Ward End Park

[Macca]

Here's a couple of PC's I have of Ward End Park, quite early pics but I'm sure they'll stir up a few memories for some.
Macca

 

[wendyP]

I can remember well going up to Ward End Park every night with all my friends from Nansen Road Girls school, looking for lads! We used to meet lads who came from The Meadway and Shard End etc. as well as locals. All good innocent fun. Mind you some of the Glebe lads were a bit scary and caused a few fights especially when the fair was there. I remember one fight that ended up in the lake.
Wendy

 

[wiggey]

Speaking of Ward End Park does anyone remember the brook that ran through it and playing a game called bashes which involved following a chosen leader to jump over the brook at certain places and getting wet when you did not make it.
The brook also ran under Southhalls and was some very funny colours at times.
Wiggey

 

[janet garrish]

I have very fond memories of Ward End Park when I was a child in the 1940's and 50's. With my friends we would cycle from Alum Rock Road wheel our bikes round the pond and watch people rowing and men fishing all round the pond. Every year a fair would arrive and I can remember us sitting on the hill near the railway line watching all the rides,stalls etc. being errected.It was so exiting and if we were lucky enough we were given our pocket money to spend at the fair, great fun. Every summer there was always a big marquee and some very famous people came to entertain the public, there were talent shows and one of our schoolfriends Shirley could sing just like Ruby Murray, so we would go to cheer her on. I can remember my brother Geoff singing there too he had a lovely voice and won many contests. Years later I would take my son in his pram to feed the ducks on the pond. Such a lovely park then.

 

[jjj.3679.abc.com]

did most of my courting in that park it was a loverly place then,we used to go on the boats and watch the swans swimming by,Good old days

 

[dereklcg]

I met my wife in Ward end park,me and my mate were on the rowing boats one Sunday afternoon,
we a spyed these two young ladies on a bench, asked them if they would like to come on the boat with us.
Cut a long story short we courted them and married them over fourty years ago,we,re still all mates and caravan together
we were out in our caravans two weeks ago,happy days regards dereklcg

 

[Wendy]

What a lovely story Derek. I have seen the park many times but have never been. Michael relays many stories of his youth in the Park...Happy Caravaning!!

 

[OneSteveM]

My dad was a parks policeman, Sergeant Smith, and Ward End Park was was of the ones he patrolled reularly in the 50s and early 60s. Come on, own up, how many of you did he catch doing the wrong thing?

He wasn't the one who rode the Ariel motorbike, by any chance. Oh, how many times was I told off for cycling in the park by the guy(s) on the Ariel. That would be between 1960 and 1965, I'd guess.

I recall scrumping apples from the back of the shop next to the entrance on Ward End Road and eating them while sitting of the swings in the park. Until the shopkeeper threw a bucket of water over me one time.

I used to go fishing in the pond. I never caught anything. That says more about my fishing than the content of the pond, mind.

 

[Blacksmith]

Well, he certainly did have a motorbike, but I'm not sure of its make. Mind you, I think all the parks policemen had motorbikes in those days. I think I've got a photo of him on his motorbike somewhere. I'll have to find it out and put it on here.

 

[Alberta]

When my eldest son was born in 1963 I spent many happy hours pushing his pram round the park and sitting watching the old chaps play bowls.
I recall a very tall slim park keeper called Jack he had a large push bike, the kids were terrified of him.

 

[Blacksmith]

Or was it Jock? He was a colleague of my dad and was very tall. I seem to remember he had a thin moustache. He was a sergeant in the parks police.

 

[Wendy]

Alberta, Michael remembers him well, he said he seemed seven foot tall but maybe that was from a youngsters view. He said his bike was the biggest he had ever seen. He also remembers being told off by him...

 

[Alberta]

He really was tall Wendy perhaps 6/6 something like that but his bike was really the biggest i have ever seen.
I was a young Mom so we just passed the time of day but woe betide any youngster breaking the park rules, LOL.

My present husband is 10 years younger than me and I am just telling him about this thread and he said, 'he confiscated all my conkers I hated him after that, LOL.

 

[Stitcher]

Ward End Park. 1929

 

[Wendy]

Memories of a genteel time thanks Stitich..x

 

[Stitcher]

Hello Wendy, ooh Wendy. Life was certinly a bit slower then and everything seemed so peaceful.

 

[Two]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (1)

Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures
#1


#2


#3

 

[Two]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (2)

Ward End Park
#4 1912


#5 1920s


#6 1925 - Tennis Avenue

 

[nijinski]

i used to enjoy boating on the lake. why did they stop the boating?

 

[Bishopsmate]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (2)

Thanks for the photos Two ...... I know that we went to the Park back pre 1957 but have no memory of it except for one of the flowerbeds. I have a photo of a friend and her mother taken there but when, why or how.........dunno.
If I find the photo again I will post.

 

[WINSTON]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (2)

here's a photo from 1956.with the maitland hall and library behind.it is incorrectly stating adderley park

 

[Two]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (3)

Ward End Park

#7 - Ward End Park - Boating Lake


#8 - Ward End Park - Boating Lake -1913

 

[Katie]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (3)

This was taken in Ward End Park about 1972/73. The Parks Dept. used to do some wonderful displays. I owned a Pet Shop in Washwood Heath Road and went through the park every lunchtime with the dog it was so peaceful.

 

[dwilly]

recently went to a service dedicating a bench to a local gent, George Carter, he has a bench in his memory in front of the white house.

 

[SandyBrook]

Glad this thread resurfaced as I'd not seen it - I used to live in Clipston Road from about 1958 to 1966 and often walked thorugh the park, either to the library or later, when I was courting to catch the Midland Red 161 out to Coleshill. No one seems to have mentioned the funfair that used to appear each year on the lower grassy area by the lake - I never did go on a boat on the lake but can remember that the end furthest away from the boathouse was wired off from the boats - to provide somewhere for the ducks to breed in peace I suppose. I have walked on the lake though when it froze over in 1962/63.

As well as bowls and tennis I sometimes stopped to watch what I thought were works cricket teams playing.

I have been told off for something or other (probably riding my bike at the wrong time) and think that I can remember two "parkies" at that time - one tall one (who seemed much the stricter of the two) and a shorter one who would stop for a chat.

I should have some winter pictures so will try and dig them out.

Thanks for the reminders.

 

[Two]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (4)

Ward End Park

#9 Ward End Park - 1909


#10 Ward End Park - 1910

 

[Two]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (5)

#11 - Ward End Park


#12 - Ward End Park

 

[derekw]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (5)

All these photos bring back happy memories,me and my old mate,the late George Fields would walk from where we lived in Botha Rd on summer nights and weekends to do a spot of fishing...many thanks for posting these brilliant pics.

 

[Two]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (6)

Ward End Park

#13 - Ward End Park - Boating Lake


#14 - Ward End Park - with Conservatory/Glass House on left.

 

[Wendy]

Re: Ward End Park - Replacing some old Pictures (6)

My husband has been enjoying these photo's he remembers the boat house well with the Son's Of Rest on the top floor. He made me smile when referring to the lovely glass house as the green houses. Well to a child they would be.