Eric Gibson
master brummie
My friend from Balham Grove was Donald Baugh, he left school at the same time as me March 1950, not sure of the spelling of his surname.
Hello again, when we left the Kingstanding Rd area, and Cranbourne road school, we lived near the bottom of Calshot rd, Great Barr ? or was that Perry Barr ? Anyway, we went to Beeches Rd school. I remember it quite well, with single storied, wooden clapboard clad sides, and a tall Gymnasium containing thick ropes hanging down, with ties to the climbing bars all round the sides. I loved the huge wooden Horse etc, the polished wooden floors. I'd never seen a place like it before----I can smell that special smell now--as I write about it. For kids that spent much of their free time climbing everywhere, this was paradise. I remember the sloping playground, newly finished in smooth asphalt, where you could race your Dinkey toys down at great speed. NOW !--who can solve a 60year old mystery for me ? One day when we were at Beeches road school, the WHOLE school was uprooted , and made to walk all the way to the Clifton cinema on the Walsall rd, to watch a strange film about gangs of orphanned kids, who lived among the bombed ruins of a major city---I think it was a German one--Hamburg or Berlin. The images of this film, and of us all being escorted by the teachers all that way, along narrow pavements has never gone away. What on earth was that all about ?? what a subject for little kids--Disney it weren't.
We had a Dr Dougherty or similar (may be spelled differently) at the surgery corner of Dyas Road and Old Oscott Lane. A tall Scotsman.
My Dad was the Midland Counties Dairy milkman, I used work on Saturdays with Dad.My brother would remember all of them - I'll get him to respond - mind you - you do say late 50's - we moved from 123 Hurlingham (next to the Lotes) in the early 50's. He's still able to quote almost all the neighbours on both sides - 70yrs on.
Hi just reading this site and I went to Cardinal Wiseman and I also had a friend Joanne Browne who lived in Darleydale Avenue we stayed on at school for the extra year and I can recall some names from our class and our form teacher was Mrs Bolan, I also have not had any contact with Joan for a number of years. Would love to hear from you and what your name was. (My name was Patricia Burke when at school)This all brings back memories for me too. Went to school at Cardinal Wiseman and often went to the Hawthorn Road Shops for my friend's mum. My friend was Joan Browne who lived in Darleydale Avenue. Lost touch with her many moons ago.
I went to Cardinal Wiseman from 1962-4 Was there a Mr Boland or Bolan, music teacher? I was Carol Davies when I was there.Hi just reading this site and I went to Cardinal Wiseman and I also had a friend Joanne Browne who lived in Darleydale Avenue we stayed on at school for the extra year and I can recall some names from our class and our form teacher was Mrs Bolan, I also have not had any contact with Joan for a number of years. Would love to hear from you and what your name was. (My name was Patricia Burke when at school)
Hi VivienneThis old cottage was demolished to make way for an anti-aircraft gun. Any ideas where on Kingstanding Road this might have been ? Image dated January 1938. Viv.
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Mike this map is very interesting the sandpit to right of the barracks was it every used as commercial quarry it was quit a drop from the back of the house in Dyas Road, I don't remember a coal yard being based at the pit.Below is a map c1965 showing position of barracks and map c 1884 of same area. This would seem to indicate that the cottage was part of Halfway House farm
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Morning JeanDo you remember the butchers Viv?. My niece used to have a Saturday job there. They had another shop on the circle. A family run business by the name of Rochelle's.
Where from Birdbrook Rd is Swinbrook GroveI played in those sandpits as a child and knew them well.
An aerial view of the area dated 1938
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from 'britainfromabove' EPW059310 ENGLAND (1938)
In the aerial view in #1128 it is the semi-circle of houses in the bottom left corner.Where from Birdbrook Rd is Swinbrook Grove
Thanks for that did the 33 bus have a terminus in Birdbrook Rd as I was only about 12 months old when we moved to Derrydown Road in 1959 and I remember Mom saying she used the 33??In the aerial view in #1128 it is the semi-circle of houses in the bottom left corner.