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Alma Street, Six Ways, Aston

  • Thread starter Thread starter emmachisit
  • Start date Start date
interesting snippet pedrocut. today a collision like that would not make the papers but in those days with very little traffic on the roads it was big news

lyn
 
Angela H 1976 said:
Hi Lyn, I have shown my mom the picture of the street party, she can recognise a few people as she's struggling with her eyes at the moment, she's got to have surgery to sort cataract. She said that Ivy Bradbury is on the picture she ran a sweet shop. She also can see Mr Proudman is on the picture she can also can see her sister Patricia on the picture. My mom remembers a grocery shop run by two older sisters Edith and Alice. Also Irene's fashion Shop next to 55 her house. Harry Archer the fruit and veg shop. She also said there was a toyshop and a post office. A second hand shop called byfields. She doesn't remember the Ashfords. Hope this helps x
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Ivy and Les Bradbury seemed to have a lot of stock for a tiny front room shop. Ivy used to make toffee apples in the brew house and wouldn't let us in in case we learned her secret recipe. She had a little terrier called tiny who alerted her if a customer came in the shop and she was in the back. We lived at 41 next door.
 
oldMohawk said:
A pic that was on before but maybe lost. I stood at that bus stop many times and travelled over Six Ways hundreds of times in buses and cars and although I can
remember the bank, the library and the pub, I can't remember Hedges Corner at all !
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I love this pic so much it is my wallpaper on my laptop now so thank you.
 
mikejee said:
Glad to oblige. Alma Tavern in red , Salutation in blue on this map c 1950

map_c_1950_Alma_St_showing_the_Alma_Tavern_and_the__Salutation.jpg
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Seeing this from Mikejee, my wife's family lived at No 9 Whitehead St (next to the factory) until everything was demolished in 1967 and I've often wondered what happened to Nos 11, 13 & 15 . Also, opposite was open ground with a petrol station on it. Could it have been due to WWII bombing? Would be interested if anyone has any memories or could shed any information.
 
There were certainly buildings there pre-war, so that probably was the cause
 

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  • map c 1937 showing whitehead st.jpg
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I'm sure Astoness will be delighted to see we have a member connected with the shop in the photo she posted Paul. Thanks. Viv.
 
oh thats a smashing photo of your nan paul and of course we dont mind...this is what keeps the forum going...memories and photos are most important....thanks for sharing and carry on posting...ps..i did reply to the private message you sent me

all the best

lyn
 
mikejee said:
Lyn
Below is map c 1955 showing 148 alma St. The 1924 directory shows Joseph Downes, piano tuner at 148 and Charles Ray, bedstead manufacturer at 148A Alma St, though Ray is listed only at 326 Newtown Row in 1921 & 1932. I cannot find any mention in Kellys of a Wringler (or , just in case, a W.Ringler) in any of the kellys of those 3 dates
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Viewing Post 214, showing the corner shop owned by Paul's nan, made me curious about the poster hangers. I can see a Woodbine cigarette advert but cannot be sure if that is the new poster or the old one being papered over.
I scrolled back to find the original picture which I found in Post 127 an enlarged for a better view.
However in my return to earlier posts I saw the picture in Post 156 and the reply by Mike in Post 160.
I noticed that the shop did not appear to be named after someone called Wringler or Ringler but a shop which sold wringers, replacement rollers and other wringer spare parts. ;)
 
I can't believe I'm not on this picture, because it's 1967, I would not have been at Burlington Street School. The men that did the posters only removed the old ones after about 15 layers, I used to hold the ladder or sit in the little pick up car. The 2 small posters you see on the wall are for the cinema showing A fist Full of Dollars.
The shop got a pass for the Orient and the Globe for having the posters on the wall, I think this changed to the Gaumont on Colmore Circus at sometime.
I have memories of the Saturday Club at the Orient, I will post on that thread. The Gaumont was great, big curtains, during the school holidays of 1965-1967, my Aunty Clara of Park Lane used to look after me, she was the Usherette here, this was the period of the Sound of Music, I saw the first half of this film every day for around 30 weeks, why first half? Because thats all she worked, she finished at the interval. I had no idea there were Nazis in it till much later on in life.
 
hi paul what a great post....i guess you could have been in school when the photo was taken...should have bunked off that day:D

lyn
 
Looks like there was possibly WW2 bomb damage to the first floor of the shop. Also it looks like there were road repairs or a diversion in progress.

There are two machines (chewing gum and sweets?) on either side of the door. Loved those. Think the one on the right is PK chewing gum. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Looks like there was possibly WW2 bomb damage to the first floor of the shop. Also it looks like there were road repairs or a diversion in progress.

There are two machines (chewing gum and sweets?) on either side of the door. Loved those. Think the one on the right is PK chewing gum. Viv.
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This was prior to moving people out of Alma Street the diversions were in place as they built Newtown and the two tower blocks.
Interesting that this corner once had traffic lights on it, they were removed after a couple of accidents
 
A last picture for the 127 post of my Nan's shop, just to show the love we had for itmomdadbilly.jpeg
Taken a different times, this is my Mom and Dad before they were married, so guessing 1949, my Dad I think is off for National Service.
Might be when he was back, 1951, not too important
Mother is with the puppy Billy the dog, I used to feed him Sambo's chewing gum when he was Billy the old shop dog
 
Your grandad must have had some fun explaining his name to people Paul ! Lovely photos. Viv.
 
I never heard of chewing gum by that name, but that is not surprising as I never tried gum until I reached my twenties. It would be totally an incorrect name to use today as is the use of the name for restaurants in the USA.
I suppose I am more familiar with gum made in Plymouth. :D
 
PK was a Wrigleys product, named after Phillip Knight Wrigley, the son of the founder . It was originally an American product but apparently started in UK in 1944, probably long preceding the restaurants
 
Didn't know PK was Wrigleys Mike. I remember them well. They were in a very small packet and had a crispy shell to them, unlike the long thin strips of Wrigleys. There was also Beech Nut, very similar chewing gum to PK.
 
As you went up Alma Street from the shop, on the left hand side was the sweets wholesaler for the area, I used to go there on Monday's to stock the shop for the coming week, I would have been around 6yo, I had control of all the sweet jars in the shop and the displays in the window, also making sure the "gobstopper" machine was full.
Billy the dog, loved to steal a Sambo bubble gum and a Black Jack chew, he took them to his "special" place behind the chair.
My Saturday job was opening packets of Park Drive Cigarettes, and putting just 2 cigarettes into the little triangular paper sweet packets, Nan would allow just 2 cigarettes only to be put into your daily strap book, packets were not allowed.
 
Angela H 1976 said:
View attachment 108205
No problem. My mom was born in 1949, she might be about 8 or 9 on the picture. Mom remembers a doctor Humpheries to, maybe someone may remember him.
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Wonderful photo I had a copy but lost it some years ago. It was taken about 1956\57 I am 3rd in from the left in the check dress Janet Sitch I can recognise a few others. The teacher was Mrs Osbaldistan. I left the school in 1958 when we moved to Smethwick. Our doctor was Dr Humphries was our family doctor back to my grandparents
 
welcome to the forum janash...so pleased you have found your photo again..you can now save it...please keep your memories coming and any old photos you have as we would love to see them...

lyn
 
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