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Birchfield Road Perry Barr
- Thread starter debi
- Start date
Shortie
master brummie
Viv - I had never seen such pointy caps on a gate post before, they are really nice to be honest. the only ones I had seen were just plain but went into a point without the extended bit. Perhaps it would depend more on income than taste, which variety one chose to have outside one's obviously very large house.
Thanks Phil. Just had a look. The Britain from Above view is dated 1920, so both sides of the road were still intact at that time. And I think even the shops (1930s?) near to the Odeon ( in fact the Odeon itself) wouldn't have been built at that time. It certainly looked like a leafy suburb when my family lived there.
Yes Shortie those caps on the pillars are 'right fancy' as my mum would say. Looks like they were intended to make a statement. Viv
It's after 1953 because the trams have gone, Six Ways looking towards Birchfield Road, and that that white car on the right, anyone know what make is it ?
i'm almost sure its a Fiat Multipla, Mohawk. Looks like what we used to call in the motor trade in the 1970s a 'brannnie' (ie brand new from the showroom) . It was a front-wheel drive rear engine thing
I worked for FIAT trucks for a few years in the Brimingham area in the 1970s. We were relieved not to have the model as part of the glossy 'whole FIAT Family' brochure although it was still in production in Italy..
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Richie - Yes, I notice in your pic the front wheel arch is higher than the back wheel arch, and a similar difference shows in the old pic, which suggests the car is going towards Six Ways when I thought it was going away. What a strange car - probably designed by a committee !
oldmohawk
oldmohawk
Paul Walton
master brummie
Definitely a Fiat 600 Multipla, it had 3 rows of seats and a rear engine, a sort of 1950's mini people carrier, never seen one in the road in the UK. I have a Triang "Spot On" model/toy of one from the 1960's sat in a box in the loft. I lived at 14 Birchfield Rd, just down the road from the bank until I was five years old, we moved to a new flat in Castle Bromwich from there in November 1956
Roy Blakey
master brummie
Birchfield Road dance school. ( Enid Goodwins ).
Enid Goodwins dance school was a delight for many Birmingham people. Enid was the rather stern ' principle'. Her dance
partner and assistant was Charles. One of her other dance assistants was Ethel. On the ' door ' was George, who would check your shoes on entering and take your entrance fee. Enid before owning the Birchfield school used to hire the upstairs room at the Co-op on the Hawthorne Road, Kingstanding to deliver her dance lessons.
Back at Birchfield, on every occasion Enid would begin her dance night with a general dance and the record she would always play for this was " Your dancing on my heart " a boring quick-step by Victor Silvester.
She helped many of her pupils to attain their dance medals and others she groomed for dance competitions . I believe there was one ' hick-up ' during her Birchfieid ownership and that was when she decided to enlarge the downstairs ballroom area and had enlisted the help of volunteers from her school to do the job. During the process of removing one of
the partition walls everyone had the shock of seeing the above ceiling beginning to drop and sag. Fast props had to be put in and the professionals had to take over.
I believe Enid and Charles later became man and wife and later still Enid sold her Birchfield Road School and moved a short distance to set up a new school.
Enid Goodwins dance school was a delight for many Birmingham people. Enid was the rather stern ' principle'. Her dance
partner and assistant was Charles. One of her other dance assistants was Ethel. On the ' door ' was George, who would check your shoes on entering and take your entrance fee. Enid before owning the Birchfield school used to hire the upstairs room at the Co-op on the Hawthorne Road, Kingstanding to deliver her dance lessons.
Back at Birchfield, on every occasion Enid would begin her dance night with a general dance and the record she would always play for this was " Your dancing on my heart " a boring quick-step by Victor Silvester.
She helped many of her pupils to attain their dance medals and others she groomed for dance competitions . I believe there was one ' hick-up ' during her Birchfieid ownership and that was when she decided to enlarge the downstairs ballroom area and had enlisted the help of volunteers from her school to do the job. During the process of removing one of
the partition walls everyone had the shock of seeing the above ceiling beginning to drop and sag. Fast props had to be put in and the professionals had to take over.
I believe Enid and Charles later became man and wife and later still Enid sold her Birchfield Road School and moved a short distance to set up a new school.
Roy Blakey
master brummie
Birchfield Road dance school. ( Enid Goodwins ).
Enid Goodwins dance school was a delight for many Birmingham people. Enid was the rather stern ' principle'. Her dance
partner and assistant was Charles. One of her other dance assistants was Ethel. On the ' door ' was George, who would check your shoes on entering and take your entrance fee. Enid before owning the Birchfield school used to hire the upstairs room at the Co-op on the Hawthorne Road, Kingstanding to deliver her dance lessons.
Back at Birchfield, on every occasion Enid would begin her dance night with a general dance and the record she would always play for this was " Your dancing on my heart " a boring quick-step by Victor Silvester.
She helped many of her pupils to attain their dance medals and others she groomed for dance competitions . I believe there was one ' hick-up ' during her Birchfieid ownership and that was when she decided to enlarge the downstairs ballroom area and had enlisted the help of volunteers from her school to do the job. During the process of removing one of
the partition walls everyone had the shock of seeing the above ceiling beginning to drop and sag. Fast props had to be put in and the professionals had to take over.
I believe Enid and Charles later became man and wife and later still Enid sold her Birchfield Road School and moved a short distance to set up a new school.
Enid Goodwins dance school was a delight for many Birmingham people. Enid was the rather stern ' principle'. Her dance
partner and assistant was Charles. One of her other dance assistants was Ethel. On the ' door ' was George, who would check your shoes on entering and take your entrance fee. Enid before owning the Birchfield school used to hire the upstairs room at the Co-op on the Hawthorne Road, Kingstanding to deliver her dance lessons.
Back at Birchfield, on every occasion Enid would begin her dance night with a general dance and the record she would always play for this was " Your dancing on my heart " a boring quick-step by Victor Silvester.
She helped many of her pupils to attain their dance medals and others she groomed for dance competitions . I believe there was one ' hick-up ' during her Birchfieid ownership and that was when she decided to enlarge the downstairs ballroom area and had enlisted the help of volunteers from her school to do the job. During the process of removing one of
the partition walls everyone had the shock of seeing the above ceiling beginning to drop and sag. Fast props had to be put in and the professionals had to take over.
I believe Enid and Charles later became man and wife and later still Enid sold her Birchfield Road School and moved a short distance to set up a new school.
The new school was in Livingstone Road and is still there. As for Enid I have been told that she went to
live in Cyprus. I have many happy memories of Enid Goodwins, took all my medals up to first Gold Bar standard and am still dancing now in my 70's. There are a lot of interesting posts on the Forum which make interesting reading.
live in Cyprus. I have many happy memories of Enid Goodwins, took all my medals up to first Gold Bar standard and am still dancing now in my 70's. There are a lot of interesting posts on the Forum which make interesting reading.
sophietherat
proper brummie kid
Hi All, I live at 367b Birchfield Road, above what is now Indigo Blue hairdressing (next door but one to where Dodds once was!) It's amazed me looking through this thread, and others. I've discovered that the wonderful "crown avenue" had once been a proper road instead of just an alleyway leading to my flat! I've found articles on other sites about Victorian ladies dying in my flat (which made for some sleepless nights!!). If anyone has anymore information on Crown Avenue, I'd be really grateful as I'd love to know what it was like as a road and not just a dead end!
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I walked through Perry Barr hundreds of times well before the underpass was even thought of, in fact so long ago I caught the No 6 tram there. I must have seen that passageway and never knew it was called Crown Avenue. It just behind the car.
Photo date 1959
Photo date 1959
Last edited:
sophietherat
proper brummie kid
The map in post #106 shows it running parallel to the railway oldMohawk. I know old maps are a totally different proportion, but it looks like it's lined with houses! I know it was even narrower at one time, since the terrace at the edge was demolished. There's a lovely old bricked up archway just inside crown avenue. I'll get a few photos in the morning when I'm out and about!
Hi Sophie. I too would be interested to see any photos. I wonder if some of the Crown Avenue buildings on the map (above the words 'Crown Avenue') might have been connected to the railway. There's a group of 4 houses just below 'Crown' so there were residential buildings along there too at one time. But it's interesting how the Avenue peters out just before the allotments on the map. The allotments area - in fact that whole corner formed by the junction of Aston Lane and Wellhead Lane - was acquired by George Ellison's, which later became Tufnol's. Be great to see what we can find out about the Avenue. Posting the map section again so it's easy to see what I'm referring to. Viv.
That's great Mike. I think we've discussed that nursery somewhere else on the Forum. Think it was an advert that described trips to visit it. Maybe it was in your 150 years ago thread. Sure it will come to me. Viv.
Thanks Mike. Here's your post (from the thread "From Birmingham Post 150 years ago").
The nursery was Mr J Cole's with it's entrance on Aston Lane. Looks easy to get to for a day trip if coming by train on the Grand Junction Railway to Perry Bar ( spelt with one 'r' only until Perry Barr station with two 'r' s was renamed - in 1894 when it became LNWR - info supplied by David Grain on the same thread). Excursions to buy strawberries, how sophisticated!
Now wondering if exclusionists were able to use Crown Avenue as an approach to Mr Cole's nursery. Looking at Mike's map, the main entrance would obviously have been on Aston Lane between, what is now, Tufnol's and the Cash & Carry Warehouse. But Crown Ave would have provided a quicker route from the station if it was possible to use it. Viv
The nursery was Mr J Cole's with it's entrance on Aston Lane. Looks easy to get to for a day trip if coming by train on the Grand Junction Railway to Perry Bar ( spelt with one 'r' only until Perry Barr station with two 'r' s was renamed - in 1894 when it became LNWR - info supplied by David Grain on the same thread). Excursions to buy strawberries, how sophisticated!
Now wondering if exclusionists were able to use Crown Avenue as an approach to Mr Cole's nursery. Looking at Mike's map, the main entrance would obviously have been on Aston Lane between, what is now, Tufnol's and the Cash & Carry Warehouse. But Crown Ave would have provided a quicker route from the station if it was possible to use it. Viv
Yes, think you're right Mike, difficult to tell.
Here we have a glimpse of the houses/cottages on Crown Avenue, behind the Chapel on Aston Lane (see red dot). I extracted this from the very first photo on this thread posted by Astoness. (A brilliant aerial photo showing the major changes to allow for the widening of Birchfield Road). Also posting a section of the map showing position of cottages (red dot). Viv.
Here we have a glimpse of the houses/cottages on Crown Avenue, behind the Chapel on Aston Lane (see red dot). I extracted this from the very first photo on this thread posted by Astoness. (A brilliant aerial photo showing the major changes to allow for the widening of Birchfield Road). Also posting a section of the map showing position of cottages (red dot). Viv.
sophietherat
proper brummie kid
Viv, that's fantastic, I would never have spotted that! I've got a couple of photos of where I presume they would have been! I'll post them up when I'm at the computer!
sophietherat
proper brummie kid
Here's where my back garden should have been, Looking towards Tufnols. The long wall at the left of the photo is the back of Dodds. I presume this would have been a stockroom at some point?
That mystery archway! Bear in mind, the terrace at the end has been knocked down, so this would have been between 2 back gardens!?
Looking out onto Birchfield Road.
And finally, here's where I presume those little cottages were, where NTI is now.
That mystery archway! Bear in mind, the terrace at the end has been knocked down, so this would have been between 2 back gardens!?
Looking out onto Birchfield Road.
And finally, here's where I presume those little cottages were, where NTI is now.
That's great Sophie. So far I've had a look at the cottages/houses in relation to the NTI building and I think they're under the new building at this point - here's a comparison, not exact but gives you a rough idea. I think Crown Avenue would have continued right down the middle of the NT I building. I assume it now covers most of the original avenue. Viv.
sophietherat
proper brummie kid
Viv, that looks about right. When Indigo Blue was next door to where it is now, before that god awful NTI building was there (I think it was built in about 2004) there were some smaller factory units, which I guess were part of tufnols. I've got an aerial view from then, which shows Crown Avenue going on a little bit further.
The line is Crown Avenue, although it doesn't really lead anywhere interesting, the dot is my flat, for reference with my photos from earlier, and the really badly drawn box is where I guess those cottages were!
The line is Crown Avenue, although it doesn't really lead anywhere interesting, the dot is my flat, for reference with my photos from earlier, and the really badly drawn box is where I guess those cottages were!
And here's the front view of those cottages/houses. Four in the terrace, with entrances fronting onto Crown Avenue. I expect the residents were gutted when Bill Switchgear built that factory next door. Canterbury Road School is in the foreground, now demolished.
Viv.
Viv.
Think we were posting at the same time Sophie. A good aerial view helps to get my bearings. Can't quite get my head around the bricked up arch yet but will give it some more thought. Finding it interesting. I can't draw squares either! Viv.