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Wrensons

Re: Wrensons, High St. Erdington

Hello Eggo
I have a [photo of Wrensons on the Green (Sutton End) with a group staff outside all in white coats. Mr. Ernes ...ard Palmer's name is above the door as licensee. My aunt is on this photo.

Fentham
 
Hi all i worked at wrensons oposite the fox and goose pub ward end when i left school in 1970, the take home pay was £5-18s-1p for 40 hours
the manager was mr Monk.
 
Wrensons were the only store where we could buy "Oyster Cut" Bacon. It was cut in a different way and was much nicer than other cut of the slicer.
 
There was a branch of Wrensons in Curdale Road, Bartley Green. It closed down many many years ago but I've always called it Wrensons even to this day. It is a grocery shop under the name of "Roys". The shopping precinct was built in around 1956 and there were some interesting shops. Woolworths, Birmingham Municipal Bank, McCauley's toy shop, Wimbush's, Vic's Pet Store
 
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when those shops were being built we lived in hasbury road (21), and I would play with my mates on the building site, funny how you think of these things after all these years. i remember the big steam rollers tarmacing the road just before they finnished.
paul
 
Hi Paul, can you recall the year they were built? I think I would be around 5 or 6. I mentioned the Williamson's in a recent post, nice Jag's etc. Their house backed onto the field up to Woodgate School. This was known locally as the Back Field. We used to dig holes in the field, cover them with corrugated steel sheets and soil. We cut steps into the ground to get in and a fireplace at one end (just an opening with a sort of flimsy chimney. My mom once made an apple pie for the gang of us and we cooked it in the Den. It was not a culinary delight if I remember.
This field ran all the way down to Adams Hill by Deeley's cotage. My Brother Mick went bird nesting in Deeley's roof but his foot slipped on a shutter and the old lady came out to us so we ran. I seem to remember throwing hardened cow-pats and I can only suppose they were from the cattle going into the dairy at the bottom of Romlsey Road but I'd need confirmation of that
 
We moved into hasbury road around 1950, where the shops were was all open field land. I would have been around 5/6 when the building started so I would say that your earlier estimate as about right 1956ish. I remember the back land and I would walk across it to visit my friend smithy who lived in woodgate lane. no I did not know the williamsons, most mates were real working class with no-one owning a car even. I remember the dairy facing our house in adams hill. I remember half way up adams hill on the RHS walking towards woodgate was a farm house and next to it a path which ran down to a brook, I was in the scouts which met at woodgate school and marched with them in the 1957 jamboree at sutton park, I am sadly not able to remember anyone else now, I had friends in the prefabs facing the cock inn, I went first to st michaels in the village victorian school then to the new school in field lane/scotland road. you could walk across open field land all the way to the bluebell woods from hasbury road, our doctors was at the top of romsey road near the traffic island, mr gurney the village vicar of st michaels and all angels, and you could walk across the fields from offmore road to field lane too. sorry can't remember much else really.
regards paul
 
The Farm on the RHS up Adams Hill by the brook was Broadhidley Farm. This has all been developed and is where I live now. "Birmetals" in Adams Hill/Clapgate Lane has totally disappeared It is now a housing estate / Buisiness park

Do you remember the "Springpits" (wooded copse, with fast flowing brooks) across the fields from Wood Lane towards Halesowen / Woodgate. It was always popular with youngsters untl they built the M5 which really cut it off. There were two big holes in the fields and it was said German bombers missed Birmetals during a night raid. My wife & I enjoy walking and we recently went down by the Old Crown in Woodgate to Lye Close Farm and along some Green lanes that still exist and we came to the Springpits and it was exactly as it was all those years ago. The green lane brings you out by the Black Horse at Illey. Thanks so much for reminiscing, it is always nice to recall Bartley Green in days gone by.
 
I meant to add, my eldest brother Alan also went to St. Michaels in the old church school by the water tower and was in the scouts. I remember him pushing the hand cart with the equipment going to camp on a site near Frankly Beeches. He looked so smart in his uniform and old style hat. He went on to the new secondary school in Adams Hill which e now call the 'old' school
 
Re: Wrensons, High St. Erdington

Hello Eggo
I have a [photo of Wrensons on the Green (Sutton End) with a group staff outside all in white coats. Mr. Ernes ...ard Palmer's name is above the door as licensee. My aunt is on this photo.

Fentham
My name is Derek Hudson, I worked at this branch of Wrensons with Mr Palmer during the 60s, I would love a photo, and indeed to talk about those days.

Best wishes

Derek
 
I bought an old Wrensons bike a few years ago and I have since had it restored. It has the original basket with 'W' painted on it and the original signage plate in it's original paint (light blue on white/cream)...it's a real jem. However, it was painted a purpely blue colour when I bought it and that's the colour it's been restored in but I can't help thinking...should it have been black? Does anyone know what colour Wrensons bikes were? I bought it in the black country somewhere, maybe Brierley Hill, but have no idea what area it originally came from.
Derek Hudson ex cooks lane tile cross
WRENSONS CARRIER BIKES WERE BLUE, BOTH VARIETIES.

Derek Hudson
 
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I cannot speak about any other shops in the Wrensons chain but I worked at the Bristol Road Northfield branch and made delivered on a black bike, small front wheel, large basket with a stand at the front, and a black plate on the cross bar in black with Wrensons in white lettering, this was in 1962.
paul
 
Hello, would this be Colin Scott???? the manager from the Glebe Farm Wrensons about 1959.

Please reply Colin if it is, I would love to hear from you.

Derek Hudson
 
Hi Derek, Good to see your more recent comments. I have not been on the forum for a while as have little left to say. As we plan our Diamond Jubilee Event we are looking back at prices around 1952/3 and cannot believe the comparison with todays prices. However as has been said the wages were also so low. When I started at Wrensons in 1958 I earned £3.5s.0p. (That is £3.25p in todays money) for a 40 hour week. Even as a manager in 1965 I only earned £15 per week for a 40 hour week (although I worked several hours extra for no pay to keep the wage bill down.)
Best Wishes Ian Leggett.
 
Hello young Ian,
Very nice to hear from you, just back from the winter spent in the Canaries, SUPER WEATHER.

Yes I was earning £4.10.6 in 1958 and £15.00 a week as a manager at the Radleys, the hours were long because you enjoyed it.

I remember Danish Tub was 2 shillings and ten pence a pound about 15p per lb. and Blueband two and six a lb at that time New Zealand cheese was two and ten pence a lb

You could buy a dozen small eggs for one and six.

Do you remember Colin Scott???

Best wishes Ian to you and your family.

Derek
 
Hi Derek, Winter in Canaries? You missed our lovely snowy and sunny winter (variety is the spice of life you know).
I vagualy remember Colin Scott. I am trying to remember who had the branch on Coventry Road Sheldon. He was the father of my wifes sister in law. I did not have much to do with the other managers only seeing them at managers meetings. A group of us did play TenPin Bowls at Sutton Coldfield for a while. Regards Ian.
 
Just found this thread, and very interesting it is.
eggo's (#10) mention of Wrensons at Stockland Green reminded me that my sister Dolly worked there for a while.
While there she nearly took her hand off with the bacon slicer. could have sued nowadays.
 
Hi Austin K2, Yes I remember those lorries also.
I think I may have mentioned the cutting oif fingers in my long article on working at Wrensons. Look back to 2010.
I had numerous near misses and actual cuts while cleaning these revolving blades while holding a muslin cloth in one hand pressed against the blade while turning the handle with the other (No electric cutters yet). It was just doing the job. If you cut yourself you just got a plaster and covered it up and got back to work, no big deal.
Regards Ian.
 
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