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Stratford Road

Those bungalows always had a fascination for me and that steep bank of grass leading up to them - they never seemed quite in keeping with the rest of Stratford Road - they had an air of mystery about them.
Most Saturdays the family went to the cinema - perhaps the Rialto or the Robin Hood or even the Springfield or the Piccadilly. There was always a queue for the evening performance and it was mine and my cousin’s job to go and stand in the appropriate queue until the rest of the family got there. After the show my cousin and I would be treated to fish’s chips in the shop in Formans Road and as a treat we ate in the back part of the shop. Then back onto Stratford Road to get the 31/31a bus back to Hall Green.
 
I do agree with you about the bungalows. They were fascinating. One of my York Road friends lived in the second one from the left (I think that was the one). Subsequently, a physics teacher from Camp Hill GS moved there so all in all I got to know it quite well! I believe there was an air raid shelter underneath the grass bank. My mother, I think, sheltered there at times during the war. She blamed the loss of her teeth on something she contracted there - referred to as trench mouth!
In 1950 we moved to School Road, Hall Green. I was a film junkie - haunted the Rialto and Robin Hood cinemas! But I only went once to the Springfield. Wasn't there a bomb site next to it? The Piccadilly was near Camp Hill when it was in Bordesley. later the school moved to Kings Heath. So I swapped the no. 32 bus for the Outer Circle 11.
 
Elf9,

The bombsite was behind the Springfield Dance Hall, now an Asian functions place. I lived at 215 Knowle next to the demolished houses and there's a picture on the Knowle Road thread.

Maurice :cool:
 
Elf9 said:
I do agree with you about the bungalows. They were fascinating. One of my York Road friends lived in the second one from the left (I think that was the one). Subsequently, a physics teacher from Camp Hill GS moved there so all in all I got to know it quite well! I believe there was an air raid shelter underneath the grass bank. My mother, I think, sheltered there at times during the war. She blamed the loss of her teeth on something she contracted there - referred to as trench mouth!
In 1950 we moved to School Road, Hall Green. I was a film junkie - haunted the Rialto and Robin Hood cinemas! But I only went once to the Springfield. Wasn't there a bomb site next to it? The Piccadilly was near Camp Hill when it was in Bordesley. later the school moved to Kings Heath. So I swapped the no. 32 bus for the Outer Circle 11.
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Have you discovered the Camp Hill thread. There are quite a few of us on here!
 
devonjim said:
Have you discovered the Camp Hill thread. There are quite a few of us on here!
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Yes, and it would also be interesting to know what life was like on the other side. The girls school, which Elf9 attended, was separated from the boys by a six-foot wall, barbed wire and land mines! This particularly applied to the Stratford Road site. Things were a bit more relaxed at Kings Heath. They took away the land mines.
 
Dave,

Ha ha! The playing field at Moseley Grammar was separated by one used by Moseley School for Girls by a fence, trees and bushes, but there was always a hole in the fence however many times they patched it up. There was also 3 or 4 yards of "no mans land" in the bushes! No land mines though. :)

Maurice :cool:
 
bobsummers said:
Hi Phil
The Cascade Club on the corner of Showell Green lane & Stratford Road Actually CASCADED in the mid 80's onto the Stratford Road, littery, and is no longer there on that spot, I was to young to go there, Ha Ha!
I'm surprised you haven't posted a photo of the place (see my request for a whiskey a go go Photo)
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A belated reply to #314 which showed a 1987 view of shops on the Stratford Road near the Showell Green Lane junction :

The above post is taken from the "Sparkhill" thread, and probably explains the wrecked state of the rightmost buildings.
Here's an old view of the same row of shops.

Sparkhill Stratford Road 8.jpg
 
I can remember that among the row of shops between Palmerston Road and Walford Road, Sparkbrook were, first, a haberdashery shop (name not remembered), Greens record shop, a picture framing shop, Cotterill's Ironmongers (always wearing a shirt and tie under his grey dustcoat), Dyson Richards Funeral Directors, Roadleys (Prams and pushchairs) and Moss Zissmans men's outfitters. There may have been more but going back to the 60s plays tricks.
Earlier in this thread was mention of a gents outfitters on the other side of Stratford Road almost opposite Palmerston Road. That was Phillip Colliers.
Between Walford Road and Poplar Road was a butchers, John A Bates. I'm reasonably sure they advertised as home slaughtered meat although I'm not sure what that conjures up.
Another shop not previously mentioned was in the row of shops at the top of Sparkhill between Durham Road and Showell Green Lane. It was where all our local knitting ladies obtained their wool and patterns and I think it was called Raines.
I was another one who spent many happy Saturday evenings in the Star Ballroom above Burton's, Sparkhill.
 
Clive F said:
I can remember that among the row of shops between Palmerston Road and Walford Road, Sparkbrook were, first, a haberdashery shop (name not remembered), Greens record shop, a picture framing shop, Cotterill's Ironmongers (always wearing a shirt and tie under his grey dustcoat), Dyson Richards Funeral Directors, Roadleys (Prams and pushchairs) and Moss Zissmans men's outfitters. There may have been more but going back to the 60s plays tricks.
Earlier in this thread was mention of a gents outfitters on the other side of Stratford Road almost opposite Palmerston Road. That was Phillip Colliers.
Between Walford Road and Poplar Road was a butchers, John A Bates. I'm reasonably sure they advertised as home slaughtered meat although I'm not sure what that conjures up.
Another shop not previously mentioned was in the row of shops at the top of Sparkhill between Durham Road and Showell Green Lane. It was where all our local knitting ladies obtained their wool and patterns and I think it was called Raines.
I was another one who spent many happy Saturday evenings in the Star Ballroom above Burton's, Sparkhill.
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Firstly Kellys 1966 showing Palmerston to Walford road (should bring back a few memories), then references to John A Bates, Butchers
dyson.PNGBates John A.PNG

Then references Kellys 1955 to Durham Road to Showell Green Lane
1955 to showell grn lane.PNG1955 from durham rd.PNG
 
That's great RobT. Thanks for the response and the info. I assume that P.H. Rain at 511-513, which is listed as a stationers must have doubled up selling knitting wool and accessories. It's where I remember it; just along from Westwood's greengrocers.
The lists demonstrates our reputation as a nation of shopkeepers. Unfortunately that now seems to be in decline.
 
There is always a bus in the way for views on Stratford Road. The last shop in post #403 is Caspian Pizza which is behind the bus - Walford Road on the far right.
1624802906999.png
 
My grandmother lived in Baker Street right next door to The Antelope, in the 30s, 40s 50's and early 60's. She then moved onto the Stratford Road next to the Bear (pattern here?) then moved back to Baker Street, a few doors down from the pub in the 70's. Her sister, my great aunt, was living next door to The Antelope when my Nan returned to Baker Street. Her other sister used to run The Antelope in the 30's and 40's and my Grandad spent all his time in there behind the bar whilst drinking the profits!
 
Hello AnnieB we lived in Baker Street in the second cottage of the court that had the entrance to St Johns Road just by the grocers shop that had a very noisy parrot. I remember having my third birthday party there and we moved to Allcroft Road on 3rd September 1939 - the day the Second World War started.My Dad was a regular at The Cherry Harbour - TheAntelope and The Bear - especially on Sundays after Mass at The English Martyrs R.C. Church.
 
Looking for a photograph of Dr Redfern and Dr Sill surgery that was opposite the church on Stratford Rd Sparkbrook if anyone cou.d help, would be amazing. My mother used to be the receptionist there and we live over the surgery.
 
Dr Redfern & Dr Sill were our family doctors when i was growing up in the late 50s early 60s , also remember my dad said that he had his medical there when he was called up around 1940 .
Only remember getting the most terrible tasting medicine from there when i was small .
 
LucyAbby said:
Looking for a photograph of Dr Redfern and Dr Sill surgery that was opposite the church on Stratford Rd Sparkbrook if anyone cou.d help, would be amazing. My mother used to be the receptionist there and we live over the surgery.
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Hi Lucy welcome to the forum. This is the best I can find at the moment, the aerial view is from 1946.
 

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Just along from Palmerston Road and almost opposite Stoney Lane before that junction was re-routed. It was a regular Saturday afternoon haunt for us local teenagers. For a few years all of my pocket money disappeared in their till.
 
pjmburns said:
Posting on behalf of member pjw1955

Who remembers Greens Record Shop on Stratford Road, Sparkbrook
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I do remember going with my Mum & Dad to a record shop on the Stratford Road somewhere near the No 8 bus route to buy records when we had our first electric stacking record player. My Dad bought ‘Oh my beloved Daddy/Father’ on a large 78rpm. My first records were ‘Green Door’ by Frankie Vaughan and ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’ by Lonnie Donegan.
 
PatHayward said:
My journey starts at The Antelope on the corner of Baker Street where we lived in the late thirties. We lived in a yard where the front of the house was in Baker Street and and the entry from the yard was in St.Johns Road. Further along the Stratford Road was Evelyn Road and my Dad and I went to Mass at English Martyrs Church. On the opposite side of Stratford Road was Court Road and the Fire Station and next to it was Sparkhill Police Station and then the Library and Swimming Baths then St.Johns Church of England School where Mr.Baker was Headmaster and then there was Sparkhill Park with its ornate flower beds and beautiful lawns and pools and a bandstand. On the opposite corner was Thornhill Road and the Bear Public House which was very popular. At the end of a block of shops was Formans Road and on that corner was the Doctors House which was. Beautiful Victorian house which was covered in Ivy. Just a little further along Stratford Road during the war was The British Restaurant where you could get a very decent meal for a few pence - I think it was a shilling. After the large array of shops already mentioned previously we came to Springfield School Clinic where Mr Cliff Baker ( son of the headmaster of St.Johns School) was the Dentist there. Further along and over the bridge was The College Arms Public House and the road forked there to Shaftsmoor Lane and off that was Allcroft Road where we moved to the day before war was declared.
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Very interesting, I remember most of those places growing up in the 60’s. Went to Dr Percy at the Doctors house, it was a lovely building but it was knocked down and replaced by a carpet shop or something like that. My sister and I often went to that restaurant to have sausage, egg and chips while Mom was busy in the wool shop in Formans road.
 
Tinpot said:
I do remember going with my Mum & Dad to a record shop on the Stratford Road somewhere near the No 8 bus route to buy records when we had our first electric stacking record player. My Dad bought ‘Oh my beloved Daddy/Father’ on a large 78rpm. My first records were ‘Green Door’ by Frankie Vaughan and ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’ by Lonnie Donegan.
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My sister and I used to buy all our records there, especially the beetles! It was the 60’s and the best music.
 
farmerdave said:
Thanks Mikejee, Phil and History-Fan for further information on Eric Willmont's shop. It looks as if the shop was there for a very long time. I believe that Eric ran the shop for many, many years but it was eventually run by a son of his. I bought my rugby gear from there for Camp Hill GS, and also remember buying a foil (fencing sword) as I had dreams of being good at fencing. As Phil mentions, on the other side of Cubley Road was the Co-op Dairy. Certainly in the late 1940s there was a stable there for the horse-pulled milk vehicles. Dave.
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I worked there as a Saturday boy, probably around 1969-70, for around 6 weeks - the first week, Mrs. Willmont asked me to reorganise the shoe storeroom - which was as you might imagine, huge - shelves and shelves of trainers, football, rugby, cricket boots, pumps, tennis shoes, you name it, all completely disorganised. It was a tip, and she had the temerity to moan at me for not doing a good job - she needed a team to do it really, not just the Saturday boy on his first day. Eric was lovely, real old school, but I also remember his son who took it over had the same patience as his mother.
I bought an archery bow & arrows for my last year at Camp Hill, a small group of us did archery as an option, and later on I bought Stuburt trainers from there, and had my badminton rackets strung there. No discounts though.
I can still remember the smell of the shop, it must have been a gold mine, as I can remember no other sports shop in the area - tennis was Eric's game, and I thnkk that was how he started, selling tennis gear.
 
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