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Gabriel's "Corner shops" Ruston Street, Ladywood and Mickleton Avenue, Sheldon

M

MegsWatson

New Member
Hi,
I'm looking to find some information about my great grandparent's shops on Ruston street and at a later date Mickleton Avenue. Their names were Leslie and Phyllis Gabriel. They had one daughter, Doreen Gabriel who remembered helping in the shop. I know in 1939 Leslie Gabriel's job was "Telecomminications Workman G P O Engineering Dept" and he lived at 31 Ruston Street. By the time my mum was born they had sold Ruston street shop and owned the larger shop in Mickleton Avenue which means the shop on Ruston street was between 1940-1965. I can't find any record, photos or maps showing either shops though. I'd love to know actual dates of them owning them and locations.
 
If it is of any help there was the Scheme for 6 shops and 25 dwellings in Mickleton Avenue on Garrett s Green Estate, Sheldon in November 1957.
 
No mention of Gabriels in the 1940 directory (which would probably refer to 1939). But in the 1943- 1956 editions Mrs Phyllis Gabriel is listed as a shopkeeper at 26 Ruston St. . Neither Leslie nor Phyllis are listed in the 1961 edition. The electoral roll shows them at 20 Ruston St in 1960 and 57 Mickleton Avenue in 1962. The absence of any directory entry in the 1961 edition (and the fact that no shop of any sort in that edition is listed in Mickleton Avenue) suggests that for a short period (late 1960-early 1961)they were not running a shop, but that the business in Mickleton avenue started late 1961-62
 
mikejee said:
No mention of Gabriels in the 1940 directory (which would probably refer to 1939). But in the 1943- 1956 editions Mrs Phyllis Gabriel is listed as a shopkeeper at 26 Ruston St. . Neither Leslie nor Phyllis are listed in the 1961 edition. The electoral roll shows them at 20 Ruston St in 1960 and 57 Mickleton Avenue in 1962. The absence of any directory entry in the 1961 edition (and the fact that no shop of any sort in that edition is listed in Mickleton Avenue) suggests that for a short period (late 1960-early 1961)they were not running a shop, but that the business in Mickleton avenue started late 1961-62
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Wow that's great, thank you! Far more than I could find on ancestry
 
Must somewhat modify my last post. Looking at Mickleton avenue in the directories, the only mention of a shop run by Leslie, is the in 1967 edition. at no 43. There is no mention of it in the 1966 or 1968 editions. so it looks as if it did not last very long
 
The aerial shots are great and for some streets the only photos available but at times they can be tantalising. :)
 
MWS said:
The aerial shots are great and for some streets the only photos available but at times they can be tantalising. :)
Click to expand...
I agree, especially on the days of strong shadows, the resolution of these images always astounds me, they are excellent for showing density of housing and the proximity of industry, of course that's what has made Birmingham what it is today.
I shudder when I see some quite (or extremely) hazardous factories alongside people going about their daily lives. I came across an asbestos factory (I think it was in the 1950s) alongside back to back houses and it makes me wonder how much asbestos dust was floating around the streets, for certain they didn't have sophisticated filtration systems back then and indeed were unaware of the hazard.
 
MegsWatson said:
Hi,
I'm looking to find some information about my great grandparent's shops on Ruston street and at a later date Mickleton Avenue. Their names were Leslie and Phyllis Gabriel. They had one daughter, Doreen Gabriel who remembered helping in the shop. I know in 1939 Leslie Gabriel's job was "Telecomminications Workman G P O Engineering Dept" and he lived at 31 Ruston Street. By the time my mum was born they had sold Ruston street shop and owned the larger shop in Mickleton Avenue which means the shop on Ruston street was between 1940-1965. I can't find any record, photos or maps showing either shops though. I'd love to know actual dates of them owning them and locations.
Click to expand...
Hi
I do remember Gabriels it was an old-fashioned (not self-service) small grocery shop. I was at junior school at the time when the whole block of shops & flats was built on waste ground behind Hidcote Hall. I would guess the shop opened 1961/2 because I remember the end shop was a newsagent/sweetshop and my friend and I used to buy sweets on our way to school. Gabriels was the next door to an off licence on one side and a butcher on the other. The other shops were Norman the greengrocer and a hairdresser. I also remember people who worked for Gabriels at various times, one a I recall was a delivery boy on a bike for them. I married in 1971 and lived around the corner for 4 years and still used the shops then. Happy days.
 
Sgt Pepper said:
Hi
I do remember Gabriels it was an old-fashioned (not self-service) small grocery shop. I was at junior school at the time when the whole block of shops & flats was built on waste ground behind Hidcote Hall. I would guess the shop opened 1961/2 because I remember the end shop was a newsagent/sweetshop and my friend and I used to buy sweets on our way to school. Gabriels was the next door to an off licence on one side and a butcher on the other. The other shops were Norman the greengrocer and a hairdresser. I also remember people who worked for Gabriels at various times, one a I recall was a delivery boy on a bike for them. I married in 1971 and lived around the corner for 4 years and still used the shops then. Happy days.
Click to expand...
I worked in the butchers shop 1963.The name of the shop was called Steels and the managers name was Dennis. I was 15 at the time and just left Formans road secondary school.I worked there for a year.My first job.Mickleton avenue parade of shops was clean,busy and very friendly.One of my jobs was to go to the Sausage factory called MONKS which was along sheldon heath road.....Memories
 
Butcher boy said:
I worked in the butchers shop 1963.The name of the shop was called Steels and the managers name was Dennis. I was 15 at the time and just left Formans road secondary school.I worked there for a year.My first job.Mickleton avenue parade of shops was clean,busy and very friendly.One of my jobs was to go to the Sausage factory called MONKS which was along sheldon heath road.....Me
Click to expand...
 
I do remember an assistant at the shop called Mick at the time. The shop had a bike for delivery, and he did the deliveries at the time I recall.
 
great photos and maps, if I have this right, my grandfather lived at 4 back of number 34 (?) Ruston Street, he is Alfred the 14 year old errand boy at the very bottom of this 1891 census page (he went on to have his own newsagent/tobacconist shop when older)
 

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