Harborne

[Aidan]

Second - the Motor Buses - You'll need to explore "Midland Red Early Days" for the technical details but the first three are on the High Street in 1912 just around the corner from The Duke of York, the fourth is from 1922 facing down War lane

 

[Aidan]

Here is a pic of Bradshaw's the printers dated c1912. It looks substantially different, although appearances can change in a matter of months, and was around until at least the 1930's.

 

[Aidan]

In Harborne in 1839 a Wesleyan Chapel was opened on the High Street (then called Heath Street as it lead to "The Burned Heath" between Lordswood Road and Court Oak Road) with a cottage either side. By 1868 this proved too be too small so a new larger chapel was built on South Street (then Greenfield Street). It survives today https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=52...8938,-1.948614&spn=0.013415,0.027595&t=h&z=15 at least on Google Maps...

The original Wesleyan Chapel building was briefly used as a Roman Catholic Church (26th June 1870-6th Feb 1877) until they moved to Harborne Lodge (now the Priory) in Lodge Road (now Vivian Road). It survives today behind the two newer churches (1895 & 1978) https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=52...4563,-1.953077&spn=0.000423,0.000862&t=h&z=20

 

[DavidGrain]

Tennal Lane which is on the old route of the no 10 prior to Court Oak Road being made into a dual carriageway with the Court Oak pub being left on an island in the middle of the road some time round about 1970 after which time the bus was diverted to run via West Boulevard at the Punch Bowl pub.

 

[Dave Riley]

Thanks for the information on Powell's farm Anthea, had a search on the internet but can't find any more info on the farm however now we have a name I will keep an eye out for it in local history books. This area is certainly an interesting place for historical research, many of the farms and old buildings that once stood in the area where around until recently, I would think things started to change on a big scale from around the 1940's to 1950's.

 

[anthea]

Dave, Glad to be of help. There was a new Council estate built around the farm early 1930's, although I think there were some council houses in West Boulevard built slightly earlier. Welsh House Farm was at the bottom of Blandford Road where I was born and later development houses and flats came in the 1960's. There is a school where the W H Farm used to be and blocks of flats. I am not sure where you would find information about Powell's farm, but there are pictures in books about Harborne of W H Farm. Anthea.

 

[Aidan]

the original Old House At Home pub (not the current one!) c1900
(Replacement)

 

[leslam]

Whilst looking for something else (isn't it always the way?!) I have come across a copy of "An Account of Harborne, from earliest times to 1891" by Donald Wright. It is a Birmingham Public Libraries publication (first pub 1981, reprinted 1983 and 1987). There are lots of snippets of information, so if you are particularly interested in a particular school, church, person I'll have a look for information in there.
I think that the attached is interesting - Newey's Map of Harborne Village, 1834. Apologies if it has been posted before.

 

[Aidan]

I came across this picture on my virtual travels today, described as "Photographic Print of Industrial School, Harborne, Birmingham from Mary Evans - A man with umbrella at the gates of Harborne Industrial School, Balden Road, Birmingham, opened in 1902 to hold 150 boys. It later became Ansell School then after 1933 was the Tennal Approved School. Industrial Schools housed children aged 7-15 placed there by magistrates for a variety of reasons such as vagrancy, begging, disrupting schools, or living with prostitutes." Probably taken around 1902 when it opened.
(Replacement)
I think the modern day view is https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&...eh0iaDinRCinMvBh536GIQ&cbp=12,241.64,,1,-0.06

 

[oldoldold]

hi there i lived in selcroft avenue from 1990 till about 2005 and before that rilstone rd from1984 till 1990 i remember the garages by the flats before they built the doctors the doctors used to be on the corner of tennal lane/court oak rd dr green she had an old fashioned mercedes also what we now call the bmx track by the flats was just being done in around 1985 i found out it was a quarry/rubbish tip before ,i hav always wanted to know what did it look like before the flats and houses ,and i have now found this ;-
(Replacement)

 

[oldoldold]

Old view of selcroft avenue
(Replacement)

 

[DavidGrain]

hink this is the same view today of the 1956 picture
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&...anoid=FIuaJ4dGZbEq-fU2iSSGIg&cbp=12,1.48,,0,5

 

[anthea]

Oldoldold, Thanks for posting that 1956 picture of West Boulevard. I was born near there in 1937 so I remember it all as it was then. Next to the trees at the top of the Boulevard and to the right is a farm which, I believe was known as Powells Farm. Down from the farm to the right the area was known as the Sand Pits. This area was used on Sunday mornings (during the War, I suppose) by servicemen as a rifle range. The area to the right was used for allotments and there was a deep pool known to us kids as the 'death pool'. There had been a double suicide there. More fields to the right belonged to the farmer where he kept horses and cows. There was a wheat field beyond that. The house where I was born backed on to that area. Anthea.

 

[oldoldold]

hi there anthea thank you for your reply very interesting ,i have a few more pictures of quinton i will find them out and post them asap i have 1 of tom knockers wood ,1 of the co op by the punchbowl from the 60s ,1 of george and helens chip shop from 60s and a couple more i will find them all out

 

[oldoldold]

Co-op Quinton

 

[anthea]

Thanks again OldOldOld . I look forward to seeing your picture of Tom Knocker's wood which has been mentioned before on this site. Legand has it that Tom Knocker hanged himself from a tree there. The wood is next to a golf course which my parents and I used to walk across to get to my aunt's house in Bottetourt Road, Weoley Castle. On the way we would walk down the drive of Home Farm to get to the road which I think was Northfield Road. The picture of the Co-op reminded me of shopping there as a child with my mother. The Royalty Picture House was by the school I used to go to in Harborne... Anthea.

 

[OtherHalf]

Anthea there were two golf courses one on the left (northfield road) which I used to walk through from school st marys Harborne and one on right which was the private course did you walk up stonehouse lane ?ans across the canal as was or as you say onto bottetourt and hence onto the square ? great pictures by the way thanks

 

[anthea]

I was a young girl in the 1940's and remember Tom Knocker's Wood very well. The wind used to howel through the trees and scare me to death as my parents and I used to walk over the golf course in the pitch black after visiting my gran. Thanks for posting those great pictures. Anthea.

 

[anthea]

Otherhalf, I can't remember two golf courses (childhood memories dimming a bit). The Municipal Golf Course I used to cross is the Welsh House Farm location. Northfield Road had hedgerows which my parents and I used to cross on to a grassed area which led to a row of shops. Walking down into a dip we crossed a brook (Harborne brook??) the up a slope which led on to Botettourt Road. I expect there have been many changes over the years since I walked there, so I don't know whether you would recognise my description now. Anthea.

PS I must have walked up Stonehouse Lane and I know there was a big Public House there. Also my cousin used to attend the Stonehouse Gang Boys Club closeby which became quite famous but that's another story. Anthea.

 

[Elizabeth Redmond]

I don't think we have these on, Paul I seem to remember you asking about Albert Walk

 

[paul stacey]

thanks elizabeth the little cafe with the duke box was down there I am sure, but as my memory is very bad now I just cannot remember exactly, but I am sure it was.
kind regards
paul

 

[paul stacey]

thanks elizabeth I am sure it was where the little coffee bar was with the duke box, my memory is quite bad now though I remember the royalty thanks old old, though I went there from the age of 6 yrs (saturday minors), until the army 16yrs old, so many thoughts.
regards all
paul

 

[DavidGrain]

Walked along "The Stumps" yesterday afternoon for the first time in many years. Just does not seem right now that most of one side has been demolished and is now a car park. I always remember the toy shop with some old tinplate toys in the window which in later years I tried to buy but they told me they where for display only not for sale.

 

[Elizabeth Redmond]

Can anybody tell me where in Harborne Lane this is, please.

 

[Pamela Y]

Harborne Lane and Chaple Lane Selly Oak changed to one way traffic before 1964 the traffic only came down Harborne Lane from the Bristol Road, car on the bottom right is facing the wrong way, I don't think that is Harborne Lane Selly Oak
Pamela

 

[mikejee]

I don't know about the traffic, but there was a Quality Autos showroom in Harborne lane, aT 75, 77, near the Selly oak end, in the red building

 

[DavidGrain]

I agree with Pamela the one way system was long before 1964. The building marked in red has been replaced by the Labour Exchange/ Job Centre which has been rebuilt again just above the Bus Garage marked Depot on the map. The older building above the motor dealer have been replaced by modern houses on a service road.

 

[dek carr]

Having studied the photo and enlarged it I see all the other vehicles are parked looking down hill also there is a bus coming down the road(this road does not look wide enough for two way traffic) I wonder if the two car in the foreground belong to the garage who have taken a liberty by parking them in the wrong direction. Dek

 

[Pamela Y]

Thinking back I am sure that same building used to be The School Clinic for the schools doctor and dentist, awful place, it was just up a bit from the bus depot,I was working away from home in 1964 so the clinic could have closed and the garage opened. I had my bike in 1955 and could go up and down Chaple Lane to the library and the number 11 bus went up and down Harborne Lane at that time.I remember they changed the two roads to one way but not what date
Pamela

 

[tydavnet]

Hi Paul,
I am only 50, and I too forget the details of my beloved birth City. I used to take the 21 bus from Birmingham to Weoley Castle and remember some of Harborne and Selly Oak but forget the details. My brothers went to Sir Humphrey Middlemore School in Harborne. I was raised in Weoley Castle and had the most fantastic ( poor but happy) childhood that anyone could wish for. As Elizabeth said, there is no need for thanks, I enjoy your posts and I think we are just all so thankful for the common bond we are able to forge and maintain on this site. Please keep posting your memories. My grandparents were born and bred in Digbeth and Aston but we moved out into the "newer" estates like Weoley Castle, Bartley Green and Harborne, it is really nice to hear from this side of Brum. Regards