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The Number 39

C

christopher short

Birmingham Post
Can you bus experts out there help me. I have had a couple of sleepless nights trying to recall the route of this service and where it turned around in town. I know it's rather sad but as a kid it was cheaper to walk "up the Witton" to catch the 39 than it was to get the 5 or 5A at the bottom of our road.
I recall it left from a stop just outside what used to be the Witton tramsheds and along Aston Lane, after that my mind's blank but I recall it passing the Law Courts maybe, towards the end of its inward journey.
It saved me tuppence each way. Save me from insomnia !
 
Chris I thought the 39 went from the Witton up Park road and into town. I used to catch it every day and there was a 39A too. Jean.
 
So did I Jean for a few years. Outer Circle 11 from Marsh Hill to Witton Circle, get off by the newsagents in Aston Lane cross over to Engineering Works. There was a Bundy Clock by the bus stop and the 39 wouldn't leave for several minutes at times. I was often later than I should have been going into town to school on Corporation Street and much angst was experienced when the buses sat there. So along Witton Lane past Aston Church and the beautiful entrance to Aston Park. Then a swing right up the hill on Park Road. Then down the hill to Six Ways, Aston passing Ansells Brewery and all the interesting buildings along Aston Road North.
Going along to Dartmouth Street and passing by Midland Counties Dairy then passing Moland Street on the right where you could see the Esterbrook Pen Company. Past the Wholesale Grocers Brown, Hopwood and Gilbert on the right and up to the Main Fire Station on the left at Lancaster Place. Up Corporation Street and down Bull Street to top of Dale End and High Street. Finally turning up to terminate at Martineau Street. I hope this is correct as it was a very very long time ago when I first took the#39.
 
hi shortie
In the fortys and until the mid fities it topped and terminates in dale end
and it was out side henrys that used to be there
the rest of the route you have been told is correct coming up from witton and out side the aston parish church
directly oppersite the park gates and up the park rd and down passing ansells
and i used to pay 1 penny to get the top of the hill and down to ansells
many times when it was raining in the park i would try and scrounge a penny from a stranger
when i was about ten years old then ; but i do not agree with beggers today myself ;
best wishes aston;;
 
Jennyann that's correct other than I can't remember where it stopped in town before it's return journey. I remember that big clock too. I often caught it outside Aston Church and remember as a child choking on a pear drop while waiting for the bus and mom panicked but her friend tipped me upside down and thumped my back. Jean.
 
Jennyann,

You are right except that the 39 did not cross Six Ways, Aston. It was, in fact, Aston Cross.

Old Boy
 
That's right Old Boy well spotted I thik I speed read that part. When I was very young and mom took me upstairs on the bus I hated coming down Park road hill as it was so steep and I though the bus was going to fall over. Jean.
 
Where was Park Road Jean? I remember going up a hill toward Ansell's along side Aston Park can't remember it being called that.
 
Park road went from Aston Church up the hill to Victoria road and down to Aston Cross Alf unless my memory is playing me tricks. Pete has just seconded that. Used to have to walk to the Hockey pitch in the park from school down part of the road Alf in our short skirts and we hated it. Not the hockey just the embarrassment of the short skirts . I don't think that would apply today would it?. Jean.
 
Thanks Alf for that. We used to walk up Park on our way to Lichfield road to Thompsons the butchers. Mom would stop to let me look at the bottles going round at Ansells and if we were lucky there would be the Coopers in the yard making the barrels. I played her up once and she hid down one of the long entry's in Park road and frightened the life out of me. I still played her up even after that. Jean.
 
I use to take Mom to Thompson's most times when I was home, she used the one in Aston for years then as time went on she used the one in Hawthorne Road Erdington which was about a mile away. Don't ever remember her using another butcher, but it was good stuff they sold
 
That's true Alf. The only other one was on the Witton and I am sure Patty will remember the name. It was called a pork butchers, It was over the road from where the 39 bus stopped. Jean.
 
Yes Alf, Thompson's was a really good butchers and very popular with the locals. My Mom who worked in Aston Brook at one time used to go in there allt he time.

Jean, as far as I remember the No.39 Terminus was in Martineau Street and it reloaded from there and I think it headed down Corporation Street then down to Lancaster Place and back the route that it came from passing the Main Fire Station. I remember Butcher's on
Witton Circle since I used to wait for No.11 going to Marsh Hill many many times and you could see the butchers across the road.
As for the name I can't remember.
 
Will ask Patty as she came out with the name not so long back but I can't remember Jennyann. Jean.
 
Ladies & Gentlemen,

I'm delighted by the response to this thread, isn't it amazing how memories can be triggered by a bus route ! Thank you Jennyann I think you were about right. Did anyone remember that for some reason the number 39's were always older buses unlike the swanky no.11's.
I recall that the butchers was called Windle's. The family that owned the shop lived off Marsh Hill somewhere.
 
Morning Christopher that was another butches and not the one I am thinking of. Noticed Patty is back off holiday so will phone her later. Jean.
 
Thank you Linda I have been through the alphabet countless times. My mom used to buy big pork hocks from there and I think Mr Brown wore a trilby hat?. Jean.
 
I am sure my parents used to call the 39 'The Witton Clipper'

Anyone else heard this

Linda
 
I can't remember that one Linda. It was the quickest route into town I know that. You did get to know the drivers and they were always on time apart from the times when we had the dreaded smogs then I walked home. Jean.
 
I can remember going with Mom to Aston Cross and Town on the 3X Tram and stopping at Aston Church stop and the Conductor shouting out here's were you Marry them & Bury them:coolcheesy:
 
Linda,

Never heard the 39 called The Witton Clipper, but what a wonderfully evocative name.
Did the 39A have a different route ?, does anyone recall.
 
The 39 also brings back some not so happy memories....I suffered from travel sickness when I was young.
Many a time coming back from town we got off any where from Aston Cross onwards (instead of Station Road) because I felt sick!!
Strangley i was having this conversation with my mother last week when I visited her. (She still lives in Witton)
Oh happy memories!!!!!
 
christopher short said:
Linda,

Never heard the 39 called The Witton Clipper, but what a wonderfully evocative name.
Did the 39A have a different route ?, does anyone recall.
Click to expand...

Chis you can find a lot of information on Google if its not on here try our SEARCH BOX first.
 
Alf, Thanks for the info

Linda, Sorry about your travel sickness. In a way I'm not suprised, if we take away the rose tinted specs, on a rainy rush hour morning when the buses were full, there was the smell of diesel fumes, wet clothing , coughs and colds and if you were upstairs there was the fog of tobacco smoke. No wonder you felt unwell.
 
Christopher with reference to 39/39A routes.I think one terminated at Aston parish church and the other at Witton circle.Moss.
 
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