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Definition of “Brummie”, “Astonian” etc

Ray Griffiths

Ray Griffiths

master brummie
In the book Aston Remembers yesterday & today it states :-

To be a Astonian you have to have born before 9th November 1911 and living in Aston Manor before Birmingham took over, when it name Aston.

Aston Manor includedLozells, parts of Deritend, bordesley, Duddeston, Nechells & little Bromwich.

I beg the Question are there any Astonians who are members of the Forum ?.

Ray
 
Yeah we believe you, Moss ( oops, nearly got hit by a flying pig ):Dancedancer05:
 
Oh well I'll just be an Astonite who progressed to Highgaterian and on to a Nichellsite, then to a Londonite and finally a Pomgolian Brummie Kiwi. :)
 
Hi Ray,
Maybe these days, we can refer to Victor J. Price's' definition as being an "Old Astonian" and everyone else born after 09.11.1911 can be referred to just as an old "Astonian"? As one of 65 years of age I feel that I am an old Astonian but there are many on this Forum who are older who may not feel so old and would prefer to class themselves as "Astonian".
Then there are those who would say,"What a load of old cobblers!". "I'm an Astonite". Heh, heh, heh!

P.S. Do you have any photos of Bracebridge Street??
 
Re:Astonians
I lived in Holt Road Aston from 1941 to 1953 and my Grannie lived there for many years before that. I never heard that one before. Witton was just down the bottom and Aston Park just up the top, can't get much more Aston than that.
 
Carol I thinkk I remember your nan?. In fact I am sure I do. I was born in Holte road in 1946 so was Patty, Denise Hodsen, Marie Wigley and Johny Harriss. Can you remember the number your nan lived at please?. I lived at 57. Jean.
 
G G Jean said:
Carol I thinkk I remember your nan?. In fact I am sure I do. I was born in Holte road in 1946 so was Patty, Denise Hodsen, Marie Wigley and Johny Harriss. Can you remember the number your nan lived at please?. I lived at 57. Jean.
Click to expand...
Hi Jean, new at this stuff. don't know if you received previous reply. Trying again. My gran was Florence Rose, house number 48. My mom and dad also lived there, Mary and Gus Jenkins, mom was music teacher. I remember Betty Reid, Judy Wragg, Janet, Marigold and a few more. Ring any bells? Carol
 
Hi Carol Betty was my neighbour and we are still in touch. I have a photo of Judy Wragg with her brother Johnny and her mom. Janet Marigold I am afraid I can't recollect her at all. That is where I remember your nan as being a music teacher. She couldn't fit me in and I went to this awful teacher in Witton lane initially then to Prof Gough in Bevington road. Will phone Betty later. Would your name have been Jenkins?. Kind regards. Jean.
 
Well Jean looks like youv,e found another one from down your end theres quite a few from the Wiiton area now Dek
 
Think Holte road has taken over Rays street now and Sylvia's back to back for most members from a street or road. TTFN. Jean.
 
Jean, I think you have got it wrong somewhere I never lived in a back to back, all the houses in our little cul-de-sac Copeley Street had bay windows
three bedrooms, a front room, living room and kitchen downstairs, our own back gardens and outside loos.
 
sylviasayers said:
Jean, I think you have got it wrong somewhere I never lived in a back to back, all the houses in our little cul-de-sac Copeley Street had bay windows
three bedrooms, a front room, living room and kitchen downstairs, our own back gardens and outside loos.
Click to expand...

Where was that then Bay Window , Own garden, A Front room i can,t go on the mind boggles.:rolleyes::rolleyes::D Dek
 
Sorry Sylvia I did get it wrong and meant to say cul de sac. It was on the thread who has the most people living in their road on the forum. Ray Barrett said you should win the prize then we called it a dead heat. Or rather Ray did. Jean. PS we did in Holte road Dek. Well the front had privite and a couple of slabs. .
 
It's o.k. Jean, just wanted to set the record right. Dek - Copeley Street was off Burlington Street, opposite the entrance to the senior girl's entrance to the school.
 
Whilst reading Brummy Slang the thought came into my head that what constitutes a true Brummy
Like a true Cockney is born within the sound of Bow Bells. Seeing that Birmingham has spread its boundries over most of the surrounding countryside have we got any distinction about what District doesnt count
cheers Tom
icon7.png
 
Be interesting to know what Carl Chinn makes of that one. Given that Birmingham seems to have grown from a settlement by the River Rea in Digbeth - perhaps a true Brummie comes from Digbeth.
 
.You call the cathedral part behind Colmore row pigeon park (who doesn't?).

You have to adamantly protest that you are not a yam yam because you don't talk like you're from Dudley or Walsall. You have had/or regularly have had a mooch in Oasis market You've always wanted to play hide and seek in the bullring.

You been on/or are too scared to go on the big wheel in Centenery square at Christmas time

You have done the whole route of the 11 bus (outer circle), or at least attempted it.

You still call House of Fraser 'Rackhams, You call Birmingham city centre 'town' even though it's a city, and when you say 'town' to people, you expect them to know which one.

You are proud to be the second biggest city in the UK!

You can't wait for the German market to come round every year.

You get offered a mixtape cd every time you walk past the Odean

. You know what a cob is.

You say 'mom' NOT mum

You know what a gambol is.

. Your front door has more than three locks.

Police sirens are just background noise.

You call the off license the 'outdoor'.

You have been to Latifs warehouse and bought something you didn't need just because you thought you were saving money.

You've been to Cannon Hill park and the nature centre as a child or even as an adult.


You call ketchup 'red sauce'.

You know we take Christmas lights very seriously when loads of people get crushed and they cancel any future light switch ons.


. You pronounce it 'scon' not scone.

You cannot walk through town without being harassed to 'spare a minute of your time' to sign up to a charity.

. You carry an umbrella just in case! And you're always moaning about the weather.

You've seen the stickers on the bus that look like there's a policeman sitting at the back of the bus.

You know what tiptops are.
 
I was always intrigued by the back of Rackhams in Town - I was only slightly disappointed to find Druckers and St Philips :hoteyes:
 
Aidan said:
I was always intrigued by the back of Rackhams in Town - I was only slightly disappointed to find Druckers and St Philips :hoteyes:
Click to expand...

And me it was built in the late 50s i was about 16 when i worked on there as an electrical apprentice. What was it called before that?Dek
 
Elizabeth, I'm with you on these.

"You have done the whole route of the 11 bus (outer circle), or at least attempted it.

You still call House of Fraser 'Rackhams, You call Birmingham city centre 'town' even though it's a city, and when you say 'town' to people, you expect them to know which one.

You know what a cob is.

You say 'mom' NOT mum.

You know what a gambol is.

You call the off license the 'outdoor'.

You call ketchup 'red sauce'."
:D:D:D
 
Technically I suppose you are a true Brummie when your birth certificate has Birmingham somewhere on it.
I like to think of true brummies as people who had relatives who worked in guns,brass or jewellery.
My self I like to think I am a true semi- Brummie,born in Staffordshire moorlands,came here at 8 years ,love this beautiful city and will never ever say Bullring,
always THE BULL RING.
 
good morning alberta
i agree with you ; that you are a true semi brummie if you was born in staffordshire
but i do not agree with you to a certain point to say only gun trade and jewerly
the more real brummies wa born with in the old city of brum
as you are aware like us all we was a very dirty smokie city and very industrieus
and mainly foundrys producing steel and guns etc; and the brummies
had to give blood sweat and tears in these dirty old factorys and tears amongst
bad housing to survive and turn it into what it is today
some one said its like the cockneysand the bow bells,well that is my opiniuon a well
only its the case of us inner city folks are the true brummie in my eyes
i know staffs was apar of birmingham like most area was but i do not know whether or not
did the staffs people spoke with roug or strong accents like the inner city folk
i notice you put that when speaking of the bull ring you always say you
are visting the bull ring today wher upon the inne city brummie says bull ring
and yes i understand its the case of learning the queens english and being brouht up proper
which is good just like i brought my kids up and not to speak slangish brummie
like most people my wife and my kids do not speak in a grammer like i do brumie
and yes they was all born in brum and they speak posh
some times when in company i think i let them down
still not to worry thats me a true brummie and proud of it and ofmy speech problem
alberta ; i have not tried to knock you in any way ;regarding this thread
speak you soon have a nice day best wishes Astonian;;
 
Astonian what I meant was the the owners of the complex now call it Bullring and all brummies and Semi brummies say the Bull ring.

Any road up, Oi ain't ya friend no more,so goo play up yer own end.Alberta
 
Good morning, Astonian,

Quote "..... and they speak posh some times when in company i think i let them down ......."

That can't possibly be true, Astonian. I'm sure that they are as proud of you as you are proud of being a TRUE BRUMMIE !!! Sincere best regards, David
 
As the County boundaries have changed so much over time, I'm not sure using those will help much. Neither would using The areas covered by the Town's Borough Charter in 1838 (eg Harborne, Saltley & Balsall Heath were only incorporated in 1891 and Aston Manor, Erdington, Handsworth, Kings Norton & Yardley in 1909 [making it the 2nd largest City]).

So I don't think there is a Birmingham equivalent to Cockney. Although a case may be made for anyone born in the parishes of say St Martin's, St Philip's and St Chad's - but what would you call them?
 
Astonia the housing was something hard to describe to the young people of today,my parents aunts and uncles between them probably worked in most of the factorys in their time,i worked in a couple of factorys when i first left school,but nothing like my family had worked in and quickly realized i would rather do shop or office work,and now it is all like a different world,
 
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