• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Chelmsley Wood.

Yes Banjo, the upstairs was Dr John Bent and his wife Jenny and Dr Allin
after they moved to Craig croft John Bent was killed in a light aircraft crash but his wife contined to practice as did Dr Allin.
I think Jenny Bent retired about 9 years ago and Dr Allin a few years later.
 
Last edited:
hi BazzM my husband and I moved to chelmsley wood in1969 it was lovely then, they had not built all of the shopping area then we lived in walnut close and I worked at chelmsley hospital it was nice all the greenery, 11 years we lived up there, then moved to kingstanding memories:adoration:
 
hi our docter was john Bent was a realy nice person, what was the name of that other docter he was older than the others? I know he died as well, they named something after him.
 
hi banjo we moved to c/w in 69 thats the docters name I couldnt remember , thank you :adoration: jenny
 
When i first lived in Chelmsley the Town Centre was just a small wooded area and later a huge hole in the ground.
When we first got shops I remember shopping for groceries in Sainsburys(where the Market hall now stands) and a supermarket where B Wise was later situated,
I have been trying to recall the name I think it may have been Keymarkets,the supermarket then crossed the walkway to where Somerfield is now.

Keymarket sounds right, and wasn't there also a Fine Fare?
Haven't been there since my mum died. She worked at Merstone (?) School which has moved, I think.
maria
 
Age is getting the better of me! But didn't I go bike riding through Marston Green over the RR crossing them out to Chelmsley Wood wasn't it in the country with a stream that we went fishing in? this was in the early 1950s or am I thinking of some other place? John Crump OldBrit. Parker. Colorado USA
 
acer (#63) I think it was Dr Pomeroy and Old Brit (#66) the stream ran of the river Cole, widened out to a small man made lake at Meriden Park C/W and meandered up to and into Birmingham airport, and still does. Eric
 
Thanks for the info Eric, I rode there many times. So has it all been developed with housing estates now? John Crump OldBrit. Parker. Colorado USA
 
Yes john, 3 towns Chelmsley Wood,Fordbridge and Smithswood. At one time it was the bigest council housing estate in Europe.
 
Very modern Maria, situated above Asda in the Town centre.
I stopped using it because as well as the library it has many other activities and I am old fashioned enough to like my libraries very quiet.
 
Very modern Maria, situated above Asda in the Town centre.
I stopped using it because as well as the library it has many other activities and I am old fashioned enough to like my libraries very quiet.

It's moved, then. It used to be opposite the shopping centre.

I can remember borrowing LPs (!) from there, and I think you used to have to show your stylus to the librarian to prove that you weren't going to damage the records. That was in the 1970s.

maria
 
I visit the Library often but it seems to get little use, I see very few people using it so if the Council decide to close it as a cost cutting measure it is the public's own fault. Use it or lose it. Eric
 
The new Bishop Wilson school up and running along with the new church, the old Bishop Wilson site now in the process of becoming a new small housing estate,
The Chester road has been revamped and the shops in Craig croft now demolished to make way for the new medical centre and village,
 
Hi I was looking for some help, i have been to solihull library and i have been slowly transferring all the microfilm images onto a digital camera for a group that i work for, I also have another reason for wanting to research the history of Chelmsley Wood please dont laugh me of the page but i had to move home due to a poltergiest activity in my old home, i have been doing some research to try and find out who lived there or what the house was built on etc. It was 61 wheatcroft drive, i managed to track down the previous owners who also reported strange things happening to them and thats why they moved on, i also discovered that the house was directly above tunnels used by Monks to move between Alcott House and the coleshill heath fields. If anyone can tell me anything more about the history or where i can find this information out, i need to know either what the house was built on or if there were any deaths in the house that maybe i could find information on.

Also please feel free to look at my images i have of chelmsley wood so far i have got 1971, 1973 & 1982 (its such a long process but worth it) its a group called chelmsley old school and the photos are all in the albums in year order my plan is do them all from when they started printing in 1971 until they stopped in 1983
 
Sounds like a wonderful project, with a lot of work involved. I hope you can get some help and information for your request.
 
More Chelmsley update;
There is to be a new 'Skills'college built on the triangle of land between Conway road, Chelmsley road and the lake, they have already started to take away the trees.

The beautiful green area and its trees on the Birmingham road between the Bacons End island and the Collector road is at the moment being cleared to build more houses.
 
Yes I have lived on Conway Rd for 28 years and we are all disgusted with losing this green space and its mature trees, but it was either an apprentice engineering college or yet more housing, would much prefer the college. It is supposed to be up and running by Sept 2016 for 14 to 18 year old apprentices according to the meetings we attended, it was part funded by Jaguar. I normally take my dog for his final walk at night round there as it is well lit, will have to walk round the pool now which is not so well lit !! Eric
 
Just realised that my wife and me have lived on Chelmsley Wood ( two different addresses ) for 50 years this month.
I remember when we came, all the roads were muddy from building lorries. No shopping centre, only the corner shop. We went to the Poolway for our main shopping. Also, no Facilities like Library, Swimming Baths or Council Office. Only the Midland Red buses ( 163 -169 - 193 ) came here, the BCT bus No53 terminated at Shirestone Rd. Moorend Avenue stopped at Berwicks Lane as there was no through road to Marston Green. Doctor Pomeroy practised from one of the houses in Greenlands Rd and our house address included "Area 4 Chelmsley Wood". It might look like I'm moaning but I'm not. Just remembering Chelmsley Wood 1968. Oh! since that time, practically all of the pubs that were here have now disappeared.
 
Beg ti differ, there were the Midland Red services 166 and 175 thar went through too Solihull. These used to serve Marston Green maternity hospital.
 
Hi

The 193 turned round at Arran Way Smithswood, as did the 194 which went via Washwood Heath to the city centre.
Now the 94 route.
Kind regards
Dave
 
Hi

The 193 turned round at Arran Way Smithswood, as did the 194 which went via Washwood Heath to the city centre.
Now the 94 route.
Kind regards
Dave
Hi, Dave, I am sure it was the 195 bus that went to Arran Way via Cooks Lane and Forth Drive and Centurion.
 
Hi Lumpammer,

Yes of course you are right, -I rarely used the 195 as I lived further up 'among the birds'
so my bus was the 194 then the 94.

Kind regards Dave
 
Just realised that my wife and me have lived on Chelmsley Wood ( two different addresses ) for 50 years this month.
I remember when we came, all the roads were muddy from building lorries. No shopping centre, only the corner shop. We went to the Poolway for our main shopping. Also, no Facilities like Library, Swimming Baths or Council Office. Only the Midland Red buses ( 163 -169 - 193 ) came here, the BCT bus No53 terminated at Shirestone Rd. Moorend Avenue stopped at Berwicks Lane as there was no through road to Marston Green. Doctor Pomeroy practised from one of the houses in Greenlands Rd and our house address included "Area 4 Chelmsley Wood". It might look like I'm moaning but I'm not. Just remembering Chelmsley Wood 1968. Oh! since that time, practically all of the pubs that were here have now disappeared.

Speaking of pubs, there was one where we used to live called The Friendly Inn that became a care home years ago, keeping the name.
There was also one that became a school or residential home for boys with behavioural problems, and then became a care home. Can't remember the name of that one.
 
Speaking of pubs, there was one where we used to live called The Friendly Inn that became a care home years ago, keeping the name.
There was also one that became a school or residential home for boys with behavioural problems, and then became a care home. Can't remember the name of that one.

Hi

Was it Forest Oak?

Kind regards Dave
 
Hi

Was it Forest Oak?

Kind regards Dave

I don't think so, Dave, but am not sure. I think it was a round building.
My mother used to work in the kitchen of Merstone School, which was for children with special needs, and that moved some time ago. There are houses where it used to be.
 
I'm a comparative newcomer (31 years) all facilities already here, although the library as since moved, preferred the old site. I was wary of moving here from Erdington because it had a bad name but that as turned out to be a falsehood, we have had no problems whatsoever, at least where I live in Fordbridge adjoining Meriden Park. Eric
 
Back
Top