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Harborne

  • Thread starter Thread starter mike-g
  • Start date Start date
Aidan said:
Wow - that is a rare find Mike, thank you, perhaps the alterations were when it became a Manufactory?

Google maps tell me that from there it is 2 miles to the centre of Smethwick and about 1 mile to St Peter's Church, the old centre of Harborne - and all in a straight line - or 1.5 miles to the furthest end of the High St.

Would the Workhouse, Washing-Powder Manufactory or "High Harborne" be mentioned in any directories of the time?

Also I'd like to prove/disprove my theories about the Junction of Upper Ravenhurst and Moor Pool Lane meeting with Gillhurst Road - are there any early C19th maps that you know of. I think Harborne was Staffordshire at that point.
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Here is a map of Harborne which shows the location of the former workhouse and answers the questions about Upper Ravenhurst, Moor Pool Lane and Gillhurst Road. Quite a lot of what is depicted chimes with my knowledge of Harborne as I was growing up.

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BrumBum said:
Anthony,

There was another sweet shop/newsagent either closer to the Duke of York or perhaps next to the Mews Garage. It was there that I bought my Eagle comic and 2 oz pointed bag of sweets each Friday. Can you recall the name? There was also a 'toy shop' or fancy goods shop near to Serpentine road where I bought my 'Buntline Special' and holster - just like Wyatt Earp. It was not always a toy shop and not a patch on the fantastic toy shop towards the centre of Harborne where I spent most of my pocket money on Corgi model cars (always preferred Corgi to Dinky). However, I loved that Buntline Special and was pretty fast on the draw, as well as being able to spin it round my finger before holstering it - just like John Wayne!
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Down Albert Walk [ THE STUMPS there was a toy shop called Sids he also did Mens haircutting there was also a pet shop a ladies hairdresser. Albert walk was opposite the kings arms the stumps to start albert walk is shown in the picture above. That picture also shows a road opposite which is Serpentine road which is where the Harborne picture house and the Bus station were.If you walked up harborne park road [towards selly oak ] about 100 yds you will come to Summerview terrace with about 8 houses in I was born in house number two 65 years ago
 
Anthony

The only memories I have of Albert Walk was the couple of time I stopped off at the antiques shop that was situated on the Harborne Park Rd junction of it in the 70's when paying a visit to my sisters house in Woodgate Valley. Thankfully on both occasions my wife was unable to find anything she liked.

Two photos attached, one looking down the alley from Albert Rd toward the Kings Head, and the other must be "Sids" shop as you describe.
 

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Welsh House Farm has been mentioned in this thread. Here is a pic of the farm and some of its occupants. The 'photo by Phyllis Nicklin was taken in 1961.
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Hi I was wondering if anyone could help. I am interested in tracing a family that used to live in chasetown but also had links to harborne road, possibly number 5, in the 40s and 50s. The mothers name was Nora Turner and she had 2 girls, Gillian and Elaine. There are links to my family and I would like to follow it up. I would be grateful for any information.
 
Tony, what years were you at Station Road Junior? I went there as a Secondary Modern School when Mr. Stanton was the head. My leaving certificate is dated 17.12. 1954. What year did it become a Junior School? Harborne Hill School opened while I was there and some transferred to it including my friend Peter Evans who lived in Cadleigh Gardens. I did read about some photo's of the School football team, but so far haven't found them. Anyone tell me how to find them?
 
Handlebar, I think the photo of the football team posted on the Forum disappeared when the site was hacked quite a while ago. The photo showed Mr Stanton, Headmaster and Mr Abel, Deputy Head.
 
Thanks Anthea. Apologies for the delay in reply but your message went into something I don't use and only just came across it.
 
Handlebar, I also seem to remember Mr Cooper or similar sounding name Coope on a photograph of the Station Road football team together with Mr Stanton, but I guess, that also was lost with the others.
 
Great shame it was lost, Anthea. I often wish I'd picked up things at the time, but they weren't important then. If only I'd taken a picture of the inside of the Old Harborne Picture House, where I practically lived as a kid. Memories are o.k. but nothing like a photo!!
 
handlebar said:
If only I'd taken a picture of the inside of the Old Harborne Picture House, where I practically lived as a kid. Memories are o.k. but nothing like a photo!!
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The Harborne Picture House in Serpentine Road still exists now as a social club. Some years ago I led a guided walk around Harborne and the manager came out to invite us in but I ignored him as only the week before when I doing a reccie, he ordered me off the premises.
 
I tried to get in some years ago without success but a later attempt revealed how much it had been changed. On the wall was a framed newspaper
photo of the members of the Saturday morning picture club. The children were taken in front of the cinema and I must have been in the picture but couldn't really tell. The Birmingham Mail were unable to supply a copy. Very disappointed. They'd lost their archive in a fire I think. Carolina, lovely picture of Harborne Lane, just as I remember it. I belonged to the Scouts that met in the Ariel hut beside the canal a little higher up. It seems to have changed drastically.
 
handlebar said:
I tried to get in some years ago without success but a later attempt revealed how much it had been changed. On the wall was a framed newspaper
photo of the members of the Saturday morning picture club. The children were taken in front of the cinema and I must have been in the picture but couldn't really tell. The Birmingham Mail were unable to supply a copy. Very disappointed. They'd lost their archive in a fire I think. Carolina, lovely picture of Harborne Lane, just as I remember it. I belonged to the Scouts that met in the Ariel hut beside the canal a little higher up. It seems to have changed drastically.
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Was it the Ariel hut that was used for annual arts/crafts competitions between scout groups? I still have some of my certificates from these events. I was in 293rd St Faith and St Laurence - a top outfit!
 
Yes, BrumBum, it was the old Ariel hut. I belonged to the 1st Harborne, 17th Birmingham troop. I have my character assessment still!!! I knew of the St. Faith and St. Laurence troop but we never (to my knowledge) met up. Apologies for the delay in reply. For some unknown reason these replies have gone into my scam box. Hopefully I should now be aware of their arrival. Aint all this IT stuff enough to send you scatty!
 
handlebar said:
Yes, BrumBum, it was the old Ariel hut. I belonged to the 1st Harborne, 17th Birmingham troop. I have my character assessment still!!! I knew of the St. Faith and St. Laurence troop but we never (to my knowledge) met up. Apologies for the delay in reply. For some unknown reason these replies have gone into my scam box. Hopefully I should now be aware of their arrival. Aint all this IT stuff enough to send you scatty!
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Thanks Handlebar. Better safe than sorry with potential scam. No, I can't remember any fraternisation between different scout groups either, although there was the odd jamboree and other joint events. I particularly remember an event in the woods at Sutton Park where each group was given a different coloured length of wool to wear on their arms and had to prevent its capture by other groups - and also try to capture the colours from other groups. If your length of wool was taken you were supposed to retire from the fray. The flaw in the planning was that there are only so many colours of wool, so there was duplication and, with care, it was not difficult to capture your own colour and keep it as an 'extra life' if needed. I suppose it was an event to develop woodcraft and such. Good, harmless fun though.
 
BrumBum, One of the events I can remember was a midnight hike miles out of Harborne. We arrived in the moonlit countryside and had to make our way across a sloping field. Unfortunately at the bottom were two electricity pylons shorting with sparks and crackling. Everyone was frightened. We waited.....and waited....almost forever till in the end I summed up courage and ran down the hill and between the pylons. I was terrified, but I did it. I guess I learned that what terrifies doesn't always harm us.
 
I remember it well used to walk past it most days on my way to school Harborne Hill between 1963 to 68.To anyone who remembers it .To all who played at villa park for Harborne hill school I think it was May 8th 1968 and also in the Docker sheild at Edgbaston in the summer of the same year Happy Days .Iwonder who the Girl/ women is sitting on the bench outside the bluecoat school is .
 
I went to Station road infant and Junior school in around 1958 and left in 63 My eldest brother went to school in the clock tower on the corner of High street and York street Have lived in and around this area all my life and have plenty of happy memories.
 
carolina said:
Chad Valley, Rose Road View attachment 119746
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This takes me back. especially those cars. I see a Daimler (p0ssibly a Majestic), Morris Minor Traveller, Riley and (I think) Standard Vanguard. The last time I visited Rose Road you would have been pushed to find a parking space. Chad Valley toys were great and the fire station in Rose Road was iconic - just what a fire station should look like.
 
old harborne.jpg
This Passage way has been mentioned several time on the forum but it looks nothing like this now.
 
Stitcher said:
View attachment 119689
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I remember cycling at speed along Vivian Road heading for High Street and with my mind not on the traffic (very much lighter then). I think I was probably about twelve. I went straight across the junction without stopping and remain eternally grateful to the alert car driver coming from the direction of the Royalty who saw me before I saw him and braked to a halt.
 
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