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Question? Glenavon Road 1948/9

Gerry Cannell

Gerry Cannell

master brummie
Hi. As a very young lad, I would get off the number 50 bus from city, at Glenavon Road, Kings Heath. My Grandad had built a wooden house on the grass bank on the right hand side as you walked from the main road. I desperately want to see IF any pictures of Glenavon Road back then exsist?
Many thanks. Gerry ps If I have posted in the wrong Forum, would you move it to the correct one for me. Thanks.
 
hi gerry i will search my photo files for you and post if i find anything...i take it the house is no longer there? did your grandad live in the house?

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi gerry i will search my photo files for you and post if i find anything...i take it the house is no longer there? did your grandad live in the house?

lyn
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Hi Lyn. Just to explain. Grandad and Nan were Romany Gypsy stock, and had lived in Vardo caravan at Chadwick End; they had to leave, and thats when Grandad actually made ( built with his own hands) a little wooden house. think of a PRE-FAB but made out of wood and roofing felt. ( I know, I know...but its absolutely true) I used to travel from Great Barr as a 7 or 8 year old on my own; not these days eh? Then of course there were no houses on the right hand side of Glenavon Road, just Grandads. The house has long gone. Sorry I can't help any further. Oh, to have had a camera as a young kid.....Thanks Lyn. Gerry
 
how fascinating gerry....i will keep looking but i take it that photo i posted is of no use..but looking at it would the house have been at that end of the road ?

lyn
 
Astoness said:
how fascinating gerry....i will keep looking but i take it that photo i posted is of no use..but looking at it would the house have been at that end of the road ?

lyn
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Thanks Lyn. The picture you have posted IS the right end, as the Main Road where I used to get off the bus is in view. You can see how the shops sit UP ON BANK, that is raised from street level; and that is where my Grandad's wooden house stood, but a little further down Glenavon Road. Thanks so much Lyn for trying to help me. I am now 84, but can vividly remember the shed/house.
 
hi gerry sorry the photo was of no use to you but a thought came to mind....this would have made a good story so have you tried looking for anything in the newspapers online....if you cant do that if you would like to give us your grandads name maybe one of our members who is subscribed to the newspaper archives would have a search for you...its worth a go i think

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi gerry sorry the photo was of no use to you but a thought came to mind....this would have made a good story so have you tried looking for anything in the newspapers online....if you cant do that if you would like to give us your grandads name maybe one of our members who is subscribed to the newspaper archives would have a search for you...its worth a go i think

lyn
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That is kind of you Lyn. He was Jack Hill (John Joseph Hill) and my Nan was Kate Elizabeth Hill (nee Smith); its worth a try I suppose. If anything cops up, let me know. Kind regards, Gerry
 
I have found one (well same notice in several papers) advert for sale by auction of an "asbestos and timber constructed" bungalow at 161 Glenavon Road.
Birmingham Gazette January 1948.
Think that has to be it.
(Need to put laptop on the post it)
 
pjmburns said:
I have found one (well same notice in several papers) advert for sale by auction of an "asbestos and timber constructed" bungalow at 161 Glenavon Road.
Birmingham Gazette January 1948.
Think that has to be it.
(Need to put laptop on the post it)
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it could very well be the right place jan...look forward to seeing the article..

lyn
 
pjmburns said:
Haven't found anything else - so far.
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Wow! That is a wonderful find. Thank you so much, as this was the ONLY building of its type, it has to be THE wooden house I remember as a child. Just wanted to Thank you so much ladies, great research where I would not have been able to to look. Kind regards, Gerry ps was there another part to the advert, I mean a telephone number or his name or indeed an Agent. I know it is all so long ago, but just wondered?
 
hi gerry while we are waiting for janice to post some more info if you need any help in maybe tracing your grandad further back just say as we are always happy to help..if you would just give us as much info as you can about him and your nan..such as when born and where if you know..i would imagine you may know when they both died..

lyn
 
Gerry - when you got off the number 50 (on, I assume Alcester Road) did you have quite a walk to reach your grandparents house?
1939 map - red is Alcester Road and, of course, yellow is, of course Glenavon .
1724397017480.png
 
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Gerry Cannell said:
Wow! That is a wonderful find. Thank you so much, as this was the ONLY building of its type, it has to be THE wooden house I remember as a child. Just wanted to Thank you so much ladies, great research where I would not have been able to to look. Kind regards, Gerry ps was there another part to the advert, I mean a telephone number or his name or indeed an Agent. I know it is all so long ago, but just wondered?
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Map here from early 1950s showing number 161.....
 

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Mickymoo said:
Hi Lyn,is this okay,it's right on the edge of the map,I've got the adjoining section if you need it..
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Gerry here. Yes Grandads "Bungalow", was well down Gelenavon Road, I was only seven or eight, and traveled on my own from Great Barr, into town on the Midland Red 119, then walked into either Carrs Lane or Alberts Street, or sometimes down into Bradford Street and caught the number 50. As I said, at 84, my childhood memory is a little vague, but Nan & Grand's house still sits there in my memory, as being made of wood, and it had roof felt to keep out the rain. It was painted green. May I thank you guys for taking all this trouble to solve a mystery in a kids mind, but you have proven to me that it did exist, and without your help, I would still have just been wondering. Lyn, you asked me earlier my Grandads name, and I told you it was Jack Hill; what I didn't mention, because it is another story, for another time, was that Jack worked as a boxing booth boxer, at the Onion Fair, where people would be offered £5 ( a lot of money back then) if they could last more than two rounds with him that was with Pat Collins Fairs, of Bloxwich. Jack came from a Romany background, and was born on The Black Patch, in Smethwick. As a kid I would go to the Onion Fair, and stand outside the booth, and watch him Barkering to the crowd. But....I digress. Thank you one and all for all your help. I really do appreciate all your hard work. Great site Thanks. Gerry
 
I am glad you have said it was well down as 161 on the later maps is nearer to the other end of the road at Highters Heath.
I was worried we had the wrong place.
Will look again at the papers for Jack Hill boxer.
Do you know when your grandparents died?
 
hi gerry lyn again...so you would have had to walk right down to almost the end of the road to reach the bungalow...thing is when we are children the streets seemed so much smaller..i have that problem with villa st where grew up but it does look as though we have the correct location..

thanks also for the other info about your grandad...we will see what we can find out for you..but what great memories you have and we are never too old to learn more about our family history...just one last question gerry...do you know when your nan and grandad was born...i take it they married in birmingham?

thanks for the maps micky..

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi gerry lyn again...so you would have had to walk right down to almost the end of the road to reach the bungalow...thing is when we are children the streets seemed so much smaller..i have that problem with villa st where grew up but it does look as though we have the correct location..

thanks also for the other info about your grandad...we will see what we can find out for you..but what great memories you have and we are never too old to learn more about our family history...just one last question gerry...do you know when your nan and grandad was born...i take it they married in birmingham?

thanks for the maps micky..

lyn
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Lyn. I have DM'd you Thanks. Gerry
 
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