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Great King Street
- Thread starter Astoness
- Start date
Rob1abb
Boys' Brigade Brummie
The girls are members of the Girls Life Brigade attending a district service at the People's Chapel. Carrying the district colour is Barbara Watkins (now Sabin) with colour party Eileen Mullett (on right) and I think Sylvia Clarke. Now called the Girls' Brigade the 14th Birmingham company still meets at the People's Chapel, which is now located further up Great King Street.
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Hello John,
generations of my direct, maternal ancestors lived in your house in Great King street for about 100 years, approximately from 1839 - 1939. They were probably its first and only residents up until they vacated it. My late mother told me that in winter one could quickly dry washing near the internal wall which backed onto the Bell pub as they had a big fire. There was a well in the yard. When she heard it was to be demolished, as a child, she took me to see it. My memory is a bit vague as it was so long ago but we went down the entry and turned left and it was in the corner if I recall correctly. She asked the lady who answered the door if we could go inside so I could see it, but she clearly wasn't comfortable with that, unsurprisingly, and said that her husband was asleep as he was a fireman who worked shifts so it wasn't convenient. I do have a picture of the entry that you requested if you are still interested.
Hello John,
generations of my direct, maternal ancestors lived in your house in Great King street for about 100 years, approximately from 1839 - 1939. They were probably its first and only residents up until they vacated it. My late mother told me that in winter one could quickly dry washing near the internal wall which backed onto the Bell pub as they had a big fire. There was a well in the yard. When she heard it was to be demolished, as a child, she took me to see it. My memory is a bit vague as it was so long ago but we went down the entry and turned left and it was in the corner if I recall correctly. She asked the lady who answered the door if we could go inside so I could see it, but she clearly wasn't comfortable with that, unsurprisingly, and said that her husband was asleep as he was a fireman who worked shifts so it wasn't convenient. I do have a picture of the entry that you requested if you are still interested
generations of my direct, maternal ancestors lived in your house in Great King street for about 100 years, approximately from 1839 - 1939. They were probably its first and only residents up until they vacated it. My late mother told me that in winter one could quickly dry washing near the internal wall which backed onto the Bell pub as they had a big fire. There was a well in the yard. When she heard it was to be demolished, as a child, she took me to see it. My memory is a bit vague as it was so long ago but we went down the entry and turned left and it was in the corner if I recall correctly. She asked the lady who answered the door if we could go inside so I could see it, but she clearly wasn't comfortable with that, unsurprisingly, and said that her husband was asleep as he was a fireman who worked shifts so it wasn't convenient. I do have a picture of the entry that you requested if you are still interested
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This post was written on the 22nd October 2020 .... I haven't been on here for a while , but after speaking to my nephew Sean regarding photos of the bell pub and the entry leading up to my house in great king stre et , he was on the case with lighting speed . he found photos of the bell and just in view to the right side was number 213 to the back of which I was born at number 3 , just next to that is the shop that was owned by Mr and Mrs Sewell , but I wanted a photo of the entry that I lived down which is just out of view . To my amazement , he found a photo that was posted in response to my appeal , to say it bought a tear to my eye is an understatement ! . Now ...... Wait for it !............. it actually shows a picture of me sitting on a step and possibly my older sister Maureen standing close who would have been around 14 ? . I know its me because I was born at 3 back of 213 great king street on the 25th June 1950 and we were the last to live there before it was demolished around 1957/58 . The car in the photo is an Austin A40 Somerset which wasn't made until 1952 , so that photo is bang on and consummate with the date when we lived there . I recon I was around 5 or 6 which would have been mid 50's . My older sister Maureen said we used to sit on that step and watch the workers come out of Lucas's at 5 o'clock . In those days , no one else of that age would have been sitting on that step except myself because a 5 year old simply didn't stray from his house more than a few feet . not only that but there was no other boys of that age living up or down the rd from me . Can you clarify that it was you that posted the photo , if so I would love a clearer copy of it , im told that you lose some quality when you upload it . I would love to contact you in person , please email me if it was you [email protected] If it wasn't you , can the person who did post the photo of the bell inn pub and the shop with an entry at its side in great king street , Hockley please contact me . I must admit I find navigating this site a bit difficult sometimes , I just want a clearer photo if possible , it may even show our faces a bit clearer as well
Many thanks to all for reading my long(ish) post , I look forward to your replies or emails on [email protected]
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Lovely to see this photo, I lived at 182 New John St West just around the corner from this. I worked as a newspaper boy for Mr Sewell around about 1949/50
Glad you liked the photo , amazed someone even remembers the Sewells let alone worked for them . Theres one correction though , the 1st photo I saw was quite blurred and thought I could see my late brother david next to me , I then saw the same photo that was slightly better (still blurred though) and it seems I was on my own sitting on the step . I am confident its me because there were no younger lads either side of my as far down as great king street , no one else so young would have strayed far enough to sit on that step right next to our entry
A glimpse of 40-43 Great King Street and Jenkinson’s Furnishing drapers in 1883. Any ideas what junction this was ? Viv.
do you also remember the church hall on the opposite side of Sewell's about 100 yards further down ? , it was just before the café on the corner . There was a boys brigade there that was run by a high court judge named judge Finimore . As I said in an earlier post I was a mischievous 6 or 7 year old lad who used the throw the mains switch outside and plunge the place into darkness , Had judge Finimore have caught me he probably would have put his black cap on !
Regarding the photograph (I posted above) sent to me some years ago by my late cousin of Great King street showing the courtyard entry to John Stone's birthplace 3/213 (which had also been my family's house since it was built in the 1830s - 1930s), I recently noticed that the café in the picture at 209 is called 'King of the Road'. My late grandmother as a child, remembered Joseph Lucas pushing his handcart up and down the the steep road. Due to recent research I had wondered if the café in the photo. had been named after him as the first oil lamp he produced in his Little King Street workshop was called 'King of the Road'. I had speculated that had been his handcart moniker. I then came across a Lucas Memories web site and to my astonishment I discovered that in 1872 he was actually living and/or running his business at 209 Great King Street! No wonder my grandmother remembered him, they were close neighbours!
Regarding the blurring of the faces of John Stone and his sister in my photograph, the original is also blurred. I wonder if had been done for privacy when developed. I think my cousin originally found the photo. at the reference library, but cannot be sure.
I have attached another photo showing the King of the Road café at 209 Great King Street but from a different angle looking down the hill. That premises appears to be twice as big as the other houses, i.e. double fronted. I now suspect that the actual reason that two official photographs had been taken featuring the café was because of its historical significance and to create a lasting record knowing it was to be demolished.
Regarding the blurring of the faces of John Stone and his sister in my photograph, the original is also blurred. I wonder if had been done for privacy when developed. I think my cousin originally found the photo. at the reference library, but cannot be sure.
I have attached another photo showing the King of the Road café at 209 Great King Street but from a different angle looking down the hill. That premises appears to be twice as big as the other houses, i.e. double fronted. I now suspect that the actual reason that two official photographs had been taken featuring the café was because of its historical significance and to create a lasting record knowing it was to be demolished.
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brummy-lad
master brummie
The view from the roof is of Burbury Street.
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If this is Burbury ST and taken from the roof of Lucas's, then I believe the two shops must be nos 13 and 15 Burbury St. In the 1932 Kellys no13 is Misss Jessie Lloyd, tobacconist, while no 17 was Mrs Louisa Williams, confectioner. In 1921 no 13 was Mrs Sarah Ivens, tobacconiat, while no 15 is not listed. In both cases the building to the right of these shops was a pub, The Vine Inn
