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Summer Lane

Astoness

Astoness

TRUE BRUMMIE MODERATOR
Staff member
hi all. just been given a lovely photo so i thought i would share it with you. it was taken in 1930 and the caption is the unity club. now i know that the unity club is now in new summer st and has been for some years but originally it was i am told on the corner of new summer st and summer lane. so i reckon that the street on the right is indeed new summer st and the tall building is the unity club. what facinates me is the large prossession going up summer lane. the person who holds the original has no idea what it was. maybe a lord mayors prossession or a funeral?? has anyone any ideas.

wales.summer lane .the unity club 1930.jpg
 
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rupert. its a working mens club and yes its still in exstance. my dad and brother play dominos for them. thanks john

wales.
 
Hello Wales,

Don't think it's a funeral, because I think the horses would be decked out with black plumes and so forth. Don't think it's the Lord Mayor's procession, either. I wonder if it might have been something like a Trades procession, something to do with celebrating all the various trades in and around Summer Lane? I have to say it looks earlier than 1930 to me, too.
Great piece of Brum history, though.

Big Gee
 
hi big gee. maybe we will never know exactly what the prossession was in aid of but like you say a solid piece of brum history.

wales.
 
"You can see the palm trees swaying, down old Summer Lane.
"Every Saturday there's jubilation, they'm bustin' all the winders at The Salutation!
"There ain't no snow in Snow 'Ill, it's too late to catch a train.
"And when it's winter-time in the Argentine, it's summer down Summer Lane!"

Anyone else remember this old ditty? Are there any more verses?

Big Gee
 
wicked john. thanks for that photo. i havnt seen it before. still trying to work out what the prossession may have been. looks very grand to me.

wales.
 
the hearse as wreaths on the top and all the others are coaches also it looks like there is some think in the back of the hearse there was a funeral directors further down the lane, Harman and sons on the corner of Brass Street if it was a show parade would not be out side the address
 
john i thought i could see what looked like wreaths on the top of the coach. so you reckon it was a funeral prossession then.

wales.
 
Yes Big Gee there are more verses i think i saw them on the Aston website check it out,and let me know

Mau-reece
 
heres a thought. it may have been the funeral of a long serving member of the unity and the prossession stopped outside the club as a mark of respect.

wales.
 
Yes Big Gee its on the website titled The Summer Lane Kid when you get onto the site (CLICK) on the words my other site and there is all the verses Let me know how you get on

Mau-reece
 
Mau-reece,

Yes, found it - thanks! Words rather different to the version I know, though!

I lived in The Broadway, Perry Barr, but had a lot of mates in and around Summer Lane/Alma Street. There was something about that area that kind of 'got' me... When I was older, my dad once suggested that I have a half-pint in every pub from The Salutation right up to Six Ways, and I have to confess I didn't get very far! My mother was outraged!

Regards,

Big Gee
 
We used to sing it while tapping coins on the pub tables,i must admit we never sang all the verses because we never knew them all

Mau-reece
 
very interesting views of Summer Lane, I used to go to The Birmingham Settlement in Summer lane used to do dancing shows there with the Lawley school of dance and then went to the youth club there, bopping the night away. memories bless em
Gladi
 
hi john. ive got that book and as you say it makes interesting reading and the photos are marvelous.

lyn
 
Its definitely a funeral and an expensive one judging by the number of mourners following the hearse. Len.
 
hi len. yes i agree it was some funeral. i was talking to dad earlier and he well remembers the original unity club on the corner of summer lane and new summer st. as i posted ealier dad stills plays doms for the unity which is now half way up new summer st.

wales.
 
It is, in my opinion not a notable funeral but one which would have been of it's time.
No cars or very few. and if you notice there are six pall bearer's three each side which is usual for a funeral. also people did turn out for someones demise in those days because they cared..Cat
 
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Used to work bang opposite the unity club (Ratcliff (Metals) believe the company was taken over by ICI. Worked facing the club for years and thought it looked a bit of a dump then one day went inside to a party and realised that the proverbial saying you can't judge a book by its cover was right, a warm welcome and pleasant surroundings. circa 1958 those were the days my friend.
 
re.summer lane,I wonder if anybody can clear up this question which has puzzled me for a while.I see summer lane is referred to as being in hockley,but I spent many years living in summer lane,and it was always known as summer lane,aston,b 19.Why would I know it as being aston? Can anybody enlighten me? Great site,by the way,cheers,Mal.
 
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