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Stratford Road

My Mom and Dad met at a dance at The College Arms on Christmas Eve 1934 and married at English Martyrs Church in August 1935. I was born at my Grandmothers house at 332 Percy Road Sparkhill in July 1936. My Dad usually drank at The College Arms or The Bear and when I got married in 1957 my husband used to meet with my Dad at The College every Saturday night in the bar after he had played rugby at the Old Yardleians. Now (apart from Covid) almost a century later this is a favourite drinking spot for my Grandson.
 
Aww that is so lovely . The bear closed down a few years ago didn’t it aswell and the collage arms does seem to be popular as a local pub
 
PatHayward said:
My Mom and Dad met at a dance at The College Arms on Christmas Eve 1934 and married at English Martyrs Church in August 1935. I was born at my Grandmothers house at 332 Percy Road Sparkhill in July 1936. My Dad usually drank at The College Arms or The Bear and when I got married in 1957 my husband used to meet with my Dad at The College every Saturday night in the bar after he had played rugby at the Old Yardleians. Now (apart from Covid) almost a century later this is a favourite drinking spot for my Grandson.
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Pat, a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing...........
 
StevenMc said:
Wonderful photo. I'm trying to work out exactly where this is on the Stratford Road this is? Is it looking towards Birmingham just after for Highgate and Walford Road, and the road off to the left is Stoney Lane (long closed off )? Please feel free to correct me.
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I think its further out of the city, past Mermaid and up the hill
I reckon the road on the left is Showell Green Lane, and the church on the right is St.Johns Church, which was at the top of St. Johns Road
 
RobT said:
I think its further out of the city, past Mermaid and up the hill
I reckon the road on the left is Showell Green Lane, and the church on the right is St.Johns Church, which was at the top of St. Johns Road
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Thanks. As Viv states, it looks about right. For the first seven years of my life we lived in Castleford Road which is just behind where the photo was taken between 1961 and 1968 so I should have recognised it though, at that age, you don't tend to look at the buildings. I do remember being taken to the end of the road to see Father Christmas making his journey into Lewis' in Birmingham. I recall we queued for a couple of hours to see him. I've got a photo somewhere which I will dig out and post.
 
The redstone building on the right (modern photograph) with sharp triangular roof and ball on top, seems to have been there in 1907. I wonder what it was used for? Stratford Road at that location was certainly at the top of a hill. Up from just opposite Formans Road, flattening off at the Baker Street bus stop and then descending (going into town) towards the Mermaid. There was a Burtons on the right, at the Baker Street corner and a Woolworths on the left, just beyond Ivor Road. Dave.
 
Do you mean this building? If so it is simply listed as a shop in 1900 Kelly's directory. I suspect it was just the centre point in a row of Victorian shops.
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pjmburns said:
Do you mean this building? If so it is simply listed as a shop in 1900 Kelly's directory. I suspect it was just the centre point in a row of Victorian shops.
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In those days they sure knew how to put up beautiful buildings with exquisite details such as this. Why do all new buildings, probably since the 1950s, look like so utterly dreadful? This is not what is taught at architectural schools.
I know that the sort of details shown here is more expensive and requires skilled bricklayers, but can anyone imagine the sort of houses and shops built in recent years being admired in another 100 years?
 
I think it all boils down to price, Steven. How quickly can it be erected, and speed is what saves money. All I can add is that you get what you pay for. For example, it is far quicker and cheaper to pour concrete than it is to employ stonemasons, if you can find any.

Maurice :cool:
 
Stratford Road in 1964 with Stoney Lane on the left and the tower of St Agatha's Church also visible above the shops on the left. The picture is in another thread and one of the lads in the photo is a forum member ... see his comments under the image ...
CoolColourised_StratfordRd_1964.jpg
This is me and my brothers after school by the candy box on the Stratford Road, we used to live on Stoney lane. Brilliant photo colours are so real brings back memories, looks like we have new jackets on.
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the image colours were added by me in another thread ...
 
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caggyken said:
On a journey from Camp Hill to Hall Green in the 40s if i remember correct these are some of the places you would have passed, there would have been a lot more so i leave them to others. The cafe the bus crews filled thier Billy cans, i think it was called Jones,s???.Vale on Slow with the Black Horse pub on the other corner of Kyotts Lake Rd. Smiths coaches, i can not remember the school opposite. The Angel pub, very popular with the Irish people, many a good scrap there. Stratford RD school, also a good place on Rock and Roll night should you want a fight. Merrick and Heath ,plumbers merchants. At Stoney Lane there was Greens record shop, Dyson Richards funeral directors, Bata shoe shop, Foster Brothers and Gould the tailors opposite the Piccadilly. Up the hill you had The Mermaid ,Shirley and David the hair dressers, and Wrights cake shop. There was Sparkhill Methodist church Sparkhill Commercal school, Woolworths , Essex ironmongers, Westwoods greengrocers,Burtons with the snooker and dance rooms above,The Salvation Army citidal, the Bear pub, Parish and Millard furnishers, and Atwells the grocers, we were rationed there for our groceries in the war.Farther down were English Marters school the baths and St Johns school. Opposite the school there was a medical supply shop and a fish shop. At the bottom of the hill was the park ,the Bear pub, Levins furniture shop , Greens the record shop and across the road was McGaulies cycle shop. Darrells the decorators shop was on the corner of Formans Rd and Poultons the greengrocers on the corner of Oakwood Rd.Further along was Holtoms bread shop and om the other side was a shop that sold items for the garden and pet supplies. the only others i can remember then untill we get to C, the barracks ,ollege Rd School are the post office the school clinic and the Springfield cinama reopened after the bombing in the war.We are now at the College Arms pub after passing the methodist church. Up the hill to the Rialto and Eric Willmots and the Co- Op dairy the barracks the Three Horse Shoes pub and Priory Cycles shop. Further along was the Brittanic Assurence offices and the Bulls Head pub. The last place i can remember from the old times was the Robin Hood Cinama. I know that there were more from the 40s that i have missed , please try and name the ones i have missed.
Ken
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From 1943-1950, I lived at 1004 Stratford Road (just before the bungalows built on a hill, over what was once an air raid shelter ) on Greet Hill - just above the College Arms Pub. My bedroom looked out onto the pub bowling green, over a wall at the end of our garden. This made going to bed early on light summer evenings more interesting to me and my brother and sister!
Next door was a cafe, where bus drivers stopped to get their tea. It was called Vincents, and we got our weekly sweet ration there. Our house was once a shop, though not while we were there. Other shops in the row included a men's hairdressers called Jilks. There was also one run by a Mrs Braun, and, at the end of the row, next to the bungalows, a garage called Clifford Duck.We were very friendly with them, and with all our neighbours.
Across the Stratford Road, a little further down, and opposite the College Arms, was a row of shops, including one called Axons (I think). We used to buy 1p and 2p ice lollies there is the summers which were always hot! In the window of the shop was a nodding bird which dipped its beak in and out of water. This was great favourite with us.

In 1950 we moved to School Road, Hall Green and the memories continue!I
 
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Hi Elf9,

I was living at 215 Knowle Road from 1941 to 1950, though I can't say I remember other than the College Arms from so long ago and I rarely ever walked beyond the College Arms,except occasionally to the Rialto. But thanks for recording your memories.

Maurice :cool:
 
Elf9 said:
From 1943-1950, I lived at 1004 Stratford Road (just before the bungalows built on a hill, over what was once an air raid shelter ) on Greet Hill - just above the College Arms Pub. My bedroom looked out onto the pub bowling green, over a wall at the end of our garden. This made going to bed early on light summer evenings more interesting to me and my brother and sister!
Next door was a cafe, where bus drivers stopped to get their tea. It was called Vincents, and we got our weekly sweet ration there. Our house was once a shop, though not while we were there. Other shops in the row included a men's hairdressers called Jilks. There was also one run by a Mrs Braun, and, at the end of the row, next to the bungalows, a garage called Clifford Duck.We were very friendly with them, and with all our neighbours.
Across the Stratford Road, a little further down, and opposite the College Arms, was a row of shops, including one called Axons (I think). We used to buy 1p and 2p ice lollies there is the summers which were always hot! In the window of the shop was a nodding bird which dipped its beak in and out of water. This was great favourite with us.

In 1950 we moved to School Road, Hall Green and the memories continue!I
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I remember Ducks Garage well - Clifford Duck had three children Sylvia - Peter and
Christine and I went to York aroad School with them and Sylvia was my best friend there.
At 11yrs we went to College Rd for a year and then I went to King Edwards Grammar School at Handsworth and Sylvia went to Lawrences College in the centre of Birmingham.
 
Radiorails said:
My recollections, such as they are, relate to the ten year period 1944 until 1954. They are from the eyes of what was, at the time, a young boy so the memories are only of prominent or noteable places. They are not strictly in any relevant order of travel.

From Camp Hill travelling south took you beneath the large railway arch (LMS?). Vale-Onslow motor cycles then followed. Smiths Coaches depot, a used car lot (post 1948?). The whole road to Hall Green was populated by many shops with accommodation above. Some were privately own, other areas had major retailers. Bata (shoes) comes to mind near Stoney Lane. Stoney Lane/Formans Road junction ws a busy place. The Inner Circle 8 route crossed here and the Warstock 24 and 13A routes joined Stratford Road. Bus routes to Acocks Green 44/44A and the 30/31A and 32 ran out from the city as far as The Mermaid then followed the Warwick Road. The 37 route ran up to the city boundary; the 29 left Stratford Road turning into Highfield Road, the 29A had already taken a separate route following Springfield Road. The Midland Red had good services:150/153/154/179 and some others on the Warwick Road. A couple of churches, at least, (mentioned in the Forum), The Mermaid Hotel (already mentioned), Sparkhill Baths, a park adjacent to the baths, Rialto Cinema, Spring Road GWR railway station, the very large Fox Hollies roundabout with Co-Operative shops (BCS).
Being young shops were of passing interest but a bakers, opposite the Mermaid Hotel, is remembered : was it Hardings? It had a distinctive Hovis advert on the wall.
During WW2, but I am not sure how frequent this occurred, vehicles were stopped and bus passengers checked and had to show identity cards to the police at the Robin Hood roundabout when entering the city boundary. Once over the city boundary there was a short run of fields until the Solihull district of Shirley was entered.



I remember queuing, at Christmastide, at a Wine and Spirit shop close to the Robin Hood island. Queuing, was of course, a necessity for most housewives, during those difficult times of shortages.
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PatHayward said:
I remember Ducks Garage well - Clifford Duck had three children Sylvia - Peter and
Christine and I went to York aroad School with them and Sylvia was my best friend there.
At 11yrs we went to College Rd for a year and then I went to King Edwards Grammar School at Handsworth and Sylvia went to Lawrences College in the centre of Birmingham.
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Thanks for this! The Ducks were friends of ours. Christine used to take me and my brother and sister out for walks along Sarehole Road to Swanshurst Park. They were the first people we knew to have a television! Didn't Sylvia die when she was still young? I seem to remember my parents being very sad about it. I went to York Rd school from 1947/8 untl 1955 - with my brother and sister. We continued at the school when we moved to School Road. I went on to KEGS Camp Hill,as did my sister. My brother went to KE Five Ways. We must have quite a few people (and memories!) in common! Do you remember Dinah Lester or her brother Keith?
 
Elf9 said:
Thanks for this! The Ducks were friends of ours. Christine used to take me and my brother and sister out for walks along Sarehole Road to Swanshurst Park. They were the first people we knew to have a television! Didn't Sylvia die when she was still young? I seem to remember my parents being very sad about it. I went to York Rd school from 1947/8 untl 1955 - with my brother and sister. We continued at the school when we moved to School Road. I went on to KEGS Camp Hill,as did my sister. My brother went to KE Five Ways. We must have quite a few people (and memories!) in common! Do you remember Dinah Lester or her brother Keith?
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I don’t remember Dinah but Keith rings a bell! I was at York Rd School from 1941-1947 - it was such a lovely school. The last time I saw Sylvia and her Mother was one afternoon around 1980 outside their garage when Sylvia was there on a visit so sad to hear your news. Do you remember the large detached house next to the bungalows? A boy called Charles lived there and he also went to York Rd School.
 
PatHayward said:
I don’t remember Dinah but Keith rings a bell! I was at York Rd School from 1941-1947 - it was such a lovely school. The last time I saw Sylvia and her Mother was one afternoon around 1980 outside their garage when Sylvia was there on a visit so sad to hear your news. Do you remember the large detached house next to the bungalows? A boy called Charles lived there and he also went to York Rd School.
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I remember the house but not the boy. We are obviously a few years apart in age. It makes a difference at that age, doesn't it? Other older children I remember were neighbours of ours - Roger Moody and two Ranstead boys. Yes, York Road was a lovely school. I was sad to leave! My memories of those days are still pretty sharp considering the time that has elapsed. I remember the first hymns we learned there 'Glad That I live am I' and 'The Morning's Bright with rosy light....', Was Millais' picture 'The Blind Girl' hanging in the Hall, near the door out to the boys' playground when you were there?
 
I have. O recollection of the picture!
Did Pat.Crowther play the piano whilst you were singing your hymns?
Her classroom was next to the hall and Miss Woolcock’s
classroom was on the other side then the reception class with that wonderful Dolls house that you could sit in.
Up a few steps and past Miss Crowders room was Mrs Spetigues class - she was very scary! And then there was the ‘top class’ of Jack Carter. He was a brilliant teacher who’s enthusiasm enabled many of us to get into grammar schools and I will be forever grateful to him. In his year we had our only ever school outing to the Rhayader Dam in Wales - the first outing after the end of WW11
 
Yes Mrs Crowther (as I remember her) with her red hair - played stirring Sousa marches to get us in and out of the halll in the morning. I was never in her class. I jumped into Miss Woolcocks (freckles!). She didn't like me much - preferred my twin brother and sister! Miss Pettigrew (is that right?)became Mrs Harkin(?). Yes she was scary (glasses and dark, curly hair) but I quite liked her - also Mrs Maxon. My favourite was Mr Spencer who must have arrived after Mr Carter. He took the top class and was similarly inspiring!There was also a Mr Grainger (scarred face and thick glasses) and Mr Bellfield (morris dancing!). Mustn't forget the boss - Miss Dunton.
 
Miss Condrey was Head in my early years and she was hateful and because I was left handed she insisted my left hand was tied behind my back.
Miss Dunton came later - the calm after the storm - lovely lady - gentle - wore her grey hair in a bun.
There were school dinners - cooked by the caretakers wife and served in the infants classroom!
.
 
This superb photograph, first shown by Old Mohawk in the Electric Trams thread #510, shows some of the features of the Stratford Road described by Elf9 in #375 of this thread. This photo must have been taken in about 1936 and therefore predates the trio of us who went to York Road School (Pat Hayward, Elf9 and myself). The College Arms is still there and is at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side. Dave.
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What a wonderful picture! I can just see our old house - at least, I think that's the one, just behind at the back of the tram. There were no trams when I lived there - or rails, as far as I recall. Many thanks. BTW FD, I saw 'Merry Andrew' at the Rialto and laughed like a drain - I can't believe you didn't find it amusing!
 
farmerdave said:
This superb photograph, first shown by Old Mohawk in the Electric Trams thread #510, shows some of the features of the Stratford Road described by Elf9 in #375 of this thread. This photo must have been taken in about 1936 and therefore predates the trio of us who went to York Road School (Pat Hayward, Elf9 and myself). The College Arms is still there and is at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side. Dave.
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Elf9 said:
What a wonderful picture! I can just see our old house - at least, I think that's the one, just behind at the back of the tram. There were no trams when I lived there - or rails, as far as I recall. Many thanks. BTW FD, I saw 'Merry Andrew' at the Rialto and laughed like a drain - I can't believe you didn't find it amusing!
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Yes I noticed that. And the bank with the bungalows. I used to walk up one of the steep paths every morning with my mother, on my way to York Road, to call fora friend who lived in one of them . I remember the winter snows when it was necessary to crawl up!
 
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