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Shop in Burbury Street

J

Jules65

master brummie
Hi everyone. This probably is a little too far back for anyone to remember and I hope I have posted this query in the right place, but my nan used to tell me that a member of her family used to run a shop (may have been a sweet shop) at the bottom of Burbury Street by Burbury Park. As my nan was born in 1899 this could have been in the early 1900's. Has anyone got access to trade directorys who could verify this for me please. Her maiden name was Heath and her mother's maiden name was Trotman. I am sure it was someone closely related but may have been an Aunt or something.

Obviously that part of Burbury Street is no longer in existence, but if anyone could help that would be great.
 
This is circa my birth date 1945 on, could well have been before: There was shop on the two corners of the bottom end of Burbury Street/Clifford Street and then the next corner down of BurburyStreet/Gordon Street (the top end of Burbury Park) at the bottom end of the park facing the main Burbury Street entrance may have been some other shops, my memory fails on those.

Ray
 
Than ks for the image Ray. It is very interesting as that part of Burbury Street had gone from when I can remember living there. We lived at the top end of Burbury Street. I wish your map had showed the top part of the street too. Am I right in concluding that the bottom part of Burbury Street and surrounding streets were built before the top half of the street. The house that we lived in was built around 1876 - or something like that. I will have to check the plaque on the front of the house to check next time I am in the area.

Mom always told me that our house was built for "master jewellers" working in Hockley. There were bell fittings in the hall for summoning the servant/servants. I am so interested in the history of the area and would love to know what life was like for people then.
 
1901 is the earlist I have family Clifford/Burbury St, which I think is about the time they were built as they had their own outside loo.

Map of top end

Ray
 
Jules,

I lived opposite Burbury Park (Defford Road) throughout the 1960's. There was several shops opposite the entrance to 'Burbo' - there was a barber shop and a wool shop on either corner of Defford Road/Burbury Street. Next to the wool shop was Adam's sweet shop (they moved to Handsworth/Oxhill Road area on demolition).

The shop of interest to you I feel could be the papaer shop (next to the sweet shop was a paper shop run by two very old spinsters for many years? I was their paper boy for a while. Unfortunately I can't remember their names. They moved to a house in Lozells on demolition in the mid 60's I believe?

Keith
 
Hi Keith - thanks for the information - it is interesting to hear about a part of the street that my family often talked about. However I think it would have been before the '60's that I am talking about. My nan was born in 1899 and I would have thought it was when she was a girl or young woman. My sister was born in 1945 and has no recollection other than my nan's stories.

My nan was born in Aston and lived in Lozells for a very long time. She lived until she was 100 and I was very interested in her stories because it was about where we still lived and how things had changed. I think she worked in the jewellery quarter as a handbag maker but how long for once she got married, I have no idea.

She used to have to walk to Hockley to take her father his hot lunch. I have a couple of photo's of her mother and she was a real Victorian lady. When I get the hang of posting photo's on the site I'll get them on here. I have a lot of postcards dated from about 1900 to 1930 (about 300 of them) some of which I am sure would be of interest to people using this site.

Thanks once again for your help.
 
Jules you are so lucky to have been able to talk to your Nan mine died before I was born. Most of the information I have is from other family or what I have researched. My fathers elder sister was born in 1901 in Aston and she worked somewhere where they made handbags. Your postcards sound wonderful I am sure there will be many of interest. We would love you to post some.
 
Hi Wendy, yes you are right I was very lucky to have a close relationship with my nan. It helped that she lived next door and I saw her every day. I can only remember her as being an old lady, and it is hard to imagine the life that she led when she was younger. She died in October 1999 after her 100 birthday in the September. If she had lived to see in the New Year she would have lived in 3 centuries.

My mum died before my nan and I know my nan found that very hard. I now have young children myself and my mom and dad died before they were born. So they will never have the relationship I had with my grandparents which is such a shame. Still they do enjoy a close relationship with my husbands parents which is great.

I will try and take some digital pictures of the postcards and see how they turn out. If it works ok I will try and post them. It will be my first time so keep your fingers crossed for me!!
 
Keith are you talking about the paper shop opposite Lucas's just below Bridge st one of the spinsters name was Jessie, above them was a clothes shop Mrs Dodge & below the paperr shop was Williams Sweet shop , I lived back of number 25 unti 1949 but my mom lived ther until the demolition & was moved to Quinton.
Jean.
 
bramwell said:
Keith are you talking about the paper shop opposite Lucas's just below Bridge st one of the spinsters name was Jessie, above them was a clothes shop Mrs Dodge & below the paperr shop was Williams Sweet shop , I lived back of number 25 unti 1949 but my mom lived ther until the demolition & was moved to Quinton.
Jean.
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No Jean - I remember those shops well. These shops were between Farm Street and Defford Road 9next to the Lucas garages/workshops. They were directly opposite the main entrance/gates to Burbury Park.

If my memory serves me well, the shops you refer to had a courtyard behind them were one of my school friends from Farm Street School lived.

Keith
 
Thanks Kieth I had forgtten that there was a newsagents down therre. I used to pass them on my way to school , St Mary's in Brougham street of Nursery Rd. yes there was yards up the end where we lived which backed on to Burbury St School playground. what was your friends name
Jean
 
bramwell said:
Thanks Kieth I had forgtten that there was a newsagents down therre. I used to pass them on my way to school , St Mary's in Brougham street of Nursery Rd. yes there was yards up the end where we lived which backed on to Burbury St School playground. what was your friends name
Jean
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It was about 1962 - her name was Ann. Her dad had a motor scooter with a sidecar if I remember well? She lived in the corner house on the far right as you entered the yard.
 
Jules65 said:
Hi Pom. Thanks for that map. Funnily enough I have just remembered that my nan said there used to be fields across from Lozells Road which from your map looks like that was the case. She told me that used to walk to Sutton Park through fields to get there! I imagine it would have taken them all day - lol. And I always used to wonder why you would walk through countryside to get to a park?!
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Interesting post because my nan lived in Anglesey street and when we were children she used to walk us all to Sutton park my 2 cousins myself and my brother It took a good part of the day but she did bring us back by bus
 
Hi Forward, The maps and discussion brings back memories of my childhood - the corner shops at the Burbury Street end of Clifford Street in particular, as my mom and dad (Fred and Rene Hooton) run one of them (No. 202 Clifford Street on your map) until I was about 11/12 when we moved. I seem to remember it had a Craven A metal sign over the corner of the door and on the Clifford Street side window we displayed the sweets. I also remember we had a cellar where the coal was chutted down from an outside grating in the street - mom used to store the home made ginger beer she'd made down there - the only place to store it in case it exploded ! First time I've used a forum on the internet and this one is bostin' for really interesting snippets, bringing back memories to pass on to the future generation. Thank you.
 
bramwell said:
Keith are you talking about the paper shop opposite Lucas's just below Bridge st one of the spinsters name was Jessie, above them was a clothes shop Mrs Dodge & below the paperr shop was Williams Sweet shop , I lived back of number 25 unti 1949 but my mom lived ther until the demolition & was moved to Quinton.
Jean.
Click to expand...

Hi Bramwell

Just reading through old posts looking for Dodge's and noticed this post. I don't suppose you remember anything else about this Mrs Dodge? I know my great aunt - Hilda Dodge had a jewellers at 9 Burbury Street. It is a long shot I know but it would great if your memory stretched to any more info.
 
trishwareham said:
Hi Bramwell

Just reading through old posts looking for Dodge's and noticed this post. I don't suppose you remember anything else about this Mrs Dodge? I know my great aunt - Hilda Dodge had a jewellers at 9 Burbury Street. It is a long shot I know but it would great if your memory stretched to any more info.
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My mistake have just spoken to my mom and she confirms that that would be Auntie Hilda's shop. She did sell clothes. The jewellery bit came in because she had worked for a jeweller before opening the shop.

Trish
 
trishwareham said:
My mistake have just spoken to my mom and she confirms that that would be Auntie Hilda's shop. She did sell clothes. The jewellery bit came in because she had worked for a jeweller before opening the shop.

Trish
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Yes Trish I rememberyour Aunie Hilda she was avery nice helpful person , she was the only one who had a phone in our end of Burbury St, & I ised to ask her to give my mom messages if I was going to be late home etc. Her husband was a lorry driver & I think they had one daughter.

Jean.
 
bramwell said:
Yes Trish I rememberyour Aunie Hilda she was avery nice helpful person , she was the only one who had a phone in our end of Burbury St, & I ised to ask her to give my mom messages if I was going to be late home etc. Her husband was a lorry driver & I think they had one daughter.

Jean.
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Thanks for that Jean. I never knew Auntie Hilda, but I have recently got to know and eventually meet her daughter.

Both Uncle and my grandfather were motor mechanics. In later years they had a garage in Finch Road Lozells. The number is listed in the phone book up until 1960. Uncle died in 1966. My grandfather had died in 1952. As I understand it from my mom they had both worked in a garage at Six Ways Aston before that. They also had a taxi when they had their own business, so of course Uncle could also have had a truck at some stage. I will contact Jeanette about that.

Mom married a Canadian soldier during the war and went to Canada in 1946, I came to England in 1968 for an extended holiday and now live in Birmingham. I speak to mom once a week, so it will be next Saturday before I can ask her about it. She is 93 but has a brilliant memory - lucky for me and my research.

Thanks again Trish
 
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