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A nice little snippet of family history Josie! Viv.
That's a lovely photo too Josie. Viv.
gardengerald
master brummie
Hello Everyone
My Aunt Doris worked in this shops shoe department from the war until the 1960s. Her name is Doris Trueman and after he married she became Doris Jackson. She really enjoyed her job and never moaned about anything.
Best wishes...Garden Gerald.
Radiorails
master brummie
There is a specific thread here:
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/nortons-of-key-hill.32493/page-3
However other mentions, in other threads, suggest a search would realize more information for you.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/nortons-of-key-hill.32493/page-3
However other mentions, in other threads, suggest a search would realize more information for you.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Tailsjt,
There is a photo of Nortons in the post below.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/harry-lucas-school.39524/post-586815
There is a photo of Nortons in the post below.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/harry-lucas-school.39524/post-586815
A lot of the pictures on that thread arent there anymore!
Radiorails
master brummie
There may be on other Hockley threads, worth a 'search'. Norton's is mentioned many times.
if you go back to that nortons thread tailsjt i have reposted one of the missing photos..this forum was hacked a few years back we lost all of our images...i am also moving this thread to the appropriate section of the forum and later on will merge the two threads
lyn
lyn
Thanks lyn
Oh thats nice.
Kathsutton46
knowlegable brummie
Family still there late 1950s, I can recall my Mother talking about Mr Christopher. Maybe they sold put when it moved to Perry Barr.Is it possible to establish when Wendys relatives gave up the business? As Mike traced the Nortons back to 1855 in Key Hill and Wendy guessed her relative may of been there around 1915, I would have thought there was a good chance the business had changed hands by the time that you can all remember shopping there and when it moved to perry barr.
Most businesses were/are sold with the goodwill of the business and so the name may have stayed the same even though it wasn't a Norton running it.
Polly.
Hi so my Grandfather John Norton owned the business until it ceased at some point in the mid 70s. He died in 1976. Likely to be as a result of the business having to move due to the new road and then not being as successful in Perry Barr. It certainly put a lot of stress on the family. Hope that helps. Its really great to see everyone’s pictures. Ive seen the site as it is today but all the pictures help me to imagine how it was. My mum can remember the pipe system for payment. Steve.
Hello, I’ve only just discovered these old posts about Norton & Sons Ltd and it’s fascinating seeing some of the old pictures of the shop before it moved to Perry Barr. There are also several fascinating posts on this group from Wendy so I guess we must all be related in some way? AJ Norton who I believe founded the business in the 1800’s was my paternal great, great grandfather! I’ve just discovered an old painting of him (painted by my grandfather) which I thought might be of interest?
Thank you, I’m glad I discovered your wonderful forum - brings to life all the family stories!
Amanda
Kathsutton46
knowlegable brummie
Thanks for sharing your family portrait. My Mother was a customer of Nortons for years and years. Clothes, shoes, curtain material, bed linen, occasional furniture. It all came from Nortons. When we went posh changing from a carpet square and lino to fitted carpet in the late 1960s it came from your furniture store across the road. I remember the pink payment cards too, and my Mother religiously repaying every week.
I think this is a very enterprising piece of Christmas advertising. I never visited the shop, but would have if I’d been old enough when this was in newspapers. The personal touch by John and Christopher Norton and the various department buyer’s recommendations gives a good impression of a close team of employees.
Think I would have liked the doll’s pram with ‘mohair hood and apron” and the toy TV set. Right fancy !
Not sure I know what ‘By-Way Value’ is. Viv.
Think I would have liked the doll’s pram with ‘mohair hood and apron” and the toy TV set. Right fancy !
Not sure I know what ‘By-Way Value’ is. Viv.
My parents used to live in Dover St then Radnor St in Hockley and my mother often said what a lovely store Nortons in Key Hill (or "The Flat" as it was locally known as) was, and in fact they bought a 3-piecesuite from there around the time of their marriage (1949) – which I still have and use to this day ; it has been reupholstered but is still rock solid - "they don't make them like that any more"!
I always imagine it to have been like a smaller version of the Birmingham Lewis's that I recall from 1970s.
As it happens, Julian Norton who is the elder son of Christopher Norton has also been a good friend of mine since we met at Camp Hill school in 1967, and his father, who will be 98 next month was pleased to see the postings on this forum.
In 2015, after mentioning to my Auntie (Margaret Joyce Pace – nee Lane, then aged 96) that my friend was connected to Nortons of Key Hill, she told that me that when she was a 7-year old child at All Saints school (so = around 1927) she had been chosen to be "Miss By-Way Value" at the Nortons store in Key Hill, and as such was apparently on show inside the store in a pink crinoline dress !
My Auntie also said :- "... it was very pretty ... ... some of the others wore children's clothing ...there was a sort of mannequin parade ... ...they always put a big tea on for us ... ... they had a big staircase... ... it had good stuff ... ... for clothes you went upstairs ...... (furniture)... maybe was on the bottom floor "
This would of course have been shortly before Christopher Norton was even born, but shows that back then the store had close connections with the local community.
I did ask Julian recently what the "By-Way Value" slogan meant which I gather simply referred to the store being located outside of the centre of Birmingham.
I also discovered a Birmingham Daily post item dated 16 June 1958 regarding the registration of Nortons (Birmingham) Ltd, which was then acquiring the businesses of both A J Norton & Sons and Moor St. Warehouse ; Julian also told me that following the compulsary purchase order (due to the planned Birmingham Ring Road development) his Dad remained involved in the business after it had moved on 28 Feb 1964 from Key Hill to Perry Barr, until, I believe around August 1965. He also mentioned that the Moor St Warehouse premises were already empty in 1964 and also that the arson attack there took place in August1965.
Mike
I always imagine it to have been like a smaller version of the Birmingham Lewis's that I recall from 1970s.
As it happens, Julian Norton who is the elder son of Christopher Norton has also been a good friend of mine since we met at Camp Hill school in 1967, and his father, who will be 98 next month was pleased to see the postings on this forum.
In 2015, after mentioning to my Auntie (Margaret Joyce Pace – nee Lane, then aged 96) that my friend was connected to Nortons of Key Hill, she told that me that when she was a 7-year old child at All Saints school (so = around 1927) she had been chosen to be "Miss By-Way Value" at the Nortons store in Key Hill, and as such was apparently on show inside the store in a pink crinoline dress !
My Auntie also said :- "... it was very pretty ... ... some of the others wore children's clothing ...there was a sort of mannequin parade ... ...they always put a big tea on for us ... ... they had a big staircase... ... it had good stuff ... ... for clothes you went upstairs ...... (furniture)... maybe was on the bottom floor "
This would of course have been shortly before Christopher Norton was even born, but shows that back then the store had close connections with the local community.
I did ask Julian recently what the "By-Way Value" slogan meant which I gather simply referred to the store being located outside of the centre of Birmingham.
I also discovered a Birmingham Daily post item dated 16 June 1958 regarding the registration of Nortons (Birmingham) Ltd, which was then acquiring the businesses of both A J Norton & Sons and Moor St. Warehouse ; Julian also told me that following the compulsary purchase order (due to the planned Birmingham Ring Road development) his Dad remained involved in the business after it had moved on 28 Feb 1964 from Key Hill to Perry Barr, until, I believe around August 1965. He also mentioned that the Moor St Warehouse premises were already empty in 1964 and also that the arson attack there took place in August1965.
Mike
Mike, thank you so much for your post. How lovely that you've known some of the Nortons and your own family have recounted some of their memories to you. A very nice addition to this thread.