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Alum Rock Rd - Ward End area

Chris my husband is devastated he's not on it, he would have been 8 years old.
 
Hi All some photos of the classes at Sladefield Sec' Mod' school

number 1 taken in 1956 was class 1/1 teacher was
Mr Liversidge
number 2 taken in 1957 was class 2/1 no teacher in photo but it was Mr Westacott
number 3 taken in 1958 was class 3/1 teacher was Mr Court
 
Hi
I was at Ward End Hall school,at the time Gary Porter was struck,think it was around the same time of the great air crashes,when we lost Buddy Holly & the football team.The teachers i remember,were- head Haynes,woodwork teacher Westwood,sports/p.e teachers Tompson & Miss Ligey.Arts teacher,Mr Stevens.
Kids i new were,Paddy Moony,Andrew Kelly,Douglas Lambie,Mick Meridith,Mick Newcombe,John Yelland,Ronnie Baker,Ronnie Russell,Alan Johnson,Robert Mcconnell.
 
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Hi
I Lived just off the Washwood Heath road,as a child in the 50s,i remember the Chocolate Cabin sweet shop.
We used to play in the Bromford Lane clay pits,a deep hole in the ground,like a mini Grand Canyon.
Did anyone go to Thornton rd primary school from around 1954-1958 ? I remember a very strict old teacher there, called Miss Hamer.
 
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Hi
I lived at 28 Alum Rock Road and my grandparents lived at 32 Alum Rock Road in the early 1950s (this was a block of shops opposite George Arthur Road). I attended St. Saviours School until 1958 when we moved to Castle Bromwich. Are there any pictures out there of this area
 
Hi Medion

Type Alum Rock / Saltley into the search bar, there are some old photos & postcards there.

Macca
 
heres a delightful pic of alum rock road..sorry no date but maybe early 1900s

astoness:)
 
Date about right Astoness, the tramcar has a destination board instead of top canopy number only box that came in after the First World War. Brilliant pic. I recently posted an Alum Rock one over on the 'Photos' thread in the Trams section you might not have seen.
Mike
 
hi mike...i do agree its a lovely pic...i must be getting good at this if you agree with my date on it.....sorry i didnt see the pic you posted.. i will go and sort it out....

:)
 
Doger asked :" Did anyone go to Thornton rd primary school from around 1954-1958 ? I remember a very strict old teacher there, called Miss Hamer. "

Yes, I went to the infants and primary schools from 1950-1956 and can just recall Miss Hamer's name. I cannot remember her face, but I do recall she had a reputation for being strict. Teachers' names I do remember are Mr Harwood, Mr Sheldon, Mr Goodman and the headmaster Mr. Hall.

There is another thread in this forum regarding his successor, Mr Petherick, where a relative was asking for any information - a search on the name should find it.
 
Hi dav1930
Thanks for info,you have sparked my memory,i do remember the head teacher a Mr Petherick.I fainted in the school hymns sessions once,and Mr Petherick was very good.
I remember the playground fights,almost every other day.
Kids i remember were
David Probert,a good looking kid,always in trouble.
John Price,was a good friend.
Colin West.
It was a very long time ago,amazing you still seem to retain the memory of it .
Cheerio
Doger
 
I lived in a 'back' house in Wright Rd near to Alum Rock Rd from 1945 - 1966. People sometimes have the wrong perception as to what a 'back' house was! They are often portrayed as grim looking houses crowded into a 'court' or 'yard'. Our house was one of four terraced houses set behind the houses of Wright Rd. We had our own 'entry' leading to a small fore garden plus a small garden at the rear. There was only one car in the whole street. This belonged to the local taxi driver.
Go to the address now and the Road is packed with cars/vans etc., It has become a totally run down area. I have a few photographs somewhere - I must dig them out sometime.
 
Hi all :)

im new to this site and ive signed up on behalf of my dad really, george wheeler was brought near summer lane, aston etc he tells us he's kids a million stories about he's memorys of being brought up from he's childhood. But just seeing this alum rock road- ward end post. Has anyone on here attended? highfield J&I School? highfield road? love to hear any storys or pictures? i am the caretaker at the school now and maybe if enough interest? might be able to arrange a walk round of the school one time to bring back memorys?

many thanks
 
:)Les,I wonder if you remember the milk place at the top of Bennetts rd, James Holt & Son.I left school at 14 and my first job was to assist the 2 roundsmen.Gorge&LEN,Iam talking now about 1942. we were having air raids and poor George was bombed out.he lived Aston Church Rd the empty house space is still there I believe,I would be interested in traceing the other milkman Len cant;think of his surname lived at Shirley, I got the sack co;s I couldnt; get up in the mornings.we kept in tough untill I went into the andrew.Cheers Alec.
 
,sPOM,Iexpect I;m abit late now,J viewed yr pic s, Great.That building by park lake used to house the row boats.First floor was the "Sons of Rest" a kind of club the elderly used, Alec Rose.
 
if you want a good barber and a good chin wagg today ;
go down the alum rock and visit phill Lynch on the pelham by the bordesley green rd
by Mcdonalds hes been there for years and i travel to him from worc every 2 months
and he.s good and i see afew old freinds and he gives me all the latest gossip going around there and i take in the sights and see how the rock as changed and still is changing i used to work the ward end club many years ago so i know how its changed
best wishes astonian ;;
 
Hi Rupert,

I thought that myself, I'm puzzled by this one. Hopefully someone will recognise it.

Macca
 
Macca, maybe it's Anthony or Parkside. There is a wall going around the corner on the left which may indicate a school or church and Parkside seems to have a wall still. Anthony has the bend in the road though so maybe Anthony. Have not looked at other possibilities.

Roy Rocket, I lived in that area during the years that you mentioned and never new about those houses at all. Must have walked by them on Wright Road hundreds of times and turned the corner at Ted Haynes grocers. I remember that just towards Alum Rock from there was, what I thought was a bombed building, that had been levelled and was the occasional location of a small fun fair with dodgems and such. It looks like there are still two of your houses remaining and a small parking area. I rather think that those houses were the same build as the ones that fronted Wright Road and were not back to back as such but not far removed with rudimentary electrical and water supply. Still we had our own loo...outside ofcourse. It was not a slum area when I lived there but the houses are another half century older now.
 
Macca

I agree with Rupert in his thinking that Alum Rock Rd may be the point that the photo was taken from. Only I think it may be Belchers Lane.

Phil
 
Looking on google earth, the only road I can find looking from A.R.Rd with a similar curve is Sladefield Rd, But I would'nt swear to it.

Terry
 
:)Astonion, Read yrs re-barbers. My brief history of the area,I attended ASTON RD School from 1933/1941.Not offen could we afford an haircut.but every time i went to that barbers shop straight from school it useually pouded down. Eric the barber went crackers because my hair was soaking wet, the cost 3d,Our mom & dad used the broadway pub. now Macdonlds,I know the area well, I now live in Alvechurch, which you will know of cause.
 
The houses on the original photograph have distinctive roof lines, I've scoured google street view and I'm still none the wiser. I think Belchers Lane is the most likely option going by the bend in the road.

Macca
 
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