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Happy Valley Pleasure Grounds

A listing of Salvation Army centres in Birmingham suggests that there was a Salvation Army in Happy Valley .... does anyone recall this?
 
I started going out with my now husband in 1984. He lived with his parents near the Warstock Public house (now demolished). There was the Happy Valley Festival or some similar name even in the mid eighties. I might be mistaken but I think there was even an event at the Community Centre. Sensibly, hubby is asleep as he has to be up in about four and a half hours to head off to work but I will ask him tomorrow, what, if anything, he remembers. I am trying to remember if there were outdoor events in Daisy Farm Park too.
Jill
 
Re: Family LEA. Happy Valley Pleasure Grounds

RobertS said:
Happy new year Folks.

Thanks for the efforts with the extract from the paper Planet. I will have a look but it will have to wait until I can make it to Birmingham records unless anyone else out there has a copy.

Good information Boatman, thanks alot. Will see if there is any detail about who was at the cottage during this period and if they were related to the Lees who seemed to have Happy Valley at its prime.
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Hi Robert

The newspaper article about the bridge demolition that I refered is reproduced in Barrie Geens newish publication "From Kings Heath to the Country " volume Two.
There's also various pictures of Happy Valley.

Happy New Year
 
I grew up in that area, we moved to Cleeve Road Yardley Wood in 1932, Happy Valley to us was where
we got the tram to the Lickys, down near the Tudor picture house. I remember the bus garage being
opened about 1936/7 I had a friend, Gerald Milner , he was my Best Man, lived in Chinnbrook Road
which ran down into the Valley Bernard
 
Fascinating thread. I am Secretary of the Happy Valley Festival committee, a group which keeps the title alive as an afternoon event in Daisy Farm Park (recreation ground) on the last Saturday of June each year. Due to "financial stringency" 2011 could be the last one - though we hope not. We're looking into its origins and this thread has been very helpful.
 
Hi Keith.
Welcome to this site, you will find many people who will be only to glad to help you with any research you need about "Happy Valley"
I live in Billesley and am writing a book about Billesley, I am also Chairman of "The Valley Riverside Project" on Billesley Common. If you want to meet up let me know through this site and I can call at the Warstock Community Centre.
Pete
 
Great to see you guys are Keeping these areas alive in name & events My Mom & Dad told of many a family outing to HAPPY VALLEY I seems to have been a place for all the family as a HOLIDAY PLAYGROUND.
Good luck guys
 
hi Keith,

I do hope this wont be the last Happy Valley festival this year.

I know that The Lodge pub has supported the festival in the past.
They are under new ownership and I know that the couple who run it are keen on all thing local.

Have you tried them at all ?
 
Happy Valley Pleasure Grounds in 1913.
 

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Just got the winter 2013 edition of "Narrow Boat" magazine - there's an interesting 2 page spread on Happy Valley with some info. re. Goodrest Farm (later Croft). It would appear that all of the photographs that we have seen on these pages (and elsewhere on the forum) are from picture postcards. Colin Scrivener, the author of the article, attributes the postcards to the collection of Dennis Hay - the owner of Hay's hardware/builders merchants shop that was on the corner of Yardley Wood Road and Pendeen Road - just below the site of where Happy Valley was situated. Worth a look.
 
Thanks for your post Speedy. Been collecting info on Happy Valley for years starting with stories from my Dad. The irony is that I had a Saturday job at Dennis Hays working in the yard and making gallons of tea . (Dennis Hay was also an amiable golfer at Gay Hill. I earned a few bob there as a caddy). If only I had asked questions as a lad.
 
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William GRANT born 1741 - died 1809 Yardley, WOR.

From a 'cousin' in Texas where William GRANT's grandchildren resided:

Letter from Teresa to her nephew William D. GRANT:
William GRANT "...owned a coal mind of which he was president his train of boats opened that canall you have often crossed it it ran between Birmingham and London it was one of the grandest affairs that had ever taken place in those days they were all decorated with evergreens, flags and banners attended with bands of music your grandfather Daniel Grant and great - grandfather William Grant were on board with all their friends and the banks crowded with thousands of people". He had a "large business in London one in Warwich and one in Birmingham".

William GRANT held the office of Sheriff of London, high constable. The family had had his pistols & "dark lanterns". She also said that he owned a lot of real estate.

According to a letter from Teresa (dated Stubbs, 8 April 1898)...
It is mentioned that William GRANT owned a distillery at number 3 High Street in Birmingham from 1774-1776. Then from "1771-1781 his business was at 32 High Street & his occupation was listed as baker & corn factor". This was taken from the gentleman's writing, no documentation. He goes on to say that by 1785 William is "listed as a director and dealer in coals, cokes, mining & quarries"

Could this be the answer to the origins of Happy Valley? I have checked out the directories for the businesses in High Street, Birmingham and they agree with the 1898 letter. There is no William GRANT listed as Sheriff of London.
 
Stitcher said:
Happy Valley Pleasure Grounds in 1913.
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Trying all the links to happy valley None Work. Try This one great
aghs.jimdofree.com

Happy Valley, Yardley Wood (with information and photographs kindly provided by Barrie Geens, Colin Scrivener, Andrew Mealey, and "master brummie")

Happy Valley is one of those phenomena which seem so unlikely in the history of Birmingham that the phrase "You couldn't make it up" seems highly appropriate. Here was a leisure area on a canal lasting half a century in various forms, for which there is so much affection that the name Happy...
aghs.jimdofree.com aghs.jimdofree.com
 
Johnny Duff said:
Trying all the links to happy valley None Work. Try This one great
aghs.jimdofree.com

Happy Valley, Yardley Wood (with information and photographs kindly provided by Barrie Geens, Colin Scrivener, Andrew Mealey, and "master brummie")

Happy Valley is one of those phenomena which seem so unlikely in the history of Birmingham that the phrase "You couldn't make it up" seems highly appropriate. Here was a leisure area on a canal lasting half a century in various forms, for which there is so much affection that the name Happy...
aghs.jimdofree.com aghs.jimdofree.com
Click to expand...
Excellent article. Thank you.
 
Presumably the Chippendales of their day, Will Morris' Pierrots were regular performers at Happy Valley Tea Rooms and Leisure Grounds throughout the First World War
 

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The "proprietor" Walter Lea had a racehorse called "Happy Valley Lass" here at Wolverhampton September 1919
 

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Hi There, been reading with great interest about the Happy Valley, My grand parents moved into Goodrest Croft around 1932. Does anyone know the date that the Croft was built? Im curious to know if they moved into a new house or not. Many thanks Mark
 
mookiecbr said:
Hi There, been reading with great interest about the Happy Valley, My grand parents moved into Goodrest Croft around 1932. Does anyone know the date that the Croft was built? Im curious to know if they moved into a new house or not. Many thanks Mark
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Those houses look like the typical 1930 style of semi so you may be right.
 
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