It was my father and his brother's playground too and later on I used to go with my friend Margaret, whose relatives ran the E.M.Oliver newsagents on Witton Road, to play in the park. My father, who lived in Wyreley Road, Witton attended Albert Road School for all of his schooling and so the hours and hours playing in Aston Park on the way home from school made many happy memories for him. My brother and I drove up and down all the streets when I visited, that they may have taken on their way home from school via the Park.
I had to visit the area when I came to Brum late last year. When walking under the stanchions of the Doug Ellis stand on Trinity Road there now so near to the edge of the Park I felt very nostalgic because that is where we played for hours on the swings, the roundabout and the big slide. It was a great afternoon for me. I took the train from Four Oaks to Aston Station on a Friday afternoon. I was surprised to find a lift at Aston Station.
I saw the Brittania pub on my way to Church Road. It was raining lightly and quite gloomy. I wanted to go into Aston Church but it was locked. Next time I will make an arrangement with the staff to have a tour. John Houghton's Aston site
https://astonhistory.net/ has some wonderful photos of the interior of the church.
I made my way to Witton Lane and wanted to visit the shop on the Villa grounds to buy some souvenirs for my son. There was a game the next day and the gates where open for deliveries so I got to see the pitch. It looked wonderful since it had rained.
I finally found my way into the area where the shop was and had a great time shopping in there. I came out and walked back to
Witton Lane and Trinity Road and up the driveway to The Holte. There was no one in there except the staff and I told them I wanted to have a look around, It is very nice and I am so glad that it has survived because it was a very sorry sight for so long and not much hope was held out for it to be saved. I then walked up the hill to Aston Hall, a route I have taken many times. The Hall was closed by then and the rain was steadly coming down. It looked wonderful even in the rain. The cafe in the Stable Block was closed. I made a mental note to go back on a better day and I will. There was absolutely no one around which didn't bother me. I returned to Aston Station rode up to the platform in the lift and caught the train back to Four Oaks.