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Aston - moved out

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rod
  • Start date Start date
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Rod

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Kingstanding

We left Aston in the early seventies, amongst the very last of those who moved I Guess? The house belonged to us, having been bought by Grandad many years before. It was compulsory purchased by the Brum City Council, and we found ourselves in Kingstanding. Mom fell in love with the offered house, but you have to remember this house, new to us, was a palace!! A Bathroom! A proper kitchen, a water heater, lights and power that didnt fail in heavy rainfall, and last but certainly not least a garden.. None of us had much sleep for the first few weeks in the new house, it was far too quiet outside. Living so close to Newtown Row, and the factories which stood around and been quite noisy? but we had grown used to that.
So we gained many many things, but there was a cost to this Ted. The friendships had dissapeared? in Aston, almost everyone in our street I addressed as Auntie this, or uncle that. Locked and shut doors replaced gossiping women? The days of playing out safely had come to an abrupt end. No friendly corner shops, in fact a completely different social structure.
I loved my Aston, the people, the broken buildings, everything!! it's long gone now? But could we ever go back? I think not, we have become too soft.
 
Ted,

I left Aston in 1967 after our house in Burlington Street was compulsory purchased for the magnificent sum of £20.00 yes twenty pounds, then we were charged a "sympathetic rent" of fourteen shillings and two pence from 1961 until we left.

We did have a choice of area but not of property, I choose Bromford Bridge, I was glad to have a brand new flat, but was soon disillusioned, I
missed all the old friends and neighbours I had grown up with, and didn't like flat living, there were no facilities, the school and shops hadn't been built and there was no bus service for the first 8 or 9 months.

My son was 8 years old at the time and he had such a different childhood
from mine and was withdrawn for a time, we eventually settled for a few years then managed to buy another house.
 
In the 1950s, a school friend who lived opposite us in Victoria rd moved with his family to the then developing Shard end area,Brownfield rd . I stayed there a couple of times,it was great ,all "mod cons",and green fields at the rear of the house, i thought i was in another world. My family lived a couple of doors from the swimming baths,us kids got married and moved away to various places, Mom & Dad had to move when the Aston Expressway was built, another compulsary purchase for next to nothing, they moved to a block of flats in Church lane, did,nt have much choice because of their age, it was new, nice kitchen,warm, but my did,nt Dad miss his garden, and there they spent the rest of their of their lives.RIP .The school friend i referred was Peter Johnson, i wonder if he reads these pages?
 
Re: Kingstanding

RodBirch said:
We left Aston in the early seventies, amongst the very last of those who moved I Guess? The house belonged to us, having been bought by Grandad many years before. It was compulsory purchased by the Brum City Council, and we found ourselves in Kingstanding. Mom fell in love with the offered house, but you have to remember this house, new to us, was a palace!! A Bathroom! A proper kitchen, a water heater, lights and power that didnt fail in heavy rainfall, and last but certainly not least a garden.. None of us had much sleep for the first few weeks in the new house, it was far too quiet outside. Living so close to Newtown Row, and the factories which stood around and been quite noisy? but we had grown used to that.
So we gained many many things, but there was a cost to this Ted. The friendships had dissapeared? in Aston, almost everyone in our street I addressed as Auntie this, or uncle that. Locked and shut doors replaced gossiping women? The days of playing out safely had come to an abrupt end. No friendly corner shops, in fact a completely different social structure.
I loved my Aston, the people, the broken buildings, everything!! it's long gone now? But could we ever go back? I think not, we have become too soft.
Click to expand...

My parents left Aston in 1933 for Kingstanding where I was born (Hurlingham Road) they stayed there in the same house for the rest of thier lives.
Eric.
 
where did you go

this is posted for Margaret
<goodwin.d@ntlworld.com>
My parents moved to Northfield in 1934 from Aston, they lived on a
council estate known I think as Frankley Beeches estate or Tinkers Farm estate.
They moved from my grandmothers house in Bracebridge St., as my father had
just got a job at the Austin Motor company in Longbridge which is near
Northfield. Later they bought a new house in 1939 in Great Stone Road.  I
remember a lot more building taking place after the war on fields near to
where we lived mainly council flats. I left Northfield in 1970 and up
until
that time I do not remember council houses being purchased by the tenants.

Margaret.
 
John, a couple of points. I was called Eric after the Aston Villa player Eric Houghton so my mother said.
My brother lived in Aldridge until he emigrated to Aus in 1970. He was a bus driver/ mechanic for Midland Red. Eric.
 
Ted,

My parents lived at 2/13 Vicarage Road Aston from the end of WWII to around 1964, when we moved to Clifton Road Aston. A couple of years later, we moved from there we to Pype Hayes. I think the first move was because the houses were so sub-standard, they were being knocked down anyway. The second move was because of the Aston Expressway development. I don't think we had much choice of where we went but I know my mum was pleased to move to Pype Hayes.

I don't thing there was anything we missed about Aston. Our friends and relatives had already left and there was nothing about the environment we missed. I don't think we realised however, that a way of life going back over a century or more was passing away.

Drop me an email if you'd like more detail, I'd be happy to help. Good luck with the degree.

Regards

Nipper
 
Hot and cold

I've written about Ashted Row several times here already, It really does seem ironic that in my opinion we lived in the best house I've known at the poorest time of our lives..Ok, the toilet was outside in the garden, the rooms were that big and ceilings so high it took a minor rainforest in wood to keep warm, the windows rattled, the draughts blew...and we had hot and cold running rats...but damn!...I loved it,
Where did we go? 9 Hindlow Close, then I got married and moved to Tynedale Crescent, Gt Barr, From there I bought a house in Streetly, from there I moved to Tamworth, (I must be bloody mad, my house in Streetly was a palace compared to this place), but...I love it here, its mine, all mine I tell you! mine...mine!!!
 
Clifton Road

I wonder if anybody remembers Clifton Road in the late 1950's and would you remember the families there?

Kathy
 
my family moved from gt brook st to kingstanding around 1937 and i dont think they were eversettled i think it was great all mod cons though bathroom n toilet were approached through an outdoor passage greatestthing for old brummie nan home made bread n blackberry sarnies mmmmmgreat
 
We moved on 27th November 1947 a date to remember to the Ridgeway Erdington and Rod I felt the same as you, but to have Hot Water a Garden and my own Bedroom was the best thing in the World at the time.
By the way I have still got Moms Last Rent Book from Aston & the first for Erdington:)
 
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