old rough and tumble. Not to violent but always over a young lady. No drink was served in the dances those days, you had to get a pass out and walk up the road to the Tree Horse Shoes pub.The Picadilly cinema was also a meeting place for the young on a Sunday night. On some special nights dancing was held at the Mermaid pub.Icould name loads of the shops along the Stratford Rd,but the one i used if i could afford it was Eric Willmots the sports shop on the corner of Green Rd just along from the Rialto cinema. You could get the used tennis balls they used at Wimbledon for 6d each. Icould go on but i will close now and see what others come up with but i may be back latter.
 
On a journey from Camp Hill to Hall Green in the 40s if i remember correct these are some of the places you would have passed, there would have been a lot more so i leave them to others. The cafe the bus crews filled thier Billy cans, i think it was called Jones,s???.Vale on Slow with the Black Horse pub on the other corner of Kyotts Lake Rd. Smiths coaches, i can not remember the school opposite. The Angel pub, very popular with the Irish people, many a good scrap there. Stratford RD school, also a good place on Rock and Roll night should you want a fight. Merrick and Heath ,plumbers merchants. At Stoney Lane there was Greens record shop, Dyson Richards funeral directors, Bata shoe shop, Foster Brothers and Gould the tailors opposite the Piccadilly. Up the hill you had The Mermaid ,Shirley and David the hair dressers, and Wrights cake shop. There was Sparkhill Methodist church Sparkhill Commercal school, Woolworths , Essex ironmongers, Westwoods greengrocers,Burtons with the snooker and dance rooms above,The Salvation Army citidal, the Bear pub, Parish and Millard furnishers, and Atwells the grocers, we were rationed there for our groceries in the war.Farther down were English Marters school the baths and St Johns school. Opposite the school there was a medical supply shop and a fish shop. At the bottom of the hill was the park ,the Bear pub, Levins furniture shop , Greens the record shop and across the road was McGaulies cycle shop. Darrells the decorators shop was on the corner of Formans Rd and Poultons the greengrocers on the corner of Oakwood Rd.Further along was Holtoms bread shop and om the other side was a shop that sold items for the garden and pet supplies. the only others i can remember then untill we get to C, the barracks ,ollege Rd School are the post office the school clinic and the Springfield cinama reopened after the bombing in the war.We are now at the College Arms pub after passing the methodist church. Up the hill to the Rialto and Eric Willmots and the Co- Op dairy the barracks the Three Horse Shoes pub and Priory Cycles shop. Further along was the Brittanic Assurence offices and the Bulls Head pub. The last place i can remember from the old times was the Robin Hood Cinama. I know that there were more from the 40s that i have missed , please try and name the ones i have missed.
Ken
 
Corner of Henley Street/Stratford Road was the Shakespear/ Pub. Opposite, corner of Auckland Road/Stratford Road was the Co-Op and hall above it. Corner of Kyotts Lake Road/Stratford Road was the Black Horse. Corner Farm Road/Stratfrod Road was Smiths Imperial Coaches. School opposite was Christ Church School. Corner Main Street/Stratford Road was a bank, and also in that small group of shops was a post office. Corner of Long Street/Stratford Road was, I believe, a S/H car lot. Next to Stratford Road school was St Magdalene Church, on corner of Mole Street. Also a church on the corner of Palmerstone Road/Stratford Road - Christ Church? Burtons, the tailors, with a functions hall above it, was just past the Piccadilly cinema. The Antelope was corner of Baker Street/Stratford Road. The Mermaid Hotel was used for ballroom dancing and private functions. I played in the resident band in the early 50's. On the corner of Walford Road/ Stratford Road was another S/H car lot. The Police station, Library and Baths were on the right before Sparkhill Park. Much more detail of shops and business' in this area can be found in the SHOPS thread on this website. I left Brum over 60 years ago so hope that the above helps, and as far as I can recall, is hopefully accurate.
 
Concentrating on Hall Green Parade on the Stratford Road in the 1950s, there was a Freeman, Hardy and Willis shoe shop, Wrensons general provisions, Mayfair sweet shop, Skidmores the butchers, Wimbushes cakes, Boots the Chemists with an Octagon Library, Cookery Nook café, and a clothes shop which I think was Ewens or McEwens. Plenty of other shops as well, including one that sold replacement radio valves. The short run of shops near the approach to Hall Green Station had the post office, launderette, and Bernard Cooper mens clothes shop (For men who wear good clothes). May think of other shops or establishments in due course.
 
My recollections, such as they are, relate to the ten year period 1944 until 1954. They are from the eyes of what was, at the time, a young boy so the memories are only of prominent or noteable places. They are not strictly in any relevant order of travel.

From Camp Hill travelling south took you beneath the large railway arch (LMS?). Vale-Onslow motor cycles then followed. Smiths Coaches depot, a used car lot (post 1948?). The whole road to Hall Green was populated by many shops with accommodation above. Some were privately own, other areas had major retailers. Bata (shoes) comes to mind near Stoney Lane. Stoney Lane/Formans Road junction ws a busy place. The Inner Circle 8 route crossed here and the Warstock 24 and 13A routes joined Stratford Road. Bus routes to Acocks Green 44/44A and the 30/31A and 32 ran out from the city as far as The Mermaid then followed the Warwick Road. The 37 route ran up to the city boundary; the 29 left Stratford Road turning into Highfield Road, the 29A had already taken a separate route following Springfield Road. The Midland Red had good services:150/153/154/179 and some others on the Warwick Road. A couple of churches, at least, (mentioned in the Forum), The Mermaid Hotel (already mentioned), Sparkhill Baths, a park adjacent to the baths, Rialto Cinema, Spring Road GWR railway station, the very large Fox Hollies roundabout with Co-Operative shops (BCS).
Being young shops were of passing interest but a bakers, opposite the Mermaid Hotel, is remembered : was it Hardings? It had a distinctive Hovis advert on the wall.
During WW2, but I am not sure how frequent this occurred, vehicles were stopped and bus passengers checked and had to show identity cards to the police at the Robin Hood roundabout when entering the city boundary. Once over the city boundary there was a short run of fields until the Solihull district of Shirley was entered.



I remember queuing, at Christmastide, at a Wine and Spirit shop close to the Robin Hood island. Queuing, was of course, a necessity for most housewives, during those difficult times of shortages.
 
Hi Radiorails...many of your recollections of the area are similar to mine...though I must correct one little memory lapse (don't worry, I get'em myself all the time...!). The road almost opposite Stoney Lane where the No.8 'bus route crossed, was Walford Road (home of the Embassy roller skating rink, remember?). Formans Road, with its Lucas factory, which much further along, towards another Lucas factory in Shaftmoor Lane. Memories, eh?


Shawcross.
 
...can't believe how good all your memories are, naming so many shops so I won't attempt to compete. A few recollections, though. I lived a short walk from the Piccadilly cinema when I was a lad during the war years and after. My brother and myself tried to go to every change of film. If it was an 'A' picture, and we were too young to go in on our own, we used to get an adult to 'take us in'. When inside we'd scoot off and sit somewhere else. As a baby-face 14 year old I once tried putting a trilby hat on my head, a white silk scarf draped around my neck and a fag hanging loosely out of my mouth and attempted to pass myself off as being 16. The cashier wasn't having it though. All she saw was a five-foot-nothing,
baby-faced 14 year old looking silly in a trilby hat...

A relative of ours (the Woodcock family) kept the first shop next to Sparkhill park. They sold mirrors and picture frames, that sort of thing. Some sort of device went off nearby during the blitz, I can't remember if it was a bomb, and the blast shattered their shop window and I suppose every piece of glassware in the place. They had to close the business and went to live in nearby Oakwood Road.

In my teens I used to go dancing at the Springfield Ballroom and at Cateswell Barracks. I have also a hazy memory of the terrible cold winter (was it 1946?) when everyone ran out of coal, which was rationed, but there was a wharf or some such on Stratford Road, somewhere near the Robin Hood pub. As kids we helped our mother push an old pram from Ansell Road (between Golden Hillock Road and Barrows Road), fill it with as much coal as we could have (or afford) and push it home, some five miles I guess, on icebound roads and below freezing temperatures just so that we could have a fire. Those were the days, eh?

Talking of the Robin Hood pub, to us and our mum and dad, that was a posh place almost out in the country and with big grounds where parents could take the kids. It was a real treat for Tony, my brother, and I, to be taken on a Saturday evening in the summer to play 'Cowbags and Indybugs' with our toy pistols and with a glass of pop and a packet of Smith's Crisps, (blue bag of salt inside), to refresh ourselves between sorties. Then Mr Hitler decided it would be a good idea to drop bombs on us and our place was right near the BSA, a nightly target for the Luftwaffe...but that's another story....All that area between Camp Hill (where I went to school after Golden Hillock Road) and Sparkhill Park is now known round the world as The Balti Belt, of course. Won't bore you any longer with geriatric ramblings....

Shawcross
 
I lived in Knowle Road, behind the Springfield Cinema and Springfield Ballroom from 1941 to 1950. During most of that time, the Cinema, devoid of its seats, was used for storing white sugar by the Ministry of Food. And Henry Goodall and his Orchestra performed at the Ballroom. I was at College Infants & later Junior School (Headmaster Mr Shakespeare) until 1947 and then moved to Moseley Grammar School (Headmaster Mr Ernest H. Robinson). My "playground" was either the allotments, which ran from Knowle Road to Foremans Road, or the banks of the River Cole from Stratford Road bridge to Green Lane ford, with occasional excursions to either the brickworks in Greet or the aqueduct. We walked pretty well everywhere!

Maurice
 
Astonian said:
what i can say to you is that the stratford rd from camp hill right through along the stratford road passing the police station
there was loads of pubs and that was an complete Irish comunity and a very good high shoping place for bargains in brum from all those years
and slowly up to thelate sixty -seventy it slowly changed completely and now its a asian comunity that as taken over
and the top end from camp hill to stoney lane was bed sit accomodations with large house and that was another part of the irish comunetity
stratford road was the best part of brum to do you your bargain hunt for any think and there was one or two irish owned tea tooms which serverd
Irish food [ tradional ]well kept and tradionional furnishing inside ;you name it you could get it from wall paper and paints ; clothes and shoes etc
and of course the irish pubs ; great for singing and and music ;and to top it off was the liquid gold guiness best wishes Astonian ;;;;
Click to expand...

Can you explain what the irish tea rooms looked like a bit more? They sound fascinating - a shame they have all gone now! Did you have a favourite pub?
 
Fascinating! What type of music did they play at catswell barracks? I know my dad used to dread going to dances until one of his female friends finally taught him some basic moves to the lindy hop, were gentlemen expected to be good dancers or could you get away with the manly sway?
 
That's an impressive memory! Thanks so much for these, it really helps when we have named shops. As we get more information through I'll start posting anything else we find out!!
 
The bands would play quicksteps, fox trots, waltzes, tangos, sambas, rhumbas, beguines, gay gordons,( it meant a different thing in the 1940's ), Military two Step and everyone would join in for the palais glide. If the man could dance well, the girls would say "watch him- he's a smoothly" The best move was to pick out the girl you really fancied, and if you could not dance well, you would pick a nice slow waltz or slow foxtrot, ask her to dance, and chat to her. The main thing was to make sure that you danced with her for the last waltz of the evening, because then it was "now or never" Although I never played at the Springfield Ballroom, I did play at the Mermaid Hotel and Cateswell Barracks with Alf Bevins and his Band, and also at Stoney Lane Barracks with Alf. There were also, in the middle 1940's, dances above Burtons Tailors near the Piccadilly Cinema. In the 1940's and early 50's "jitterbugging and Jiving" were frowned upon by the establishment. Certainly at the Springfield Ballroom. If you tried to do these dances, you were politely told to leave the dance floor. Sorry that I have gone off thread, but I am trying to answer a question.
 
Well what a lot of memories. I was born and bred in Tillingham Street, off Ladypool Road, just before Highgate Road and lived there until 1961 when I took a 10pound cruise to Australia and have been here ever since.
I went to Stratford Road School, first in the Nursery School as Mom was running a works canteen during the war and Dad was in the AFS, fire service.
I then went to Golden Hillock Secondary School before escaping to Handsworth Technical School 1952-1954.
I also attended St. Agatha's Church of England (Next door to the school) for Sunday School, Boy Scouts, Church Lads Brigade, and Youth Club at which I learnt to dance, had some beautiful girl friends.
I worked at a hardware shop at Camphill. Thos Whitecross, whilst waiting National Service call up. I volunteered for 9 years with The Royal Artillery but failed the medical.
I had a part time job at a tailors on Sparkhill whilst at the Tech, after school each weekday and Saturday mornings, I think it must have worked out at about a bit over a shilling per hour. This included serving in the shop, deliverers, and a bit of tidying up and cleaning in the slack times.
I was an ABC Junior at the Piccadilly picture house, played on the bombsites.
Well that's it for now as it's past my dinner time, but will call back if and when I get inspiration.
 
I used to live in Hall Green between 1942 and 1967. I passed the Stratford Road nearly every day, first of all going up Cubley Road to York Road School (headmistress Miss Dunton) and later going along the Stratford Road by bus (32 or 37) to King Edward VI Camp Hill Grammar School. I was at the old school from 1954-1956 before it moved to Kings Heath, where I stayed until 1961. Other contributors have mentioned Eric Willmotts, sports outfitters, on the corner of Cubley Road and Stratford Road. I had to go there prior to starting at Camp Hill in order to get my rugby kit (compulsory to play rugby for the first two years). I have to declare that I hated rugby and therefore used my much better chess-playing skills to try and avoid getting anywhere near the ball. Another shop not yet mentioned was Gilks the men's barber on the rise from the College Arms towards the Rialto. Trips to town would also have course involved going along the Stratford road
 
Bought my 1st Winkle picker shoes from a fashion shoe shop next to the Army & Navy stores on the Sparkhill Hill close to the boarder with Sparkbrook. Every body in those days late 50's bought there football boots from that Army & Navy stores.
Next to Sparkhill Post Office I recall a very trendy coffee bar that used to be a cool place to meet, can't remember the name? They played a lot of USA pop music and danced all round the tables. Remember the girls spinning skirts. Never saw ladies under garments before. Frightening for a young lad like me born 1947.
 
sospiri said:
I lived in Knowle Road, behind the Springfield Cinema and Springfield Ballroom from 1941 to 1950. During most of that time, the Cinema, devoid of its seats, was used for storing white sugar by the Ministry of Food. And Henry Goodall and his Orchestra performed at the Ballroom. I was at College Infants & later Junior School (Headmaster Mr Shakespeare) until 1947 and then moved to Moseley Grammar School (Headmaster Mr Ernest H. Robinson). My "playground" was either the allotments, which ran from Knowle Road to Foremans Road, or the banks of the River Cole from Stratford Road bridge to Green Lane ford, with occasional excursions to either the brickworks in Greet or the aqueduct. We walked pretty well everywhere!

Maurice
Click to expand...

In addition to the above;

I also went to College Road Junior and Infants school and in 1950 the headmaster was a Mr Isaacs. On to Moseley Modern Secondary in 1950 the headmistress was Miss Cohen.

My playground were the same allotments together with the River Cole and the "Tip", a huge dry goods dumping hole which may have been a bomb crater (Guess) where I broke my arm being lowered down by my brother on a piece of string! The tip was behind a huge Lucas factory, goodness knows what was in it.

Regards to Sospiri.

Sparkhill Boy.
 
I lived in Formans Rd and our house backed on to the allotments which backed on to the tip. My dad lived in the house most of his life. He told me many times that when the tip opened they used to bring the rubbish on horse and cart. Many horses were draged down into the hole when the driver was backing them up to tip the load. They were just left at the bottom and covered over with the rubbish. Ihad no reason to disbelieve him.
 
Are you still looking for replies? - as a schoolboy at Moseley Grammar School in the first half of the 1940's i.e. during the war, we often used to wander down to the Stratford Road at lunchtime. I remember Mr. Samway's junk shop (sorry, antiques) a little way along on the left past College Road. Further down was Austins furniture emporium, and opposite was Gaskells Radio (and later, television) shop. In my youth I became great friends with John Austin and John (I think) Gaskell, at first via Hall Green Youth Club, which originally met in a large underground air raid shelter after the war, and later driving to and drinking at all the country pubs down the Stratford Road out in the countryside. I also remember the Midland Counties stables roughly opposite Hall Green station. It comprised a huge yard with stables around three sides, housing the ever patient milkmen's dray horses.

Philm
 
As a very small boy- circa 1950- I can remember donning my brand new green school cap and walking to Hall Green Infants and Junior School. Brooklands Road- School Road- Stratford Road. I was happy to notice that those superb Art Deco Apartments on the left were still there when visiting last year. At the end of the trek a gargantuan (it seemed to me) member of the local Constabulary ushered us across the busy thoroughfare.
 
Sparkhill Boy: Hello there! Many happy days spent playing at the clay pits and by the Cole on both sides of Stratford Road, but I can't remember much about the shops along that stretch of Stratford Road. When I lived there there was a chemists on the corner of Knowle Road & Stratford Road and on the opposite corner a scrap yard that also sold logs with a tall wooden fence. I can't for the life of me remember their names now - the chemist may have been Carter - and the pre-fabs were on the opposite side of Stratford Road. By 1950 we'd moved to Albert Road, Kings Heath. I remember there was a bundy clock for the 1 & 1A service outside the church.

Philm: I would have been in the year above you, having started at MGS in September 1947 in 1d - I was a borderline pass in the 11+ - with Ron "Gunky" Jones as formmaster.

Maurice
 
I was in thr BB at the curch and for some reason we always went into the chemist to get some Horlicks tablets before reporting for parade.The scrap yard was owned by Jacksons, the son was in the BB with myself
 
I remember the BB there, although I was never one for BB, Scouts, etc. Jacksons doesn't ring any special bells, but I can remember the son, maybe a year or two older than myself.

Maurice
 
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