The Girl From Guildford Street

[gina]

This is my book, published by Brewin Books under the name Grace Caroline Holte. You can request it from Birmingham Libraries. All proceeds from my book go to charity, and it is on Amazon and Abe Books. I travel round libraries doing free talks. It is about growing up in the Back to Backs of Aston, 1957 - 1968.

 

[Astoness]

thanks gina i shall ordering a copy of your book...i was born off guildford st in my nans back to back at 4/12 paddington st which as you know is off guildford ..my nan stayed in paddington st until they threw her out owing to demo...good luck with the sales

lyn

 

[gina]

thanks gina i shall ordering a copy of your book...i was born off guildford st in my nans back to back at 4/12 paddington st which as you know is off guildford ..my nan stayed in paddington st until they threw her out owing to demo...good luck with the sales

lyn

The proceeds are not big from local history, Astoness, so they are going to charity, at present Breast Cancer UK. https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/directory_record/121935/gina_maddison This is my contact for free talks around the book. It is on Abe Books and Amazon, but you can request it from the library. I have a special The Girl from Guildford St fb page on which /ipost details of talks; the next free one is The Hub, Nechells, Weds Sept 12th, 11.30, and I will put them in the Events section. I lived at no 37, and my nan was in 2 at the back. We were there 1957 - 1968 x

 

[Astoness]

yes gina best to post about your talks on the events section of the forum and that charity is a very good cause and we need people like you to help keep the history of birmingham alive...there is a very good chance that your nan and my nan knew each other especially as no 37 was at the lower end of guildford st as was paddington st..nan was there from at least 1911 until as i said demo late 60s

lyn

 

[gina]

yes gina best to post about your talks on the events section of the forum...there is a very good chance that your nan and my nan knew each other especially as no 37 was at the lower end of guildford st as was paddington st..nan was there from at least 1911 until as i said demo late 60s

lyn

lyn

My nan was there from 1930 till they moved her out in 1968. Yes, they probably did. Did she shop at Rudhalls?

 

[Astoness]

gina i cant say about rudhalls but im sure she used to get her jugs of ale from the outdoor on the corner of paddington and guildford st..i was only about 5 when we left nans due to overcrowding so that would be about 58/59 there is a photo of the outdoor and many other photos of guildford st that i have posted on the guildford st thread which i take it you have seen

lyn

 

[gina]

Yes, I love that thread. I have just started sorting out Mom's old photos, she died a year ago, so I will post some photos in that thread x

 

[Astoness]

sorry to hear about the loss of your mom gina...will look forward with interest to seeing your photos on the guildford st thread as i am sure a lot of other members will...thank you

lyn

 

[gina]

All proceeds from the Girl from Guildford St sold in December will go to the Salvation Army Homeless at Christmas Fund, in thanks for the times I stood outside Rackhams, listening to them playing Christmas carols.
http://https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Guildford-Street-Birmingham-1957-1968/dp/1858585791/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=/the_girl_from_guildford_street

 

[gina]

Thanks to everyone who bought The Girl from Guildford St in 2018; the proceeds enabled me to make donations to the birmingham dogs home, Cancer Reaseach UK, and Homeless at Christmas. these charities all kindly sent me a diary, so I am taking bookings for 2019; here is the link to contact details. All talks are free, with a charity collection. Merry Christmas, Brummies!


https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/directory_record/121935/gina_maddison

 

[farmerdave]

Hello Gina. Just to say that I have completed the reading of "The Girl from Guildford Street". I enjoyed it very much and it is written with such great feeling and sensitivity. It looks as if you had very loving and caring parents who were as proud of you as you are of them. Glad that you felt you had a very happy childhood despite some of the adversities you encountered. Dave.

 

[gina]

Hello Gina. Just to say that I have completed the reading of "The Girl from Guildford Street". I enjoyed it very much and it is written with such great feeling and sensitivity. It looks as if you had very loving and caring parents who were as proud of you as you are of them. Glad that you felt you had a very happy childhood despite some of the adversities you encountered. Dave.

Hello Dave, what a really kind thing to say! Thank you so much! I did indeed write it by heart, as a memorial to my parents, but is is also a love letter to the City of Birmingham and all her people. If you can come to a talk, you are very welcome!!

 

[JohnGriff]

dear gina,,,,your book is not in the library system i just tried to reserve it,,,,i have tried three times, warm regards ,,,jg,,,,,

 

[gina]

dear gina,,,,your book is not in the library system i just tried to reserve it,,,,i have tried three times, warm regards ,,,jg,,,,,

Sorry to hear this!

I have just done a search and there are 24 copies.
The catalogue is confusing.
Go ionto the online catalogue

Home | Birmingham Libraries

At Birmingham Libraries you can borrow our newest books and magazines, download electronic content including eBooks, audiobooks and magazines, and attend a wide variety of interesting events. All for free. So go online or visit us at our website now.

birmingham.spydus.co.uk

Where it says search by keyword, put in Grace Holte (it does not find the word St)
This will take you to the record for the book

Search results | Birmingham Libraries

birmingham.spydus.co.uk

Now click on the title, and it takes you to a pop up message saying place reservation
Click on this and you go to the log in.

Alternatively, just pop into any Birmingham library and reserve! I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Sylv]

Hi Gina
I have just recently received your book when you attended my husbands stroke club in northfield and he brought me a copy. I love reading it, it brings back so many memories as I was brought up in Clifton Road Aston and remember all the places you’ve mentioned, do you remember Davies’s shop? It was towards six ways and had loads of little shops all linked together with brown leather type floors and could walk all the way through and was so slippy? Thank you for bringing back so many memories
Sylv

 

[gina]

Hello Sylv, and thanks so much for getting in touch. It means a lot to me when people like my book as I wrote it by heart! I remember all the little shops at Six Ways including Davies's, and a second hand shop called Lil's! But my favourite shop was The House that Jack Built. I am talking about my book at Great Barr Library this Thursday 19/12. I have got a family saga called Tales of Guildford St coming out at Easter, and I'll be coming to Stroke Club to talk about it, I hope you would be able to come - it is about a family in Aston in the 1960s xx

 

[Sylv]

Hello Sylv, and thanks so much for getting in touch. It means a lot to me when people like my book as I wrote it by heart! I remember all the little shops at Six Ways including Davies's, and a second hand shop called Lil's! But my favourite shop was The House that Jack Built. I am talking about my book at Great Barr Library this Thursday 19/12. I have got a family saga called Tales of Guildford St coming out at Easter, and I'll be coming to Stroke Club to talk about it, I hope you would be able to come - it is about a family in Aston in the 1960s xx

Hi Gina
I loved the house that jack built....
I’ll look forward to reading that book too
I hope to be able to come next time, I’ll have to see if I have a Wednesday off from work.
Regards
Sylvia

 

[gina]

Hi Gina
I loved the house that jack built....
I’ll look forward to reading that book too
I hope to be able to come next time, I’ll have to see if I have a Wednesday off from work.
Regards
Sylvia

I look forward to seeing you, but if you let me know who your husband is, I'll send a copy of Tales of Guildford St home with him xx

 

[Astoness]

hi sylv and gina....can either of you remember what davies shop sold and what was the entrance like to it?...also was it on the same side as the bartons arms but just a little further up? going towards 6 ways...


sylv the brown leather type floors are interesting and also you mentioned it was linked together with other shops which i find fascinating...just trying to work out if it was the same shop that i used to use....it was a long time ago

lyn

 

[Sylv]

I look forward to seeing you, but if you let me know who your husband is, I'll send a copy of Tales of Guildford St home with him xx

Hi Gina
My husband is called Alan Lee or Alan1 as they call him as there are two Alan’s at northfield stroke club.
I would love to have a copy of your new book it’s lovely to read and have happy memories of those days, HP sauce and Ansells brewery. I went to Upper Thomas Street school and our playground was sandwiched between the two.
regards
Sylv

 

[gina]

Hi Sylv! I shall be at the Stroke club on Weds 8th July to talk about my new book, a family saga called Tales of Guildford St - here is the cover. Gina xx

 

[adap2it]

Just received my copy of THE GIRL FROM GUILDFORD ST. I'm not a reader but I did feel the need to check this out. Although we are a generation apart, we still shared a similar growth environment that didn't change much until the 70's. I lived quite close to you...Paddington St, just over halfway down on the right, if you are coming from Guildford St
Dave A

 

[Dave P]

This is my book, published by Brewin Books under the name Grace Caroline Holte. You can request it from Birmingham Libraries. All proceeds from my book go to charity, and it is on Amazon and Abe Books. I travel round libraries doing free talks. It is about growing up in the Back to Backs of Aston, 1957 - 1968.

Hi Gina, hope you are well. Don't go on here very often so only just seen this. Just ordered your book, it should bring back loads of memories. Stay safe. Dave.

20/04/20 Hi Gina, your book arrived today and typical of me, even 50+ years on, I read it from start to finish in one sitting. Bought back loads of memories that I had long forgotten of the street, William Cowper St school and Lozells. Thank you. Best wishes, serious David!

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Just finished reading Tales from Guildford Street by Emelia Williams (Gina). A terrific read for someone who lived over the road from her and was friends with her next-door neighbours.

Amazing amount of unexpected memory triggers; Castle Vale – as a student I worked there in my holidays when it was being built; having a tonsillitis operation; eleven plus (one of the main character passed and went to Handsworth Girls Grammar, I went to Handsworth Boys); Sunday School in Geach Street (and the superintendent); the Sound of Music at the Gaumont; discounts on cars from the Austin, Cadbury’s; Crocodile Works; Windrush ( I had a friend who played saxophone and came over with his fmily); and so on.

It gives a clear picture of the life of ordinary people at that time which often seems to be forgotten when peoples talk about baby boomers, etc.,

Thank you Gina

 

[gina]

Just received my copy of THE GIRL FROM GUILDFORD ST. I'm not a reader but I did feel the need to check this out. Although we are a generation apart, we still shared a similar growth environment that didn't change much until the 70's. I lived quite close to you...Paddington St, just over halfway down on the right, if you are coming from Guildford St
Dave A

Hello Dave, and thanks you so much for your kind remarks!!! I am sorry not to have replied erlier but I have been in hospital with the coronavirus, which is the first time I have been in hospital since I had my tonsils out in Birmingham Children's when I was seven!! I do rmember Paddington St and often drive that way on my visits to Witton Cemetery. Here is my new book, which is a family saga of life in th Back to Backs of Lozells, and you would probably recognise many places in it! Best wishes

 

[gina]

Hi Gina, hope you are well. Don't go on here very often so only just seen this. Just ordered your book, it should bring back loads of memories. Stay safe. Dave.

20/04/20 Hi Gina, your book arrived today and typical of me, even 50+ years on, I read it from start to finish in one sitting. Bought back loads of memories that I had long forgotten of the street, William Cowper St school and Lozells. Thank you. Best wishes, serious David!

Hello Dave, it was lovely to hear from yu. This is my new book, which is dedicated to the children and staff at William Cowper, 1961 - 1968. You would probably remember many people in it!

 

[gina]

Just finished reading Tales from Guildford Street by Emelia Williams (Gina). A terrific read for someone who lived over the road from her and was friends with her next-door neighbours.

Amazing amount of unexpected memory triggers; Castle Vale – as a student I worked there in my holidays when it was being built; having a tonsillitis operation; eleven plus (one of the main character passed and went to Handsworth Girls Grammar, I went to Handsworth Boys); Sunday School in Geach Street (and the superintendent); the Sound of Music at the Gaumont; discounts on cars from the Austin, Cadbury’s; Crocodile Works; Windrush ( I had a friend who played saxophone and came over with his fmily); and so on.

It gives a clear picture of the life of ordinary people at that time which often seems to be forgotten when peoples talk about baby boomers, etc.,

Thank you Gina

Michael, thank you so much for yur kind remarks. I am sorry not to have replied earlier, but I have been in hospital with the coronavirus, which is th first time I have been in hospital since I had my tonsils out aged 7 in Birmingham Children's!!

We do seem to have a lot of shared memories. When I retired, I looked around to find a book which had memories of a 1960s working class childhood in Birmingham. I found none, so I decided to write my own. It is of course a love letter to the City of Birmingham and her people.

I am writing a sequel, about living on the Newtown Estate in the 1970s, and events such as the bombings. It is called A Grammar School Girl.

This is my ne book, which is a family saga (fiction) of life in the Lozells Back to Backs, written under the name Emila Wiliams

Very best wishes from a fellow Brummie!!!

 

[farmerdave]

Hi Gina. Hope you are recovering from what must be a scary experience. Best wishes. Dave.

 

[gina]

Just received my copy of THE GIRL FROM GUILDFORD ST. I'm not a reader but I did feel the need to check this out. Although we are a generation apart, we still shared a similar growth environment that didn't change much until the 70's. I lived quite close to you...Paddington St, just over halfway down on the right, if you are coming from Guildford St
Dave A

Hello Gina. Just to say that I have completed the reading of "The Girl from Guildford Street". I enjoyed it very much and it is written with such great feeling and sensitivity. It looks as if you had very loving and caring parents who were as proud of you as you are of them. Glad that you felt you had a very happy childhood despite some of the adversities you encountered. Dave.

Thank you very much for your kind wishes - I was 2 weels on th CV ward, but you just go from day to day and never really think about dying. Although some people in the ward did. A sad experience. I am enjoying convalescing at home though, and am re-reading Tales of Guildford St, and thinking about Birmingham's old hospitals! Best wishes.

 

[gina]

Hi Gina. Hope you are recovering from what must be a scary experience. Best wishes. Dave.

Hello Dave - you just went from day to day, so it wasn't that scary - some people did die on the ward though. A very sad experience. Used to lie thinking how different it was from the hospitals and illnesses of my childhood ...