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Birmingham Cardrome Coventry Road

Johnfromstaffs said:
Thanks Maurice,

I found some pictures of Cope Street, it’s a very nondescript looking garage and Cope Street looks a bit down at heel, but there are two Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires and a Lancaster in the pictures so Frank must have done some trade.

Frank M lived in Grange Rd Kings Norton, in a house called “Claerwen” so must have been doing passably well. My car’s history reads like a Brum directory, supplied new by George Heath to Leonard Leigh Ltd of Hockley, then Moseley, then a firm of brass founders in W. Brom, then Moseley again, then to my family member, also in Kings Norton, finally to me. Not many owners in 67 years!
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Interesting you mention Armstrong Siddeley. My grandad had an old 1927 Bentley he part exchanged for a new Armstrong Siddeley from Cyril Kaye Bristol Street Motors in 1935, car in question was reg OX3922, first owner H.Southerton, Manor House, Warwick Road, Solihull, 2nd owner Dr Wright, Lichfield. My grandad bought the car on 15th July 1935 and ptx it in July 1936. I've some other details I will try to find.IMAG0571 (1).jpg
 
bullring boy said:
Hi Brummy Babby. I don't know if you're still interested in any information on RJ Evans and Kitchen. I've just joined the Birmingham History website and noticed that you'd asked for details about the company. My dad worked for Evans and Kitchen for many years after the war, right up to its sale in the seventies. I also had a Saturday and holiday job there for many years, so I have a lot of information on the company. Sadly no photos- which is what I'm searching for and no memorabilia. It's a pity because as a kid I had dozens of Evans and Kitchen key rings and tax disc holders. Let me know if you want any more information about the company.
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Was that the Hurst Street branch
 
I’ve had a fight with the download, so I’ll maybe know more when I‘ve cracked up the supercomputer rather than this iPad.

I am surprised to find a Charlesworth body on a Bentley, but they were licensed to build coachwork to Weymann patents (lightweight and flexible) and were in business in the 20s. They later came to the fore in the 30s building sporting coachwork on Alvis Speed 20 or 25 amongst others. I have also got in amongst the books and made a random check of Bentley Drivers Club membership registers for 1982, 2006 and 2015, and although there are some OX registered cars, not this one.
 
It was a 3 litre, the works chassis no was 846, the NR number being a sort of sales thing, possibly attached after the body was fitted, but there is no further information on VintageBentleys.org, and I have to tell you that the car in the picture looks to me like a Model A Ford, it certainly isn't a Bentley. Sorry.

Later: I must have been cross-eyed when I looked this up, I see now that the engine # is/was 860, and the chassis # NR518. Sorry.
 
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The cars not a Bentley it's an Armstrong Siddeley. I have a lot of detail on OX3922 written up by Alan Bodfish the WO Bentley admin at Wroxton, no photos of the Bentley exist, there is a copy of The Bentley Motors service record I'll try to scan but I was really replying to the post about my granddad Armstrong Siddley and Cecil Kaye. Feedback from Bentley indicated OX3922 was probably scrapped during the war when petrol rationing meant it was up on bricks anyway. My dad is in the photo in the car probably aged about 10/
 
I
Johnfromstaffs said:
I’ve had a fight with the download, so I’ll maybe know more when I‘ve cracked up the supercomputer rather than this iPad.

I am surprised to find a Charlesworth body on a Bentley, but they were licensed to build coachwork to Weymann patents (lightweight and flexible) and were in business in the 20s. They later came to the fore in the 30s building sporting coachwork on Alvis Speed 20 or 25 amongst others. I have also got in amongst the books and made a random check of Bentley Drivers Club membership registers for 1982, 2006 and 2015, and although there are some OX registered cars, not this one.
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OX3922 according to Alan Bodfish was probably scrapped, if you want to see the email trail sent to me by Alan from the WO Bentley Memorial Foundation I can send everything I have on my grandads old car that way, or you can contact Alan, quote the reg number and he will most likely give you chapter and verse on the background. He didn't have the car long selling it soon after moving to Park Hill from Church Road in Moseley. My dad remembered it.
 
One other contact might be Clare Hay who helped the WOBMF write the recent book, she told me NR518 is actually chassis 1283, however Bentley changed the system at chassis 1240 so labelled it as AP301, it doesn't mean much to me sorry. Apparently the sales agent was Henry Garner who used Charlesworth or Carbodies to build the bodies.
 
All a long time ago foljs, sorry detail is sketchy, I can't ask anyone for details as my grandad passed away in 1966, my dad in 2019 and I'm 66 and plugging through likes of papers researching my family history in Birmingham and elswhere. Just posted what I had for interest.
 
If you want to give me your email detail I will forward you all the details that Alan Bodfish and Clare Hay pulled out for me on OX3922, most of it is old hat stuff found in boxes of papers from my dad's house. There's lots of stuff you might understand better than me. Car ownership was listed from 1927 to 1936 when grandad put it in part exchange for a new Amstrong Siddley. It's all a bit confused but as a BDC member I don't mind forwarding you all the emails I have from the foundation including the first owner and the handwritten service record.
 
mbenne said:
Yep. He was MD for Autolease. His cousin, Mark Jones also worked for them.
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Just seen this as my mum Brenda Smith worked both at haymills and cardrome in the 70s my dad Reg worked for bsm burgess house then Warwick. My sister still works for lex after autolease. Made me reminiscent last night seeing a documentary about Harry cressman's son who was tragically murdered
 
Not seen this thread before. Does anyone remember the Parmenters car sales just a little way up from the Alexander Stadium.
I used to go to school {Handsworth Tech.] with him.
 
johnny082 said:
Not seen this thread before. Does anyone remember the Parmenters car sales just a little way up from the Alexander Stadium.
I used to go to school {Handsworth Tech.] with him.
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i remember one op perry barr park entrance. was his name david?
 
I think I might have applied for a job there when I came out of the army,
Was their place in the stretch somewhere between the stadium and the fire station and did they specialise in sports cars?
 
johnny082 said:
Not seen this thread before. Does anyone remember the Parmenters car sales just a little way up from the Alexander Stadium.
I used to go to school {Handsworth Tech.] with him.
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Yes...I remember it...used to sell Aston Martins, Jensens etc..this was in the early 1970's, didn't he date or marry Ann Aston off the golden shot ?..He moved out around 1971/2 and was taken over by Gorden Love, I purchased my second car off him Ford Anglia Estate I am sure that was in 1972....
 
rich1234 said:
Hey all

firstly a big thank you to all those who have me info on my other recent post asking for info on evans and kitchen

i have another help and info request that id like to put out there .

Does anyone know any info or have pictures of BIRMINGHAM CARDROME , who were on the coventry road down in small heath in the 70s .

they were a side buisness to bristol street motors .

id love to see a pic if theres one out there somewhere?

thanks in advance
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Smithr19167 said:
Just seen this as my mum Brenda Smith worked both at haymills and cardrome in the 70s my dad Reg worked for bsm burgess house then Warwick. My sister still works for lex after autolease. Made me reminiscent last night seeing a documentary about Harry cressman's son who was tragically murdered
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Hi, Y was General Manger of Cardrome from 1975 to 1978. Have loads of pictures if anyone interested.
Peter McKenna
 
Smithr19167 said:
Just seen this as my mum Brenda Smith worked both at haymills and cardrome in the 70s my dad Reg worked for bsm burgess house then Warwick. My sister still works for lex after autolease. Made me reminiscent last night seeing a documentary about Harry cressman's son who was tragically murdered
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Then she would remember Carol Ash and her brother Ken Buckley? I worked with both of them.
 
Astoness said:
just caught up with this and yes pete i am sure it was david parmenter i think he was a friend of a friend of mine...this would be in the early 70s.

lyn
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yer it was 71 i worked for the parks dept then getting perry park ready for the show. great times
 
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