Memories of Small Heath

[mikejee]

Some memories , remembered in 1998

 

[Tinpot]

I am 1947 vintage but many of these memories by Geoffrey are similar to my own. Starting life in Grange Rd a few doors away from the Grange cinema. There were I think 4 houses ,a wash house and a bomb site in the yard.The queues for films were frequently outside our front window. I remember all the cinemas. In particular the Coronet where a lady sat out side sometimes selling lavender from a basket. The fabulous Art Deco Kingston. The matinees at the Era when we moved to the Ideal Village. We frequently went to the Green Lane Library and Swimming Baths. Sometimes my Nan would take me to place her bets somewhere opposite the Library at a window in the back yard of a property. Another memory is of going to a sweet shop when they were still rationed.
My Aunt Told me that her Grandad sold flowers outside a pub on Coventry Road. Possibly The Wrexham. They lived in Arthur St.
Thanks for posting this today Mike Jed

 

[Covroad]

The lady who sold lavender on the Coventry Rd was she sat in a very large wheel chair and wore a black shawl?
The lavender was in small triangle shaped bags?

 

[Tinpot]

The lady who sold lavender on the Coventry Rd was she sat in a very large wheel chair and wore a black shawl?
The lavender was in small triangle shaped bags?

The lady who sold lavender was definitely in black and seated but as far as to a wheelchair and triangular bags for the lavender that’s stretching my memory of 70 years ago a bit too far this morning. Thinking about baskets though I remember going to the welfare clinic on the Cov where the babies were weighed in willow baskets. There also used to be a disabled person sometimes pushed along by the shops in a full body length willow basket on a wheeled base. Tinpot

 

[mw0njm.]

got to be sunday afternoons at the park in the paddling pool 1950s

Small Heath and Sparkbrook through time

Small Heath and Sparkbrook through time

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Small Heath Park (Victoria Park)

As you'll probably come to realise ;D my mom took us to most of Birmingham's parks through our childhood. A number we walked to. I can't remember if we walked to Small Heath park from Aston (probably got the number 8 I suppose) Anyway, I remember the stone? concrete? ship that was in the...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[Covroad]

The lady who sold lavender was definitely in black and seated but as far as to a wheelchair and triangular bags for the lavender that’s stretching my memory of 70 years ago a bit too far this morning. Thinking about baskets though I remember going to the welfare clinic on the Cov where the babies were weighed in willow baskets. There also used to be a disabled person sometimes pushed along by the shops in a full body length willow basket on a wheeled base. Tinpot

Hello,
I am sure it is the same person I saw when out with my Father. She was further down the Cov Road then nearer Small Heath park . My Father gave me some money to buy a bag of lavender from her, I was a little scared of her as she was dressed all in black and looked (to me) a little fearsome.

 

[Covroad]

got to be sunday afternoons at the park in the paddling pool 1950s
View attachment 173050

Small Heath and Sparkbrook through time

Small Heath and Sparkbrook through time

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Small Heath Park (Victoria Park)

As you'll probably come to realise ;D my mom took us to most of Birmingham's parks through our childhood. A number we walked to. I can't remember if we walked to Small Heath park from Aston (probably got the number 8 I suppose) Anyway, I remember the stone? concrete? ship that was in the...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

What a great picture, I went there regularly the last pool or the big one as we called it had a concrete ship in it.
You could spend a day at the Small Heath park in those days , a lovely park to walk around , bowling green, bandstand, boating and fishing lake, and the swimming pools. Great times.

 

[Vivienne14]

A few memories to add to this thread. Written in the 1980s, the writer seems to think there would be a lack of interest in these memories of 1920s Small Heath - well not so today. Viv.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[linbin]

I was born in a back 2 back in Bolton Road. I can remember some of the shops ,love the cinemas would go with my dad.Bywaters for the sausages ,Woolworths etc loved going to the park.