• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Key Hill Hockley

brummy-lad said:
I think you are correct Lyn, the map shows The Cemetery Tavern at 53-54 Key Hill, at 51 Key Hill was Frank Newman Boot repairer you can see his shop just along from George's Cafe in post #3
Click to expand...

thanks for confirming john

lyn
 
At least the old top section of Key Hill remains. Glad the old Gem Building has survived, along with the sorting office and the Harry Smith ironmonger’s shop. But Harry Smith’s signage now seems to have been painted over (over the entrance).

There are sad reminders of what has gone. These dropped cobbled kerb entrances are now leading to nowhere - just overgrown ground. The bottom one may have been for the Bulls Head. Not sure as don’t know how much of Key Hill was taken up by building of the Key Hill Circus. The plot next to Cemetery Lane (where the car is parked and now closed off with a barrier) where the Cemetery pub once stood is empty ground too. Viv.

A18632C4-73B9-49C0-895D-E4682E4753E2.jpeg
A8002B60-CBEC-4E1D-925D-7116DC3AB837.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I was born on Key Hill at No 51 it was a shoe shop and we lived in the back house. No 50 was my grand parents house and sawdust business.
my father was born and bred as well. Many happy memories. Great to see these old photographs.
 
hello and welcome steve..great to see a member who lived on key hill..hope you enjoy the forum and if you have any old photos we would love to see them...i have a feeling one of the photos posted could show no 51 but i will have to study them first

lyn
 
Last edited:
hi steve i take it have seen the photograph showing no 51 which was frank newman boot repairer also shows the entry by which i presume would have led to the back houses... to the right of that is showing is your grandparents house at no 50...you are very lucky to have this shot

lyn
 
Hi Lyn, this is amazing. you are right about the entry this led to our house at the back. There was Rodgers Die Sinking company with whom we shared the back yard. The man who ran it was called Albert Hunt an amazing die sinker who was commisioned to make the die for the Queens coronation medal. one of the die sinkers who worked there Tom Rose would later run the die & toolmaking company where i served my apprenticeship as a Toolmaker.
 
thats great steve if i was you i would save that photo as i doubt you will see another one as good...

lyn
 
mikejee said:
Below is a map c 1953 , nearer the date of the photo. Have marked the position of the junction with Haden St. on the photo with an arrow. The large building would appear to be the Post Office building.

View attachment 148882

View attachment 148885
Click to expand...


mike hope you dont mind but could you check your info again please as i think you could be wrong...your blue arrow on the photo says that is where haden st but i think you meant hadley st according to the map...i dont think this is correct because in the photo tims corner shop is at no 22 on the corner with hadley st which is further down from your blue arrow...i think your blue arrow shows where no 14 is which funnily enough i have been researching so the arrow has come in handy

maybe you got confused with the nortons shop which was on the corner of key hill at nos 28 to 34

lyn
 
Last edited:
cracking photo looking up key hill the street on the left would be hadley st...thanks to carolina

noted 4 men in uniform walking up key hill with bags over their shoulders...could they have been postmen/telegraph men ? was the post office at hockley hill (built 1911)there then ? we do know there was a post office on hockley hill before the one that is there now was built below is a photos of itHockleyHillpo.webp....only guessing of course


key hill.jpg
 
Last edited:
I can't comment on the activities of the four men, in uniform, but it was fortunate to have the Bulls Head opposite to Nortons. The men folk could say to their wives (or maybe girl friends) take as long as you like in Nortons as I am ok until closing time. :D
 
pretty convinced the men are postal workers alan...especially having the post office so close and if the photo is dated after 1911 then they would have been working out of the big post office that is on hockley hill built 1911...either way i keep looking at this photo it really is smashing

lyn
 
Last edited:
Steve 1961 said:
I was born on Key Hill at No 51 it was a shoe shop and we lived in the back house. No 50 was my grand parents house and sawdust business.
my father was born and bred as well. Many happy memories. Great to see these old photographs.
Click to expand...
Hi Steve my wife's gt gt grandfather had a cafe at number 51 at least between 1905 and 1911, Erards....... I'm wondering if it was the same building or if they were renumbered at any point?
 
StevieBarr said:
Hi Steve my wife's gt gt grandfather had a cafe at number 51 at least between 1905 and 1911, Erards....... I'm wondering if it was the same building or if they were renumbered at any point?
Click to expand...
i would think that given the dates you are talking about it would be the same building

lyn
 
StevieBarr said:
Thanks Lyn....... the photo you mentioned above- is it the one on the 2nd post with George's Cafe in the foreground?
Click to expand...
yes steve i think that would be the one but if you can give us your wifes gt gt grandfathers name and dates maybe someone could look him up in the directories to confirm things for you

lyn
 
Last edited:
Yes his name was Oscar Erard, he is at number 51 Key Hill right by the cemetery and pub in 1905 Kelly's Directory, still there on the 1911 census but in the 1915 directory he'd moved his cafe up to 409 Lodge Road just the other side of Icknield Street near to HV Smith Bakers which is still there, but I'm assuming Oscar's two premises were demolished to make way for the Key Hill Circus roundabout whenever that was built (though Oscar himself died in 1925), looking at Google Maps there appears to be a patch of waste ground next to the cemetery where his cafe and the tavern most likely stood.
 
StevieBarr said:
Yes his name was Oscar Erard, he is at number 51 Key Hill right by the cemetery and pub in 1905 Kelly's Directory, still there on the 1911 census but in the 1915 directory he'd moved his cafe up to 409 Lodge Road just the other side of Icknield Street near to HV Smith Bakers which is still there, but I'm assuming Oscar's two premises were demolished to make way for the Key Hill Circus roundabout whenever that was built (though Oscar himself died in 1925), looking at Google Maps there appears to be a patch of waste ground next to the cemetery where his cafe and the tavern most likely stood.
Click to expand...
yes both demolished now steve...below is a link to a useful map site...i have left it on the part showing no 409 lodge road and you can move the map about to take a walk up key hill etc..

also have you seen our extensive thread for lodge road/the flat it has loads of old photos on it...nick named the flat to us locals as it was the flatest part of lodge road...here is a link to it...hope this helps

lyn


Shera

Thread 'Lodge Road Hockley (and The Flat)'

i have found some photos on flicker of this area. dont know whether theyve been posted before. my moms step father owned a grocery shop on "the flat" so she is very pleased to see the photos

i think i will have to put them on one by one as im having difficulty.

Moderators note. The following images have been lost from this thread, although members may have since reposted these in later posts.
lodge rd hockley. all saints church and school
kent terrace, lodge rd. hockley
Lodge road hockley again!
hydraulic pub on corner of lodge rd.

 
So the Bull's Head and the Cemetery Tavern were pretty close to each other......... might there be an approximate date for the pics in post 10 of the former looking rather sorry for itself?
 
going back to the map i posted on post 52 the cafe was next door to the church so surely this photo shows the cafe building on the left of the church albeit years later when it became woolworths..remember in the days of the cafe the frontage would have been very different...this photo is also on the lodge road thread

lyn

Image11_Lodge_Rd.jpg
 
ok ive searched the lodge road thread again and i am almost certain this photo shows the cafe at 409 and date wise could be when steves cafe was there...look at the last white shop awning on the left..to the right of that lying back i think is the church can make out the pointed top of it..my guess is the cafe is just 4 doors up from the church

lodge road 4.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top