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Soho Hill
- Thread starter Astoness
- Start date
Jayell
master brummie
Lyn, as you know I lived very near the Beehive Pub in Soho Avenue when I was growing up, and it was my Dad's local. He was a regular long before your photo and Rusty Lee's Restaurant, and it would have been the late 1940's/early 1950's when he used it. There is a current forum member whose parents were the landlords at that time. At the side of the pub #86 through the large doors on the left was a court of houses with a brewhouse at the end which led through to Terrace Road which was a short cut to the middle of Villa Road.
The row of shops towards the Villa Road corner #87 were comprised of a cafe on the corner, the Dick Pearce's Newsagents, an off license run by two elderly ladies (names which I can't remember), then there was a grocery shop run by a Mrs Babbington (again its a long time ago and I might have the name wrong), and the last shop before the factory was Hills Greengrocers. As a little girl I used to run errands to all these shops, and even did a Saturday job in the Newsagents - Dick Pearce was my Dad's best friend.
The Denbro factory (photo posted by Carolina) was Dennison's Watch Case Co. and I went to school immediately opposite - Soho College - which was a house very similar to the first two houses in #79. I have a photo of the school somewhere. If I can find it I will post it.
Mist's Garage was there when I was little.
I love seeing these photos.
Judy
The row of shops towards the Villa Road corner #87 were comprised of a cafe on the corner, the Dick Pearce's Newsagents, an off license run by two elderly ladies (names which I can't remember), then there was a grocery shop run by a Mrs Babbington (again its a long time ago and I might have the name wrong), and the last shop before the factory was Hills Greengrocers. As a little girl I used to run errands to all these shops, and even did a Saturday job in the Newsagents - Dick Pearce was my Dad's best friend.
The Denbro factory (photo posted by Carolina) was Dennison's Watch Case Co. and I went to school immediately opposite - Soho College - which was a house very similar to the first two houses in #79. I have a photo of the school somewhere. If I can find it I will post it.
Mist's Garage was there when I was little.
I love seeing these photos.
Judy
thanks mike...judy was the college on the corner with soho avenue if so its still there and looking rather splendid..if you go back to post 79 and look at pic 2..the buiding on the left is your college..it clearly says no 127 on the pillar outside..
lyn
lyn
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Jayell
master brummie
Thanks for the number of the College Mike, and so letting me know that Lyn's photo showed Soho College.
Lyn - that is so strange! I was going to reply earlier that the house pictured was my old school, and then I was unsure. Looking at it again I can see that it definitely is the same building. It was a mostly all girls school, and we used to enter through the garage doors on the left of the building where there were lockers and pegs for your coats. I cannot find my photo of the house, but I have seen a photo online that shows it in its better days. It was a private school and the headmistress was Dorothy Courbet who lived in the property. Her study was the bay fronted window on the ground floor to the left of the front door. The bay fronted window nearest to the garage was my classroom when I was about 10 years old. Miss Newbury was my teacher. The room looked out on Dennisons Watch Case Co. I remember sitting in there one winter's afternoon watching the snow come down thicker and thicker and couldn't wait for school to finish so that I could get out and play. Isn't it funny the things that stay in your memory? There was no room for our PT classes and we used to march in a crocodile down to Wretham Road to the church hall at the bottom for this once a week.
Miss Courbet invited several of us girls to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on her television set (a 12" one!!!) as no one else in the school had a television in those days.
You have brought back so many memories with your recent photos Lyn.
Judy
Lyn - that is so strange! I was going to reply earlier that the house pictured was my old school, and then I was unsure. Looking at it again I can see that it definitely is the same building. It was a mostly all girls school, and we used to enter through the garage doors on the left of the building where there were lockers and pegs for your coats. I cannot find my photo of the house, but I have seen a photo online that shows it in its better days. It was a private school and the headmistress was Dorothy Courbet who lived in the property. Her study was the bay fronted window on the ground floor to the left of the front door. The bay fronted window nearest to the garage was my classroom when I was about 10 years old. Miss Newbury was my teacher. The room looked out on Dennisons Watch Case Co. I remember sitting in there one winter's afternoon watching the snow come down thicker and thicker and couldn't wait for school to finish so that I could get out and play. Isn't it funny the things that stay in your memory? There was no room for our PT classes and we used to march in a crocodile down to Wretham Road to the church hall at the bottom for this once a week.
Miss Courbet invited several of us girls to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on her television set (a 12" one!!!) as no one else in the school had a television in those days.
You have brought back so many memories with your recent photos Lyn.
Judy
what clear memories you have of your college judy and thanks for sharing them with us..must say i am the same with my senior school..i could draw you a map of the inside of it and what you said about the head letting you watch the coronation on tv bought to mind that our pe teacher miss wood had a tv bought into our class so that we could watch ann jones win wimbledon..happy days indeed and thanks for the photo..next time i am down that way i will take an up to date one now that i know where it is lyn
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ok judy...i am kind of over that way tomorrow so i will try and get it then for you..
lyn x
W
Wendy
Guest
Great photo's Lynn. These may be of great help to Brian George at the Pen Room. He has been trying to find a photo of 61 Soho Hill also known as Watt Place. This was the home of famous pen maker John Sheldon.
I will have to look at them on Michael's computer as I can't open thumbnails on mine. I can't post any pictures either, I need to get my computer looked at!!
I will have to look at them on Michael's computer as I can't open thumbnails on mine. I can't post any pictures either, I need to get my computer looked at!!
wend post 80 pic 2 we think shows no 61...mike has been doing some research on that photo for me to try and find out the numbering and going by the curvature of the steps and consulting the maps we both agree that his findings are correct...here is mike map showing nos 63 to 77 if you look at the photo i think no 61 would be the lighter coloured building there is a car outside it...will ask mike to see if he can confirm this...brian is most welcome to the photo
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hi phil i think you are right...lampost is the same expect for the globe on top which can change over the years..would say your pic was about 1920s and mine was taken in the 50s...i think yours shows the roebuck pub on the right with the junction of hamstead road..very similar shot to this one expect yours is a longer shot showing the houses on the left and the spired building on the right i think could be soho hill chapel..
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Wendy
Guest
Wow he will be thrilled. I will email the info to him Thank you both. What a team 
happy to help wend and just for clarification those houses are just before the richmond road junction...it great to see some of the lower end of soho hill...my dads aunt was at no 62 in the late 30s...like i always say they are out there somewhere if you look hard enough...
lyn
lyn
W
Wendy
Guest
I have managed to forward the photo's and info to Brian George he is really pleased. He has done some research himself but said the photo's were great. He will be at the History Fair at Trefoil House on Sunday. He asked me to thank all who helped with this especially Mike and Lyn.
Great photo Lyn. Not much left of those shops. The photo would be pre-1912 as there's no sign of the Electro Plate Works (built 1912) further down the Hill. Notice the man balancing above the shop front. His step ladders are too short so he must have climbed out from one of the windows. The corner shop is burnt out now- well it was on Streetview.
Judy, it's the junction of Hamstead Road, Wretham Road and Soho Hill. Used to frequently pass this on the 29a/29 bus. Viv.
Judy, it's the junction of Hamstead Road, Wretham Road and Soho Hill. Used to frequently pass this on the 29a/29 bus. Viv.
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Jayell
master brummie
I wondered whether it was that junction Viv, but as I couldn't see Wretham Road I thought the photo might be taken from further down Soho Hill. As a schoolgirl, we used to do our PE lessons in St Francis' Hall in Wretham Road and I remember it being close to the corner of Hamstead Road, and I couldn't see this road in Lyn's photo.
Judy
Judy
hi judy yes viv is right i had already figured out the extact location before posting the photo..i am down that way quite often..
the shop on the left corner saying southall pure is on the corner of wretham road and hamstead road and is at the moment undergoing restoration as it has been in sorry state for years now..all the houses you see in wretham road are still there including the mission hall which is now being used a some sort of warehouse..the two men standing with the dog are outside the roebuck pub (still there) which is on the corner of soho hill and hamstead road...everything from the shop on the right corner down has long gone including the soho hill congregational chapel which was replaced new housing although they did retain the pillars to the entrance of the church which are now the entrance to the new housing block..
the shop on the left corner saying southall pure is on the corner of wretham road and hamstead road and is at the moment undergoing restoration as it has been in sorry state for years now..all the houses you see in wretham road are still there including the mission hall which is now being used a some sort of warehouse..the two men standing with the dog are outside the roebuck pub (still there) which is on the corner of soho hill and hamstead road...everything from the shop on the right corner down has long gone including the soho hill congregational chapel which was replaced new housing although they did retain the pillars to the entrance of the church which are now the entrance to the new housing block..
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Blimey Lyn those two men with the dog are still there! Probably debating who's paying for the next round of drinks. Viv.
lol viv..i shall be going down that way again on weds will take an up to date photo...not sure if this pic is already on but just in case its of the congregational chapel soho hill...note the pillars to the entrance which as i say have been retained in situ to the entrance of the new housing block..nice touch.. just a shame the church is not there as well..
lyn
lyn
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