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Lozells
- Thread starter Ray Griffiths
- Start date
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
No Lyn Gowers was opposite the pub, i have a photo somewhere that shows Wilkinsons, my favorite shop full of wonderful things, i can still smell the paraffin and candles, i don't know if it was there 1st shop? but Wilkinson this year celebrated 80 years of business. Max
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
In the photograph of Villa road it is looking up towards the The Villa Cross pub, where the man is stepping off the pavement on the right of the pic, the road he is crossing is the start of Hunters Rd, we always called that part of Hunters road Little Hunters Rd, till it got to the Observatory Pub. On the way we would pass Frank Roaches house the father of Pat. Max
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
Heres a nice pic of Lozells St and a bit of info. Max
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
But dont fall down the well, you are going to be knocked out next week with a post card i am waiting to be delivered, watch this space . Max
My mom always seem to think the Lozells Wilkinson was their first store, it wasn't by a long way. J K Wilkinson opened his first store in Leicester in 1930, grew the business in that city and then branched out after he served in WW2. They now have about 330! The founder died in 1997, the business had long since been run by his children, Tony and Barbara. Their children have now taken over. I loved the shop, too. My mom used to worship the place, she was on very good terms with the manager there in the 60s, a Mr Durham. I loved the Villa Cross picture house, Saturday matinees were a tanner, if I remember correctly. My mom was also very friendly with the Cowdrills who had the bike shop in Barker St. Phil Cowdrill was once attacked (in the street, I think) and very badly injured.
Gowers, the newsagents and stationers? A little woman named Gwen worked in there, and a man named Reg; at one time he owned a red Ford Zephyr or Zodiac which he parked on the pub car park. Also remember Bayliss's the wallpaper shop a bit further along. For many years my brother and I used to get carte blanche (mom's influence, again) to take what we wanted out of their cellar where they kept the redundant stock. This was supposed to be for bonfire night but much of it found its way onto our walls!
Gowers, the newsagents and stationers? A little woman named Gwen worked in there, and a man named Reg; at one time he owned a red Ford Zephyr or Zodiac which he parked on the pub car park. Also remember Bayliss's the wallpaper shop a bit further along. For many years my brother and I used to get carte blanche (mom's influence, again) to take what we wanted out of their cellar where they kept the redundant stock. This was supposed to be for bonfire night but much of it found its way onto our walls!
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
Well Mohawk you are going to love this photo, and your Mom if you still have her.
I loved Wilkinsons and remember it so clearly , the smell of various oils and paraffin, the different sized wheels all hung up from big uns down to the size of roller skate wheels, the worn wooden floor fantastic. I cant remember the name of the bloke that worked in there but i think he opened up a delicatessen of all thins on the other side of the road just down from Gowers and next to Sheppard's the jewellers.
On the far left of the photo you can see a paraffin machine that my Mom would send me to if Padmores in Villa St had run out or closed.
Thanks for the memory jolt reference Reg Gower, Hmm not my favourite person i have to say.
I hope all of you enjoy this photo . Max
I loved Wilkinsons and remember it so clearly , the smell of various oils and paraffin, the different sized wheels all hung up from big uns down to the size of roller skate wheels, the worn wooden floor fantastic. I cant remember the name of the bloke that worked in there but i think he opened up a delicatessen of all thins on the other side of the road just down from Gowers and next to Sheppard's the jewellers.
On the far left of the photo you can see a paraffin machine that my Mom would send me to if Padmores in Villa St had run out or closed.
Thanks for the memory jolt reference Reg Gower, Hmm not my favourite person i have to say.
I hope all of you enjoy this photo . Max
Hi Max & Lyn.
Hadn't seen pics on 209 but have now, thanks.
Max, you were right - I love the pic of Wilko's. Correct, too, that my mom would have wallowed in this nostalgia, as would my brother. Sadly, they are both gone.
I'd forgotten about there being a paraffin machine there, 2 bob a gallon in my time, I think. I'd forgotten Reg WAS a Gower! Thinking more on it, we used to refer to it as 'Reg's'. I don't recall having any problems with him but it mostly seemed to be Gwen or the other lady that served us. Reg seemed to do a lot of walking up and down or 'patrolling' as our kid dubbed it.
I went for a walk round there earlier today; that is to say a virtual one, courtesy of Google. I notice Price and Oliver are still there, I thought they were on the other side of Barker St, but it's been a long time......
We always called the Villa Rd end 'The Village' and Lozells Rd end 'The Lozells'.
Another dewey-eyed memory is when mom used to take us to see Father Christmas's parade go by. We used to wait in the off-licence doorway of the Villa Cross pub; a packet of Smith's crisps (with blue salt-bag, naturally) would normally figure in the proceedings.
Sad to see the picture-house reduced to a car park, first 'big' film I saw there was Dr No in 62, and any time I see 'Carry On Up The Khyber' I always think of there. I always liked the 3 seats tucked away at an angle in the corner at the far end of the balcony. Remember the words 'BEFORE YOUR EYES' emblazoned on the wall?
Regards. (P.S. Am now off to put my 2 pennyworth in on Burbury St)
Hadn't seen pics on 209 but have now, thanks.
Max, you were right - I love the pic of Wilko's. Correct, too, that my mom would have wallowed in this nostalgia, as would my brother. Sadly, they are both gone.
I'd forgotten about there being a paraffin machine there, 2 bob a gallon in my time, I think. I'd forgotten Reg WAS a Gower! Thinking more on it, we used to refer to it as 'Reg's'. I don't recall having any problems with him but it mostly seemed to be Gwen or the other lady that served us. Reg seemed to do a lot of walking up and down or 'patrolling' as our kid dubbed it.
I went for a walk round there earlier today; that is to say a virtual one, courtesy of Google. I notice Price and Oliver are still there, I thought they were on the other side of Barker St, but it's been a long time......
We always called the Villa Rd end 'The Village' and Lozells Rd end 'The Lozells'.
Another dewey-eyed memory is when mom used to take us to see Father Christmas's parade go by. We used to wait in the off-licence doorway of the Villa Cross pub; a packet of Smith's crisps (with blue salt-bag, naturally) would normally figure in the proceedings.
Sad to see the picture-house reduced to a car park, first 'big' film I saw there was Dr No in 62, and any time I see 'Carry On Up The Khyber' I always think of there. I always liked the 3 seats tucked away at an angle in the corner at the far end of the balcony. Remember the words 'BEFORE YOUR EYES' emblazoned on the wall?
Regards. (P.S. Am now off to put my 2 pennyworth in on Burbury St)
sue reeves
knowlegable brummie
I worked at AR & W Cleaver the builders merchants about 1968 happy memories
this really is great when members get together and chat about the old days and its lovely to read these posts....
mohhawk i sent you a private message and here is the picture house in all its glory...the last film i saw there was true grit...john wayne... i have a pic of it being demolished but will need to search for it...you can just see the little shop on the right and that is still there
hi sue and welcome to the lozells thread...
lyn
mohhawk i sent you a private message and here is the picture house in all its glory...the last film i saw there was true grit...john wayne... i have a pic of it being demolished but will need to search for it...you can just see the little shop on the right and that is still there
hi sue and welcome to the lozells thread...
lyn
I remember Wilkinson's very well. My Aunt used to run a shop on the opposite side of Villa Road called Junior World. It was a ladies and childrens clothes shop. She took over the premises on Villa Road which used to be the British Gas showroom. Before that she was based in Barker Street further down from Cowdrills and next door to a ladies hairdressers.
My family always referred to Villa Road as being The Village and Lozells Road as The Lozells. The first film I saw at the Villa Cross as Jungle Book. I remember being amazed at watching a film in colour as we only had a black and white tv at the time. I must have been about 4 years old.
My family always referred to Villa Road as being The Village and Lozells Road as The Lozells. The first film I saw at the Villa Cross as Jungle Book. I remember being amazed at watching a film in colour as we only had a black and white tv at the time. I must have been about 4 years old.
Welcome to the thread from me too! Don't recall this firm, can you tell me where it was, please? Builders' merchants that always come into my mind is T&W Brough, I think they were in Farm St but later moved to the other side of the flyover.
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
Here as Promised Lozells Farm
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
I was hoping Mike you would come up with the info, could you tell me what year approx that would be? Max
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
Cheers Mike that's fantastic , im trying to get a fix on when the painting was done , with it saying 50 years before the shop, thats brilliant .
I have just found this article about Lozells , which bears out exactly what you said Mike, that the farm was situated where the shop was later built ie corner of Lozells Rd And Lozells St. Im so pleased ,thanks Mike . Max
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paul stacey
master brummie
Lozells was always a place I never really knew where exactly it was, tend to think of it between Handsworth and Hockley is this correct.
More or less, Paul. Though a better way to explain it would be to say that Lozells is 'encircled' by the neighbouring districts of Handsworth, Birchfield, Aston and Hockley.
Hope this helps. Regards, Mohawk.
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
I have just come across my Youth Employment card from my time i worked for Gowers on Villa rd 1964. I hope you enjoy the scanned images. Max
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
Hi ya Mohawk, the colour of the cards i think used to change yearly ( but im not sure ) i had another one for when i worked as a delivery boy for Wrensons and that was red.
Hi Max. Our kid's was blue, I'm sure, but you may be right about the colour change; he was around the same age as you so the one I recall may have been that year's 'in-colour'.
Which Wrensons were you at? I remember the black delivery bikes with the sign-written panels. We had a branch at the corner of our street - Church St and Wills St - it closed about 1963/4 and for many years was used by D.G.Rowney, printers. They covered the windows about three-quarters of the way up, but if I was walking past I'd get a glimpse inside at the old shelf fittings which had been left in place.
Which Wrensons were you at? I remember the black delivery bikes with the sign-written panels. We had a branch at the corner of our street - Church St and Wills St - it closed about 1963/4 and for many years was used by D.G.Rowney, printers. They covered the windows about three-quarters of the way up, but if I was walking past I'd get a glimpse inside at the old shelf fittings which had been left in place.
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maxwell bullivant
Guest
Hi ya Mohawk, i worked at the Wrensons on Villa Rd, just up from Paynes the shoe repairers. The manager was a Mr Cartright ,a very strict guy.
It was difficult getting used to riding the bike, particularly as the chain kept coming off on my first day.
I cant remember the shop you mention Church/Wills st even though i passed it most days i went to St Silas school and then Gower St, and finally Harry Lucas. Happy days Max
It was difficult getting used to riding the bike, particularly as the chain kept coming off on my first day.
I cant remember the shop you mention Church/Wills st even though i passed it most days i went to St Silas school and then Gower St, and finally Harry Lucas. Happy days Max