Whoops it's happened again! A lorry collided on Summer Road in Erdington, before 11am on Friday (Jan 3). The road was shut in both directions by police while emergency teams worked to remove the lorry. Train services from New Street Station to Lichfield Station were disrupted by the incident:
I can date that photo for you. The brick extension to the Roebuck was built in 1962, and everything you see was demolished 2 years later in 1964.
Thanks for your kind offer of information. Unfortunately, member Jennyann passed away a while back, hence her avatar is showing “gone but not forgotten”
Yes. The High Street travels along high ground that dips down sharply towards Spring Lane. Rainfall would take the same path and rose as a spring now concealed under the gardens of Fern Road. It was piped under the houses to the other side of the lane, where it emerged in the field behind Briar Cottage known locally as the 'Scout Field' on account of it hosting the scout hut for the 105th Birmingham scout troop (later burnt down by vandals). Crossing the field it was known as Holly Brook and was conduited at the outbreak of WWII to cross under Spring Lane AAA site, finally emerging on the far side of Holly Lane. The Scout Field was later developed as the Blossom Hill estate. The scouts used to host a fireworks night like no other; there would be a huge bonfire and a basic display, but visitors were allowed to bring and set off their own fireworks wherever they wanted! Health & Safety would have a fit these days, but then it was just incredible fun with jumping jacks and bangers going off all around.
Sorry to hear about Jenny Ann. I wish that I'd found this thread earlier.
I'm going to come out all guns firing here, as this is my patch. These are two conjoined cottages known as 'Shipley Cottages', which stood in Moor End Lane from around 1600 until 1936, whereupon they were bulldozed in favour of the Berkswell Road development. They stood opposite to what became Moor End Lane School, and my family home was built on the site in 1937. Here is a larger photo, which shows the Moor End Lane context:
When I was young a Bakers Removals van was routinely parked in Mason Road opposite the swimming baths. Maybe one of the drivers lived there.Well spotted Curly ! I suppose as good a place as any to show off their furniture vans ...
Isn't that a very desirable Vauxhall VX490? Erdington still looked very respectable in the 1960s, but note the empty bottle having been dumped in the right foreground.
That restaurant was called the 'Lotus House'. Back on the library side was Wilton Road, which hosted 'Colmore Depot' and a music shop. I recall that the garage extended back to a showroom that opened on to the High Street where the old 'Picture House' had been (possibly the same building knocked through). I went with my father there to have a look at an Austin 1100 when it was introduced c1970. What stood in place of 'Blockbusters' I also cannot recall.
If you lived opposite the school would you remeber the Newton family?
Pedro you've asked an essay question, which I will gladly answer in due course on the 'Moor End Lane' thread rather than the 'High Street' thread, because there is a wealth of history attaching to that particular area. In very simple terms you only have to look at it to date it, but its actual structure goes back to mediaeval times and was probably moved from elsewhere c1600.
Remember the village as a kids went Osborne rd school as a kid in the 50s. The village was great then!Erdington High Street was my complete "universe" growing up. I started attending St. Barnabas Children's Church services on Sunday mornings when I was eight. Before that I attended the Baptist chapel in George Road and was entered on the Cradle Role when I was born. My Mother thought the Baptists were too strict and so we, my youngest brother and I, went to Erdington Parish, as we knew it. We could have gone to St.Mark's at Stockland Green where I was christened but the Minister at the time was quite strange.
That photo, which I imagine was taken in the early l950's, was typical of the High Street on Saturday, packed tight. As Alberta said, "Going to the Village" was the thing to do on Saturdays. Sundays, the street was totally empty. The High Street was also known as the local "Monkey Run" for quite a few decades. My father talked about walking over to Erdington Village from the Witton area with his brother and often mentioned what a lovely village Erdington was. This would have been in the early l920's.
I believe Littlewoods is still there, at least it was in 2004. My friend and I used to look under the sweet counter on Saturdays to find the wrapped sweets that had been dropped by the assistants.I can remember the old National School that was across the road from Littlewoods, long gone now, a small precinct now stands on the site.
I also remember Hazel's the Undertakers, which is still there and also Mr. Hazel, who used to march down the High Street wearing a fly-away collar and as Alberta says he was very tall and thin. He had an assistant who dressed in the same style. Mr. Snape was his name.
I ended up going to St. Barnabas three times on some Sundays, well, to the Church House, which you can just see in the photograph opposite the Church, on Sunday afternoons to Sunday School and when I was in my teens I went to the evening service. Many of my friends from school used to go as well so it was my out of school social life in a way. My parents were very strict about where I went and what I did in that respect. I attended Discoverer's on Thursday nights, it was a mixed group and I learned how to dance the Gay Gordans and the Valeta! Lovely memories of dancing in the Carlton Ballroom above the furniture shop that eventually became the famous "Mother's" Rock Club. Things were great until the Teds arrived and the fights started! Good entertainment. :knuppel2:
I remember going to the Ladies in the Acorn pub on the corner of Church Lane and the High Street, visible in the photo but never going into the pub itself. Went to The Roebuck pub later on. The Palace Cinema, The Palace Ballroom and the Erdington Picture House were well attended. I also remember when the El Toro Coffee House opened up in the late l950's. It was a great hang out and people used to line up to go in. Espresso Coffee was all the rage then for teenagers. They had a juke box on the ground floor. I met my first serious boyfriend in there. :smitten:
The shoe shops in the High Street got a lot of my wages years ago and I remember my Mother taking me and my brother to Dick's Coffee House. Upstairs they had a tea room and downstairs they sold coffee and coffee beans. The smell was heavenly. We were only allowed to have one cream cake even though a cake tier was brought to the table with several cakes on it. :-\
The High Street is much changed now, of course. The trees in front of the church are still there.
The wall was lowered many years ago so that the churchyard could be seen. The old Vicarage was pulled down and a new one built. So many memories in that High Street for me.
