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Sheldon

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ann B
  • Start date Start date
cags said:
There is still an antiques shop, a carpet shop, a motobike shop and a newsagents. The sauna called Ladybirds closed several years ago. And of course, Aldi used to be The Wagon and Horses.

Does anyone have any recollection of a barbers shop being there?
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There is a gents barbers and ladies hair dressers to the far end of the parade called Burberry, there used to be a small car sales lot next door. Not sure how long the barbers has been going but its been there a while.

Ps at the other end of the parade ,in the days of the Sheldon Cinema, next to the antique shop was a sweet shop called the Bon Bon .
 
I seem to remember the Bon Bon sweet shop being right next to the Sheldon cinema, somewhat detached from the other shops further down the road with perhaps a couple of houses separating them. The antiques shop about two or three shops into the parade from the cinema was there in the early 60s. Not sure how long Sheldon motorcycles has been there, I take my bikes for an mot there.
 
The shops look to be on the 1938 OS map, whereas The Sheldon cinema isn't.
Wasn't the small motor dealers previously Patrick's the printers? Aldi covers a lot more than the Wagon & Horses, most of the car park would have been the Rondelle 'Fina' petrol station, very futuristic! (It should have been 'listed').
 
cto-rondelle.jpg
Found this picture of the Rondelle. Agree it should have been listed
James you must have posted whilst I was replying :D
 
Elmdon Boy said:
I seem to remember the Bon Bon sweet shop being right next to the Sheldon cinema, somewhat detached from the other shops further down the road with perhaps a couple of houses separating them.
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Pages 34/35 of Around Sheldon by Margaret Green have two photographs that confirm that. Bon-Bon was in a house-like building, similar to the houses leading to the shopping parade being discussed.
 
I cant be specifically accurate but --- From the Bon Bon towards the right, a couple of houses. The stream which crosses Coventry Road and goes along the rear of Thurlston Ave. Next, set well back from Coventry Road, one or two shops then the Barber. A couple more shops then a driveway with parking and some small industry at the rear. To the right of the driveway the Grocers Shop. Two or three more shops then the Butcher and maybe another one or two shops. Then I think there was a Printers and maybe an Electrical business and another driveway in that right hand vicinity, then houses.
This is all 1946 so my memories might be a bit off but I am sure about the Barber, the Grocer and the Butcher.
OldBrummie.
 
DSCF2057[1].png
Bon-Bon is just below the large film poster to the side of 'The Sheldon'. There is another picture in Margaret Green's book that shows all of the Bon-Bon houses demolished. It claims to be taken in 1973, perhaps based on car registration numbers, but The Sheldon is still standing and advertising 'Airport 1975', first UK showing in London in December 1974.
Was the house just across the road from the cinema, where Sheldon Telephone Exchange extension is now, a police house? It has that style. Do I correctly remember a pedestal alarm box, like the street fire alarms but Police blue, standing in the front garden?
 
Spargone said:
Junction of Coventry Road/New Coventry Road, Westeley brook , Horseshoes Lane - 1938 OS mapping.
View attachment 131941
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The Sheldon opened on 10th October 1937 and closed on 26th November 1977 - my Dad, who was aged 10yrs at the time, played on the site when it was being built - he claims to have knocked a bag of cement off some scaffolding onto the stage area! Ironically, he attended the last night at the cinema, Orca The Killer Whale, and took a number of 35mm pictures of the box office and the projection room. Also pictures of the Cinema in the course of demolition. If I get a chance I will try and dig them out and post on the forum.

Early recollections was my grandparents taking me to see Darby O'Gill and The Little People around 1959. Thought it was great until the Banshee appeared - I was so frightened I wouldn't leave my seat for an ice cream in the interval.

Mom and Dad also took me to see Journey to the Center of the Earth again in 1959. When the scene with the dinosaurs came up I made her blind fold me with her scarf and covered my ears to blot it all out. I must have been a sensitive child lol.

I seem to recall that if we arrived too early we'd see the end of the film first and then stay for the second showing? The expectation of being treated to sweets and ice cream, dimmed lights and those colorful draped curtains. Cigarette smoke curling up through the projection beam. Look at Life, Pearl and Dean Advertising and this theme tune always seemed to be playing at the start or in the interval - really nostalgic to hear it again.
 
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jmadone said:
View attachment 131943
Found this picture of the Rondelle. Agree it should have been listed
James you must have posted whilst I was replying :D
Click to expand...
My friends Dad was a mechanic at this Garage and told my Dad that every time a car came in for repair or servicing he'd have a look to see if there were any tools in the boot and would take one item, usually the best one, on the basis it would never be missed. That way he was able to fill his own toolbox for free!!!
 
mbenne said:
I seem to recall that if we arrived too early we'd see the end of the film first and then stay for the second showing?
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That used to be a common practice I think! You bring back memories of standing up to film of HM on her horse to the sound of the national anthem! The only film that I definitely remember watching there was "Sink the Bismark". That was unusual in that my dad went with just me. I went to a few Saturday morning showings, there was a serial set in the future that featured a young woman with a short skirt and some sort of glass wand that was very powerful. Most of it was filmed in a cave.
 
Spargone said:
That used to be a common practice I think! You bring back memories of standing up to film of HM on her horse to the sound of the national anthem! The only film that I definitely remember watching there was "Sink the Bismark". That was unusual in that my dad went with just me. I went to a few Saturday morning showings, there was a serial set in the future that featured a young woman with a short skirt and some sort of glass wand that was very powerful. Most of it was filmed in a cave.
Click to expand...

I too went to see Sink the Bismark one evening with two or three friends. The film was very enjoyable but the other film shown (2nd feature) was a film called "When Comedy was King" and was a compilation of silent comedy film clips featuring Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and many others. This was the film for me, I thought it was hilarious and it had all of us literally rolling in the aisles with laughter.
After we had watched the film, instead of catching the number 60 bus at the normal stop which was directly opposite the cinema, we decided to walk down to the Wheatsheaf and catch it there. This meant passing the 3 Horsehoes PH on whose car park were a couple of old double decker buses parked up for the night. Lads being lads we dared each other to get on one of them and have a look round. We did so and all trooped up to the top deck. Imagine our shock when a figure rose up from the back seat and started screaming at us. It was an old tramp dossing down for the night and obviously not happy at being disturbed. It scared the proverbial out of all of us and we dashed down the stairs and didn't stop running until we reached the bus stop.
Amusing now looking back but at the time not at all funny.
 
mbenne said:
The Sheldon opened on 10th October 1937 and closed on 26th November 1977 - my Dad, who was aged 10yrs at the time, played on the site when it was being built - he claims to have knocked a bag of cement off some scaffolding onto the stage area! Ironically, he attended the last night at the cinema, Orca The Killer Whale, and took a number of 35mm pictures of the box office and the projection room. Also pictures of the Cinema in the course of demolition. If I get a chance I will try and dig them out and post on the forum.

Early recollections was my grandparents taking me to see Darby O'Gill and The Little People around 1959. Thought it was great until the Banshee appeared - I was so frightened I wouldn't leave my seat for an ice cream in the interval.

Mom and Dad also took me to see Journey to the Center of the Earth again in 1959. When the scene with the dinosaurs came up I made her blind fold me with her scarf and covered my ears to blot it all out. I must have been a sensitive child lol.

I seem to recall that if we arrived too early we'd see the end of the film first and then stay for the second showing? The expectation of being treated to sweets and ice cream, dimmed lights and those colorful draped curtains. Cigarette smoke curling up through the projection beam. Look at Life, Pearl and Dean Advertising and this theme tune always seemed to be playing at the start or in the interval - really nostalgic to hear it again.
Click to expand...

Went to the local cinema last week, first time in about 20 years, to see "Stan and Ollie" with Steve Coogan. Great film but I was delighted to see that the advertisements shown were still Pearl & Dean and that unforgettable tune was played at the end of the adverts.
 
I used to go to the Saturday morning flicks at the Sheldon. Flash Gordon and the mekongs.
There was allways one serial which left the hero or heroine tied to a vertical saw just inches away from splitting them two, or tied to a railway track with the train virtually on top of them when the film stops and you have to come back next week to find out what happens. The next week comes and the saw becomes feet away, and the train well away and they manage to untie themselves, and escape certain death. Did they think we would forget over the week.
Saw Davy Crockett, Fes Parker, The Vikings, 633 Squadron and many other films here too.
 
Spargone said:
View attachment 131996
Bon-Bon is just below the large film poster to the side of 'The Sheldon'. There is another picture in Margaret Green's book that shows all of the Bon-Bon houses demolished. It claims to be taken in 1973, perhaps based on car registration numbers, but The Sheldon is still standing and advertising 'Airport 1975', first UK showing in London in December 1974.
Was the house just across the road from the cinema, where Sheldon Telephone Exchange extension is now, a police house? It has that style. Do I correctly remember a pedestal alarm box, like the street fire alarms but Police blue, standing in the front garden?
Click to expand...

Spargone you do correctly remember the Police House (or was it two houses?) fronting Coventry Road. And yes there was an Police Alarm Box outside, and the Telephone Exchange was next door in Lyndon Road. On the other side (right) of Lyndon Road just past the Cinema and the car park access road was another Telephone Exchange building and next to that, the Surgery of doctors Washington and Robinson. Back to the left hand side was the "British Restaurant" a relic of the war days.
OldBrummie.
 
Almost certainly the Police house would have been part of a pair, maybe as originally built they were both used that way. We knew a policeman at Rednal who lived in a very similar style house and his neighbouring house had been used by the police too. OK it was in Solihull, but one didn't need to go far to find another Police house, at the other end of Melton Avenue, ('just around the corner'). The demolished telephone exchange, now the far end of Tesco's car park, was actually newer than the oldest part of the remaining Sheldon 743/742 exchange. I think the demolished building was a cordless manual exchange, part of a plan to concentrate operator services.
 
When i was a teen, around 1969 ish, there was a big, posh derelict house just past the Three Horse Shoes pub on the A45. On the same side of the road. I think its a car sales garage, now............ We used to go scrumping there as there were some beautiful plum trees at the back, overhanging from the neighbours gardens.
 
Spargone said:
Almost certainly the Police house would have been part of a pair, maybe as originally built they were both used that way. We knew a policeman at Rednal who lived in a very similar style house and his neighbouring house had been used by the police too. OK it was in Solihull, but one didn't need to go far to find another Police house, at the other end of Melton Avenue, ('just around the corner'). The demolished telephone exchange, now the far end of Tesco's car park, was actually newer than the oldest part of the remaining Sheldon 743/742 exchange. I think the demolished building was a cordless manual exchange, part of a plan to concentrate operator services.
Click to expand...

Hi I worked at that Sheldon Telephone exchange from when the new exchange opened in early 1970's till I left in late 1975. it was a modern cordless exchange and i loved working there.
Wendy
 
If anybody comes across a photo of Burgess and Garfield, Coventry rd garage, I would like so see please. I believe the New Inn is on that site now.
 
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