Seem to remember aproaching POW camp in Sutton Park via Banners Gate.It was on left just past first area of woods.Had uncle who at that period was foreman with B'ham Roads Dept.He would get working parties of PoWs at times to supervise on various jobs.He also sold on rings broochs etc.for the POWs that they had made out of various materials.Can recall a couple of mates and myself asking a lorry load of POWs, that had stopped in Kings Road for some reason,if thet had enjoyed "Marching on to England"
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oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Pembroke,
Perhaps there were two camps. The visual memory I have is a of the 2' high wooden palin fence on the right of a path, and thinking that wouldn't keep them in ! However it was a long long time ago. Maybe what I saw was a transit camp. In other threads I might have mentioned swapping some of Dad's ciggies for items which POW's made. They were in a camp nearer to where I lived at the time.
Perhaps there were two camps. The visual memory I have is a of the 2' high wooden palin fence on the right of a path, and thinking that wouldn't keep them in ! However it was a long long time ago. Maybe what I saw was a transit camp. In other threads I might have mentioned swapping some of Dad's ciggies for items which POW's made. They were in a camp nearer to where I lived at the time.
Hi oldMohawk
Think I might have misled you.Right after the woods that were on left of road running from Banners Gate a wideish track led off to the left ( more or less running parallel to Chester Rd.) and the camp was on the right of this track opposite woods.
Regards Pembroke
Think I might have misled you.Right after the woods that were on left of road running from Banners Gate a wideish track led off to the left ( more or less running parallel to Chester Rd.) and the camp was on the right of this track opposite woods.
Regards Pembroke
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Pembroke,
Yes I think the track you mention follows the Roman Rd and to the right of it would be where the camp was - rather rough ground as far as I know, perhaps we did not want them to be too comfortable.....the park was a wonderful place then and still is.
All the best
oldmohawk
Yes I think the track you mention follows the Roman Rd and to the right of it would be where the camp was - rather rough ground as far as I know, perhaps we did not want them to be too comfortable.....the park was a wonderful place then and still is.
All the best
oldmohawk
M
mauricesellars
Guest
National Service Do any of you old kingstanding codgers do natoinal service in the 50s. I remember going to a place at the Bingley Hall area for the medical and having all the intrusive medical checks there was nothing wrong with my cough. There must have been something wrong with my brain however because I allowed them to convince me to do three years. Then catching the coach back to Aldershot from the old Bullring at 10 pm on sunday night after a 36 or 48hour pass Moss in Aus
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Moss - In sunny warm Aus from bitterly cold Britain, -7 on my house wall last night.
There is a large National Service thread in the link below, quite a few of us on here 'got some in' as we used to say, and it doesn't take much, to get us talking about it ! My posts in the thread start at #123 -145 - 147 - 150 - 161. I put some pictures on as have many others. I 'square bashed' at RAF Padgate.
https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=513&page=9
Phil
There is a large National Service thread in the link below, quite a few of us on here 'got some in' as we used to say, and it doesn't take much, to get us talking about it ! My posts in the thread start at #123 -145 - 147 - 150 - 161. I put some pictures on as have many others. I 'square bashed' at RAF Padgate.
https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=513&page=9
Phil
Reg Cook
Cookie55
Some information, regarding Kingstanding. Taken from Kingstanding Past and Present, 3rd Edition.
There is considerable uncertainty about the origin of the name Kingstanding.
An explanation which is often quoted connects the area with King Charles 1st,
who passed this way in October 1642. His army was marching from Shrewsbury
to relieve Banbury Castle, and he stayed at Aston Hall as the guest of Sir Thomas Holt
on the nights of 16th and 17th October.
The following day, it is said, he visited a spot on Perry Barr Common to review and address
the troops which had been collected from Sutton Coldfield and district to fight the cause,
and the mound on which he stood for the purpose became known as the "King's Standing"
It is not impossible that the King did actually stand somewhere here;
there is no documentary evidence either way.
What must be pointed out is that the "King" element had occured in local field-names
long before 1642, and that (as the following list shows) there are other Kingstandings in
England where the explanation differs.
County,Northampton. Parish,Passenham. Kings standing Oak. "the Kinges standing furlong" (Rental of 1566)
Sussex, Buxted. King's standing, (Parliamentary Surveys 1658)
Warwickshire, Beausale. Kingstanding farm. Great Kingstanding Close, and Little Kingstanding Close.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines "standing" as "hunter's station or stand from which to shoot game,
and the English place-name Society explains the above names accordingly.
Local residents know Kingstanding by the name of "Little Roosha". Two explanations have been given for this name.
First that it was reputed to be very cold in Kingstanding village as it stood on High ground, and second that Kingstanding
is near to Rushall and thus became known as Little Rushall and over the years became "Little Roosha".
However there is no documetary evidence supporting this name at present.
There is considerable uncertainty about the origin of the name Kingstanding.
An explanation which is often quoted connects the area with King Charles 1st,
who passed this way in October 1642. His army was marching from Shrewsbury
to relieve Banbury Castle, and he stayed at Aston Hall as the guest of Sir Thomas Holt
on the nights of 16th and 17th October.
The following day, it is said, he visited a spot on Perry Barr Common to review and address
the troops which had been collected from Sutton Coldfield and district to fight the cause,
and the mound on which he stood for the purpose became known as the "King's Standing"
It is not impossible that the King did actually stand somewhere here;
there is no documentary evidence either way.
What must be pointed out is that the "King" element had occured in local field-names
long before 1642, and that (as the following list shows) there are other Kingstandings in
England where the explanation differs.
County,Northampton. Parish,Passenham. Kings standing Oak. "the Kinges standing furlong" (Rental of 1566)
Sussex, Buxted. King's standing, (Parliamentary Surveys 1658)
Warwickshire, Beausale. Kingstanding farm. Great Kingstanding Close, and Little Kingstanding Close.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines "standing" as "hunter's station or stand from which to shoot game,
and the English place-name Society explains the above names accordingly.
Local residents know Kingstanding by the name of "Little Roosha". Two explanations have been given for this name.
First that it was reputed to be very cold in Kingstanding village as it stood on High ground, and second that Kingstanding
is near to Rushall and thus became known as Little Rushall and over the years became "Little Roosha".
However there is no documetary evidence supporting this name at present.
Reg Cook
Cookie55
Thanks Pembroke! I had an inkling the camp was there. Just because its flat and levelled off mainly. I could be wrong but the footpath that runs alongside the woods may have been laid by the POWs.
Reg Cook
Cookie55
I think so? Dek. Here's another Quote from the Book,
Kingstanding is situated on Rycknield or Icknield Street, a Roman Road, which passes through the land opposite the present Public Library-Land which bears the names Roman Field and Lower Roman Field. In his History of Birmingham first published in 1781. William Hutton describes the road as it will appear to "the curious traveller" in that vast waste, Sutton Coldfield;
He will plainly see its straight line pass over the Ridgeway, through Sutton Park, leaving the west hedge about two hundred yards to the left; through the remainder of Sutton Coldfield, till lost in cultivation. The track is more than 3 miles in length, and is no where else visible in these parts. I must apprise him that its highest beauty is only discovered by a horizontal sun in the winter months. I first saw it in 1762, I had a perfect view upon the Ridgeway, near King's Standing, of this delightful scene. Had I been attacked by the chill blasts of winter upon this black mountain, The sensation would have been lost in transport. The eye, at one view, takes in more than two miles. Struck with astonishment, I thought it the grandest ever beheld, and was amazed, so noble a monument of antiquity should be so little regarded. The Poets have long contended for the line of beauty-they may find it here. I was fixed as by enchantment till the sun dropped my prospect with it, and I left the place with regret.
If the industrious traveller chuses (chooses) to wade up to the middle in gorse, as I did, he may find a roughish journey along this famous military way. Perhaps this is the only road in which money is of no use to the traveller; for upon this barren wild he can neither spend it nor give it away.
Coins found in Roman Field include those of Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Atonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lusius Verus, Faustina and Faustina Juniour.
On the map in this book, Roman fields, and Lower Roman fields, are between the Kingstanding Circle and Lloyds TSB on the same side. The line of the Roman road, runs parallal to the Kingstanding road opposite the Police station right over the hill to Sutton Park.
Kingstanding is situated on Rycknield or Icknield Street, a Roman Road, which passes through the land opposite the present Public Library-Land which bears the names Roman Field and Lower Roman Field. In his History of Birmingham first published in 1781. William Hutton describes the road as it will appear to "the curious traveller" in that vast waste, Sutton Coldfield;
He will plainly see its straight line pass over the Ridgeway, through Sutton Park, leaving the west hedge about two hundred yards to the left; through the remainder of Sutton Coldfield, till lost in cultivation. The track is more than 3 miles in length, and is no where else visible in these parts. I must apprise him that its highest beauty is only discovered by a horizontal sun in the winter months. I first saw it in 1762, I had a perfect view upon the Ridgeway, near King's Standing, of this delightful scene. Had I been attacked by the chill blasts of winter upon this black mountain, The sensation would have been lost in transport. The eye, at one view, takes in more than two miles. Struck with astonishment, I thought it the grandest ever beheld, and was amazed, so noble a monument of antiquity should be so little regarded. The Poets have long contended for the line of beauty-they may find it here. I was fixed as by enchantment till the sun dropped my prospect with it, and I left the place with regret.
If the industrious traveller chuses (chooses) to wade up to the middle in gorse, as I did, he may find a roughish journey along this famous military way. Perhaps this is the only road in which money is of no use to the traveller; for upon this barren wild he can neither spend it nor give it away.
Coins found in Roman Field include those of Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Atonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lusius Verus, Faustina and Faustina Juniour.
On the map in this book, Roman fields, and Lower Roman fields, are between the Kingstanding Circle and Lloyds TSB on the same side. The line of the Roman road, runs parallal to the Kingstanding road opposite the Police station right over the hill to Sutton Park.
Ray Barrett
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN R.I.P.
This motley crowd were from Kingstanding drill hall T.A....anyone recognise themselves.
Hi DaveM
Enjoyed your photos of Kingstanding Circle.Most of shop buildings,billiard hall,police station and Odeon don't seem to have changed much over the years.Your photo looking up Kingstanding Rd.made me think of the two sunken air raid shelters that were built into the central reservation (more or less between Knight's cycle shop on one side of the road and Knight's hardware shop on the other).Can only remember having to use them twice but can still recall the dark, damp musty atmosphere and also seeing the dim glow coming from many luminous badges that people were issued with at that time
Regards
Pembroke
Enjoyed your photos of Kingstanding Circle.Most of shop buildings,billiard hall,police station and Odeon don't seem to have changed much over the years.Your photo looking up Kingstanding Rd.made me think of the two sunken air raid shelters that were built into the central reservation (more or less between Knight's cycle shop on one side of the road and Knight's hardware shop on the other).Can only remember having to use them twice but can still recall the dark, damp musty atmosphere and also seeing the dim glow coming from many luminous badges that people were issued with at that time
Regards
Pembroke
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Dave,
Its interesting comparing your pics with the earlier views of the circle in this thread. Your 4th pic shows shops (although through the trees) that can be seen in earlier pics. There are 102 attachments in the thread so they take patience to find. Luckily the circle ones are named so I can hit the paperclip to find them.
oldmohawk
Dave M
Pheasey Born Bumper
I believe this is the Isolation Hospital mentioned in post`s 473 and 474
https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44375
https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44375
Dave M
Pheasey Born Bumper
G.G. I`m lost ? Dave
M
mauricesellars
Guest
Hi again I can remember the air raid shelters that were in the playgrounds of Dulwich Road Junior school I broke my ankle running through them in the dark when I trod on a house brick. I was told of the time during the war when a number of incendiary bombs fell on Aylesbury Crescent and my mom got out of the Anderson shelter and put the dustbin lid over it. It was shortly after this that the design of the incendiary bombs was changed and they exploded a short time after landing. Lucky mom. Moss in Aus
Dave M
Pheasey Born Bumper
The concrete outline would be a entrance, others to be seen are on Marsh Lane and College Rd, probably others (Tyburn Rd)
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Moss,
My Dad used a shovel to throw an incendiary bomb out of our front bedroom window, and it was the type before 'Jerry' put a bit of explosive in to make it awkward.
Phil
M
mauricesellars
Guest
Old Mohawk Remember a couple of days after V E day we had the big party's in the middle of the road, I can remember Aylesbury Crescent was blocked off as were most of the streets (not that there were many cars about in those days and most of them were sitting on blocks} Our piano was carried out onto the road and people were singing and dancing,there were cakes , jelly's and all types of sandwiches from the food people had been hoarding away for such an occasion. I dont remember if we had such a big party for V J day ( or as they call in in Aus V P day)
Moss in Aus
Moss in Aus