Recent content by superdad3

Patent Ferrule Co., Sheepcote Street Based in Sheepcote Street at a time when the area was very much part of Birmingham's metal working trades. Originally founded in 1872 by Josiah Shoebotham. In the early years the company was one of the major manufacturers supplying boiler tube ferrules...

Date for your diaries. The Tolkien Society is bringing back the popular event on the Sarehole Recreation Ground, adjacent to Sarehole Mill, on the weekend of 30th to 31st May 2026. Tolkien spent happy years living just around the corner, and Sarehole Mill is one of the very few ‘inspirations’...

Woodlands Park Hall was part of the original plan for the Bournville Tenants estate in 1906, and has been used for a variety of activities over the century-and-a-bit since it was built. It was opened in November 1909 by George Cadbury.* In March 1966 Bournville Village Trust took over ownership...

Well it really did happen. Hope to travel on later in the week. Good slot on local BBC news. Attached view looking down on Moseley Station

Have you seen this article https://groups.google.com/g/uk.rec.waterways/c/jfqj0MGhXS0 about the Pope family. Gives some details of location of Nursery which may be of some help.

Info from Graces Guide: "W. and C. Wynn and Co formerly William & Cornelius Wynn & Co. founded in 1787 in Caroline Street, maker of steel toys. Moved to Suffolk Street in 1813. This is where I got the 1813 date from but also mindful that they celebrated their centenary in 1887 which confirms...

Wynn, Timmins & Co. Came across these adverts on Ebay as well as over a hundred items made by them for sale; must have been quite a major Birmingham company in its day – so decided to look into it’s history. Wynn, Timmins & Co. was an amalgamation of two well...

Historically Sparkhill was in the ancient parish of Yardley rather than Aston. Not sure about Sparkbrook.

A birth was registered at the appropriate REGISTRATION office. Aston Registration Office covered a very large area covering much of what is now Birmingham including Sparkbrook, Aston, Bordesley etc. but not Sparkhill. There were originally four Registration Districts [=R.D.] covering what is...

Came across this phot on an interesting site called the Tourist Historian. "Dated 1910, iron tram tracks, a cobbled street and a beautiful Victorian era backdrop to the library". Library on left. This was a Carnegie Library officially opened in 1906 and closed in 2017 and boarded up ever since...

Henry Riley & Son: Founded in the Victorian period and continued until the mid 1930s. The building on Constitutional Hill is said to have been built by Rileys and was their headquarters. I can't trace a link between Henry Riley and W.S. Riley but both were operating at the same time. Were...

Here's a brief timeline from Graces Guide until taken over by ICI: Elliotts Metal Co 1853 Established as W. Elliott and Sons 1862 company incorporated as Elliots Patent Sheathing and Metal Co. Ltd. 1866 took over the business of Charles Green, original inventor and patentee of solid-drawn...

KINGS HEATH WOOlWORTHS When I came to Birmingham [after marriage] in the late 1960s we used to shop in Kings Heath and I used Woolworths a lot. It had a very good but not large DIY section which I used a lot. Their paint was cheap but very good. I also bought quite a few hand tools there. Later...

Spital &Clark Another small Birmingham metal working company that only lasted 17 years from 1897 to 1914. Based in Newhall Hill. This advert is from a trade catalogue dated 1912 and on sale on Ebay. This is from Graces Guidefor 1914: Architectural Metal Work Manufacturers, Iron and Bronze...

I remember the Sparkhill Band very well. Back in the 1960s/1970s they used to play around our area just before Christmas in aid of their work. Some interesting notes and a couple of good phots of the Sparkhill band at...