Blucher Street

[Moseley Bill]

I can't begin to say how thrilled I am at these photos.

I lived at 2/57 until we were moved for the flatted factory to begin building

The second picture shows a lamp post outside the entry to our 'court' and on the map I can help add some numbers


The red marked building is indeed number 57 and if you bear in mind I wasn't born before the bombing but our house, number 2 was at the lower edge of the plan for the yard.
The row of buildings behind our house was obliterated by the blitz and our house was held up from behind by brick buttresses as seen in the second picture


The house outlined in blue was number 5 and belonged to Mrs Bray, whose granddaughter, Susan tended to me and bought me home crying after I tried to ride my trike backwards down the steps in Gough St!

I'm not sure if I can adapt the plan and post it here, I never tried but I will.

I'd like to show you how much of that vast housing area was left in 1950 or so.

 

[Moseley Bill]

This set of pictures my mom took a huge long time ago show our home in the distance because Jimmy and I were building houses out of spare bricks which mom thought more important, Jimmy McFadden was my cousin.


You can see how much of the housing stock was left, our house on the right and Mrs Bray's on the left, the only others I can remember actually living in the place were 'Uncle'Alec and 'Aunty Nell down stairs behind the paling fence just as you got through the entry to the left.

They were moved out to Shard End and we often visited them in the later years.

That is mom's washing on the line in picture 1.

The other two pictures were me, of course, and Robert Lynch playing with 'the box' and my dog Bruce outside number 5, Mrs Bray's step.

Bruce was the best dog in the world, and one night he proved it when I was scratched in bed and called out to mom.

She called him upstairs and he dived into the bed and dragged a huge rat out from under the covers.

I love that dog to this day.


I wont mutilate the map, you can clearly see that nothing of Marshall Street survived

 

[Vivienne14]

Just a little sunshine breaking through an alleyway Blucher Street.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[Moseley Bill]

I wonder where that alley was Vivienne and when it was taken, not sure I'd believe 1963, we were all out of our bit before the Coronation.

So close to the event in fact that Val and I (my little sis) didn't get a coronation mug or any other souvenir, nobody knew we were coming to the estate but we were allowed to sit in the party and eat jellies and such feeling like the strangers at the feast.

 

[Astoness]

hi bill...just wondering what makes you question that vivs photo taken from the newpaper was 1963...what year was you thinking?...the street was certainly still there and being lived in in 1965 as one of our members states on post 28 of this thread..the alley or entry could be anywhere in the street...no clues except for the lampost situated in the yard

lyn

 

[brummy-lad]

An aerial view of Blucher Street dated 1935.

 

[Astoness]

john which is blucher st and what is the st or road running across the top please....im trying to get my bearings so i can compere with the map on post 31...thanks

lyn

 

[brummy-lad]

john which is blucher st and what is the st or road running across the top please....im trying to get my bearings so i can compere with the map on post 31...thanks

lyn

Hi Lyn, the road across the top is Suffolk Street, the synagogue is on Blucher Street and the street to the left of the synagogue is Severn Street

 

[brummy-lad]

Map turned to match the aerial shot

 

[Moseley Bill]

hi bill...just wondering what makes you question that vivs photo taken from the newpaper was 1963...what year was you thinking?...the street was certainly still there and being lived in in 1965 as one of our members states on post 28 of this thread..the alley or entry could be anywhere in the street...no clues except for the lampost situated in the yard

lyn

Hiya Lyn, yes I know Blucher St was still in occupation up the hill, I even wandered down it during my stupid sessions of playing the wag but I was not so sure about the gas lamps, is all.

Its obviously on a flatter piece than 2/57 too and on consideration the kids seem to be wearing long trousers which does help place the photo at a probably later date.

I sometimes wonder if my dad used the Craven Arms or not, I know he was a lifelong member of the Labour Party and used the Labour club on Bristol St/Horse Fair when we lived there.

He didn't use St Catharine's though very often, so we had to walk along the marshalling yard by the cut to go to St Peter's on Sunday morning.

After Mass we would walk down Broad St and Easy Row and head for the news-stalls outside the station in Hill St so he could pick up the papers from home, the Sunday Post and the Sunday Mail maybe even a comic for me if he had jinglies in his pocket after putting his tanner on the plate at St Pete's.

Then up to Suffolk St and that steep old climb up Gough St home for breakfast.

I hope I haven't upset Viv or you with my query by the way, just my head fills with stuff to jettison at times.

 

[Astoness]

Hiya Lyn, yes I know Blucher St was still in occupation up the hill, I even wandered down it during my stupid sessions of playing the wag but I was not so sure about the gas lamps, is all.

Its obviously on a flatter piece than 2/57 too and on consideration the kids seem to be wearing long trousers which does help place the photo at a probably later date.

I sometimes wonder if my dad used the Craven Arms or not, I know he was a lifelong member of the Labour Party and used the Labour club on Bristol St/Horse Fair when we lived there.

He didn't use St Catharine's though very often, so we had to walk along the marshalling yard by the cut to go to St Peter's on Sunday morning.

After Mass we would walk down Broad St and Easy Row and head for the news-stalls outside the station in Hill St so he could pick up the papers from home, the Sunday Post and the Sunday Mail maybe even a comic for me if he had jinglies in his pocket after putting his tanner on the plate at St Pete's.

Then up to Suffolk St and that steep old climb up Gough St home for breakfast.

I hope I haven't upset Viv or you with my query by the way, just my head fills with stuff to jettison at times.

hi bill absolutely you have not upset us...i just wondered if maybe you knew something we didnt

i am really enjoying reading your memories of this street and your family photos have made a great addition to this thread...carry on posting bill

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

Not upset Bill. Thank you for your great contributions.

 

[brummy-lad]

Can anybody decipher the name of this decorator ? & sons. I've tried Quinns, Burns and others but no luck. Thanks.

Photo was probably taken mid to late 60s but I think the decorator is from much earlier.

 

[sttudy]

I lived in Blucher Street from 1955 to 1965, its definitely Burns and sons. This seems to be the company now, but it says landscaping and driveways on the fb page and they are in Durham ....
Their contact details are attached so maybe email them?
Burns & Sons Ltd is a highly rated, fully accredited, and insured local decorating firm operating in the Birmingham area Burns & Sons Ltd's post - Facebook. They are well-regarded by clients for going above and beyond on projects, boasting 100% 5-star customer reviews across their social media channels.Company Details & ContactServices: Domestic and commercial painting and decoratingReputation: Fully accredited team with flawless 5-star reviews Burns & Sons Ltd's post - FacebookContact: 07741984396Email: [email protected]: Burns & Sons Ltd

 

[brummy-lad]

I lived in Blucher Street from 1955 to 1965, its definitely Burns and sons. This seems to be the company now, but it says landscaping and driveways on the fb page and they are in Durham ....
Their contact details are attached so maybe email them?
Burns & Sons Ltd is a highly rated, fully accredited, and insured local decorating firm operating in the Birmingham area Burns & Sons Ltd's post - Facebook. They are well-regarded by clients for going above and beyond on projects, boasting 100% 5-star customer reviews across their social media channels.Company Details & ContactServices: Domestic and commercial painting and decoratingReputation: Fully accredited team with flawless 5-star reviews Burns & Sons Ltd's post - FacebookContact: 07741984396Email: [email protected]: Burns & Sons Ltd

You're a star thanks for that.

 

[brummy-lad]

I lived in Blucher Street from 1955 to 1965, its definitely Burns and sons. This seems to be the company now, but it says landscaping and driveways on the fb page and they are in Durham ....
Their contact details are attached so maybe email them?
Burns & Sons Ltd is a highly rated, fully accredited, and insured local decorating firm operating in the Birmingham area Burns & Sons Ltd's post - Facebook. They are well-regarded by clients for going above and beyond on projects, boasting 100% 5-star customer reviews across their social media channels.Company Details & ContactServices: Domestic and commercial painting and decoratingReputation: Fully accredited team with flawless 5-star reviews Burns & Sons Ltd's post - FacebookContact: 07741984396Email: [email protected]: Burns & Sons Ltd

Could you give me an idea where on Blucher Street that buiding was please.

 

[sttudy]

Could you give me an idea where on Blucher Street that buiding was please.

Hi it was almost opposite the Synagogue, on the corner of Commercial St. If you look up from The Craven Arms in this photo, on the left hand side you can just see the White painted facade. We lived at 21 Blucher St which was opposite The Craven Arms and next to Joe Rann's grocers on the corner of Gough St.

 

[sttudy]

Hi it was almost opposite the Synagogue, on the corner of Commercial St. If you look up from The Craven Arms in this photo, on the left hand side you can just see the White painted facade. We lived at 21 Blucher St which was opposite The Craven Arms and next to Joe Rann's grocers on the corner if Gough St.

I have marked it in blue, there used only 1 road off on that side between Upper Gough St and it is Commercial Road.

 

[brummy-lad]

I have marked it in blue, there used only 1 road off on that side between Upper Gough St and it is Commercial Road.

Great, thanks for your help.

 

[sttudy]

Great, thanks for your help.

The Synagogue is 26, 26a, 26b, it says painters and decorators were 28-30 Blucher st, the lower half of Blucher Street was from Gough St/Upper Gough Street down to Holloway Head junction, and it was much steeper slope down than in the photo. Plus beyond The Craven Arms on that side of the road there was Lonsdale House, then residential back to back houses on both sides. A couple of small shops on opposite side and more slums.

 

[sttudy]

As I remember it the building was some kind of factory/office unit although I can't remember the name of the company. I tried looking at the building closer on Google StreetView and it shows a sign saying that two parking places belong to a company although the name is unreadable. That is on the Blucher Street side. On Gough Street, google gives the address as 29 Gough Street. One of the glass doors has 31 Gough Street etched into the glass by the handle. Another search gives 31 Gough Street as the address of the United Services Club. As I remember it their place was a little further down the hill on the other side and is now a banqueting suite and a rock club at weekends.

It was called Lonsdale House and was used for various office space, my sister worked as a photographic developer there in 1965 in one of the premises.