Search results

My uncle tells a lovely story about when he changed jobs years ago, moving to an organisation based in Shrewsbury. On his first day the drive to his new office proved quite complicated and when he got to work he said he'd been all round the Wrekin - his astonished colleague then asked him why...

Yes, we used to go to the outdoor, have a piece - or a cob - for our dinner, and it was always pikelets, never crumpets - although funnily enough, my wife's from North Yorkshire and also calls them pikelets. Loved the savoury duck story - a very similar thing happened to me a few years ago. I...

So you won't know the lyrics to the old Villa song, "A Little Piece of Heaven", which refer to Aston Church... :)

My mother was christened there.

My Nan used to threaten to call Copper Ni-Ni if the kids in our family didn't behave (either that or she'd tell us we'd be off to the orphanage in Pype Hayes Park...). Anyone else come across that?

My Mother always said FANDAZZYDOBY [/QUOTE Just spent ages wondering where I've heard that before Ed, then it came to mind the Crankies. Yes, I'd say the origin (blame??!!!) lies with the Crankies.

My Nan never called me anything but Bab, right up to her death in my mid-thirties. When I was a kid I used to wonder if she actually knew my name, but I still loved it.

I suppose it's not so surprising there are a lot of expressions in common between us and the Welsh is it?

If it's any help with confirming this, my grandmother was living in 11, Back 23, Henn Street at the time of the 1911 census.

My mother used to talk about seeing an airship fly over Birmingham when she was very young and thought it might have been the R101 but that craft apparently flew over the city in 1929 (and crashed a year later) which would have made her three so it's more likely she saw the Graf Zeppelin in 1932...

I too have a family connection with the Midland from around that time - my grandparents met while both working there. My grandad, Ralph Browne, was an accountant and my grandmother, Doris Rowley, was working as a chambermaid.

I used to go in there occasionally, decades ago, and recall it had a railway themed name. Iron Horse???

My mother often used to talk of an "Uncle Bill Twist" who, whilst not a relative, was a close family friend. I have found a William TWISS (age 32 at the time) with whom my great grandmother Ann Ray (and my great-aunt Clarissa) was boarding at the time of the 1911 census, together with his wife...

Does anyone have any connections with the Best family? I'm looking specifically for connections to my 2 x great-grandfather George Best who fathered a child, my great-grandmother Ann Best (married name Ray), with Prudence Dainter. I believe George was born in Birmingham 1834 to Philip and Ann...

Could the nickname be "Sam" as in the Sam Browne belt?

Yes, it was 77 Dudley Road. My grandfather died there, and my younger sister was born there in 1963.

Hi Alberta That 1901 record is extremely helpful, thank you, as it confirms some details for me. I smiled at the reference to 107 Humberstone Road - the Rays remained there until the early 1970's and in fact I lived there myself as a child. Jonny

Hi all I'm trying to find out more information about the Ray (sometimes spelt Reay) family from Aston. My mother was Gladys Mary Browne nee Ray (1926-1997), daughter of Samuel Ray (1895-1950), granddaughter of Joseph Ray (born Joseph Davis, 1859-1906) and great-granddaughter of Naomi Ray nee...

Hi all I'm trying to track down any photos and stories relating to the family of my great-grandparents John Browne (1848-1925) and Louisa Browne (nee Smith, 1847-1923) - they had a family of nine children - John Richard, William, Frank, Fred, Ralph (my grandfather), Caroline, Florence, Louisa...