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The Acorn,Garrison lane area

Hello Shelagh

Sorry it has taken so long to reply, but I vaguely remember the name Tennant. I was outside St Andrew's Church as a child collecting confetti off the ground after one of the Tennant girls, I think, got married - this would be in about the mid. forties.

The other names do not mean anything to me. I have a brother who is a little older than I, but I cannot ask him anything as he is very poorly in Heartlands Hospital.

Regarding the lovely photographs, the 'Hen and Chickens' is/was in Lower Dartmouth Street, behind the park. The cottages are in Witton Street at the side of the park leading up to the 'Hen and Chickens'. On the corner of Garrison Lane and Witton Street was a factory named Shakespeares. It was bombed and the whole area was heavily bombed during the air raids. I can remember seeing Shakespeares burning.

June
 
hello Folks
Does anyone know anything about a pub called the Acorn,Garrison Lane/artillary Street area.
Is it still there or has it been bulldozed

Thanks for looking
Shelagh:rolleyes:

Hi all, I lived in the shop next door to the Garrison Tavern (corner of Witton St) our's was a general store (Rene's Stores) the other side of Witton St was Harry Hunt Greengrocer.

I remember the shops Shelagh is referring to there was the fish and chip shop where you could buy a 6 of chips, and the newsagents with toys in the window, and the Phil the Butcher. I lived there mid 50's til early 70's

I also went to St Andrew's Junior School and remember having our sports day at the Blues ground where I won the egg and spoon race:)
 
Have I got my directions all wrong ,I thought Witton street Was on the left going toward Watery lane and on the side of Ichicoo park.is the Garrison now not the same Garrison as years ago( now facing ichicoo park),I think i have got old timers ,cant work out from the messages where anything is, woe is me.
Pom, WAs the street with the dog on the grass (in the photo)Gordon street.?:headhit:
 
Shelagh

See if you can sort yourself out with the aid of this map.

Phil

GarrisonLane.jpg
Lost map replaced
map c1937 showing Garrison Lane.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Shelagh

Witton Street ran from Garrison Street (Wrights Ropes), across Garrison Lane to Lower Dartmouth Street. The Garrison Pub has always been at the same location, near to Garrison Lane School which was my first school, opposite the park. Incidently I have a photograph of my grandfather at the same school in 1895.

The dog is on the apex of Gordon Street/Wolseley Street and Garrison Lane almost opposite Barwell Road which is just off the photograph to the left of the shops.

June
 
Have I got my directions all wrong ,I thought Witton street Was on the left going toward Watery lane and on the side of Ichicoo park.is the Garrison now not the same Garrison as years ago( now facing ichicoo park),I think i have got old timers ,cant work out from the messages where anything is, woe is me.
Pom, WAs the street with the dog on the grass (in the photo)Gordon street.?:headhit:


You're right about Witton St, it ran straight across Garrison Lane, up from Garrison Street where Wrights Ropes was (past the bombing) then continued up past the park. The Garrison pub is the same one.

I wonder if that photo was in Gordon ST? it looks familiar now you mention it, just by the phone box.

jan
 
Shelagh

Witton Street ran from Garrison Street (Wrights Ropes), across Garrison Lane to Lower Dartmouth Street. The Garrison Pub has always been at the same location, near to Garrison Lane School which was my first school, opposite the park. Incidently I have a photograph of my grandfather at the same school in 1895.

The dog is on the apex of Gordon Street/Wolseley Street and Garrison Lane almost opposite Barwell Road which is just off the photograph to the left of the shops.

June

June, We lived in the shop sandwiched between the school and the Garrison pub, I went to the Garrison Lane nursery in the late fifties - hated it!! We left there early seventies.

jan
 
This thread brought back a few memories! My parents lived in the 'Holmes' on Garrison Lane from 1972 until they died (Dad in 87 Mum in 92) I used to be a regular in the Sportsman along with my mate who lived in Barwell Road. We wouldn't drink in the Acorn cos his Dad used it and anyway the lady of the Sportsman (Maggie) had a very attractive daughter!

The Hen and Chickens was one of the very few Davenports pubs in Brum. I remember it as being very much an 'Irish' pub which had entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

I don't recall Garrison park being refered to as 'Itchicoo' park but I do remember it having a fair on it fairly regularly.

The pub nearest the Blues was the King George I believe it used to be packed on match days but I seem to recall it was closed on match days for a while after a fan was killed nearby.
 
It's funny, I lived right opposite the park and yet we never called it Itchicoo either, perhaps it's a very old name?? Yes I remember the fairs being there too, I used to beg my mom to let me go over the fair, it was quite magical at the time, a real highlight - caught many a goldfish at that fair!

Jan
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itchycoo_Park tells the story of the 1967 song by that name, and gives some ideas of how it was coined, including:

"The hairy seeds from the Rose hip (or wild Dog Rose) were called "Itchycoos" by English children in the 1950s, and the term is still used by some elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The seeds could be broken out of the berry and dropped down someone's collar between shirt and back to cause itching."
 
Thanks Lloyd

...........hence the Small Faces Itchicoo Park I suppose!
 
There were lots of different small shops in those days, before supermarkets. Ours was one of many grocers and we did'nt sell fruit and veg, and the greengrocer would'nt sell anything else, you had to go to individual shops, we would'nt tread on anyone elses toes. Now it's a free for all.
 
I grew up in Artillery Street from 1932 until we were bombed out on 17 May 1941. (We then moved to the maisonettes on Coventry Road below the Kingston). As I have already said my first school was Garrison Lane Infants and I remember with fondness Miss Clive who was a wonderful teacher. The park was opposite and in those days had tennis courts and swings, we never knew it as 'Itchicoo' park. In 1939 the air raid shelters were built in the park and every night from the start of the raids, my mother took us four children down into them. The shelters saved our lives, but sadly not that of my father who was killed firewatching.

On the apex of Gordon Street and Wolseley Street, stood an Italian man (I think he was an Italian) and he sold ice cream - lovely Italian ice cream.

Junie
 
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
 
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!
 
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.
 
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
 

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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.
 
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.
 
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