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Cannon Hill Park

  • Thread starter Thread starter jake
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Astonian said:
hi mewla4
yes thats right i remember the big green house it was really hot in there
and we would look up to those big green banna,s always on a sunday we would go a gang of us if we did not go there we would pay sixpence to get in the botanical gardens and our real reason for going was to try and collect pop bottles
to get some pennies the posh folks as we called would leave the masons bottle on he grass and we would try and race each other to see whom gets it first
i thought of the thread with bannanas but you beat me to it
best wishes astonian ;;
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I too remember my folks taking my sister and I toCannon Hill Park. It was pretty much a regular Sunday afternoon walk during the summer (when Dad didn’t take a nap.) we nearly always went into the big greenhouse right by the entrance. Then we would walk across the grassed area where they played cricket but not on Sundays and see the rabbits and peacocks.
During WW2 Dad had a plot on the Russell road allotments and the easy way to it as it was at the bottom of the hill was to go through the park and through the bit where they composted all the cuttings and hop over the fence. Back then too, he would get up very early and cycle down to the park and bring me back a bag of confers before he biked to work. Wonder how many dads would do that today, supposing “ Conkers” was not considered to be a dangerous game.
 
Lloyd said:
Yes they are Phil, I should have qualified my reply - thanks for the accuracy!
I have a photo of a tram in Edgbaston Rd but it's temporarily locked in my failed computer hard drive. The 'bundy' clock is there in Willows Rd so that must be the real location of the terminus.
I think the tracks were at the side of the road in Edgbaston Rd, as they used to operate 'one way' round a loop there, but I'm not sure if they used the stop there that the 1A bus used as well.
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Did n’t the trams run along Cannon hill Road the turn up Edgbaston Road then turn again into Willows Road, avoiding switching the contact pole around, which was always the clippies job wet or dry. The driver had to stamp his foot pedal down and carry his dead mans handle through to the other end of the tram ..... responsiblejob!
 
Sunny weather and a blue sky at Cannon Hill Park at the end of February 2019.





Swan Lake Boating. Ice cream vans also out! Thought it was winter, not spring!



 
New memorial in Cannon Hill Park for the victims of the Tunisian terror attack of 2015.

Prince Harry will be in Birmingham to unveil it on Monday 4th March 2019.

It was behind barriers on my visit, so also had to look at it from the grass!





 
thanks ell..did you happen to notice if the old golden lion pub has fallen down yet:( in pic 2 it looks like another building is being erected...any idea what that is??

lyn
 
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Golden Lion is still there, nothing has changed, still held up by scaffolding!

If you mean the People's Postcode Lottery Arena at the MAC.
 
#13A - Cannon Hill Park - Similar picture to my post #13 but no small boy to the left of gate.
#13A Cannon Hill Park - Bridge - Boy by gate.jpg

#112 - Cannon Hill Park - The Boating Pool - c1956
#112 - Cannon Hill Park - 1956.jpg

#113 - Cannon Hill Park - Boating Lake
#113 - Cannon Hill Park.jpg

#114 - Cannon Hill Park
#114 - Cannon Hill Park.jpg

#115 - Cannon Hill Park
#115 - Cannon Hill Park.jpg
 
#116 - Cannon Hill Park - c1951
#116 Cannon Hill Park - 1951.jpg

#117 - Cannon Hill Park - Pool - Framed Version of #40.
#117 Cannon Hill Park - Pool - Framed version of #40.jpg

#118 - Cannon Hill Park - The Pool.
#118 Cannon Hill Park - the Pool.jpg

#119 - Cannon Hill Park - Waterfall and Rockery - (Low Quality Picture)
#119 Cannon Hill Park - Waterfall and Rockery.jpg

#120 - Cannon Hill Park
#120 Cannon Hill Park.jpg
 
My association with Cannon Hill Park, started at a very young age, I was about 3 years old when pushed in my chair around the park by my dear dad, we visited the exotic birds and peacocks , walked round the lake, and visited the pavilion, when older dad told me the reason for the parks name, from the civil war, and cannons were sited there to bombard Birmingham, he told me the very large rock was a "meteor", which I found out later it was't, We visited the river Rae, and the little museum, and we sat and ate "Midland dairy ice cones from the man on a bike. It was such an integral part of my up bringing, as were The Lickey Hills, we were poor you see, so no holidays , but wonderful memories. Paul
 
paul stacey said:
My association with Cannon Hill Park, started at a very young age, I was about 3 years old when pushed in my chair around the park by my dear dad, we visited the exotic birds and peacocks , walked round the lake, and visited the pavilion, when older dad told me the reason for the parks name, from the civil war, and cannons were sited there to bombard Birmingham, he told me the very large rock was a "meteor", which I found out later it was't, We visited the river Rae, and the little museum, and we sat and ate "Midland dairy ice cones from the man on a bike. It was such an integral part of my up bringing, as were The Lickey Hills, we were poor you see, so no holidays , but wonderful memories. Paul
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It sounds
paul stacey said:
My association with Cannon Hill Park, started at a very young age, I was about 3 years old when pushed in my chair around the park by my dear dad, we visited the exotic birds and peacocks , walked round the lake, and visited the pavilion, when older dad told me the reason for the parks name, from the civil war, and cannons were sited there to bombard Birmingham, he told me the very large rock was a "meteor", which I found out later it was't, We visited the river Rae, and the little museum, and we sat and ate "Midland dairy ice cones from the man on a bike. It was such an integral part of my up bringing, as were The Lickey Hills, we were poor you see, so no holidays , but wonderful memories. Paul
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Sounds as if you had a great childhood. Holidays were often a great disappointment, the memories I have of great holidays were when we went to a friend of the family's bungalow which was actually an old single deck bus with a dry toilet. Other happy times of spending days with mates at Cannon Hill Park that sounds much like your memory.
Thanks for sharing, cheers Tim.
 
Thanks Tim, and thanks to You all, though a poor family by today's standards, the love and excitement created by my parents, and that I lived in such a, (though industrial, a beautiful), city with so many parks, and gallery's and museums, was very special, though I have lived away since my 15th birthday, and am now nearly 73 years, I have never forgotten those wonderful childhood times and places, demencia aside I hope to have them for the rest of my time here. I have always thought how lucky and proud, I was to have been born a Brummie, it was my nick name during my army service. Paul
 
We used to go to the park & zoo a lot when I was little, it must have been a cheap day out in the school holidays!

I loved the little museum with the stuffed animals at the zoo side entrance, and can remember a little petting zoo with sheep & goats & you could buy bags of food pellets to take in to feed them with. I also remember riding a camel there.

The one thing I remember very clearly, and would love information on if it exists, is the coin operated tableau - automaton type things, like little shop fronts with moving figures that played & sort of acted out songs (I seem to remember one was How Much Was That Doggie In The Window & another I think was Teddybear's Picnic). I'm sure they were near where the train ride was. They were really creepy/fascinating & it was a treat to be able to operate them as they must have cost more to 'play' than other amusements.

Would love to see any pictures of the zoo as it was. I have been to the Nature Centre fairly recently & was pleased to see the old entrance was still there (the bit where the turnstyles was), but would love to see it as it was.
 
does anyone know if the bridge at cannon hill park is still there...nice photos two

lyn
 
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ICE SKATING IN THE PARK
I have a vivid memory of going to Cannon Hill Park in the winter of 1951 or 52. The ponds were frozen over and lights had been erected and me and my sister ice skated on the pond in the evening. It is difficult to imagine this ever happening now. Even if the weather was cold enough for the ponds to freeze the Health and Safety brigade would soon put a stop to it.

Does anyone else have any recollections of this or any photos?

I had put this post on the Calthorpe Park thread by mistake. It's in the right place now.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold
 
Arnold Mason said:
ICE SKATING IN THE PARK
I have a vivid memory of going to Cannon Hill Park in the winter of 1951 or 52. The ponds were frozen over and lights had been erected and me and my sister ice skated on the pond in the evening. It is difficult to imagine this ever happening now. Even if the weather was cold enough for the ponds to freeze the Health and Safety brigade would soon put a stop to it.

Does anyone else have any recollections of this or any photos?

I had put this post on the Calthorpe Park thread by mistake. It's in the right place now.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold
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Can remember the lake being frozen in 1947 which is the coldest and longest winter I remember. Mind I left the UK in June 1963. Spent a lot of time Cannon Hill Park , a real wonderland.
 
thats a smashing photo two....does anyone know if the memorial is still there as i cant remember seeing it last time i was at the park

lyn
 
The same memorial is shown in picture no. 4 in post 145 . That picture is dated c1911 so perhaps it commemorates the Boer War. Lovely pictures.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold
 
When I was born my parents lived in Mary Street, Balsall Heath. Apparently my Mom took me in my pram every day to Cannon Hill Park. When it was cold she tucked a hot water bottle in my blankets! She loved it there, and although she moved from the area 4 years after, she always remembered those walks.
 
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