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Nechells Park Road

  • Thread starter Thread starter margaret
  • Start date Start date
Phil said:
I'm no transport buff, but I think it's pretty obvious that this photo taken in 1922 on Nechells Park Road shows one of the first 12 trolleybuses (no11) to operate in the Birmingham area as the Old Square to Nechells was the first route for this type of transport in 1922 and I believe trolleybuses on this route lasted until 1951. As I say I'm not a fan or as buff of public transport but I'm sure we have people with such an interest who will either confirm or debunk what I have said.


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What a superb picture, no debunking, it would be very ungentlemanly and unfair, yes the trolley bus system finished in 1951, but Nechells actually finished on 30th September 1940 without warning, they were withdrawn overnight. For a good précis of the Birmingham system, and why this occurred read Peter Gould at:
www.petergould.co.uk/localtransport_history/fleetlist/birmingham3.htm
These 12 trolleybuses were made by Railess of Rochester with bodies by Roe of Leeds. Interestingly enough as the various manufacturers battled for the City's business, Leland produced a trolley bus with a dummy radiator and it looked very like the post WWII HOV buses.

Bob
 
phil your photo on post 29 shows stanley road on the right...the far corner is where the old vicarage stood..it was demolished to make way for st clements nursing home..

lyn
 
The top and bottom of Nechells Park Road, it seems all you needed to do in those days to get a crowd into the street was to produce a camera.

Nechells Nechells Park Road .jpg Nechells High Park Rd.jpg
 
thats very true phil...the camera must have been quite a novelty back then..nice photos
 
In the first photo, the house next to the shop I had a mate who lived there in the mid 60's thinking about it the last time I saw him must have been about 1968.
 
Phil said:
The top and bottom of Nechells Park Road, it seems all you needed to do in those days to get a crowd into the street was to produce a camera.

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People preferred their postcards/photographs animated back in the day, once a photographer appeared, yes he did attract a crowd and unless it was an accident, a celebration or other historic event where the crowd was automatically present, the best way to dress up a street scene was with some children. Of course the problem in Edwardian times was getting them to stand still while the shot was taken. All the postcard collectors will have identical cards, one with all girls on, one with a boy/boys on and occassionaly a horse or cart or the odd local inhabitant. Pre 1920 cards are far more interesting than those taken with 'instant modern cameras.
Bob
 
The key logo of the Birmingham Municipal Bank was to be seen on doors each end of the saloon in Birmingham's tramcars. The door was usually shut behind the driver to prevent people trying to alight from the wrong end of the tram. I don't know if this was a feature on all of Birmingham's trams but it seemed to occur on many of them.
 
Ivor Williams said:
Right! Something went wrong with my earlier comment on this photo of Nechells Park Road. So... extreme right of the photo is Butlin Street leading down to Long Acre which was my address, 204. Butlin Street was where the entry to our back yard was found. Extreme right of the photo was a yard of back-to-back houses. Nigel Mansell's mother ran the shop on the left hand corner in the years I lived there and sold wool and sewing materials. She also ran a grocery shop further into the photo on the corner of Holborn Hill. Two doors away from the wool shop was a Post Office where I regularly bought saving stamps at a tanner a piece. Young Prince Charles was featured on the stamp face. There was no interest on my savings. That could be one reason why he is rich and I am penniless. Malvern Hill Road still runs between Holborn Hill and Butlin Street and can be just made out on close inspection of the photo. BMTR had a depot in Malvern Hill Road and hundreds of tyres were stacked around the yard. We had fun climbing those towers when no adults were around.
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Sorry! The second line should read as " extreme left is Butlin Street". Sorry folks!
 
I remember my little metal savings bank with the key on the front Viv. It had a lovely wiggly handle and you could put money in but had to take it to the bank to get any out (which in my case was a very good idea as there would have been nothing in it!)
 
Ivor

As requested on the Stuart Street thread, here are two images that might be what you are looking for, one shows Nechells Park Road from Stella Street looking toward Stuart Street. The other is taken from Trevor Street looking toward High Park and Nechells Place.

Nechells Nechells Park Rd at Stella St.jpg Nechells Park rd, Trevor st.[1].jpg
 
Phil said:
John

It's never worth that much, I have seen it advertised at much less than that in the past. Anyway it's the junction of Butlin Street & Nechells Park Road. Perhaps you might recognise it from this 1970's photo.

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Phil, the pic of Nechells Park Road/Butlin Street takes me right back,

Does anyone remember Smiths Newsagent just down from Mansells, I used to get my comics from there every week - Jackie, Mandy - think they used to be out on a Thursday! Mr and Mrs Smith used to have bull dogs, they used to jump up above the counter and scare me witless.

Further down there was a chemist, Mom would get me some Lucozade from there when I wasn't well, and somewhere by the corner of Malvern Hill Road was a sweet shop called ? Whittal's.
 
Hi again - don't worry - Astoness has just this evening posted a really helpful map on the Holborn Hill thread which shows Stella Street right there - it was an L shaped street between Stuart Street and Nechells Park Road. Brilliant pics!
 
Phil said:
Too late Debsy I was already posting this map.

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Thanks Phil! Just trying to work out which of the two maps is the oldest - your map above shows the War Memorial on the corner of Stuart Street/Nechells Park Road so must be after 1918. What I didn't know, there was a playing fields on other side of Long Acre - and a school - probably attached to St Joseph's?
 
debs have you found this map site yet..just move the blue dot back and forth to see what was there then and what is there now...type in the st or road you want..type in what background map i usually use ESRI WORLD IMAGARY...type in the year of map you want..i mainly choose OS SIX INCH 1888 to 1913...below is the link to the site and ive left it set on the area we are talking about...then just move the blue left to right...you can move the map around to go wherever you wish...ive spent many hours on this site as it does become addictive:D

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=52.5022&lon=-1.8697&layers=6&b=1
 
Lyn what can I say - what a great tool - can't believe it's free! Yes I can see this is going to become quite addictive.

Thank you!
 
oh it will addictive debs..ive had many a late night travelling around brum using these maps dont forget its not just brum you can go all over the country for instance if you move the map over to the right a bit to the corner of nechells park road and stanley road you will see that is where the vicarage was move the blue dot and it will show that the vicarage is now gone and in its place is a nursing home where our mom and dad where...enjoy:)
 
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Debsy said:
Thanks Phil! Just trying to work out which of the two maps is the oldest - your map above shows the War Memorial on the corner of Stuart Street/Nechells Park Road so must be after 1918. What I didn't know, there was a playing fields on other side of Long Acre - and a school - probably attached to St Joseph's?
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Hi debs The playing field shown on the map was johnnie wrights playing field it had big green gates that seemed permenantly closed but didnt stop the kids getting over we lived across the road at 3baka162 long acre.
Philbee
 
Wow. Does anyone know where the "Cornies" or "Corneys" was? Mum used to talk about playing down the Cornies, I got the impression it was somewhere in the Johnnie Wright's area?
 
Astoness said:
debs have you found this map site yet..just move the blue dot back and forth to see what was there then and what is there now...type in the st or road you want..type in what background map i usually use ESRI WORLD IMAGARY...type in the year of map you want..i mainly choose OS SIX INCH 1888 to 1913...below is the link to the site and ive left it set on the area we are talking about...then just move the blue left to right...you can move the map around to go wherever you wish...ive spent many hours on this site as it does become addictive:D

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=52.5022&lon=-1.8697&layers=6&b=1
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fantasic tool lyn thanks. at last i have a map of the old gasworks /line
 
Debsy said:
Phil, the pic of Nechells Park Road/Butlin Street takes me right back,

Does anyone remember Smiths Newsagent just down from Mansells, I used to get my comics from there every week - Jackie, Mandy - think they used to be out on a Thursday! Mr and Mrs Smith used to have bull dogs, they used to jump up above the counter and scare me witless.

Further down there was a chemist, Mom would get me some Lucozade from there when I wasn't well, and somewhere by the corner of Malvern Hill Road was a sweet shop called ? Whittal's.
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I have written this to correct my error. There were two shops on the horse road owned by the Mansells. A grocery shop on the diagonal corner to the swimming baths and a wool shop on the corner of Butlin Street.
 
roverman said:
Hi Maggie,
I may be a bit late having just found your post and the reply from mwOnjm., I remember Nechells Hall very well, as you say the building was set back from the road on the right just before Trevor Street going towards the swimming baths. I think it was built in the early 30's and was a "Methodist Hall" .When the Methodist Chapel in Rocky Lane closed soon after the war most of the regular congregation attended Nechells Hall together with the Boys Brigade who held their meetings there, also the youth club of which I was a member.At the rear of the main hall on an upper floor was another large room where we played table tennis and also taught the basics of ballroom dancing. Choir concerts and other "Shows" were staged in the main hall on occasions.There was also a film projection room but I never saw any films being shown.
Regards Reg, "Roverman"
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any one remember this hall, any pic please!
 
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