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Handsworth and other memories

In the late 50s I used to go with my friends to visit their relatives in Booth Street, but I dont know the number, all I know was the name was Masters.
 
Can anybody remember the Fish and Chip 3 or 4 shops from Queens Head road seem to remember it was called the Blackpool Fish and Chip shop, next door was Mrs Hamiltons herb shop,I can still see her in my minds eye serving us our herb drink,this was before we used to drink at the Woodbine (Joe Carters Pub the old WBA player) in Grove Lane.
 
I've only just found this thread! In 1968 I worked for a few months at Handsworth Sports House on Soho Road, near to the Frighted Horse pub. The shop was also known as Sports & Leisure and was owned by a Mr Jack Appleby who had a similar shop in the old Perry Barr Precinct. I'd recently walked out of my job in the lab at Schweppes, and needed to earn some money. I loathed that shop - it was impossible to keep clean, the roof leaked, and it was broken into on a fairly regular basis. I was also paid peanuts, which didn't help. The only good thing to come out of that otherwise miserable period of my life was that I met my wife there. She worked at Dudley's Furnishers on the other side of Grove Lane, and came into my shop one day to buy - wait for it - a jock-strap for her brother! Our very first 'date' was when I took her to lunch at the Woodlands restaurant on Soho Road, just past Stafford Road. She told me rather forcibly that I could do better with myself than being an underpaid shop-assistant, so I gritted my teeth and the rest is history, as they say. And we've just celebrated out Ruby Wedding too!

I quite liked Soho Road, especially the Asian shops and restaurants, and also Klub Polksii on Soho Hill, where I was taken regularly by my Polish pal. But I kept out of the pubs, apart from the New Inns. When I worked in that horrible shop, most days I'd buy a couple of samosas for lunch, and breathe garlic and chili over the few customers I had! All part of life's rich cycle, eh?

Big Gee
 
carolina said:
Hi Lavender, so glad you liked the pictures, - were you an ABC minor at the Regal? Flash Gordon et al.
Click to expand...

I was Carolina, 9d upstairs and 6d downstairs, ki-ora (was that right?) orange juice and ice lolly boomerangs!
Loved those glow in the dark badges - anyone got one?
 
Hello Alan - Bit late replying here, but you mentioned the Blackpool Fish & Chip shop on Soho Road. I knew it well as my best friend Jean Thomas used to live there as her parents ran it. This would be about 1954 time. I wonder if you remember Jean?

Judy
 
Hello Judy, I must have seen your friend, but cannot remember her, I do remember Dad taking us for a treat there when he came out of the army, some time in 1946 I would guess.
I also remember him saying would I like a bottle of Tizer, something I had never heard off, very few treats about during the war.
Did you ever hear from your friend who lived at the Farcroft ?
 
Hi Alan - I think you would have remembered Jean if you had seen her as she was very glamourous. She never worked in the fish & chip shop. She was a hairdresser and worked a bit further down the road at Maison Vivienne.

Yes I have been in touch with Alan Roberts from the Farcroft.

Judy
 
Talking about that hairdressers, my sister in law worked there here name was Phylis Dalton and I think the lady that owned it was called Kay Kendell, many years later I went for a job at a salon in Streetly and that Kay owned the shop and remembered Phylis how that for coincidence
 
Hello Lavender

Do you remember the shop on Booth Street that repaired dolls. Really old fashioned dolls. The dolls were in the window. Brilliant shop.
Sue
 
I DO remember that shop, forgot where it was though, we used to call it the Dolls Hospital, I think I may have taken my teddy there once, his arm came off - I still have him, he is as old as me - and still going strong too :)
 
Hi Lavender (lovely name)

Thanks for getting back to me on this. It was real then. You know when as you get older you think to yourself was I imagining it. Now I know I wasn't. Did you ever go to the Regal cinema. We used to sing that song (or should say shout that song) - #the minors of the ABC...we like to laugh and have a sing song, oh how happy we will beeee. we're all (something) together, the minor of the ABC# before the matinee came on - can't remember the rest. Lovely cinema especially upstairs. Pity everything has gone...
 
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Hi Lavender

This was a lovely read. You have got such a good memory and have jogged my memory of places. The Dairy, The Albion Cinema, used to like playing inside there when it was wrecked and dangerous.
Thank you
Sue
 
Hello, I do know the site and have enjoyed the many stories on there - I believe my story was lifted and put on the site too
as for the name Sue (lavender) I chose it because its my favourite garden flower/herb and it's nigh on impossible to keep alive here in
very hot and humid florida. I'd trade the weather here for a cool (and I know rainy) English summer anyday.
 
Here are some recent pictures of Handsworth Park March 2012, I have tried to make a public album, but there was an error message...
Photo0047 water fountain.jpgPhoto0051 Bandstand.jpgPhoto0044 The Lake.jpgPhoto0046 lake 22.3.12.jpg
I decided to go on walkabouts to reminisce - it was great. The park is beautifully kept. Most roads still had loads of leaves etc as it had been very windy, but this park was immaculate. It was great to see the place again. What was once a massive park as a child, seemed quite small as an adult. It was a lovely sunny and hot day when I went...
 
smashing pics sue...oh how i remember the park as a child growing up in villa st..we would walk from there with our fishing nets and jam jars and come back with loads of tiddlers as we called them...and the bandstand is still there as well...really must try and pay a visit for old times sake..

lyn
 
I'm amazed how good the park looks, brings back memories of my visits during lunch hours from Handsworth Technical School in 1949 when I went on rowing boats called 'skiffs' which were fast but very narrow and easily tipped over.
I also remember watching a Mosquito aircraft doing very low level acrobatics over the park. RAF pilots used to do such mad things in those days probably showing off to a girlfriend in Handsworth Wood.
 
Lovely pictures Sue. They bring back such wonderful memories of my childhood. Thank you for posting them.
 
old Mohawk I can also remember a Spitfire coming very low over the pool the pilot could be seen quit clearly,I seem to remember being on a little passenger boat not on a row boat though,it was just after the war and maybe my memory is playing tricks with me,I agree the skiffs where great,until you started courting,
 
Sue those are all great photos, the park looks great. It is over 30 years since we were there. Thanks for the memories, just called John to look at them as well. Mo
 
Hi Lyn
We used to go and get frog spawn from the lake and take it back to school - when they were teaching us about frogs. I enjoyed it so much - I keep tadpoles now - got loads of the things.
We also used to paint the leaves that we had picked up in the park, for our art lessons. All at Grove Lane school (Dawson Road now). It was the Willow trees that fascinated me especially being by the cemetary- it all seemed very spooky indeed. So when I went to the park in March, I had to see whether the Willows were still there- of course they were.
Sue
 
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