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Gosta Green Through Duddeston

Another photo of Vauxhall Rd, this one showing the secretary of the Duddeston Conservative club standing on the steps outside the club 1n 1895. I don't suppose he lived to see the new club open at the top of Revsby Walk c1962.

In the background of the photo you can just make out The Adelaide at the top of Erskine Street.

Phil
 

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PMC1947 phil it looks like 207 King William [B,ham]Ltd. I dont remember this name at all what i do recall is that there was no entrance in Vauxhall Rd I wonder If the address was in Spooner St.Jonacs1 brought up a name which i,m almost sure is right [Guys].This building was pretty new compared with the others maybe built in the early 50s.dek
 
Dek

Guys was in Newdegate St,


NEWDEGATE ST.
(7), 219

Vauxhall road to Scott
street. MAP


14.RIGHT SIDE.

Macdonald Stanley R.
beer retlr
Guy's (Birmingham)
Ltd.ale
& stout bottlers


here is Spooner st
10 King Geo. haulage contractor


here is Scott st .
LEFT SIDE.
here is Vauxhall sq
13A, Perry C. P. & Son Ltd.

coal mers. (garage)


Phil
 
Can any one remember the shop on the corner of St James St and Vauxhall Rd. it was a general grocers i only remember a women serving i think her name was Mrs Dades or Days she kept a slate for us, also there were two other shops one was empty most of the time the other was a Pawn shop,Along St james St there was a fish and chip shop and on the corner of Willis St was an out door run by a Mr Rose i think hope my brain working right not so sure anymore. Dek.
 
Can any one remember the shop on the corner of St James St and Vauxhall Rd. it was a general grocers i only remember a women serving i think her name was Mrs Dades or Days she kept a slate for us, also there were two other shops one was empty most of the time the other was a Pawn shop,Along St james St there was a fish and chip shop and on the corner of Willis St was an out door run by a Mr Rose i think hope my brain working right not so sure anymore. Dek.

hi dek
the shop was known as dades we too had a slate there, glad you mentioned the outdoor been trying for ages to remember where it was, always remember the aroma of cigars and beer in there and mr rose with his walrus type moustache smoking a fat cigar
 
Jonacs1.Its amazing! you mentioning Mr Roses cigar and moustache brings it back he was a big bloke who commanded respect no messin when you went into his place.
Heres one that might tax the brain, three or four doors up from the corner of Erskine St into Vauxhall Rd Towards the Junction an old Itallion lady use to sell home made ice-cream on a hot day from her cart which she pulled down the enrty.Theres another memory with this but i,m racked with guilt,we were young kids.Its no good i,ve got to let it out after 50 years plus,these ices use to cost a tanner we never had any money so occasionaly after coming from mass we used to get a couple of farthings (not sure if they were legal terder then} get the silver paper out of a fag packet peel the paper of wrap the silver paper round the coin with the head upwards and gently rub it till itlooked like a tanner then go and pass them off for a cornet.I blame my elder brother. Dek
 
hi dek
that would be teresa the ice cream lady,funny you saying that because our mum used to send us to mass every sunday with pennies for the plate wich we kept and spent on ice cream after mass, by the way one my brothers used to walk down vauxhall road with an old suitcase swapping comics,we lived at 10 great francis street in those days
 
Jonacs1 i,m impressed not only did you remember the icecream lady you remembered her name [not to good at names myself places i, m ok.I remember swapping comics all my brothers did Kit Carson The Phantom spring to mind.Did you go to St Vincents i was there 1954-1959. You living in Gt Francis St tells me you,ll remember Harris,s the coal merchants behind the Junction Old Ma and Pa Harris live next door to us at 5 Erskine St they had two sons who were grown up Don,t remember their names,when i was 13 i got a job licking stamps and sticking them on letters then posting them over the road 5 nights a week for 5 bob. Saturday i got down on me hands and knees and mopped Ma Harris,s stone floors and did her shopping down Gt Lister St.Got to know the drivers quite well at 14 and a half i hit the jackpot loading the coal lorries at Curzon St warf got there at about 7 saturday morning the lorry pulled up along side a coal waggon swung the door down and loaded 3 ton of coal earned a £1 had me breakfast brought for me went back loaded another lorry by about dinner time got another £1 not bad for a saturday morning it was really hard if you got two 5 ton lorries still did get another 10 bob Only did this till i left school got myself a job as a app. electrician [worked on Dudd. Manor when it was built] the right move only started on 35 bob a week for 5 and a half days right move though never been out of work since still work now all though i only work 3 days i am getting on a bit (66) hard graft never scared me. There was another coal merchant at the end of Newdigate St through the gates onto the railway they had gren painted lorries can,t remember the name maybe Goldricks.
 
Jonac1 & dek carr

A couple of local photos to help you with your memories.

Phil
 

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  • Nechells Great Francis Street The Vauxhall Printing Co 1966 .jpg
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Phil. Thanks for the photos got a Couple of names i think were in your class at St. V,s Micky Brown (lived in Willis St) Greg Farrell (lived down by Wartey Lane) became a pro football player with the Blues at the same time as Berty Aulde Who latter won the european cup with Celtic learnt to play on the black patch at Watery Lane Park.
DEk.
 
Phil The Vauxhall Printing Co was right opposite Harrir,s. Ive just remembered another name Danny Duffy and the best looking girl was a Carol________ Dek.
 
Hi Windits

Welcome to the forum, its odd that we can look at some of the scars on our body and although the injury may have been painful at the time. It can also sometimes be associated with pleasant memories.

I have a faint scar on my nose put there when my great great granddad's Collie when I was a toddler and I fell over him when he was old and ailing.

When I notice the scar in the mirror occasionally I don't think of the pain and tears only of what a great old dog he was and the great times I spent in Scotland as a youngster.

Phil
 
One thing iv,e not seen mentioned on this foroum and thats "KYRLE HALL"any body got any memories,or am i in the wrong place. Dek
 
hi dec, i used kryle hall i the late 50,s -60,s it had all you needed ,boxing snooker,table tennis,gim,films,showers open roof area for ball games,and much more,i used to go there for my school dinners, its a great shame it closed down, it realy did keep the kids off the streets , terry
 
Terry thanks for the reply you were there the same as me i played for their football team ,saturday morning and also their table tennis team against other boys clubs 3 of us in the team me.Barry fletcher (from Fletchers) and a boy named Terry (that was,nt you was it?) I then went to Nechells Comunity Centre Was one of the first there the day it opened with me mates. Dek.
 
GER22VAN

Ernie

Take a look at this it a photo of Willis Grocery & Provision Store, proprietor A Probert. This store is in Willis St the photo looks about the 1920's. These shops tended to last a long time. The thing is I have no idea at what junction of Willis St it is. Have you or does anybody else?

I'm asking you specifically because like myself you lived pretty close by.

Phil
 

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Hi Phil,
I walked up and down Willis St. pretty well every day, and there were quite a few shops of this type on nearly every corner, can't place this one.
Have just checked the 1943 Kellys, but no luck with that name, like you say probably much earlier than we can remember.
John.
 
Phil
Have looked at the directories for 1932, 1921, and 1912 for either A Probert or Willis Food Store. there was an Annie Probert , confectioner in Peel St in 1921, but that's all I foun d. also looked at electoral roll for 1912-1930 for Proberts in willis St or those streets leading into it, (in case it was lsited in those), but again no luck
Mike
 
John & Mike

I was wondering if it could be pre 1900 because I note that some of the houses are boarded up for what looks like demolition. From the lie of the land it looks like the west side of Willis St.

Now from memory it could only be Great Brook St, Ashted Row, Francis St Heneage St & Lupin St.

I'm going to remove Great Brook St and Ashted Row because the housing was of a different type (much larger) Lupin St because you would be able to see the school. That leaves Heneage St and Francis St.

Now I know the housing on the corner of Francis St/Willis St was demolished for The Public Washing Baths (which I used many times) but I thought the Vine Public House was there prior to that.

This leaves Heneage St which was Ernie's neck of the woods. That's why I was asking him if he had any ideas. As far as I am aware there was only one Willis St so Its another mystery I think.

Phil
 
Phil
Have been through the 1880, 1890 and 1900 censuses looking for A. Proberts in warwickshire. Ignoring those listed as servants, boarders or under 20, there are none listed in Willis st or the attached streets. There only seemed to be one that had ANY sort of retail connection (Annie Probert, wife of landlord of the Bolton Arms 1901). Name could have been misstransscribed, but I wonder if we are correct in assuming the picture was of a shop in willis St, birmingham. Could it be another willis st, or could the fact that the shop is called the Willis stores not mean that it is in a street called willis st. Do you know where the picture came from originally Phil ?
Mike
 
Mike

The photo came from a book in The Images of England Series and it called Birmingham Shops & Shopping. According the info with the photo it is Willis St, Nechells but it gives no further information. It piqued my curiosity because I didn't recognise it. It doesn't look as if the shop sign had been there for a short time only I suppose if there is no other answer it could be a Willis St in another town.

Phil
 
If it had been on the corner of Willis Street and Heneage Street then the shop would have been Gill's the Chemist's as I remember it. Sorry this is not a lot of help to anyone.
 
It looks like willis st from the style of houses. Could it be P Roberts? I was looking for the proprietors the shop on the corner of Hazelbeach Rd Farndon Road in 1912 thought the name was Trust when it was actually T Rust!

Macca
 
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I agree that the style of houses are perfect for Willis st. I also think the block of darker coloured houses that look boarded up for demolition look exactly the size of the public baths that were built on the corner of Willis St and Francis St.

The problem with that is I recently learnt on this forum that a public house called The Vine stood on that corner. Perhaps that information was wrong.

Phil
 
Morning Phil,
It's a puzzle, the only streets it could have been are Lupin St. looking south,Francis St. looking north or south,and Gt. Brook St. junction which is slightly off-set, all the other streets have buildings on the corners which eliminates them.
I'm only going from a 1913 map and assuming.
I've slightly enhanced the photo and made a crop of the centre, wish I could read the names on the street signs.
John.
 
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