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Robin hood island strat road
- Thread starter Astoness
- Start date
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Lyn, the photo is a bit before my time but the island brings back many happy cycling memories. One of those that ended in 1962 at the island was a Solihull reliability trial of 200 miles to be done in 18 hours. We reached the halfway point, 100 miles, in about 4 hours! I slept well that night but my mate spent 2 weeks in bed recovering!
Graham.
Graham.
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Anthea, it was at that police station that we had to get a stamp saying that we had finished our 200 mile round trip!
C
chinnychinn
Guest
i remember the police station well, we were caught scrumping somewhere by palmers rough and they took us to the station for a scare, let us go after about 15 mins
Lloyd
master brummie
That view has to be late 30s or after as trams on routes 82 and 83 ran through the island to the city boundary a bit further along Stratford Road from 1928 until replaced by buses in January 1937. The trees look a little too well established for it to be soon after then - could it even be just post-war?
anthea
master brummie
Cadeau, I hope you got a medal after cycling 200 miles as well as the rubber stamp from the police station????
Chinnychin - I hope that the scare you had at the police station set you on the right path - no more scrumping???
I have a picture of the 'roundabout' dated 1933 and there are no trees on the island at all. Shrubs were planted by late 1934 to make it more attractive. Sorry I am not able to put the picture on here as I haven't learnt how to yet!!
Anthea
Chinnychin - I hope that the scare you had at the police station set you on the right path - no more scrumping???
I have a picture of the 'roundabout' dated 1933 and there are no trees on the island at all. Shrubs were planted by late 1934 to make it more attractive. Sorry I am not able to put the picture on here as I haven't learnt how to yet!!
Anthea
C
chinnychinn
Guest
where the tram terminus was there was what we called the gypsy gulley and it ran through to streetsbrook rd,in the winter of 1947 we used to walk there to fetch coal from the coal yard there with my older brothers. chinny chinn
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Anthea, yes one of my first cycling medals along with my medal for Solihull 'Freewheeling champion' 1962!
Maggs, one of my favourites too!
maggs
master brummie
Yes Anthea it was the Chequers, how lovely that someone remembers it too. It was indeed a great fish and chip shop.
Maggs
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Maggs, yes indeed I have some fond and hilarious chip shop related memories.
One of them is the night that I 'dined out' at the chip shop with my girl friend. After eating our fish 'n' chips in our Ford 'Pop' it ran out of petrol just a few yards from the petrol station on the Stratford Rd. so I sat her behind the wheel and tried to push the car up a slight incline to the pomp. I was struggling and without me noticing my girl got out of the car, to help me get it moving, but the incline was short and became a decline. I looked up and the car was rolling away without a driver! I had to run like hell to catch it up and pull on the brakes!
Astoness, if you're still interested in hearing about the roundabout, I've come across on microfilm while searching for random film and theatre stuff an article from the Birmingham Evening Mail of Thurs 3rd August 1967 about the merry-go-round the island had become for travellers.
The introductory paragraph reads, "Will someone please explain to me, a bewildered woman motorist the correct lane discipline to observe? As far as I can see, the centre lane is only of use to those motorists who want to drive round and round the island for ever". There is a little flow-chart arrow diagram to show how traffic gets on, around, and off the roundabout without having to change lanes!
Since we've not heard from you Astoness since the first posting on this thread, could that be you still going round the thing since 1967??
The introductory paragraph reads, "Will someone please explain to me, a bewildered woman motorist the correct lane discipline to observe? As far as I can see, the centre lane is only of use to those motorists who want to drive round and round the island for ever". There is a little flow-chart arrow diagram to show how traffic gets on, around, and off the roundabout without having to change lanes!
Since we've not heard from you Astoness since the first posting on this thread, could that be you still going round the thing since 1967??
maggs
master brummie
Well that's something you won't forget in a hurry Cadeau, It's sounds like something that was easily done to me. I used to go up there in a Ford Anglia (old box type) and frequently run out of petrol, but no excitement like you had. I also used to have a drink in the Robin Hood pub. If I didn't have the fish and chips (which wasn't very often) I used to go on to 'The Drum and Monkey' pub for sarnies.Maggs, yes indeed I have some fond and hilarious chip shop related memories.
One of them is the night that I 'dined out' at the chip shop with my girl friend. After eating our fish 'n' chips in our Ford 'Pop' it ran out of petrol just a few yards from the petrol station on the Stratford Rd. so I sat her behind the wheel and tried to push the car up a slight incline to the pomp. I was struggling and without me noticing my girl got out of the car, to help me get it moving, but the incline was short and became a decline. I looked up and the car was rolling away without a driver! I had to run like hell to catch it up and pull on the brakes!
Maggs.
A
Ann B
Guest
Enjoyed your story Graham. A fishy tale indeed!
I went to the old police station when it was an Italian restaurant. Expensive, I think.
Also remember Chequers. I sometimes took my son there on a Saturday, and it was good.
Went to the carvery at The Robin Hood just a few months ago, as relatives from Torquay were staying there. But I can't say I'm a lover of carveries. It was packed though.
Ann
I went to the old police station when it was an Italian restaurant. Expensive, I think.
Also remember Chequers. I sometimes took my son there on a Saturday, and it was good.
Went to the carvery at The Robin Hood just a few months ago, as relatives from Torquay were staying there. But I can't say I'm a lover of carveries. It was packed though.
Ann
maggs
master brummie
Yes Chequers was excellent Ann. I like some carveries but not all. They do vary enormously. Has the Robin Hood become a 'Toby' then? It was just a pub when I remember it. Carveries are always packed I think. We went o one in Quinton the last time we were in Brum on a Sunday, and we waited an hour for our meal.
A
Ann B
Guest
Yes Maggs, it's a Toby and Travel Lodge now. I'm vegetarian, so I don't find there is a lot of choice for me at carveries. But I'm not keen on them anyway. They feel more like a canteen. I prefer being 'waited on' at the table. But, at least, as it is so popular, it won't be closing down in the near future. Did used to like it as a pub though.
Ann
Ann
maggs
master brummie
I agree with you Ann, it doesn't matter where you go these days Carveries are the place to eat. I suppose it's partly because you can put on your plate exactly what and the amount you prefer. I find set meals never give me enough vegetables and far too much meat. Toby's are not my favourite anyhow. The nearest one to us is 30 miles away at Bedford it is also the travel lodge. We go to a little carvery in Ipswich and it is delightful, and very reasonable too.
Maggs
Maggs
A
Ann B
Guest
Maggs, In an earlier post you mentioned 'The Drum and Monkey'. Did you mean the one in Dorridge? If it was that one, we went there for lunch a few weeks ago. And, although they do food, it still feels like a pub.
My son and his wife go regularly to a carvery in Redditch, under £10.00 for the two of them. With working it's great for them.
Ann
My son and his wife go regularly to a carvery in Redditch, under £10.00 for the two of them. With working it's great for them.
Ann
A
Ann B
Guest
Maggs,
Sounds like the same one. Looks a bit different from '59 though, I bet. There's been quite a lot of building round there.
Ann
Sounds like the same one. Looks a bit different from '59 though, I bet. There's been quite a lot of building round there.
Ann
A
Ann B
Guest
Robert,
That's the one in Box Trees Lane, by Four Ashes Nursery. It comes under Dorridge.
Ann
That's the one in Box Trees Lane, by Four Ashes Nursery. It comes under Dorridge.
Ann
maggs
master brummie
Ann, I think I would rather keep my memories of the 'Drum and Monkey' as it was in 1959. I am not a great enthusiast of what has happened in Brum generally. When we visit we come in via Summer Hill, and enter the town through what can only be described as an ugly lump of concrete. Whatever were they thinking of building that monstrosity? It looks neglected and makes me feel uncomfortable, I'm always glad when we are through it. Brum doesn't feel like home to me anymore, which is such a shame, it's like a ghost town, no warmth or personality like it used to have. The walk into to town going in from Summer Lane used to be nice when I was a child. Like I say I'll keep my memories.
A
Ann B
Guest
I agree Maggs. A lot has gone from Brum and too much change, with little of it for the better. We had moved down to Somerset, but came back whem my mom had dementia. She has gone now, so there is nothing to keep us here. We are ready to move away again now. You use exactly the same words as me 'no warmth and personality' or character. They have got rid of so many of the really beatiful old buildings and replaced them with what. You would not know that Birmingham has a long history now, with all the modern buildings. I hate the Bull Ring, so I don't go there. Yes, keep your memories Maggs. When we leave again, there will be nothing or no one to come back and see. So I shall leave it with my memories then. Ann
