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Birmingham's Working Horses

jean i will have a look when the change over is done.at the moment i see nowt.
it was loverly when the rag man,the coal man,and the milk man come down the road,or street.they were so well behaved. THE HORSE THAT IS LOL. roses dont bloom the same now.
 
We used to rush out with our bucket and shovel to collect the horse manure for the garden. I used to look after my nans coal mans black horse in Franchise street. Happy days.
 
I have several more pictures of working horses in Birmingham which I have scanned ready for when the picture upload whatsit is working again.
 
Look forward to seeing those Stitcher - My Dad was a Milkie way back.
 
Hello David, my father always had horses in the early days of my childhood. Granddad Weaver had coal barges on the canal and dad used to empty them. He also had horses in the coalyard in Gladstone Street and I used to go down the stable with him to give the horse and apple while he curry combed it or polished the brasses. Lovely smells of horses all mixed up with Ansells Brewery with the occassional whiff coming over from Aston Cross HP Sauce factory. Regards, David
 
What lovely memories David and I just shut my eyes and breathed deeply. What a lovely place to grow up in those days. Jean.
 
img055.jpg

I have just realised that I posted the previous picture last week as well so I am attempting to change it for this one about the coalmen.
I understand that the Co-op had a warf in Acocks Green but I have no idea where other than it was on the canalside and that reminds me of Lesters in Lincoln Road. The canal gave direct access to the Cannock coal field.
stitcher
 
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Stitcher
They had a lot of coal yards in 1932 (year taken as guess) :
Office : 205 & 207 Inkerman street, Vauxhall (X N's Eastr,i7i & 1,172); coal wharves: Acock's ,Green, (T N,Acock's Green 13); Adderley park (T N Victoria 0539) ;Camp hill (TNVictoria0147) ; Erdington, (T N Erdington.0636); L. M. & S. Railway new wharf, St. Vincentstreet (T N Central 6106); Hagley road (T.N Edgbaston1776); Hall Green, Stratford road (T N Acock'sGreen 567); Handsworth (T N Nprthern 2474); Stationroad, Harborne,; Lawley street; Small heath (T N Victoria961); Soho Pool (T N Northern 3244) ; Station road,Stetchford (T N Stechford 470) ; Tyseley (T N Acock's'Green589); Astonlane,Witton (TN East 1158) ; LangleyGreen; Oldbury ; Solihull; Soho (TNSmethwick0513) & West Bromwich
Obviously some, like Harborne,Hagley road, Hall green cane eliminated
Mike​
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Thanks for that Mike, I suppose there were coal yards all over the place if that list is just the Co-op ones.
stitcher
 
img031~1.jpg

This picture from 1953 shows just how well bahaved the horses were.
 
My late father was a carter for the LMS, he used to have a horse until they changed over to those 3 wheeler Scammell thingies. In one of the many booklets about old Birmingham, there is a photo of him with his horse and cart in I believe Edmond Street.

Barrie.
 
G G Jean said:
We used to rush out with our bucket and shovel to collect the horse manure for the garden. I used to look after my nans coal mans black horse in Franchise street. Happy days.
Click to expand...
reminds me of that joke Jean, A man was
filling his bucket with what the hoss had left outside his house when a little boy walking past asked"What are going to that mister? The man said "Put it on my rhubarb", The boy said"Oh we
have custard on ours!!" Bernard
 
Stitcher said:
img055.jpg

I have just realised that I posted the previous picture last week as well so I am attempting to change it for this one about the coalmen.
I understand that the Co-op had a warf in Acocks Green but I have no idea where other than it was on the canalside and that reminds me of Lesters in Lincoln Road. The canal gave direct access to the Cannock coal field.
stitcher
Click to expand...
Many years ago there was a Drill Sergeant at the Guards Depot in Caterham, his favourite saying was "Even if you cant look like Ronald Coleman, there is no reason to look like the Coop coalman. Bernard
 
barrie said:
My late father was a carter for the LMS, he used to have a horse until they changed over to those 3 wheeler Scammell thingies. In one of the many booklets about old Birmingham, there is a photo of him with his horse and cart in I believe Edmond Street.

Barrie.
Click to expand...
Hi Barrie, I used to live in Rupert Street, pre WWII, directly opposite the entrance to the LMS depot where the horses were stabled, during the night you could hear the scraping of their hooves. As children during the school holidays we used to wait for the horses and carts to come out and see if we could get a ride on the cart if not we used to hang on the back. Did your father work out of Rupert Street?.

regards Reg
 
img056_28229.jpg

Great Francis Street in 1884, I was surprised when I noticed how small these horses were but after another look I decided that the reason for small horses is small carts. I think.
 
The one time largest Shire Horse in the world owned by local breeder Arthur Lewis of Tanworth in Arden. Ladbrook Invader, stood at over 19.2 hands high. I haven't a clue what that is in old money.

What did we do with such a fine specimen, we sold him to America of course.

Phil
 

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Hello Phil, if he wanted to play up he would take a bit of handling but I think I am correct in saying Shires were a peaceful sort of beast.
 
Stitcher,

As far as I am aware Shires could be as temperamental as any other animal. There used to be one that took the kiddies for rides in a children's farm by where we used to have our caravan who could be very temperamental and some days she just wouldn't do it so the rides had to be cancelled.

Phil
 
i loved the christmas advert with the six horses pulling a cart full of beer.what a great team.
sticher. what a great pic of a bus jam lol
 
Hello phil, I would not know one way or the other but I was told they were rather placid and would happily walk up and down a field pulling a plough all day every day until the work was all done.
 
And what a fantastic sight he must have been, I have never been beside one of these magnificent beasts, without a deep feeling of awe and appreciation, here in the East they are normally "Suffolk Punches" apparently the best plough and dray horses in the world, I do love all the great shires.
paul
 
I have just googled Shire Horses and it gave the history of the animal and finished by saying Shire Horses are hard working, gentle and docile, so the one Phil refers to must have been a one off.
 
This is the only picture I have of a horse on my computer. I don't know anything about it or where the picture was taken. All I know is, I was of the next generation driving electric milk floats.

Terry
 

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YUMMY Hardings Bakery on Church road in Yardley! by the Swan, I can SMELL the bread now. Get a piece of fresh baked bread still warm. Lots of best Danish butter, what more could you ask for? John Crump OldBrit. Parker,Co USA
 
My Dad's Coal 'Oss had lips like velvet and when I cupped an apple half in my hand dad used to say, 'Flatten yand lad an you wum be bitten'. Regards, David
Phil said:
Stitcher,

As far as I am aware Shires could be as temperamental as any other animal. There used to be one that took the kiddies for rides in a children's farm by where we used to have our caravan who could be very temperamental and some days she just wouldn't do it so the rides had to be cancelled.

Phil
Click to expand...
 
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