I went past there recently. It's now a chip shop.
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Old street pics..
- Thread starter Astoness
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I went past there recently. It's now a chip shop.
Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
Probably not the right place, but move if it's not...I am seeking a little help from the sleuths and experts within, on a long standing interest I have in the Vernon Family of Hanbury Hall....and a fascinating (to me) Brum connection....featuring a Pub or Inn (naturally)...so here's a bit of a lead in....from approx 1790s on....
"Now this bit caught my ear as the lady historian told us the tale of Henry Cecil and his naughty wife Emma....here's his tale...The cuckolded husband Henry Cecil...
I must now undertake the sad task to relate what happened at Han'v Hall last June ... as I was undressing to go to bed, Emma came suddenly into my room, apparently frantic, & related to me in a broken & almost incoherent discourse, that she had been unfaithful to my bed & that she had been attached for 5 years; that she had used every art she was mistress of to subdue the object of her affections, that she at last had succeeded; that the situation she had brought Will S'd [William Sneyd] into had such an effect on his mind, that he was near going distracted; that he had procured the means & determined to destroy himself: that she had done the like & had been determined to follow his example ... that she had stolen away his poison on the approach of his late disorder: that as she had been the sole cause of his misery & loss of reason, she was determined at all costs to dedicate the rest of her life to the care of him ....
" P.S. This is the first time I have mentioned the subject of this letter
since I left H: Hall, & I hope it will be ye last. I have only one more thing to say about it, which is, that I harbour no revenge or anger against W. S., but sincerely pity him & his unfortunate companion."
.....Now this is the guide book's version of what happened to our Emma (1755-1818) subsequently.....Heiress to a fortune but not so fortunate in marriage, Emma wed Henry Cecil, heir to the 9th Earl of Exeter. The young couple moved into Hanbury Hall, but Emma found herself drawn to the local church curate, William Sneyd. They became secret lovers, but Emma found it impossible to lead this life of duplicity. When she confessed all to her husband, he gave her an ultimatum: if she broke off relations with Sneyd, she and Henry could continue as man and wife.
Choosing duty and obligation over love, she arranged a tearful farewell with Sneyd at a Birmingham coaching inn, accompanied by Henry and some others. However, whilst their backs were turned, Emma escaped out of the window and eloped with Sneyd to Lisbon in Portugal.
She returned after Sneyd's early death and lived near Hanbury, later marrying a local lawyer, John Phillips. Emma finally moved back into Hanbury after the death of her first' husband, by then the roth Earl of Exeter, who had also lived an unconventional life.
Now Birmingham Coaching Inn tickled my fancy a bit, so I asked the lady if she knew which one, as in her spiel she said it was "The FIGHTING COCKS"...and the only one of those I knew were the one in Moseley, and an old one in Deritend High Street....but she said it was on the site of the current Rotunda...and that's when I had to go....
So...I duly went digging in Joe McKenna's books on Brum Pubs, and old maps and the usual search places....to no avail...can't find any Fighting Cocks Inn around the end of the 1790s when, and allegedly where, they met...just the Swan Inn at the end of the Bull Ring, or the Hen and Chickens in nearby New Street....so....your challenge, should you wish to accept, is to shed any more light on this old Boozer....the floor is yours.....Phil?
"Now this bit caught my ear as the lady historian told us the tale of Henry Cecil and his naughty wife Emma....here's his tale...The cuckolded husband Henry Cecil...
I must now undertake the sad task to relate what happened at Han'v Hall last June ... as I was undressing to go to bed, Emma came suddenly into my room, apparently frantic, & related to me in a broken & almost incoherent discourse, that she had been unfaithful to my bed & that she had been attached for 5 years; that she had used every art she was mistress of to subdue the object of her affections, that she at last had succeeded; that the situation she had brought Will S'd [William Sneyd] into had such an effect on his mind, that he was near going distracted; that he had procured the means & determined to destroy himself: that she had done the like & had been determined to follow his example ... that she had stolen away his poison on the approach of his late disorder: that as she had been the sole cause of his misery & loss of reason, she was determined at all costs to dedicate the rest of her life to the care of him ....
" P.S. This is the first time I have mentioned the subject of this letter
since I left H: Hall, & I hope it will be ye last. I have only one more thing to say about it, which is, that I harbour no revenge or anger against W. S., but sincerely pity him & his unfortunate companion."
.....Now this is the guide book's version of what happened to our Emma (1755-1818) subsequently.....Heiress to a fortune but not so fortunate in marriage, Emma wed Henry Cecil, heir to the 9th Earl of Exeter. The young couple moved into Hanbury Hall, but Emma found herself drawn to the local church curate, William Sneyd. They became secret lovers, but Emma found it impossible to lead this life of duplicity. When she confessed all to her husband, he gave her an ultimatum: if she broke off relations with Sneyd, she and Henry could continue as man and wife.
Choosing duty and obligation over love, she arranged a tearful farewell with Sneyd at a Birmingham coaching inn, accompanied by Henry and some others. However, whilst their backs were turned, Emma escaped out of the window and eloped with Sneyd to Lisbon in Portugal.
She returned after Sneyd's early death and lived near Hanbury, later marrying a local lawyer, John Phillips. Emma finally moved back into Hanbury after the death of her first' husband, by then the roth Earl of Exeter, who had also lived an unconventional life.
Now Birmingham Coaching Inn tickled my fancy a bit, so I asked the lady if she knew which one, as in her spiel she said it was "The FIGHTING COCKS"...and the only one of those I knew were the one in Moseley, and an old one in Deritend High Street....but she said it was on the site of the current Rotunda...and that's when I had to go....
So...I duly went digging in Joe McKenna's books on Brum Pubs, and old maps and the usual search places....to no avail...can't find any Fighting Cocks Inn around the end of the 1790s when, and allegedly where, they met...just the Swan Inn at the end of the Bull Ring, or the Hen and Chickens in nearby New Street....so....your challenge, should you wish to accept, is to shed any more light on this old Boozer....the floor is yours.....Phil?
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Cannot find any mwntion of a "Fighting cocoks" in Birmingham before 1840 except for the Moseley one (which wasn't then in Brum). This was in existence in 1790 , though in 1774 it was called the Fox & Dogs. Do not know when it changed its name , but was the Fighting Cocks in 1825
Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
Thought not Mike....and that's plenty good enough for me...I will write and tell her ! many thanks for your time....
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Try typing Alma Crescent into the search box you should find photos of Alms Crescent, and all the other streets around there. I know because I posted most of them.
Pete Ex Pat
master brummie
This nice old photo of the Kingstanding Circle has gone missing (before the upgrade) from an earlier post in the thread. I always liked it so I have put a copy here. It should bring back memories for anyone who lived near there in the 1950s.
This nice old photo of the Kingstanding Circle has gone missing (before the upgrade) from an earlier post in the thread. I always liked it so I have put a copy here. It should bring back memories for anyone who lived near there in the 1950s.
Thanks for This photo of the old Circle how it stirs up the old memories !!! We moved up in 1957This nice old photo of the Kingstanding Circle has gone missing (before the upgrade) from an earlier post in the thread. I always liked it so I have put a copy here. It should bring back memories for anyone who lived near there in the 1950s.
To Dormington Road First on the left just past the Odean cinema we lived on the corner... Happy Days . I was last up there about 2 years ago oh boy have things changed, and not for the better ... Pete Ex Pat
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Pete ... Did you notice the washing on the lines in the gardens behind the Odeon ... it might have been a Monday because where I lived, every housewife did their washing on Mondays in those days !
Also the the entrance to the pub on the left is rather grand.
oldmohawk ...
My mum must have been a rebel, she did her washing on any day, even Sunday's - shame on her !!! Love the 'keep left' sign ion the island. Life and driving was so simple in those days. Viv.
I've looked at this photo many, many times but never noticed the parallel lines crossing in front of the boy in the foreground. Any ideas what they are? Viv.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Viv, I've often looked at those lines and my theory is that there was a frost on that winter's morning and someone pushed a handcart across frost covered grass. The lines slightly show across the crazy paved path.
Phil
horsencart
master brummie
I would say that because the tracks are coming from the shops it is either a car tracks or a small delivery van?
Would make sense - tracks look quite thin so yes maybe a handcart or small delivery van. Those old-style delivery vans that delivered bread around the street had small tyres. Maybe they were electric too, so quite light. I remember a bread shop (to the right of the Odeon - out of shot) on that small parade of shops called Wrights the Bakers. I worked there for a few weeks as a summer job. There were only about 3 shops on that section but it had a good view across the island to the other longer parade of shops where the Post Offuce used to be. I think there might have been a Wimbushes on the PO side too. This would have been in about 1968/9. Viv.
Pete Ex Pat
master brummie
Hi Pete ... Did you notice the washing on the lines in the gardens behind the Odeon ... it might have been a Monday because where I lived, every housewife did their washing on Mondays in those days !
Also the the entrance to the pub on the left is rather grand.
oldmohawk ...
Yes I did notice the old gateway to the Kingstanding Pub had a few in there over the years .... I had my first pint in there a mild it was 1 and a penny in old money. went in on my birthday one year and asked Stan the landlord if he was going
to buy me a pint for my birthday He asked how old I was I said 18 what he called me !!! ( my mum would have fainted ) Ha Ha the good old days.... The Kingstanding Circle was never the same after they Knocked the old Standing down and
built the Precinct... The new pub was rubbish ... started using the Trees & the Rest & be thankful also travellers rest And the old hornes Happy Days and then the price was of a pint was good !!!!! Now you need to take out a Bank Loan !!!!
Thanks Oldmohawk
Applemany
New Member
This looks like the point of the Hagley Road beyond Bearwood where the Worlverhampton Road links in (to the right).
DavidGrain
master brummie
Welcome to the Forum, Applemany. This is definitely not Wolverhampton Road as that was not built until long after this picture. I would say the junction of Hagley Road and Sandon Road. There was a horse trough there for many years and I believe that earlier there was a fountain long since disappeared but that could be the origin of the name Fountain Road which is about 100 yards closer to the city.
