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Erdington

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We nearly lost the Lad in the Lane!

I first sited this picture of the Green Man under the Thread, Birmingham Mail 1939, but as it involved something of a story concerning Erdington, which I did not know about, I have continued on this Thread.

It seems that Ansells Brewery Ltd had been granted the provisional order that the licence of the Green Man could be transfered to a new site on the Kingsbury Road. (Constructed on land at the southerly corner of the junction of Kingsbury Road and Bromford Lane). "It is the first step in the removal of one of the most ancient landmarks in the Midlands...the oldest public house in Birmingham, and is stated as the third oldest in the county, dating from the 14th C...many of the original features have been left intact, and huge cross timbers that intersect the ceilings of the smoke rooms and bar remain untouched. They are so solid that, during recent repairs, one of them took about two and a half hours to drill....Many people will regret the passing of the Lad in the Lane..."

Later we find...City Hostelry closing after 631 years....the Birmingham Gazette learns that the building has been reprieved from the death sentence. It is understood that it may become part of a nearby public institution.

I have not as yet found out how the move was stopped, but good news that it was!
 
Vivienne14 said:
I like this view of High Street, a glimpse of the Victorian shops near Orphanage Road end. Sadly most have gone. But straight ahead is one recognisable building on the Green. My mum loved to go shopping in Erdington; she'd throw us in the pram and she'd walk there from Kingstanding. And no wonder she made that effort. Up until the 1960s it must have retained its village character whilst offering a good choice of shops. Viv.

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Your mum must have been extremely fit, Kingstanding to Erdington seems an awfully long way, we have walked as small children, no pram - the walk will do you good -from the top end of Court Lane to the 'village' and that was some walk, but Kingstanding -wow 2 miles? I suppose we thought nothing of it then, now I have a youngster working for me who uses his car to drive between two different work sites - 300yds or whatever the metric equivalent is. Here is another question for one of you with better memories than me...was a house bombed in Goosemore Lane one night, I have some vague memory of it and an unusual smell and my mother telling the neighbours of it on the way home as we stopped every few minutes can someone clarify please

Bob
 
I think people did do far more walking then. People today seem to think that a walk down to the chemist is a long way now.


My mom would walk with me in the pushchair into the Village (Erdington) from Turfpitts Lane, Perry Common and bring back really heavy paper carrier bags of shopping.
 
Onceabrummie said:
Your mum must have been extremely fit, Kingstanding to Erdington seems an awfully long way, we have walked as small children, no pram - the walk will do you good -from the top end of Court Lane to the 'village' and that was some walk, but Kingstanding -wow 2 miles? I suppose we thought nothing of it then, now I have a youngster working for me who uses his car to drive between two different work sites - 300yds or whatever the metric equivalent is. Here is another question for one of you with better memories than me...was a house bombed in Goosemore Lane one night, I have some vague memory of it and an unusual smell and my mother telling the neighbours of it on the way home as we stopped every few minutes can someone clarify please

Bob
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As a child I used to walk once a week from Beeches Estate to my Grans in Perry Common and just checked on Google maps that it is 2.5 miles ... I didn't know that back then !!

There is a picture of me doing that journey in my pedal car towing my sister in a trailer shown in a forum post here ...

Regarding WW2 bombing Goosemoore Lane have look at links below
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/erdington.3193/page-24#post-573478
https://www.goosemoor-lane.com/history.htm
 
Last edited:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37606627

Did anyone else read this article on the BBC website?
It says that Erdington is 'one of Britain's poorest places' which did surprise me. I haven't been there for a number of years, having lived in London since 1997 but I would have never classed the area as such in past years.
What's the general opinion nowadays?
 
Yes my mum was a fit woman. And she'd have been pushing one of those big prams too. The reason she did it was because she couldn't get on the bus with the pram. She loved the old Erdington, so different to the 'modern' Kingstanding shops. The old Erdington probably reminded her of the Yorkshire village she grew up in. She never learnt to drive in her life and went everywhere on buses. Viv.
 
A Sparks said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37606627

Did anyone else read this article on the BBC website?
It says that Erdington is 'one of Britain's poorest places' which did surprise me. I haven't been there for a number of years, having lived in London since 1997 but I would have never classed the area as such in past years.
What's the general opinion nowadays?
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I haven`t been to Erdington the "Village" since `67, & i still remember those lovely buildings. I used to love looking through the window of George Mason, general store, & watch them slicing ham, patting the butter, bagging the tea/sugar & the bicycle which stood outside with a big basket on the front ready for the young lad to start his delivery of groceries. Looking at that recent photo i think they`ve made a right pigs ear of the place. Diabolical mess.
 
I used to go to Erdington quite regularly in the late 60's - mainly to Mothers or the Queens Head.
I remember all the shops, the market etc. - it was a decent district, working class but certainly not one I would consider 'poor'
 
Please don't let my sister read this we were brought up there , she has lived there for 66 years and loves her 'village'.
Having travelled extensively in England I can think of many places 'poorer' than Erdington some of them in Birmingham.
 
A Sparks said:
I used to go to Erdington quite regularly in the late 60's - mainly to Mothers or the Queens Head.
I remember all the shops, the market etc. - it was a decent district, working class but certainly not one I would consider 'poor'
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Friend of mine worked on the door at the queens head late sixties, I covered a couple of times when one of the other doormen were off but didn't enjoy the cleaning up when it closed for the night.
 
Alberta said:
Please don't let my sister read this we were brought up there , she has lived there for 66 years and loves her 'village'.
Having travelled extensively in England I can think of many places 'poorer' than Erdington some of them in Birmingham.
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I am sure it's just reporting rubbish by people who don't really know anything about the area, that's why I was so surprised.
You definitely can't believe everything you read!
 
nickcc101 said:
Friend of mine worked on the door at the queens head late sixties, I covered a couple of times when one of the other doormen were off but didn't enjoy the cleaning up when it closed for the night.
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I can imagine - I have been places until the end when the lights went up - what a mess!!
 
You are quite right sparkie, i lived in orchard road in 1969 it was a well good area
And the village as well the shopping area was brilliant you could always get what you wanted
And the streets and shops was highly clean and always buzzing
But to my knowledge what i have seen about the high street its disgusting and filthy
And run down there are a lot of empty shops as well its becoming a ghost town
My son and myself went last year to look at at some of the commercial properties
And i was shocked to see just how low it as become and its becoming a no go area after
Hours sad to say,
But to be honest sparkie and viv, its all over the country ,area after area are slowly degrading and getting run down and dirty you name it go and see its sad to see this country going down the pan
You may not fore see it your self but its happening whether you like it or not or even see it ever happening but we are becoming the third nation and getting poorer
And poorer by the years us the working class and these areas are going under quite fast
Aston, handsworth,winson green Ladywood is about the worst small heath
Hockley its all going down the pan and because i seen the city centre of brum yesterday
Its slowly running that way
I do not know whether you know kidderminster or even knew it
And years ago with the manfacturing carpets of the world they was some think
Of a town if you think erdinton is poor go and see the sordid state of kiddie
Poverty stricken people and run down shops where no/one ever walks
No money no jobs and beleive me the worst is to come in this country
Its never gonna get better,
The rich will get richer and the poorer will get poorer and the fittest and the richest will survive this planet
Best wishes Astonian,,,,
 
Thanks for the information Astonian - very sad to hear that about Erdington :-(
I haven't been to Kidderminster for years but remember it used to be a nice old town.
 
A couple of weeks ago, while on a cruise ship, I remarked that a bloke I was in conversation with had a noticeable Birmingham accent.
"I enna Brummy", he replied, "West Midlands".
"Oh", I said, "Whereabouts ?"
Back came the reply, "Erdington".
(Oh dear !).
 
Hi Frothblower
By the Mid Eighteeth century, Erdington had a population of under 700
And within its boundries were 52 Roads, one Forge, 40 Farms, 96 Cottages,
2 Smithies and a shop
Best wishes Astonian,,,,
 
Keith Berry took some photos of Erdington from the 1960s onwards. They can be seen here Erdington.pdf
Includes photos of the church before the fire, an old and new Swan Pub, and a pretty 1970s lady !
Use pdf +/- zoom controls to expand to full screen size if required.
 
Mason Road then and now. As fa as the buildings go, looking pretty much the same. Viv.
 

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Pedrocut, really good pictures - the road continues to flood to this day. They lowered the road to accommodate double deckers but didn't allow for so much water to drain away. The third picture is taken from the pavement at the end of our road. The houses in the background of the same picture are no longer there, it's now a car park for the station. It always amazes us that cars still try to go through despite the fact that there's one already afloat in the water!
 
I was born in 1939 and we lived in Station Road Wylde Green, my Mum often spoke of the floods under the bridge as we were just two doors from the bridge opposite Voises the Newsagents. We were also bombed being so near the railway presumably they were trying to hit the railway. I imagine it still floods under there. Thanks for the memories Predrocut.
 
This post is for Once a Brummie. I found it when we were taking pictures of slides. It would have been taken from the end of our garden. Dad wouldn't have a hedge as he loved to look out over the park. You can just make out the Pavillion picture house on the horizon.
 

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Lady Penelope said:
This post is for Once a Brummie and refers to #499. I found it when we were taking pictures of slides. It would have been taken from the end of our garden. Dad wouldn't have a hedge as he loved to look out over the park. You can just make out the Pavillion picture house on the horizon.
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Thank you,now if you can tell me the team and the score.........just joking
Thanks again
Bob
 
Post 654.
Vivienne my friend Marjorie Vaughan lived in the row of shops in South road in the 1950s, I would walk up from Marsh Lane to call for her on our way to catch the bus to Erdington Grammar.Her father was a Shoe repairer.
 
Bob, your post #493 – It’s taken me a little while but I have found out a little more about the Chipman family. Henry Chipman moved from Staffordshire to Erdington and on the 1861 census was living in Cross Lanes which is, I think where Summer Lane (now Road) met Gravelly Lane. By 1871 he had moved to New Oscott and some of the family remained there as you remember.

He and his wife Ann had several children including Charles and Jesse. I think the sign on your cottage is ‘C’ Chipman which I believe is Charles who was 10 years older than Jesse (b.1860). Charles was a coal dealer and lived on Chester Road, New Oscott.

Jesse and his wife Louisa (in 1911 living near the Greyhound) had a son named Rowland (b.1880) and it was he who was the chimney sweep and in 1912 was living at 233 Gravelly Lane. At some point he moved to 37 Goosemoor Lane but not sure when as in 1912 there are only very few houses towards the top between Sycamore Road and Court Lane at this time. He is also listed as living in Foden’s Buildings, New Oscott not far from Charles (at the same time as Gravelly Lane). I think 233 was on the right-hand side going up towards the old Rose & Crown, before it moved over the road. Now replaced by Bryant maisonettes.

Still a lot to be discovered. Perhaps someone has a map showing houses at the beginning of the 20th Century?
 
Lady Penelope said:
Bob, your post #493 – It’s taken me a little while but I have found out a little more about the Chipman family. Henry Chipman moved from Staffordshire to Erdington and on the 1861 census was living in Cross Lanes which is, I think where Summer Lane (now Road) met Gravelly Lane. By 1871 he had moved to New Oscott and some of the family remained there as you remember.

He and his wife Ann had several children including Charles and Jesse. I think the sign on your cottage is ‘C’ Chipman which I believe is Charles who was 10 years older than Jesse (b.1860). Charles was a coal dealer and lived on Chester Road, New Oscott.

Jesse and his wife Louisa (in 1911 living near the Greyhound) had a son named Rowland (b.1880) and it was he who was the chimney sweep and in 1912 was living at 233 Gravelly Lane. At some point he moved to 37 Goosemoor Lane but not sure when as in 1912 there are only very few houses towards the top between Sycamore Road and Court Lane at this time. He is also listed as living in Foden’s Buildings, New Oscott not far from Charles (at the same time as Gravelly Lane). I think 233 was on the right-hand side going up towards the old Rose & Crown, before it moved over the road. Now replaced by Bryant maisonettes.

Still a lot to be discovered. Perhaps someone has a map showing houses at the beginning of the 20th Century?
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Thanks, was Foden Buildings in Court Lane, the ones we called the Barracks Cottages. Very good of you to deliver all this fascinating history of a place I left 60 years ago.

Bob
 
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