The Acorn,Garrison lane area

[brummie nick]

Someone mentioned living between the Garrison pub and the school,

 

[Junie]

Brummie Nick

Not me, I lived in Artillery Street.

Thank you, a lovely photograph, but it has the wrong caption. The Garrison Pub is in Garrison Lane/corner of Witton Street. Witton Street is running off to the right of the photograph.

Junie

 

[brummie nick]

Junie, I realize the caption is wrong, but couldn't remove it from the picture.

 

[jansumner]

Thank you so much for that photo Nick! I lived in the shop between the garrison pub and the school - mid 50's til early 70's I was about 3yrs old when we moved there,

 

[Shelagh]

Hi folks,
Haven't been able tp get on for a while but i remember someone saying they lived?worked in the cafe in watery lane,does anyone remember who it was, only I went to the Library in town today to get a newpaper article about my Grandmother who "died in the canal"and the cafe owner found her,is this just a coincidence or was it the same family???

Shelagh

 

[lencops]

Did you see this article in the Birmingham Mail, i have posted before that i worked at the Garrison Lane Post office factory starting 1943, i worked on the frames, also metal panels, and insulated connection boards and we were told they were for Army walkie- talkie radios, now it seems they were for the Colossus computer. Len.

 

[Reddi]

Both my wife and I used to live in the area (during the 50s early 60s), I lived in Gordon St, she lived in Artillery St. We both went to Garrison Lane Infants school. Tilton Rd Junior school and then we had to split, me to St Andrews (Ada Rd) boys and her to Tilton Rd girls.
We got married at St Andrews church and the reception was at the Hen & Chickens pub.
My father drank at the Garrison Tavern and the Acorn was where us kids went to get a jug of beer at the outdoor. For the grownups not us.
I must admit the park across from the Garrison was simply known as the rec. never heard it called itchicoo. What memories!

 

[Millie]

Reading through everybody's comments has brought back some memories for me. My gran's family lived in a cottage on the site of where Garrison Lane bandstand used to be - I think it was in Witton Road then. She was born in 1900. As a girl, she used to ride around in a little horse drawn gig & I think her dad had a shop. Obviously that was before it became a park - perhaps the war or something demolished the houses. Anyway, later they moved further up Garrison Lane, opposite the Holmes. My granded apparently worked at the Simplex electrical factory, somewhere by Garrison Lane/Artillery St.? - does anybody remember it? The boys all went to ADa Road School or Tilton Girls - my mom & her brothers, and me & my lot. We lived in Tilton Road. I went there a few weeks ago, & the Royal George is still there on the corner of Tilton Rd & Garrison Lane - they're doing it up (thankfully not demolishing it!) & building an hotel extension. Inside its still lovely & has all the old fittings - worth a visit if you know the area. I remember playing outside, with a bottle of pop,while my dad & his mates had a drink & played dominoes. On Saturdays, with the football crowd, the place was always heaving & we could make a few pennes "minding" the cars (or bikes) . Most of the area has been redeveloped now, the school is a mosque, I think - but the Holmes look really nice - very smart. All new houses around Tilton Rd area. The snooker hall, up Bordesley Green, is still there - don't know if its still open or used, but the building was there last time I went.

 

[Phil]

I know its some time since this request for a photo of the Acorn Garrison Lane was made but I have only just came across this photo in a totally unrelated book. It has has brought back many happy memories of playing cards in the bar on Saturday mornings once a fortnight with my brother in law and a couple of mates in the early 70's.

Phil

 

[col h]

Hi Harvey,
do you remember the billiard hall at the top,could be on Bordesley green and there was a bomb site next door,do you know what was there before it was bombed
Shelagh:sleepy:

On the left would have been the Elite picture house, not bombed, demolished in the 60s . on the right was the entrance to the little tip, not sure if there was ever a building there.

 

[jansumner]

On the left would have been the Elite picture house, not bombed, demolished in the 60s . on the right was the entrance to the little tip, not sure if there was ever a building there.

Was that up by Raggie Allens???

 

[col h]

No, Raggy Allens was in Garrison Lane, more or less opposite Camp St. By one of the entrances to the big tip.

The Snooker hall was on Bordesley Green, about half a mile further up on the same side.

 

[harley]

ha ha re itchycoo park ,someone told me this years ago, and i thought it was called that ever since ,how bizare,obviously a faces fan . well you live an learn .

 

[deanovilla]

Shelagh
l think the cafe you wanted to know about may have been the High Stool cafe , l used it quite alot and my first pint (l was 14) was in the pub called the Anchor and it was right next to the canal . then you had Warne Wrights and Keeley park opposite , hope this helps , Deano

 

[Phil]

The High Stool café, not sure where this one came from but I know it was a recent acquisition.

Phil

 

[harley]

high stool cafe ,went in there a few times for sandwiches to take out, but cant remember there names ,

 

[deanovilla]

Hi Harley. the lad who used to run it was named Steve , his mom and dad also worked there and his sister sometimes helped out , a friend of mine seen him a few weeks ago and he has'nt changed much , where did you live , lm from ada rd and a lot of my mates lived on watery lane .

 

[Shelagh]

Thanks for the photo ,Phil,not been on for a while ,is the other street ,Barford street? it's all so very different and so hard to recognise places.Went to look for where I thought it had once stood and found new apartments where Barford street was,walked through and found back end of Barford street,so disorienting.
regards,Shelagh

 

[Maria Magenta]

Great photos of the shops, thank you. We lived in Park Villas, Witton Street, opposite the park, and my first school was Garrison Lane School. Is one of the shops Mrs Stora's (Storah's)? It was a kind of sweet shop, I think, but you could also buy sachets of medicated shampoo there! The butcher's had sawdust on the floor, and a bull's head on one of the walls.

We used to buy penny (1d) bars of Cadbury's chocolate from René's, and all our fruit and vegetables from Harry Hunt. My father worked at Shakespeare's for years, but I don't ever remember him saying that it was bombed; I must ask my mother about it when I see her. Before she was married she used to live in Gordon Street, and her house was bombed during the war.

We spent a lot of time in the park, which had swings, two probably quite dangerous roundabouts, and a rocking horse with space for several children on it. I remember the fairs as well, but not in great detail.

Maria

 

[Maria Magenta]

Meant to add to my previous post that dad did speak about fire watching at Shakespeare's during the war before he went into the army, and also that Mary Glastonbury, whose parents owned or ran The Garrison, was a friend of mine at Tilton Road Juniors.
Maria