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Garbett Street, Ladywood

Weoley

knowlegable brummie
I was watching the news story about Bham City Council's plan to build a 50metre Olympic size swimming pool (anybody think it won't happen?), and I am sure the site they showed is smack bang on top of where Garbett Street was off King Edwards Road.

My Grandparents Jack and Laura Brown lived there from the mid twenties to about 1960, and my Dad was born and raised there. It's just open ground now next to the junior school. My Dad would be amused at them building a swimming pool there, as he grew up swimming in the canal (which I am informed was an even worse thing for a kid to do then than it would be now).
 
i lived in garbett street ladywood as a child, times were hard but we were happy does anyone out there have any photos of garbett street, i have been on the old ladywood website but there is a couple but they are of what we used to call big garbett st we were seperated by king edward road and known as little garbett street any photos would be much appreciated many thanks this is my first posting i hope it is in the right place thanks once again regards

anniekei
 
a long lost memory has just returned, when i was a child living in garbett street there were accidents, kids being knocked over by cars, and one of the neighbours her name was betty i think and i remember she painted white lines on the roads telling drivers to stop or go slow it was in the evening mail, i often wonder if this lady was behind the give way signs that are now so common to us. anyone out there remember this i know it was in the sixties, not many cars about in them days.
 
has anyone got any pictures of little garbett street ladywood i have seen a couple on the oldladywood site, but they are big garbett street, any pics will be appreciated thank you

best wishes anniekei
 
Does anyone have information or pictures of old Garbet street. On the 1871 Census. I have my Grt Grt Grandmother, Hephzibar Cook. Minding a Coal yard, with the help of my Grt Grandfather, age 12. Rachel his half sister, and Hephzibah's 76 year old mother, Elizabeth Townsend.

They were knocking on the door of the Workhouse. because they were living in, What the Census enumerator described as one room. 8ft by 10ft Coal shed. Garbet street, was situated near, Summer Hill Road and Sand pits. Municipal Ward of Ladywood. Thanks Reg.
 
The only listed coal dealer in Garbett st around that time was James Samuel Ainge. The area had undoubtably changed between 1871 and 1890, when the map here was drawn, but the yard was off the main street somewhere in the area in blue. I think the deeper blue area is the most likely
mike

garbett_st__area_of_coal_yard_1890_aspx.gif
 
Wow!! thanks Mike. Don't know how you do it but. Thats fantastic. It seems the enumerator deemed them worthy of a whole page to themselfs on the Census. Must have seen this family at there lowest ebb. Cheers Mike.
 
hi reg;
i hope you do not mind me asking was any of your sibbling marrird to the hicks
family they are formely from aston , and around your time in garbet st
the cooks was livingin garbet st and the hicks was in anderton st , then moved up to peel street winson green
One of the cooks from garbet st went courtning one of the yopung girl of the hicks
whom one time lived in anderton st lady wood the next rd up from garbet st
and eventualy the hicks moved to peel st
i think the lad involved was ronnie . we new him well and we always called him cookie .he had a older brother we also knew but i cannot recall his name
well reg i hope you did not mind me asking you that question
also there was a neibour in garbet st next to them by afew doors and that was the gregorys i think is father or his grand father was in the police force
some-where abroad i think he said it was portugal or some way that way
i hope you dont mind me asking
best wishes astonion ;;;;
 
hi reg;
i hope you do not mind me asking was any of your sibbling marrird to the hicks
family they are formely from aston , and around your time in garbet st
the cooks was livingin garbet st and the hicks was in anderton st , then moved up to peel street winson green
One of the cooks from garbet st went courtning one of the yopung girl of the hicks
whom one time lived in anderton st lady wood the next rd up from garbet st
and eventualy the hicks moved to peel st
i think the lad involved was ronnie . we new him well and we always called him cookie .he had a older brother we also knew but i cannot recall his name
well reg i hope you did not mind me asking you that question
also there was a neibour in garbet st next to them by afew doors and that was the gregorys i think is father or his grand father was in the police force
some-where abroad i think he said it was portugal or some way that way
i hope you dont mind me asking
best wishes astonion ;;;;
Dear Astonian. Of course, "I don't mind you asking" I'm glad you replied!! Only I'm very confused with the message.I was asking for information of my Grt Grandfather who was living there in 1871. With his Mother, his Grandmother and half sister.

They were minding a Coal yard, for what looks like a Mr James Samuel Ainge. (Have to thank Mikejee for that info.) I haven't got a Hicks! in my familytree. But what is confusing me is. I'm the oldest of 7 children in our family, the next one down, His name is Ronald. Are we talking the same era the 1870s? Thanks for your reply, I don't mind honestly Reg, (Cookie55)
 
HI REGGIE
now you have told me that,i am convinced we are talking the same family and yes there was a small coal yard up garbet st
and yes you are the family i remember as there was only one cook in the street the young lad your next one to you ronnie
i do not know whether he married a hicks ,but i know he went courting with a hicks and for a very long time in his youth
i do not know of a family tree which combined your family with the hicks.i still see the hicks from time to time i will asked them about the courtship between ronnie and the girl,or if you like if your brother is still alive asked him about a girl way way backhe went out with
from winson green [ peel st ] around the fifties -sixties era ]
incidently the coal yard was supplied by the coal merchants
that was down around the corner of garbett st just passed hickmans
fruit and veg store that was at the bottom of your street
on the king edwards rd and it was coming in by barge and unloaded into the wharf at the bottom of king edwards rd quaye side
for all the coal merchants to buy and sell around the birmingham area i think the name was coopers you had to walk or drive un the wharf it was also at the rail way sidins
i beleive the back end of the nic ,centre use,s it as there car park
as to what i seen no so long back
best wishes astonion ;;;
 
HI REGGIE
now you have told me that,i am convinced we are talking the same family and yes there was a small coal yard up garbet st
and yes you are the family i remember as there was only one cook in the street the young lad your next one to you ronnie
i do not know whether he married a hicks ,but i know he went courting with a hicks and for a very long time in his youth
i do not know of a family tree which combined your family with the hicks.i still see the hicks from time to time i will asked them about the courtship between ronnie and the girl,or if you like if your brother is still alive asked him about a girl way way backhe went out with
from winson green [ peel st ] around the fifties -sixties era ]
incidently the coal yard was supplied by the coal merchants
that was down around the corner of garbett st just passed hickmans
fruit and veg store that was at the bottom of your street
on the king edwards rd and it was coming in by barge and unloaded into the wharf at the bottom of king edwards rd quaye side
for all the coal merchants to buy and sell around the birmingham area i think the name was coopers you had to walk or drive un the wharf it was also at the rail way sidins
i beleive the back end of the nic ,centre use,s it as there car park
as to what i seen no so long back
best wishes astonion ;;;
Hello Astonian. I love your description of Garbet street, you wouldn't have any old photos of the place by any chance would you.? It seems your talking about the 1950s-60s then.? Its a bit spooky that there should be a "Cook" living in the same street, and was he selling Coal,? some 100 years+ after my Grt Granddad was in the same Coal yard living in a shed. I'm not so sure we're talking about the same Cook's though Astonian, My brother Ronnie, is still alive and living with his partner, but he's never married. He did! I think? court a girl from that part of the world, but that was in the 1970s.

He was born two years after me, in loveday st, but that was 1957. Thats why I think he couldn't be the same Ronnie you're thinking about. Its a hell of a coincidence though. I never did find out why Dad called him Ronnie, maybe there's a connection there somewhere. trouble is, I can't ask Pop now because he passed away back in 2002. I'll be very interested to hear from you again after you ask tha Hick's family about this. Meanwhile I'll see if I can catch up with our kid and ask him if he knows anything about them. Catch ya later then!! Astonian. Reg. COOKIE.
 
Astonian. "Im a plank" I was so pre-occupied thinking about my brother Ronnie, I completely forgot. "My Brother was named after my Dad" Ronnie.
Ronald William Cook, born 1933. So that would make it more possible wouldn't it. I've no idea if my dad ever frequented that area though.

How old was this Ronald you knew in Garbet street.? He married my Mom in, March 1954. Reg.
 
Hi reg
sorry i have been back to you before now but i have been that busy
and as you have probable notice some days i have not been on
i had known him long before he got married and in the fifties
at this time in moment i could not remember is age and i did speak
with him through out the fifties and the sixties
some time in the beginning of the early years of the sixties i last spoke to him
best wishes astonian ;;;;
 
Reg, Have you seen this site www.oldladywood.co.uk ? there are pictures of Garbett Street. My grandmother lived in that street for many years. Visiting as a child I remember walking from Monument Road, down Shakespeare Road to where gran lived at the very end of that road which led to Garbett Street. It is a fascinating site which you will enjoy if you haven't already been there. Anthea:)
 
Hi Reg,

I lived in Garbett St from around 1948 to 1963 - I remember a coal yard down from the behive on the same side of the road opposite powells shop next to the bomb peck. I can't remember the name of the people who ran it at the moment but I'm sure my sisters will. I think they may have changed into working scrap but I will need to check. I lived near the top in the treble mac by Barker st at 2/41 - our neigbours were the pilingers, the lorimers, the mitchells.

Hope I can help you find some information

Regards
Georgs
 
Thanks Bass Player. On the 1871 Census of Garbet st. My Grt Grt Grandmother, along with her 77 year old Mother, my Grt Granddad and his half sister, were minding a coal yard living in a coal shed. I think they must have been living in terrible conditions. The 77 year old Elizabeth Townsend, died a year later. Thanks for your reply. "Really" appreciate it. Reg. Cookie55.
 
Hiya Anthea.I've had another look at that website. Some fantastic pictures on there, haven't got through all the street names yet though, I'm going to save a few for later. I've only found two pictures of Garbet street, But looking at the others it really gives a feeling of the old place. Reg.
 
Looking into my late fathers affairs I came across an old document that has an address of 6-33 Garbett Street, Ladywood from 1935. I think that he was born here but find the address of 6-33 strange - was it a hospital ? If anyone could shed any light I'd be most grateful. Looking at old maps, Garbett St disappeared in the 1960s, around the area where Nelson Primary school or Britannic Warehouse now stand.
 
The address looks like a back house being No6 the back of No33 maybe a back court with a number of houses in it. Dek
 
I would expect the address to mean no 6 back of no 33 Garbett St. however the electoral roll fro 1935 doesn't list any houses as "back 33". However there is a 6 back 32 (Alfred 7 May florence Brown ) or a (Sidney & Louisa Ellen Nash) at no 6 court 1 (which would correspond to 6 back 34). I think the houses would be one of the buildings in red on the map
mike

back_33_garbett_st_c_1914.jpg
 
Mike - that's brilliant - Alfred & May Florence Brown were my grandparents - that's stunning and solved my query - I was wondering about the 6-33 Garbett Street part - I double checked and 6-33 is what is typed on an old insurance document, never occured that it refered to back to back .

Thanks - and to Dek - absolutely stunning lads - appreciated !

I live and learn.
 
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My paternal Grandfathers family (surname Brown) lived her from the late 1880s until about 1960. At one point they lived in about three or four houses. My dad was born there in 1928 and grew up there, left in the fifties. My Grandfathers mother was a Dugmore, who I believe were all also local. I've been told that Pat Roach lived here at the same time as my Dad, although to my memory he himself never mentioned him. The only landmarks my Dad ever recalled in any detail were the pubs!
 
Hi weoly
Just been reading your thread about your family and your father I came from the same neck of the woods as me I lived at the bottom of
Garbutt street it was kingedwards red I lived on your father would have known the Gregory family and the cooks whom is also a member of this forum whom I know
From way back all there years he would recall the big old church at the bottom of the street and of course the local school on the door step
At the bottom of the street where all the kids went Mr Ingram was head master until about the sixtys before moving up his proffesional
Career within the education department for many years I would imagine he went there for his schooling then moved to one of the others at a later age
For his senior years they knocked down the church in 1958 9 years that was by his house and of course is local veg green grocer
Hickmans where they had all sorts of feasted animalls hanging out side turkeys goose rabbits hens and rabitts and pigeons for sale
 
hi all
my mom grew up there in the late 50s early 60s she live at 4 back of 74 garbett street she also went to nelson street school in the early 60s her name is nicolette boden she remember a lad call jimmy Curtis
 
Looks like the premises on King Edwards Road in photo #1 and #4 were given a facelift. Photo #1 looks like the earlier pre-facelift, whilst photo #4 shows the whole row having been pebble-dashed. Wheeldens shop looks in better nick too. The ‘King Edwards Road’ sign seems to have been removed, possibly during pebble-dashing and a new sign (1960s ?) for Garbett Road seems to have been fixed beneath the poster adverts.

Something’s going on in photo #2, enough to attract the attention of the lady in the doorway but also the ‘curtain twitcher in the first house, ground floor, second window.


Viv.
 
Thank you again lyn! I was going to ask if you had any photos for Garbett St! You have made my day. :)
2xGt. Grandmother lived there and 3xGt. Grandfather was a bootmaker, Abraham Hilliar. He was buried in Warstone Lane Cemetery and we had his family gravestone re-erected as it was broken in several pieces.
rosie.
 
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