1950's 60s and 70s Erdington

[JohnCCD]

My mother never went to Erdington, she always went up the village.

Growing up in Erdington, we always "went up the village" too. Decades later when I was working in Kent and in a work meeting someone asked me where I came from. When I said Erdington he laughed and said Oh is that the place they call the village? That was the first time I'd ever realised that "going up the village" wasn't a completely normal thing to say.

 

[Richard Dye]

Growing up in Erdington, we always "went up the village" too. Decades later when I was working in Kent and in a work meeting someone asked me where I came from. When I said Erdington he laughed and said Oh is that the place they call the village? That was the first time I'd ever realised that "going up the village" wasn't a completely normal thing to say.

The section, Hamstead Rd to Heathfield Rd (Lozelles Rd) was also known as the village.

 

[Lady Penelope]

Yes, we went 'up the village'. Strange how we always said 'up THE village' but only 'up town'. No THE.

 

[mw0njm.]

in the 50s we went Erdington shopping sat mornings i got lost (wondering off)and was taken to the police station mom had to come and get me she found me eating arrowroot biscuits and drinking tea

 

[John L]

Growing up in Erdington, we always "went up the village" too. Decades later when I was working in Kent and in a work meeting someone asked me where I came from. When I said Erdington he laughed and said Oh is that the place they call the village? That was the first time I'd ever realised that "going up the village" wasn't a completely normal thing to say.

I hadn't heard it called "the village" until when I was 11 and at Slade Road School, my friend Ian told his Dad that we were "going up the village". He lived towards the top of Hillaries Road and I was on the Slade Road, we had always simply called it "Erdington".

 

[mikejee]

I seem to remember that, when I first came to Birmingham in 1967 and, for a few weeks, lodged in Alwold Road, the people i lodged with described Harborne as "the village"
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