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Saltley & Alum Rock

Hello chocks2,

I think the Worralls shop may be the same as your parents, just a different time, it was opposite the walkway from Alum Rock Rd, that came out into Havelock Rd.

Another family your sister may remember was the Emms, Rita and Glenys, they lived further up from you and on the other side.

Trebor
 
Trebor
I'll ask my sister about the names you mentioned but even though it sounds like the right shop, that must have been pre 59 because my nan took on the shop after us and kept it going until about 67 when she converted it back to a house.
 
I think your nan must have bought it off the Worralls, because I'm sure it was about that time that Maureen left, I have often wondered where the family moved to.

trebor
 
Hi Trebor.
Spoke to my mother today and got the facts.
Mom bought the shop from the Worralls in either late 59 or early 60, sold it to my nan who kept it open until early 1967. She sold the shop part of the building to the coal merchant next door to use as an office, their name was either Aldridge or Eldridge. Nan left in late 67 and the coal merchant purchased the whole building. It remained as an office into the early 70's after that it reverted to a house.
 
Here's one of my family's Shoe Repairers and Timber Yard on the corner of High Street and Washwood Heath Road. The shop was run by one uncle and the timber yard by another. My Grandmother brought up eight children in the house as well as running the shop. She would go to the market to collect leather, in whole sides; bring it home and cut it into sole pieces. A hard life. In its day it was a very successful business. After the War it was valued at £18k. A lot of money by todays standards. The building on the left is the Gate Pub. Note the billboard on the right. The poster advertised the Hippodrome, and on the bill was the Billy Cotton Band. The other half of the board had a poster for the Odeon, New Street. As payment for letting them put the poster on the building we had two tickets for the Hipp and the Odeon each week. We would sometimes save up the Hipp tickets and have a box. Very grand.




I'm afraid this is the closest photo I could find.
 

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Hi
What a super photo, and I can remember it. Thanks so much for putting it on. Do you know the year that was taken.
WendyP
 
Hi Wendy. I'm not sure of the year, but it's probably mid to late fifties. I think that the type of bollards in the foreground were still about then. They formed an island in the centre of the zebra-crossing on what was a really dangerous blind bend.
 
The Havlock Tavern & the derelict Leyland Cars Sports Club. Len.
 

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Hi Bobby
Yes I thought about that time. I remember it so well. Going round the corner to catch the 56 bus . Or getting the 14 or 55 from the Gate into town.
Thanks again for the photo. any more??
WendyP
 
The Leyland or 'Morris' club in Lencops pictures above has been completely demolished now. I wonder what will replace it?

Macca
 
Macca said:
The Leyland or 'Morris' club in Lencops pictures above has been completely demolished now. I wonder what will replace it?

Macca
Click to expand...
There is supposed to be a new medical centre bult there but ill belive that when i see it.(it was supposed to of opened two years ago!!!)
 
well i,ll be, how nice to see those pics of alum rock, a bit before my time but i still remember what a nice place it used to be, mid 50s, we used to walk up as kids, sometimes to the pics, bit different now though, say no more.
 
tommy0121 said:
well i,ll be, how nice to see those pics of alum rock, a bit before my time but i still remember what a nice place it used to be, mid 50s, we used to walk up as kids, sometimes to the pics, bit different now though, say no more.
Click to expand...


used to fish in ward end park and go on the boats. now the park is used for illegal dog fighting.and drug dealing.prostitutes walk up washwood heath road everynight. police know whats going on.and are trying to clear up the area. the white house entrance is always occupied in the evenings by youths. the gates are supposed to be locked at dusk.about 8pm at the moment . but the man who locks them calls anytime between 8pm and 11-30 pm. a curfew would be in order for this park.
 
Hi Bobbygee

The picture of your family's shoe repairers/timber yard was very good. Thanks for posting it on the forum.

I went to Nansen Road Girls School and left in 1959. I remember a girl in my class (alas I cannot remember her name) but I am sure she lived in a shoe repairers around where your family business was. If she did not live there, then a member of her family did as I used to see her in there on occasions. She would have left school at the same time as I did in July 59, and I was wondering if she was a relative of yours. I seem to think her name was Ann, but then after all these years I don't know.

Regards

Christine Jones
 
Hi Christine. I have a cousin named Ann. At that time she lived on the corner of Hutton Road and Washwood Heath road. She would very often visit her Gran in the shop.
 
Highfield Rd J/Infants school. 243 Washwood Heath Rd house with the red door second pic. Len.
 

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That second pic looks like the road (NAME NOT TO HAND AT THIS TIME)at the top of GLENPARK RD just off Washward Heath rd & just past what was the old lab exchange.
I do hope I have it right.
 
Here's an interesting pic of Saltley Viaduct, I wonder what workplace the men were leaving?







Macca, this is the nearest image that I can come up with at the moment, if I come across the original I will change it at a later date
 

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Mikejee, I think you could be right but they look very clean and smartly dressed to be leaving a factory.

Macca
 
You have a point macca, but it could be the office workers. Likely they had different working hours to those on the shop floor, annd would come out at separate times
Mike
 
Gosh I have been by there a few times. Looks like the break-up of some union meeting to me maybe. Great new addition.
 
A sunny day in Saltley some years ago.




As this photo could be anywhere from the description I have opted for this one,
 

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Morning Mike thanks for posting that Photo again, I have so many memories of that stop, Saturday evennings on the way to my Aunts in Small Heath
 
I know that I have posted this message somewhere on the site before, but seeing the picture of the No.8 at the terminus brings the memories back. There was a cafe next to the terminus clock where drivers went when they were a bit early and had to wait before clocking in to start the next leg of their journey. One day a driver left his cab without putting on the hand brake. There was a slight slope on Adderley Road, and the bus slowly moved off. It went straight across the junction and headed towards the boot repairers on the opposite side. My uncle was working in the shop and spotted the driverless bus heading straight for him. He quickly ran out of the shop and managed to get into the cab and apply the brake just as it mounted the pavement. He was a local hero and had his picture on the front of the following evenings Birmingham Mail. I still have that picture.
 
Bobbygee

Just by the bundy clock was H Beddows Dining Rooms, as described in the 67-68 Kelly's Directory. I suppose this would at that date be more aptly described as a Cafe.

Phil
 
pmc1947:

We didn't have dining rooms in Saltley. They could have called it the Savoy Grill, but it would still have been a caff.
 
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