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Re: guilford street lozells
lindev. one more thing dad remembered which may make you smile is one day at school ronnie was sitting at his open desk when one of the teachers came over to him. the teacher rested one hand on the desk and the other on the top of ronnies leg rather suggestively. ronnie didnt hesitate. he slammed down the top of the desk so hard dad thinks fingers were broken. quite a lad. lyn
lindev. one more thing dad remembered which may make you smile is one day at school ronnie was sitting at his open desk when one of the teachers came over to him. the teacher rested one hand on the desk and the other on the top of ronnies leg rather suggestively. ronnie didnt hesitate. he slammed down the top of the desk so hard dad thinks fingers were broken. quite a lad. lyn
Re: guilford street lozells
lindev. they may know my dad too. ive told you his name already. he was a window cleaner. maybe you can ask around. if you want throw some first and last names and i will ask him. i tell you hes 80 in january but hes got a memory 2nd to none.
lindev. they may know my dad too. ive told you his name already. he was a window cleaner. maybe you can ask around. if you want throw some first and last names and i will ask him. i tell you hes 80 in january but hes got a memory 2nd to none.
Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Re: guilcford street
By luck I have just found my copy of Dennis Howell's autobiography which I had in store.
'Howell, Denis: Made in Birmingham, published, London: Queen Anne Press. 1990'
Here are three picture from the book
Further to Kenh's post (#36)
By luck I have just found my copy of Dennis Howell's autobiography which I had in store.
'Howell, Denis: Made in Birmingham, published, London: Queen Anne Press. 1990'
Here are three picture from the book
- His earliest photograph
- His parents Herbert and Birtha
- The family house, 117 Guildford Street (photo attributed to Terry Weir)
Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Re: guilford street lozells
Here is a short extract from the book:
A HOUSE OF OUR OWN
The backyards of Birmingham, more accurately Lozells, were the world of our childhood. When I was about three, and my brother a year younger, we had news of a house that our family could call its own. It was a back-to-back house in Clifford Street, just around the corner from Guildford Street where I had been born at number 117. There we had been lodgers in the two front rooms and we owed our good fortune in obtaining this new home to my aunt Annie, mother’s sister, Who lived in the front house of the other pair of back-to-back houses which shared our backyard and facilities. Aunt Annie was a widow and
the lived there with my cousin Joan. They had the tiniest of living- rooms which was divided by a counter from which she ran a shop which sold ladies’ clothes and household linen. The window of the room was converted into a shop window. So it was that when number 2 at the back became empty, my aunt prevailed upon the landlord to let us have It, Access to the two back houses was by means of a covered entry which ran from the street between the two sets of back-to-backs and ended in our backyard. The yard was our castle. It still provides happy memories of hours of child’s play and games. But it reminds me also of the drudgery and the hardships associated with the unemployment and the despairing search for work that was the lot of my parents for much of the time we lived there.
The house had three rooms, one on top of the other, and a cellar below. ‘When we had water installed the sink was fitted into the small space at the top of the cellar steps. This was a red letter day. Soon we had an Ascot heater fitted. The gas stove remained in the small living- room where the cooking was undertaken.
The ‘facilities’ for the four houses were built down the left-hand side of the yard starting some ten feet from our living-room window. First came the ‘brewhouse’ — the wash house — to which each family was allocated a day to do their washing. For this labour there was a sink with a tap from which we also drew our house water until two or three years later when — Oh, happy day — the landlord provided a supply to the house. The sink had an outlet to the ‘suff’ as it was known, the drain to other people. There was also a copper boiler in which the water was boiled. All the water had to be put into it by bucket and ladled out down the ‘suff’ afterwards, a much more difficult task. Underneath the boiler was the fire which we had to get going well before the washing could be attempted. Next to the brewhouse came the two lavatories or the ‘La Pom’ as it was called by the neighbour who shared one with us.
Then came the ‘miskin’ or ‘midden’ which received not only the refuse of the four houses in our yard, but of the six houses in the next yard too. When we moved into this house there were no dustbins. Once a week the dustthen would arrive with their cart and their galvanised tin baths and shovel the ashes -and the refuse into the baths, place them on top of their heads, protected only by an old cloth cap, and carry them across the yard and up the entry, to be deposited in their dustcart. It took many journeys to complete this operation and on a windy day there was almost as much refuse to be cleared up after the dustmen had gone than before they came.
Here is a short extract from the book:
A HOUSE OF OUR OWN
The backyards of Birmingham, more accurately Lozells, were the world of our childhood. When I was about three, and my brother a year younger, we had news of a house that our family could call its own. It was a back-to-back house in Clifford Street, just around the corner from Guildford Street where I had been born at number 117. There we had been lodgers in the two front rooms and we owed our good fortune in obtaining this new home to my aunt Annie, mother’s sister, Who lived in the front house of the other pair of back-to-back houses which shared our backyard and facilities. Aunt Annie was a widow and
the lived there with my cousin Joan. They had the tiniest of living- rooms which was divided by a counter from which she ran a shop which sold ladies’ clothes and household linen. The window of the room was converted into a shop window. So it was that when number 2 at the back became empty, my aunt prevailed upon the landlord to let us have It, Access to the two back houses was by means of a covered entry which ran from the street between the two sets of back-to-backs and ended in our backyard. The yard was our castle. It still provides happy memories of hours of child’s play and games. But it reminds me also of the drudgery and the hardships associated with the unemployment and the despairing search for work that was the lot of my parents for much of the time we lived there.
The house had three rooms, one on top of the other, and a cellar below. ‘When we had water installed the sink was fitted into the small space at the top of the cellar steps. This was a red letter day. Soon we had an Ascot heater fitted. The gas stove remained in the small living- room where the cooking was undertaken.
The ‘facilities’ for the four houses were built down the left-hand side of the yard starting some ten feet from our living-room window. First came the ‘brewhouse’ — the wash house — to which each family was allocated a day to do their washing. For this labour there was a sink with a tap from which we also drew our house water until two or three years later when — Oh, happy day — the landlord provided a supply to the house. The sink had an outlet to the ‘suff’ as it was known, the drain to other people. There was also a copper boiler in which the water was boiled. All the water had to be put into it by bucket and ladled out down the ‘suff’ afterwards, a much more difficult task. Underneath the boiler was the fire which we had to get going well before the washing could be attempted. Next to the brewhouse came the two lavatories or the ‘La Pom’ as it was called by the neighbour who shared one with us.
Then came the ‘miskin’ or ‘midden’ which received not only the refuse of the four houses in our yard, but of the six houses in the next yard too. When we moved into this house there were no dustbins. Once a week the dustthen would arrive with their cart and their galvanised tin baths and shovel the ashes -and the refuse into the baths, place them on top of their heads, protected only by an old cloth cap, and carry them across the yard and up the entry, to be deposited in their dustcart. It took many journeys to complete this operation and on a windy day there was almost as much refuse to be cleared up after the dustmen had gone than before they came.
Re: guilford street lozells
hi Michael,
Hearing you mention hospital St.
I had a grandad &cousins living in Hospital St (102)
His name was Joseph,wife Elsie,
cousins Dorothy,Winnie,kathleen,
Ramond & Roland,sadly Dorothy was killed by the land mine that was dropped
I think that now only Roland is alive
hi Michael,
Hearing you mention hospital St.
I had a grandad &cousins living in Hospital St (102)
His name was Joseph,wife Elsie,
cousins Dorothy,Winnie,kathleen,
Ramond & Roland,sadly Dorothy was killed by the land mine that was dropped
I think that now only Roland is alive
Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Re: guilford street lozells
Where their names Pearce by any chance?
Where their names Pearce by any chance?
Peters_History
knowlegable brummie
Re: guilford street lozells
I have enjoyed looking at all the pictures of Guilford Street & surrounding areas, I lived at 4/222 Guilford Street from 1959 till about 1965 ish I think... my sister was born there in 1960 ...
I do remember the big yard with a small picket fenced area of grass, there was also a boiler room in one corner of the yard & I often remember the summertime baths in the big tin bath outside!!... who would dream of bathing children together in a tin bath outside nowadays!!! ... yet then it was the norm...
Here is a picture of me stood outside our house 4/222 Guilford Street,
I have enjoyed looking at all the pictures of Guilford Street & surrounding areas, I lived at 4/222 Guilford Street from 1959 till about 1965 ish I think... my sister was born there in 1960 ...
I do remember the big yard with a small picket fenced area of grass, there was also a boiler room in one corner of the yard & I often remember the summertime baths in the big tin bath outside!!... who would dream of bathing children together in a tin bath outside nowadays!!! ... yet then it was the norm...
Here is a picture of me stood outside our house 4/222 Guilford Street,
Re: guilford street lozells
hi peters-history.
thank you for sharing your lovely pic and story with us. i was born just off guildford in paddington st. i have a few pics of guildford. i would be only to happy to post a few if you would like me to. the closest i have to your house is a long shot of the street reaching up to number 204. they were all taken in the 50s and 60s.
astoness.
hi peters-history.
thank you for sharing your lovely pic and story with us. i was born just off guildford in paddington st. i have a few pics of guildford. i would be only to happy to post a few if you would like me to. the closest i have to your house is a long shot of the street reaching up to number 204. they were all taken in the 50s and 60s.
astoness.
Peters_History
knowlegable brummie
Re: guilford street lozells
That would be lovely thank you... must admitt the only 'part of Guilford street I remember is the 'back' part... down the entry really because thats where we spent most of our time...
Thank you again
Angie xx
That would be lovely thank you... must admitt the only 'part of Guilford street I remember is the 'back' part... down the entry really because thats where we spent most of our time...
Thank you again
Angie xx
Re: guilford street lozells
hi angie. my son has had a look at my guildford st pics and as suggested it looks like they are too big to post so if you give me a day or so we are going to go through them all and downsize them then hopefully i should be able to post them for you.. i have also tried to email them to you with no luck...
astoness
hi angie. my son has had a look at my guildford st pics and as suggested it looks like they are too big to post so if you give me a day or so we are going to go through them all and downsize them then hopefully i should be able to post them for you.. i have also tried to email them to you with no luck...
astoness
Peters_History
knowlegable brummie
Re: guilford street lozells
Thank you so much for all your trouble it is so kind of you,
Regards
Angie xx
Thank you so much for all your trouble it is so kind of you,
Regards
Angie xx
Re: guilford street lozells
hi all.. i am sorry about this but out of about 25 pics of guildford st i have got this is the only one that i am able to dowload onto the site for you... unless i can figure out the problem i will have to seek some professional help to sort it out.
astoness.
hi all.. i am sorry about this but out of about 25 pics of guildford st i have got this is the only one that i am able to dowload onto the site for you... unless i can figure out the problem i will have to seek some professional help to sort it out.
astoness.
Peters_History
knowlegable brummie
Re: guilford street lozells
Hi there,thank you for posting the picture.. I will print it off & show my Mother... im sure she will remember this..
Good luck with sorting out the other pictures..
Regards
Angie xxxx
Hi there,thank you for posting the picture.. I will print it off & show my Mother... im sure she will remember this..
Good luck with sorting out the other pictures..
Regards
Angie xxxx
Re: guilford street lozells
hi angie.. the only reason this one loaded ok is because i have got it saved on me pc seperate from the rest because paddington street is where i was born and its the only pic i have of it..we are going to try and move the other pics from where they are and see it that works so watch this space.
regards
lyn
hi angie.. the only reason this one loaded ok is because i have got it saved on me pc seperate from the rest because paddington street is where i was born and its the only pic i have of it..we are going to try and move the other pics from where they are and see it that works so watch this space.
regards
lyn
Re: guilford street lozells
Here is a picture of Aston Funace that I came across a while back when I was trying to make a composite of the old site. You may have seen it before and it is interesting because of it's age (1840 ish) The factory is in the foreground and the Brook is to the left of it. Furnace lane would have run across and out of the picture to the right, this view loking to the west. Now I think that Guildford Street would be running across the picture about half way up the chimney as represented by the dwellings there. The Brook is open at this time seemingly and the flood plain is not built on. So if you look to the left of the factory, that was where Kensington Street would be and to the left of that is the Brook. To the right of the factory would have been the leat to the water wheel with a head of water held by a widened section up there and I belive that it can be just made out...with a bit of imagination. Since I have seen this picture the white mound in the foreground has been confusing but I am now convinced that it is an ash/cinder mound from the furnace. I could not believe that it would be that high at first. It is possible that the tailrace from the furnace (a wire mill at the time maybe) would have run at the right of the factory (between it and the cottage building) but may not have been in use for anything at the time. This would not have been the original furnace I think but the remains of the original may have been behind. This is only my interpretation and is included here because of the Guildford association
Link to site...https://www.schoolsliaison.org.uk/astonhall/aston.htm
Here is a picture of Aston Funace that I came across a while back when I was trying to make a composite of the old site. You may have seen it before and it is interesting because of it's age (1840 ish) The factory is in the foreground and the Brook is to the left of it. Furnace lane would have run across and out of the picture to the right, this view loking to the west. Now I think that Guildford Street would be running across the picture about half way up the chimney as represented by the dwellings there. The Brook is open at this time seemingly and the flood plain is not built on. So if you look to the left of the factory, that was where Kensington Street would be and to the left of that is the Brook. To the right of the factory would have been the leat to the water wheel with a head of water held by a widened section up there and I belive that it can be just made out...with a bit of imagination. Since I have seen this picture the white mound in the foreground has been confusing but I am now convinced that it is an ash/cinder mound from the furnace. I could not believe that it would be that high at first. It is possible that the tailrace from the furnace (a wire mill at the time maybe) would have run at the right of the factory (between it and the cottage building) but may not have been in use for anything at the time. This would not have been the original furnace I think but the remains of the original may have been behind. This is only my interpretation and is included here because of the Guildford association
Link to site...https://www.schoolsliaison.org.uk/astonhall/aston.htm
Re: guilford street lozells
hi rupert... nice pic and a nice story to go with it... i am posting this map which you may well have already seen but if not it may be of interest to you... if you follow the red dotted line it plots the path of the old aston brook.. i thought it ran under paddington st but on looking again i am not so sure.. perhaps you could confirm this for me.
regards
astoness
hi rupert... nice pic and a nice story to go with it... i am posting this map which you may well have already seen but if not it may be of interest to you... if you follow the red dotted line it plots the path of the old aston brook.. i thought it ran under paddington st but on looking again i am not so sure.. perhaps you could confirm this for me.
regards
astoness
Re: guilford street lozells
Hi, Not able to plot the exact route of the unaltered Hockley Brook but the dotted line is representative of the underground culvert where it was routed. Still there today I suppose. There is much information on here with some excellent maps by Peter maybe if you type Aston Furnace in the search it will get you there. Incidentally the leat would have run about Denmark street and ended before Porchester. All filled in now. It started back at the Soho crossing just below Boulton's manufactury where the industrial revolution began. If you stood on the sheep shear works and looked west you would be standing where the old picture was made I think. It would have been a pile of ash and cinders/slag from the furnace. It seems to have remained long after the furnace was not used to produce iron any more if the picture is genuine and representative.
Hi, Not able to plot the exact route of the unaltered Hockley Brook but the dotted line is representative of the underground culvert where it was routed. Still there today I suppose. There is much information on here with some excellent maps by Peter maybe if you type Aston Furnace in the search it will get you there. Incidentally the leat would have run about Denmark street and ended before Porchester. All filled in now. It started back at the Soho crossing just below Boulton's manufactury where the industrial revolution began. If you stood on the sheep shear works and looked west you would be standing where the old picture was made I think. It would have been a pile of ash and cinders/slag from the furnace. It seems to have remained long after the furnace was not used to produce iron any more if the picture is genuine and representative.
Peters_History
knowlegable brummie
Re: guilford street lozells
Thank you so much... Im sure Mom will remember the place..
Regards
Angie xxx
Thank you so much... Im sure Mom will remember the place..
Regards
Angie xxx
Re: guilford street lozells
Picture 23 - amazing - just as I remember it from 40 years ago. I can see the opening between the garage block and number 146 which led to our house 29/146 Guildford St (or 29 Gladstone Terrace!!). How many times in 5 years ('63 -68) must I have walked around there? Thanks for some great memories.
Picture 23 - amazing - just as I remember it from 40 years ago. I can see the opening between the garage block and number 146 which led to our house 29/146 Guildford St (or 29 Gladstone Terrace!!). How many times in 5 years ('63 -68) must I have walked around there? Thanks for some great memories.