• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Great King Street

Key Hill Brian

Key Hill Brian

Proud Brummie
HI Lin,

The last but one out of Little King St - Not there now, and most have never heard of it! - You rarely see pics of it even in old B'ham books - Nothing special I suppose about it. In April 66 there was 2 house standing - us at 79 & the Smiths at 77, with half a house each side. You could walk around the block - Gt King St, Bridge St, Guest St and not pass a single building !
If you crossed the road and went around that block, New John St instead of Bridge St, you would not pass a single building !
All we could see was the White House (still there), Farm St School & Lucas's - all now sadly gone.

Simple poor times, but good times..

Brian
 
yes i agree bri...not much money about but good times none the less...wouldnt swap my childhood for all the tea in china...do you have any pics at all of little king st...if so i would love to see them and i will keep my eyes peeled for any and post them...thinking back i am sure i posted a newpaper cutting showing a bit of little king st...it was ages ago and may take me some time to locate it but i will try...

lyn
 
Sorry - No pics. I was only 11 when we left. My dad had some, when they were demolishing the area, but I believe he chucked the lot, several years ago when he remarried (after Mum had passed away).
I didn't know until he died himself this time last year, that he no longer had the tins of old photo's. I suppose he wanted to start afresh.
I have a family shot standing in front of the front door (not that we used it, it was always down the entry and in the back ! - It shows half of Olive Walkers front door at 81 ! - not much else though

The only sign of Little King St now is the lump of granite visible from New John St showing where the Original Lucas factory started - Not the big 'un in Great King St which it later developed into (it is incorrectly labelled in Ted Rudges latest book - but we put him right on it !
 
yes i know the lump of granite you mean brian...not much of a testament is it to what was once a great factory and provided hundreds of jobs and created a hive of activity in the area...ok i shall try me hardest to find any pics of little king st for you...dont give up as they are out there somewhere..

cheers

lyn
 
1966_setting_out_from_peoples_Chapel.jpg Another pic off the 1stA Boys Brigade site - Setting off for summer camp in 1966. Picture taken from the 'old' Peoples Chapel looking up Gt King St, with the New John St tower blocks visible on the skyline. Most of Gt King St had been demolished by than, but a few shops survive on the corner. I remember Tom the Butcher which was the corner shop. He was still there in April '66 - unsure how much mlonger he lasted - very nice bloke.
Bri
 
mike could you please repost the map that was on post 3 please if you still have it...

many thanks mike

lyn
 
Cheers Lyn - copied them off the flikr of Rob1ABB.
Rob - the 1887 Chapel was the 'proper' chapel of the 1960's - great old building - large, dirty, dark, hard wooden boxes to sit in - proper chapel!
The entry on the left as you looked at it led up a great wooden staircase to the upper floor where the Boys Brigade met, Sunday school was in the lower room.
Many happy memories - new place is nice - but modern!
The old old chapel was used for some of the choir practises for when Mendleson first performed 'Elijah' - written specially for performance at the Birmingham Music festival in the Town Hall.

Quite a few of the Chapel founders are buroed in Key Hill cemetery - Birmingham's first Public cemetery - Non Denominational - For the People - By the People!
Bri
 
Key Hill Brian said:
Rob - the 1887 Chapel was the 'proper' chapel of the 1960's - great old building - large, dirty, dark, hard wooden boxes to sit in - proper chapel!
The entry on the left as you looked at it led up a great wooden staircase to the upper floor where the Boys Brigade met, Sunday school was in the lower room.
Many happy memories - new place is nice - but modern!
Click to expand...
Hi Brian,
Yes it was a shame the old People's Chapel had to be demolished in the name of redevelopment, just to make the green space around the Lucas factory that is no more.
We were one of the last couples to be married at People's Chapel.
There were 3 floors of school rooms - bottom floor BB Bible Class on Sunday mornings and primary Sunday School on the afternoon; first floor Junior Sunday School; and top floor BB Club, Youth Club, and Old Boys. (Pictures of the school rooms are on the web site link on my previous post #24)
The new chapel continues to be run by a lay, voluntary leadership and so while the vision and ministry changes the ideas of the original founders from 1848 still influence - So the name has meaning.
The People's Chapel has always been a Baptist Church although sevices have always been led by folk from many denominations.
 
hi robb as you say such a shame the old chapel went...i take it you have seen the pics of it that are on the forum...think there are two of them...

lyn
 
Key Hill Brian said:
Quite a few of the Chapel founders are buroed in Key Hill cemetery - Birmingham's first Public cemetery - Non Denominational - For the People - By the People!
Bri
Click to expand...
Brian. A few years ago we went to Key Hill cemetery with the Boys' brigade lads and a list of the Founders to see how many we could find. Found John Skirrow Wright and. I think, one other but if you know the locations of some of the others it would be great to repeat the exercise next spring/summer with the present members, especially as it is the 1st A BB centenary year. (You probably saw the list of the 40 founders - https://www.peopleschapel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/History/ThePeople.html ) I also have the names of some of the other early members who may be in Key Hill. Rob
 
Astoness said:
hi robb as you say such a shame the old chapel went...i take it you have seen the pics of it that are on the forum...think there are two of them...

lyn
Click to expand...
Yes Lyn. It's great to see all the old pics of the area on this Forum. I lived 3/128 Bridge St. West, moved to 66 Well St when I was about 11 and then to Gerrard St. in 1963. Rob
 
Rob1abb said:
Yes Lyn. It's great to see all the old pics of the area on this Forum. I lived 3/128 Bridge St. West, moved to 66 Well St when I was about 11 and then to Gerrard St. in 1963. Rob
Click to expand...

and im from villa street rob...born in paddington st moved to villa when i was about 5...ive just phoned my brother up and told him about his life boys records being on the net...hes gob smacked so ive saved them and printed them off for him...he remembers those days so well.my grandparents had a little shop at 22 well st ...also take it that you have seen all the bridge st west photos..would hate you to miss any...

lyn
 
Astoness said:
and im from villa street rob...born in paddington st moved to villa when i was about 5...ive just phoned my brother up and told him about his life boys records being on the net...hes gob smacked so ive saved them and printed them off for him...he remembers those days so well.my grandparents had a little shop at 22 well st ...also take it that you have seen all the bridge st west photos..would hate you to miss any...

lyn
Click to expand...
Yes thanks Lyn, but this site has grown so large that I keep finding threads that I have not read and your many pictures are great. Thanks again Rob
 
Astoness said:
and im from villa street rob...born in paddington st moved to villa when i was about 5...ive just phoned my brother up and told him about his life boys records being on the net...hes gob smacked so ive saved them and printed them off for him...he remembers those days so well.my grandparents had a little shop at 22 well st ...also take it that you have seen all the bridge st west photos..would hate you to miss any...

lyn
Click to expand...
Yes, thanks Lyn, but this site has grown so large I keep finding new threads I have not seen before!
My son is scanning all the 1st A BB pictures and memorabilia and loading them on flickr ready for the centenary next year. Glad your brother found his name on one of the Life Boy roll books. Unfortunately many of them have not survived. Thanks again for all your pictures. Rob
 
bri and rob i posted this ariel shot on the lucas thread but looking at it again surely thats the peoples chapel towards the bottom left also showing the rooms at the back of it that bri mentioned some time back...i never stop learning about the old end..
lucasschool.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks Lyn. Yes that is the old People's Chapel with a good view of the 3 storey school rooms.
lucasschoolPC.jpgThats my (old) home! Labelled with the locations of my first 2 homes, my primary school and People's Chapel. Rob
 
thanks for the labelled pic rob...im still on the hunt for a good pic of harry lucas school...the ariel shot of it is the best we have so far..i see that you didnt live that far away from from grandparents shop at 22 well st...here is a not very good pic of the shop.to the far left of the pic with the advert on the wall..that would be smith st on the right..

lyn
wellstreet.jpg
 
Last edited:
Rob1abb said:
Brian. A few years ago we went to Key Hill cemetery with the Boys' brigade lads and a list of the Founders to see how many we could find. Found John Skirrow Wright and. I think, one other but if you know the locations of some of the others it would be great to repeat the exercise next spring/summer with the present members, especially as it is the 1st A BB centenary year. (You probably saw the list of the 40 founders - https://www.peopleschapel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/History/ThePeople.html ) I also have the names of some of the other early members who may be in Key Hill. Rob
Click to expand...
Hi Rob,
I joined up with the Friends of Key Hill after the 1st A had been, so missed that, but saw it mentioned. At that time I printed off the Founders from the Chapel website and searched the KH Index for matching names. It was passed to the Committee at the time as a possible research item. The info seems tohave 'been lost' with other stuff when some people sneaked away and later formed their own little group - gathering info, rather than practical help to retain/restore the cemeteries.
If I get a chance, may try and repeat the exercise. Having an index only as we officially do, all we can do is match up similar names. Does the Chapel have records of Funeral Servives, or notes of dates/years of death of the Founders in their minutes? I assume these records are still with the Chapel or are they lodged in the Library in packing crates?

It's a pity the early-mid '60's were such a time of demolition. They eventually realised they were demolishing faster than new building was occurring and much of Lozells was 'saved' - Eventual;ly realised that rewire, reroof, damp-proof and build a bathroom was an easier and cheaper option - the houses up between Gerard St and Lozells road have proved that they by lasting for another 50 years - and still going strong.
Had the Chapel managed to hold on for a decade, it would have been probably listed - with some money spent on it - clean & repair, slight upgrade - it would be a lovely jewell in the area - St pauls in the Jewellery Quarter has survived and is still a really pretty place.
Brian
 
Thanks Brian. We do have some old minute books at the Chapel but the very first one (or possibly two) are lodged with the Library and won't be accessible fo some time. I do have some information on the early members in a spread sheet I researched for the 150th in 1998 so I will post a list of what I have.
This sounds like a super project for the Boys' Brigade lads (and they could help with another clean up at the same time). If you are able to regenerate the information from the records you have access to, we could search and photograph - but it sounds like a job for when we have lighter evenings. Rob
 
The Indexes we have, thanks to the Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & heraldry photographing the Burial Registers, transcribing & computerising them - are alphabetical by Surname, than by Christian name/Initials, Year of Burial. They have the Grave Section/Number and a unique Burial Register number (starting at 1 - currently at 60,044).
I labouriously copied from PDF's and typed into a Word Document - printed out and available to view 7 days a week at the Pen Museum in Frederick St.
Would any of the lads like to check your list of Founders names against the Index one weekend? See how many we names we can match up?
Cannot guarentee it is the actual Founders until we have a date for the death/burial - but it's a start.
Could it count towards a badge of some sort - I assume they still do things for badges, these days?
Brian
 
Thanks Brian. Sounds great. I will generate some enthusiasm and prepare lists for a Saturday morning, probably in January if that is possible. Do we need to book? rob
 
Museum is free to go in - well worth a trip one day in it's own right.
The Carl Chinn Library room is a recent addition - lots of books on local history as well as pens - just ask to be directed to the Key Hill shelf - books are there to be viewed - both key Hill & Warstone Lane Indexes
Colin Giles is on duty at weekends - he is Chairman of the Friends - very helpful as well as knowledgeable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top