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The retreat...aston

aston lad said:
.....the Archives in Birmingham new Library, but I was there myself Thursday just gone looking through the medical records of Highcroft Hospital...
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Hi Aston Lad - sorry about late response, but I have just seen this - my mom (now 84) would be very interested to learn more about her late dad (Martin Brislin of Parliament St.) who was in Highcroft, (we think due to continued effects of shellshock from serving in WW1 and at The Somme), from (maybe?) the 50's to his death in 1965.
I would be really interested too, as there's nothing online that I can find that is helpful.
I realise this is off-topic so I may copy it to a thread on Highcroft, but just wanted to ask what is available at the B'ham Libary in the way of Highcroft records.
I have difficulty getting places because of health issues so it would be helpful to know if it would be worth it.
Thanks so much.
 
Hi Lyn, those photos do raise vague memories in my mind, as being near the bomb peck in the Retreat which I, and friends, used to play on. We left in mid '69 so the dates fit too.
 
sylviasayers said:
Phil, sorry but you are wrong Upper Sutton Street started across the road from Park Lane, with The Eagle pub on the right hand side and Robbo's Cafe on the left. Sutton Street ran from Park Lane, bent left and went down to Aston Road.

Brenda you are right about the Welfare Centre in Sutton Street, I used to take Michael there to be weighed when he was a baby. Our doctor was Dr. Fitzgerald, later on Dr. Duncan, then a Dr. Smith, then Dr. Murtaza? There was another doctor on the corner of Sutton/Thomas Street, these were all very big detached houses and would have been occupied by well to do people in their heyday. I don't remember a piano teacher though, I was never musical and couldn't even sing in tune, Miss Prescott at Burlington Street humilated me in front of the class, and told me just to mouth the words, and I was never chosen to sing at the Town Hall, with the rest of my friends!
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Sylvia

I have only just come across this reply to my earlier post because of Mazbeth bringing the thread to the top of the pile. I'm sorry if my post was misleading but I've had a look at map, note where the red X is placed isn't this where I said the photo was taken from. Admittedly I misnamed the street as Upper Thomas Street and Upper Sutton St instead of just Sutton St and Thomas St but not being my area and doing it just from memory I thought it possible to work out where I meant. After all I mentioned that it was a view across Aston Rd North and neither of the Upper Street do that.
 

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Hi Maz.......The records are closed for at least 100 years, therefore you need to have permission to view them which I had to, it would be best to contact the library by phone, email or visit, myself I would visit and speak to one of the assistants there, it is a bit of a mine field to be honest to sort out what records you would want to view, I failed in my attempt to find the person I was looking for, It is always worth it when you are trying to find out information about ones family......sorry I cannot be more helpful....cheers John

maz_beth said:
Hi Aston Lad - sorry about late response, but I have just seen this - my mom (now 84) would be very interested to learn more about her late dad (Martin Brislin of Parliament St.) who was in Highcroft, (we think due to continued effects of shellshock from serving in WW1 and at The Somme), from (maybe?) the 50's to his death in 1965.
I would be really interested too, as there's nothing online that I can find that is helpful.
I realise this is off-topic so I may copy it to a thread on Highcroft, but just wanted to ask what is available at the B'ham Libary in the way of Highcroft records.
I have difficulty getting places because of health issues so it would be helpful to know if it would be worth it.
Thanks so much.
Click to expand...
 
Number 1 The Retreat is Stafford House 1a is Sleaford House used as a boarding house for artisans
 
Maz_beth, I've been trying to view records for an in-patient at Highcroft from the 1940's but with no success. I think it's even more difficult now that Highcroft has been turned into apartments. Where are the records kept I wonder? Ironically, I found it easier to look at coroner's records for a suicide at around the same time.
 
Taken from Britain From Above 1938.....the Retreat is around midway on the right of the photograph, the large houses in the foreground are on Wilkinson Street, the next street is Clarendon Street and if you follow the line back towards Parklane you will see Neals shoe repairers, on the wall next to Neals is the Policeman with the big feet

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What I remember about the Retreat was that it quite a hilly area, and maybe a dead end street. I recall the very steep grassy section, which was used mainly by young lovers.
Dave A
 
I'm trying to work out the locations of the few images we have of The Retreat (Aston). Aston lad posted an aerial view in post #70, unfortunately the houses on the right are at the limit of the original image and not shown. The Retreat has changed little between 1889 and 1950 (maps attached), I'm struggling to find what houses the pictures we have relate to, any help would be appreciated. Images are on post #4 and #53. What becomes obvious from the 1950 map is that there are 4 houses at the end of Wilkinson Street which are classed as The Retreat (Nos. 16-22).

EDIT: On the 1911 census Nos. 16-22 are classed as Wilkinson Street, this is the first street I have ever come across with even numbered houses on both sides of the road.
 

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The only photo's I have ever seen are the even numbers, most of odd numbers wasn't there when I was a kid growing up just around the corner, bombed during the war,
 
aston lad said:
The only photo's I have ever seen are the even numbers, most of odd numbers wasn't there when I was a kid growing up just around the corner, bombed during the war,
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I believe that the grassy hilly area I referred to in post #71, was probably a peck.
Dave A
 
Yes I used to play on the bomb peck too, we called it The Retreat but more likely it was Wilkinson Street, I'm sure the bomb peck was on the right at the top Upper Webster Street. My memory for things 65 years ago fails me a bit now.
 
The main peck was between Wilkinson Street and Philip Street, the houses on the even side on The Retreat was also a bomb peck...the only building on that side of the road was two small car garages, one of them belong to a neighbour of ours Howard Faulkner ....he use to bring his car out once a week just to wash it, Morris Minor light blue if my memory serves me correct..Going back to the The Retreat , it had some great hiding places to hide in.
 
aston lad said:
The main peck was between Wilkinson Street and Philip Street, the houses on the even side on The Retreat was also a bomb peck...the only building on that side of the road was two small car garages, one of them belong to a neighbour of ours Howard Faulkner ....he use to bring his car out once a week just to wash it, Morris Minor light blue if my memory serves me correct..Going back to the The Retreat , it had some great hiding places to hide in.
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that peck was better than any park.all you neaded was a cooker lid, or a old tin bath. and you had a great slide. i still have a huge scar on my 6 lol. any one remember bryants taking over the peck for there compound when they repaird the sewer in aston brook st.1960s
 
aston lad said:
Taken from Britain From Above 1938.....the Retreat is around midway on the right of the photograph, the large houses in the foreground are on Wilkinson Street, the next street is Clarendon Street and if you follow the line back towards Parklane you will see Neals shoe repairers, on the wall next to Neals is the Policeman with the big feet

View attachment 115056
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Aston Lad, who or what was the Policeman with the big feet please?
 
What Brenda said is quite correct, It was still there when I left in 1969, and it was probably pulled down with the rest of that area around 1970-1972ish, It was a land mark for those travelling on the number 8 bus ( inner circle )
 
Thank you both. Just asked my husband if he remembered the policeman (he lived in Upper Sutton Street until he was 7) and he said that he did - it was next to Bertha's coal yard.
 
Well it was almost....a few yards before you got to Bertha's.....it was facing the street I was born and bred in Clarendon Street.
 
The Retreat and Sutton Street must have been such a classy area to live in the late 1800s. Just looking at the size and quality of the properties plus the amazing gardens. Sleaford House (looks like Stafford House on the map), Bishop Ryder Vicarage and garden, Manor House (fountain at the front and massive gardens to the rear) and the enormous houses leading from The Retreat (with large gardens and even a fountain). I find it hard to believe that we lived less than 500m away and had to share a toilet between 4 families. Difficult to understand why some of these couldn't have been saved.
 

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well i never john..first time i have seen a map of the retreat and what was close by...thing is almost everywhere was at one time full of grand houses and gardens...ive studied villa st where i grew up and the surrounding streets for 12 years now and am amazed at what was there at one time i have folders full of research...if only i could be transported back just for one day with a camera to hand :)

lyn
 
Astoness said:
well i never john..first time i have seen a map of the retreat and what was close by...thing is almost everywhere was at one time full of grand houses and gardens...ive studied villa st where i grew up and the surrounding streets for 12 years now and am amazed at what was there at one time i have folders full of research...if only i could be transported back just for one day with a camera to hand :)

lyn
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But would 1 day be enough ? Most of the properties survived until at least 1950 except for the Manor House and Malthouse, I will have to do some research on those, it's amazing there are no photographs of such substantial properties.
 

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brummy-lad said:
But would 1 day be enough ? Most of the properties survived until at least 1950 except for the Manor House and Malthouse, I will have to do some research on those, it's amazing there are no photographs of such substantial properties.
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lol john no 1 day would not be enough but i would still be grateful for it...i would run around with my camera none stop...i wonder if the library have any photos of the manor house...i will add that to my ever growing list for when i can get there

lyn
 
The voters list of 1960 gives the Whillock family living at No. 9, the lady in the doorway with the stylish 60s hairdo looks to be about 18 years old, she could well be the grand-daughter of William & Alice Whillock who was born in 1950 (name withheld for privacy). The old metal car rotting away on the garden would be worth some money now irrespective of the condition. I wonder what the significance of the word 'SIDE' is which is written next to the drainpipe.
 

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mikejee said:
This has been on the forum, but probably lost. it is of The Retreat off Sutton St

retreat_off_sutton_st.jpg
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I have been unable to find the location for this photo, it doesn't look like The Retreat as I remember it but having said that at various times Wilkinson Street has been included as part of The Retreat and I don't remember Wilkinson Street that well. I can find no reference to Landsdowne Place in or near The Retreat. There are several Landsdowne Places in Birmingham e.g. Long Street (Sparkbrook), New Street (Aston), Peel Street (Winson Green) and in Lawley. Any help would be appreciated.
 
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