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Sutton Parade

Wendy if your brother is 67 this year we had to be in the same class as i,ve mentioned before i lived with my cousin who was i week younger than me so also in the same class i also went to Ryland Bedford but only for 18 months my best friend was Clifford Glover my cousins name was Graham Mc.Nicholl.Dek
 
dek carr said:
Wendy if your brother is 67 this year we had to be in the same class as i,ve mentioned before i lived with my cousin who was i week younger than me so also in the same class i also went to Ryland Bedford but only for 18 months my best friend was Clifford Glover my cousins name was Graham Mc.Nicholl.Dek
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any one remeber Pamela Benton at Ryland Bedford School late 1950s?
 
I spent many happy hours in Sutton Library on the same side as Gill's , The Seven Hour Cleaners on the oposite side, the back row of the Empress and the Odeon, dancing at Maney Hall and on the right hand side going up Sutton Hill towards Four Oaks there was a high up wood working school run by Pemmy, Mr Pemberton whose fame has spread across the world. Many's the men I've met in Ozz went to his classes and the stories are legendary about flying lumps of wood and bits of chalk. Great man was our Pemmy. Kind Regards, David.
 
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I am sure several members will know this is Holy Trinity Church. The old cottages were demolished in 1937.
 
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Sutton Parade.
I do not have a date for the first picture but it is obviously later than the second one which is dated 1865.
 
Oh such lovely memories Stitcher the first photo of the Parade is just how I remember it growing up. The shops on the left were magical one in particular sold sewing products I would spend hours in there looking at all the wonderful cottons braids and buttons...lovely memories.
 
HI GUYS
Speaking of sutton parade and the area came back to me with memos
i was wondering whether or not is ST Georges barracks is still there serving activity to the forces many years ago went there ;
along with wittington barracks wich was a wicked assault course and beleive me it was a tough one we shared it with the tank regiment
i myself in the waricks 1 st battlion my long time schol friend and neibour was in the tank cor ; taking after his father sammy gaskin
when he left the forces he was a top commisioner at a big company ;some where still wearing a uniform with stripes '
i wonder if my dear old friend colin is still about or as he passed away ;if any body knows of his whee abouts i would surely love to know ;
best wishes astonian
 
My childhood in Sutton was wonderful Stitcher. Many happy memories with my family especially my Dad who I didn't have for long. Thank you.
 
As a child in the late 50s / early 60s, shopping always meant a Saturday trip to Sutton Parade. We'd park behind the shops, which is now the basement of the Gracechurch Centre, or the other side, where many houses were demolished, and is now Halfords, etc., We'd walk up and down, going to Chamberlains, the Co-Op, Marsh & Baxters, FHW for shoes, and if very lucky ... KUNZLES ! for those "Showboat" cakes, chocolate filling in chocolate cases......... then, Gills for a 1s 9d Airfix kit to build on Sunday. Later, when I was 11, it was Hicks for my BVGS kit. Saturdays from 1965 on was into Coombes Sweet shop then fight your way into the queue for the ABC (Empress) for the ABC Minors, 9d downstairs 1s 3d upstairs. Often I'd go up to Molly Badhams to watch the chipmunks in the window, or go next door to see Harry Dyer in the 'Forge' Motorcycle shop repairing all sort of machines.
By 1968 on, I was watching the destruction of the old Parade and the building of the Gracechurch Centre. Over the next 2 decades I saw most of what I knew as Sutton disappear. We still went in each Saturday, mostly to the Indoor Market and Dodds Ironmongers, WH Smiths, Sainsburys and various Charity Shops. Unfortunately, the economy, type of shops and high rents has virtually ruined Sutton as a shopping centre nowadays. In fact, Maney and the High St have very few 'shops' now, most properties are Restaurants or Estate Agents.
 
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Oh Pete your memories are much the same as mine, only being a girl I went to Gill's for dolls dresses etc and loved their farm animals. As most on here we all yearned for Kunzel's showboats. I went to the Empress and Coombes sweet shop! I had forgotten about Molly's to watch the chipmunks. I have been amazed years later to actually go into her home in Hints. Tell me was the Forge up by Maney Hill I have recollections of that as well. There was a lovely boutique up in the shops there by the Horse and Jockey. I loved to go into Frosts which was a chemist but also sold records. They had booths we could go and listen to the records in. Sadly the way it is now is a sign of the times most towns are like this....great memories though thanks.
 
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I can remember Frosts too Wendy, nan used to have her films developed there!
Don't really remember the Parade before Gracechurch, but was only 7 when they started building it.
Used to love the library and the market, but best of all, the chippy in a nissen hut type building on Queen Street - used to queue the length of the hut and there were nearly always factory workers in there, can't remember the name of the factory either (mom will!!), on the corner of Queen street and Holland Road/Upper Holland road, nan lived opposite the junction. the house is still there with a bright red door now, often wonder what it is like inside and what the garden is like now!
Sue
 
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Pete "thanks for the memory" That was a time when you could be proud of SUTTON COLDFIELD as a ROYAL TOWN.I now find that Sutton is still in decline which has been the case ever since Birmingham took away out Royal indpendance.I for one would love to see Sutton run by the folks who live in Sutton ;o))
 
I can remember my Dad being very proud of his badges for entry to Sutton Park. He had a company car which was a Morris Cowley, he had it for 10 years. The badges were in a line like soldiers stuck on the windscreen. He was proud of his Aston roots but loved Sutton Coldfield I think he would be disappointed now. I agree with you Baron.
 
Hi Wendy. I too went to Hints, and was there for the 'Chimps Tea Party'. I remember being envious of them as they had the latest Tri-ang and Leeways Play equipment. Red & Blue tubular steel slides, swings, see-saws and roundabouts, this was in the 60's I think, anyhow I was small, 5 or 6 possibly.
The Forge was a small engineering works set up in the Arches off Trinity Hill, Riland road area, just below the 'old' Railway Station. Harry Dyer and his brother opened up a small motorcycle shop next to Molly Badhams in the dead end road that runs off by the pub, (is it the Gate?) now at the end of Brassington Ave. When the Gracechurch Monstrosity took over, they moved to Walmley, where 'Jeffs Useful Shop' now is. Most of the "Cowsheds" lot used their services from time to time. (apart from 'Mad Dave' Anderton, who wasn't into bikes, he was just WIERD !). They retired in the early 80's.
Frosts was a 'Teenagers Shop' , and I probably saw you in there, but you would have been possibly 12 or 13 and pretty - enough to scare me ! We went into the lower area for normal Chemists things, but up the three steps onto the higher section, then turn left, along, and down some steps, you had the Listening booths, with their brown pegboard walls and aluminium strip edging. Records in their bright sleeves would be on the wall, alongside posters of the Beatles, etc., and teenagers, (mostly girls) would be standing there, swaying gently as they listened in headphones to the latest hits. Like I said, scary - they were big people !
I feel that Sutton is a victim of its own greed and lack of foresight. Where are the Food shops ? Where are the Market facilities for Pensioners & poorer folk ? Why do the Shops have to be so BIG ? My Granny never liked the place, even the Flower lady, Big friends with my Nan, felt it oppressive. Look at Tamworth, despite problem architecture, it still has choice, despite the effect of Ventura.
 
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Sue - Concentric Pumps at one stage. Main building on the Tyburn Rd just short of the Expressway, then in the 80's moved opposite the Tyburn Pub.
 
Cricky Pete you have an amazing memory. I went straight back to Frosts from your discription.

I used to go to Molly's place at Hints as a child. A friend of mine named Alison from Arthur Terry worked there weekends. She lost the end of her finger when a chimp bit it. She always said it was her own fault and wouldn't have a word said against the chimps.
A friend of my aunts who lived in Chester bought Molly's bungalow after her death. I went there about 4 years ago to suprise my aunt who was visiting. It was lovely and an evening I will never forget as she died 2 years ago. The bungalow is lovely as it should be.
 
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