what they actualy done phil was move it from the bottom of monument road end
which was originaly postioined about one hundred yards from the main springhill junction traffic lights
coming up from warstone lane, ickneild street springhill through the lights passing bulpitts
and the midland bank right on the corner, estimated about one hundred yards from the bank
which was tthe beginning of monument road and it was postioned out side a long batch of the large houses
with lomg front gardens to reach there front door and they had two or three front door steps to enter there house
and the particular house directl out side with the bundy clock postioned right on the kerb outside mr Bates house
along with his neibours houses, yes it was in the fiftys, and the traffic was hectic morning day and night
7 days aweek every week end there was always an serious accident, and always a bottle neck for traffic moving
when the bus was at the bundy clock awaiting its time especialy at tea times when the workers was coming home
from bulpitts and the hockley quarter of factorys and to make it worse there was a little garade with a in and out exit
so when the guys fill up and traffic coming down from the ivy bush waydown to springhill
these cars could not get off the forecourt hence the botle neck both ways
causing traffic problems and yes noise engines from cars stuck around the bus plus the bus engine running at a stand still
and leaving oil on the road plus the surrounding work force all coming out to gether awaiting for a bus to come
the ques was reaching far back as the bank on the corner of springhill midland bank
andmor often than nt the unlucky ones had to await more busses to come before they could aboard the bus to get them home
in those days the eight bus was horrendous if you got one you bet had jump on it other wise an half an hour or two before there was more often than four would come to gether after that any one would come around would always state one of the other Hckley brook onlt terminus or Highgate depot terminus it was a terible service to use
there was no bench out side mr bates house he was abit of a toff he could have worked for the council he was most definatley
an office worker with his brief case and brolly there was very people in that quarter whom was office workers beleive me
it was then they moved the clock up to the bridge on monument road but no bench emediately
and it was place by the kerb it must have been 12 months later the bench appeared also close to the kerb
which caused abit of a problem for people running or trying to get on and off the bus
because the bus drivers always seem to stop in line with the clock causing obstruction and when the bench came bigger problenms
as kids was started to stand on the bench by the wall trying to climb up on the wall bus drivers had to stop the kids clambing up on to
the bridgre walls then came the restoration of the cannal entrance next to the urinals
so they put a silly green gate flimsey one that never lasted long either then they decided to change and strenen the bridge changed the brick work and built it up and extented the wall then the estates was built so they put a streel stair case down from the bridge
and put a big brown gate by the unrinals whilst the pub was there then the slum clearence and now that entrance
is an open plan walk down ramp and the made it steeper and wider to what it was oringinal
regarding the bridge bundy we used to wait for the drivers to come and clock in as kids and asked him to print the number on the backs of our hands as the ink from his key would be wet
and in those years down by that ramp at the bottom it as taken several kids lifes
i myself have dragged out a little kid aged aged eight they was my friends litte brothers and the same little kid i have save his life
twice as a nipper and that was the old bona railway that runs up through sufferfield park to harborne
so i know about the bundy clock
outside mr bates house facing was a little garage on high ground it had two little pumps one for petrol
and one for parafin walking back up monument road next to the garage was a little wood yard
where the bloke from kingedwards road and where i lived on the corner rented it
and it was right next to the big dance hall the palsi bulpitts old building it later became
and there is a book with a picture of me as a niper standing there when the bloke whom took the picture fro across the road om mr bates side of the road his daughter went to steward stret as i also recall her name was barbara
best wishe and happy new year to you all Astonian,,,,,,,
