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Tower blocks Perry Barr demolition.

Di.Poppitt said:
I think Enid Goodwins was along that stretch of Perry Barr. Thank goodness those tower blocks are gone, that bit of Birchfield Road is confusing to drive along, especially if you want to turn right to go along the Broadway. Maybe they will sort that out with the new buildings going up. The underpass as you say Graham is an eyesore.
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I lived in Livingstone Road (which was in between the tower blocks on Birchfield Road) around 1962 when I was in my young teens and the Enid Goodwin dancing Club was exactly opposite to my house. It was a great move from Hockley as we had an indoor toilet apposed to an outside one shared between 2 families and my brother each had a bedroom and we all had a bathroom to share instead of a tin bath in front of the fire. My Mum had a kitchen instead of a larder cupboard to cook in and we had a back garden instead of a back to back house (look it up!)
It was good times for all of us in a very safe area with many friendly families and friends who lived in the tower blocks and nearby with the allotments around the back.
So to those who say thank goodness that it as all gone, I trust you can say that you are in a happier place than we were at the time.
Guess you will be pleased that the underpass is currently being removed also (2021)
 
TowerStreetBrummie said:
I lived in Livingstone Road (which was in between the tower blocks on Birchfield Road) around 1962 when I was in my young teens and the Enid Goodwin dancing Club was exactly opposite to my house. It was a great move from Hockley as we had an indoor toilet apposed to an outside one shared between 2 families and my brother each had a bedroom and we all had a bathroom to share instead of a tin bath in front of the fire. My Mum had a kitchen instead of a larder cupboard to cook in and we had a back garden instead of a back to back house (look it up!)
It was good times for all of us in a very safe area with many friendly families and friends who lived in the tower blocks and nearby with the allotments around the back.
So to those who say thank goodness that it as all gone, I trust you can say that you are in a happier place than we were at the time.
Guess you will be pleased that the underpass is currently being removed also (2021)
Click to expand...
I was very interested to read your post because I don't live in Birmingham any more so I didn't know the tower blocks were being demolished. When we used to get the bus out of town towards Perry Barr, my mother always used to point out the solitary tree that had been in the garden of my grandmother's Victorian house. This was number 22 Birchfield Road and it was outside one of the tower blocks. I recently made contact with a long-lost cousin who spent the first few years of her life in that house and I would love to show her where it was but I'm not sure I'll be able to find it now.
Can anyone help identify the tower block?
 
JOHC said:
I was very interested to read your post because I don't live in Birmingham any more so I didn't know the tower blocks were being demolished. When we used to get the bus out of town towards Perry Barr, my mother always used to point out the solitary tree that had been in the garden of my grandmother's Victorian house. This was number 22 Birchfield Road and it was outside one of the tower blocks. I recently made contact with a long-lost cousin who spent the first few years of her life in that house and I would love to show her where it was but I'm not sure I'll be able to find it now.
Can anyone help identify the tower block?
Click to expand...
I remember the tower block flats, there is another thread on Birchfield Road and I see that one of our members @Banjo once lived at 28 Birchfield Road - perhaps he can help?
 
JOHC said:
I was very interested to read your post because I don't live in Birmingham any more so I didn't know the tower blocks were being demolished. When we used to get the bus out of town towards Perry Barr, my mother always used to point out the solitary tree that had been in the garden of my grandmother's Victorian house. This was number 22 Birchfield Road and it was outside one of the tower blocks. I recently made contact with a long-lost cousin who spent the first few years of her life in that house and I would love to show her where it was but I'm not sure I'll be able to find it now.
Can anyone help identify the tower block?
Click to expand...
I replied to the message JOHC sent me and put him on to "Birchfield Road Perry Barr" thread (page 36). I also add this 2001 Google Earth photo of the area he talks about which shows the tower block.

Google Earth 2001.jpg
 
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Big Gee said:
I think Byrons Cafe was in the block where Lloyds Bank used to be. My mother and I would pop in when we got off the bus from town. She fancied the bloke who owned it!

Big Gee
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Yes, and one of my families shops C Southwick & sons electrical shop on the corner of the Broadway
 
I remember Byron's very well, used to love their 'lucky dip' barrel, and bought all my Jublies , kayli and Lucky Bags from there.:) I lived in the maisonettes opposite Calder Tower.
We moved there in the autumn of 1960 and the first block of flats, Tweed Tower, had just started to be built. I remember all three going up; Tweed was followed by Birchfield (the one in the middle) and finally Calder.
The only tree I can really remember by the flats was in the playground between Birchfield and Calder Towers, we tied a rope swing to it for a while.
 
Catherine Crawley said:
I remember Byron's very well, used to love their 'lucky dip' barrel, and bought all my Jublies , kayli and Lucky Bags from there.:) I lived in the maisonettes opposite Calder Tower.
We moved there in the autumn of 1960 and the first block of flats, Tweed Tower, had just started to be built. I remember all three going up; Tweed was followed by Birchfield (the one in the middle) and finally Calder.
The only tree I can really remember by the flats was in the playground between Birchfield and Calder Towers, we tied a rope swing to it for a while.
Click to expand...
Byron's made the best bacon sandwich's ever, he delivered them yo our Electrical shop.
 
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