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Lickey Hills

Polly, I was on the Bristol Road into the very late 70s then I became a Hackney Carriage owner driver.
 
early 1950's a regular Sunday trip with mom and dad on a tram. There was a sweet shop cum tobacconists owned by a Mr Ridgeons, where in the early fifty's he made his own ice cream, he also had a large pigeon loft where he would let them free at about 4 yr's old I would be enthralled. Dad would always say come on Paul we'll go to Mr Ridgeons who keeps the pigeons and have an ice cream. Later we would walk up the steep wooded hill to a small fun fair, and sometimes take in a Sunday football match across on the park.
paul
 
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Sorry this one isn't the Lickey's its Rubery
 
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These people are said to be office workers taking a break on the lickeys. Where would the offices be??
In the second picture a lone child takes a walk.
 
More likely to be a family Sunday outing. The nearest offices would be at the Austin factory at Longbridge and I wouldn't have thought they would have had enough time to get up to the Lickeys and back in their lunch hour.

Regards,
Novelty
 
I also thought 'Austin' but I also thought 'not enough time'. The writing on the newspaper clipping does say office workers and it points out the men are all wearing their ties ready to go back into the office.
 
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The print with this one says, taking full advantage to get the best view from the Lickeys.
 
I suppose it could have been Polly but I only ever put what is with the picture, or I say there was no information if that is the case.
Polly if you went there as a child do you remember the steps we had to climb up and they had wooden log type things to keep the shape of the steps?
 
I am not sure where they were or how many of the hills had the steps with wooden risers but I have found a picture of them. I will post it in a short while.
 
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With this one it says, 'even when it's raining and the storm clouds are gathered overhead there would still be people out for a walk.
 
was I right in thinking that half way up the wooded tree line there was a fair, with rides and stalls in the fifty's.
paul
 
I don't know what is in the background Paul but it looks a long way off to be the Austin but it wouldn' be Selly Oak and I can't think where esle it could be. As for the two men being Wardens, they certainly appear to be wearing some sort of uniform. These are all newspaper cuttings and I think they were originally an Old Brum Magazine or something similar.
 
Yes Paul, your memory is very good. There was often a fair in the Springtime at the Lickey's. Here is a lovely painting of same which belongs to the Birmingham Art Gallery Collection. Can't say I remember it being on display last time I was in there a couple of years ago. This web site has many fine Birmingham subject paintings on it. https://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1995V493
 
I do have very vague memories of a fair at the Lickeys, but like I said, they are vague.
 
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This is a monument erected on one of the hills in the name of the Earl of Plymouth but I do not remember any more details.
 
Thank you jennyann, I was sure I was right , I went with my dad it would have been in the mid-fifty's, I remember the very bright lights and, the loud music, the painting shows it up against the tree line as in my memory, thanks for that, unfortunately I did't get your reply, it seems to happen a lot to me lately.
paul
 
Good morning jennyann, I have just looked at that link and as I started to read it the memories came flooding back. Well, no not flooding back but I soon realised that I had read about it before. It may have been in my school-days because it was rather vague. I have a dirty old newspaper clip with a picture of the monument but when I was scanning it and a few others ready to post a friend who had called in for a coffee said he had a better picture and he sent me that when he got home.
img455.jpgThis is the picture I was going to improve, as I have done all the other pics on this thread.
 
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Here we are as promised Polly, the wooden stairway that marked the path to Beacon Hill, that is waht it says with this picture, there is no date.
 
Thanks for the photo stitcher, funny when young everything seems bigger and longer looking at the your photo it seems an easy walk, I remember as a child it looked horrendous and so high.
paul
 
That is so true Paul, I am not sure if there was more than one hill with those wooden risers on the steps.
When I think of how happy we used to be on a trip to the Lickey's, I get more than a little annoyed when my G.G.grandchildren need so much just to get a smile fom them.
 
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