Bracebridge Street

[michaelwicks54]

Hi Brummies!

Bit of a long shot but does anyone remember my family (Johnson) we lived at 14 Allesley St and then 128 Bracebridge St
between 1962 - 1968 My mother (Jean) with 4 young children and an absent father?

Hello RRJ. Welcome to this wonderful forum. I used to live in Bracebridge Street around this time. My family lived at number 20. Unfortunately, I was too young to get to know many people, & did not get the chance to mix with many of the children in the area either. Went to Elkington Street school before having to leave the house as it was being demolished to make way for the aston expressway. Hopefully, there is someone who remembers your family.

 

[RRJ]

Hi Michael & thanks for the welcome.
Yes, I was the oldest child of four but still only a nipper myself (born 1956) Went to William Cowper infants and Elkington Juniors also, so only remember a few children's names from the time living there.
I have a photo of me and a few neighbouring kids who used to play in the back yards which I'll dig out and attempt to post.

Cheers Bob.

 

[michaelwicks54]

Hi Michael & thanks for the welcome.
Yes, I was the oldest child of four but still only a nipper myself (born 1956) Went to William Cowper infants and Elkington Juniors also, so only remember a few children's names from the time living there.
I have a photo of me and a few neighbouring kids who used to play in the back yards which I'll dig out and attempt to post.

Cheers Bob.

Would love to see the photo Bob. You are 2 years younger than me. I can only remember 2 people by name from Elkington Street school. One was a girl in my class, who I got on really well with. Her name was anne bird, & one of the teachers, who I did not like. Her name was Miss Barlow. She hit me across the backs of my legs with the blackboard ruler (egdeways), just because I refused to wear a jumper in the summer. I was good with faces,but not with names.

 

[RRJ]

Wish I could remember names from school children/teachers, all very hazy after all these years Ha!.
Managed to find a few images with some names I remember, is it ok to post them in this thread? would love to hear from
anyone who remembers us.

 

[MWS]

If it's for your time at Elkington St School, you might have better luck on a thread for the school. There is one (assuming it's the same) here with some memories, though it's an old thread...

ELKINGTON ST SCHOOL

Elkington St School , skittle ball team, 1959. Teacher is Miss Webster.

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[RRJ]

These are children from numbers 128 and adjoining houses.

I'm the oldest here, the lad next to me is Michael, forgotten the others names.

 

[RRJ]

The McPhee girls, Oldest is Fiona (only remember because I had a crush on her) another girls name is Morag.
They told us they had moved to Brum from the Falkland Islands.

 

[RRJ]

My brother and sisters on the front step at 128 Bracebridge Street.

 

[RRJ]

One thing I do remember is all us kids being terrorised by a slightly older gang of boys if we left the yards to play in triangle park behind the houses. Gang leader was Bryan Mead iirc

 

[MWS]

Here's a map from 1950...

 

[RRJ]

Many thanks MWS, I now see our little cluster of houses. Does anyone remember the corner shop at 126 ?
I think we called it Reenies.

 

[michaelwicks54]

Many thanks MWS, I now see our little cluster of houses. Does anyone remember the corner shop at 126 ?
I think we called it Reenies.

Hello Bob. I remember the shop. Yes, it was called reenies. I remember going in there every morning with my mum on my way to school, then again on the way home. This has certainly jogged my memory of happy times.

 

[michaelwicks54]

These are children from numbers 128 and adjoining houses.

I'm the oldest here, the lad next to me is Michael, forgotten the others names.
View attachment 169883

 

[michaelwicks54]

Thank you for sharing these wonderful photo's Bob. We probably had fun in the playground at school together. Such a lot of years have past us by, & some memories fade with time unfortunately.

 

[RRJ]

Mom used to send me over to Reenies or if in the evening the Outdoor to get her 10 Park Drive tipped ( 1s 9d) I was allowed to squander the 3d change from the two bob bit. (twelve fruit salads and black jacks)

 

[brummy-lad]

My brother and sisters on the front step at 128 Bracebridge Street.

View attachment 169885

No. 128 is just about visible on this picture (rhs). More images of Bracebridge Street on:

www.leroux.co.uk/aston

 

[RRJ]

Great image!! thanks John.

 

[Lady Penelope]

RRJ, Clifford's cafe belonged to my Aunt & Uncle (Dolly and Arthur). Attached is a photo outside their cafe at 76 St Stephen's Street. It shows the shop you were talking about and the corner of Walmer Rec.

 

[RRJ]

Thank you Lady P, yes I see it. Lovely period scooter too!

 

[Susan shaw]

Great image!! thanks John.

Welcome to the Forum RRJ.
Lovely pics, thank your for sharing.
I worked at Benton & Stone in the sixties and have very fond memories of this area.
Kind regards, Sue

 

[Susan shaw]

RRJ, Clifford's cafe belonged to my Aunt & Uncle (Dolly and Arthur). Attached is a photo outside their cafe at 76 St Stephen's Street. It shows the shop you were talking about and the corner of Walmer Rec.

View attachment 169896

Oh so remember this cafe Lady P. A great cafe, owned by a great couple. You may remember from previous posts, that we worked for the same company, Benton & Stone. Happy days.
Lovely to see the pic again. Fab.

Kind regards, Sue

 

[RRJ]

Thanks for the welcome Sue.

I was only 12 when we were re-housed in Erdington around 1968, not long before they started tearing the area down.
Another memory I have of the street was putting my kid brother in a wheelbarrow with some sacking on him and doing
'Penny for the guy' outside the brassworks which were just opposite from our house. Working men were generous.

 

[RRJ]

Me not happy with my haircut, back yard of 128 Bracebridge St (circa 1966)
The state of the property!

 

[brummy-lad]

An aerial view from 1951, not very good quality but must have been a Monday as your neighbours had washing on the line? EDIT: Image corrected but even worse quality, still washing day though

 

[michaelwicks54]

Me not happy with my haircut, back yard of 128 Bracebridge St (circa 1966)
The state of the property!

View attachment 169935

Awww. Such a sad face Bob. Though I know the feeling, as did one of my brothers too. Seems that we always had an haircut like this, which upset us.Here is a photo of me with some of my brothers when I was at an Open air school, & at our hour in Waterworks street after we moved from bracebridge street.

 

[michaelwicks54]

Awww. Such a sad face Bob. Though I know the feeling, as did one of my brothers too. Seems that we always had an haircut like this, which upset us.Here is a photo of me with some of my brothers when I was at an Open air school, & at our hour in Waterworks street after we moved from bracebridge street.

Another photo for you Bob. I wonder if you recognise these

 

[RRJ]

An aerial view from 1951, not very good quality but must have been a Monday as your neighbours had washing on the line? EDIT: Image corrected but even worse quality, still washing day though

Thanks for the aerial shots John, not seen those before.

 

[RRJ]

Another photo for you Bob. I wonder if you recognise these

Unfortunately my memory is too hazy for me to remember exact locations Michael.
I do remember lots of gaps in the streets where houses would have stood but now rubble plies. A great place for boys to have adventures
Thanks for posting your family pictures.

Bob

 

[RRJ]

I put a load of emojis' in the last two posts, they didn't appear?
The smilie selection on here has no 'Thumbs up' lol

 

[brummy-lad]

A slightly better quality image from 1938.