paul stacey
master brummie
cheers dave
paul
paul
-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
David Weaver
gone but not forgotten
Thanks Dave, it's nice to walk old pathways whilst looking out of my window watching the honeyeaters feasting on a native bush, and the spring blossom on the plum trees. Best of both worlds eh? David.
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Just come back from the Banners Gate end of the park and thoroughly enjoyed our walk other than Pete saying "how much further" all the timel. I could have walked for another hour at least. Here are a few photo's. Jean. Oops could anyone turn my tree round please sorry. Jean.
W
Wendy
Guest
The cows are lovely Jean but cricky they do leave a mess behind. I ruined a pair of shoes at our family picknic there. Thanks for the tip!!
Mike Bond
master brummie
Have just spent an enjoyable few days reading through all the " Sutton Park " stories, all these memories tie in very closely with my own.
I lived at No 10, Chester Road North, Streetly near what used to be the Parson & Clerk pub and in between the Royal Oak Gate and Thornhill Road, I think there is a large Shell garage there now. I went to Banners Gate Junior School and then on to Boldmere High. The Cub and Scout troops I joined were associated to Westwood Road Congregational Church.
As mentioned before, Sutton residents could enter the park free but they were also allowed to collect any fallen logs in the wooded areas. At Christmas time Dad would remove the gas fires and I would collect a huge pile of pine logs to burn in the grate, if you threw on some pine cones it gave off a sweet, woodey smell.
I can also remember spending hours around the Sutton Golf course in the park looking for lost golf balls, those that were in good condition could be sold back at the Club House in Thornhill Rd--nice little earner.
In those days (late 50's & early 60's ) the steam trains still ran through the park. Our regular group would walk along the track and collect small pieces of coal and at one point there was a little track side hut with an open grate in it. It was not long before we had a roaring fire stoked up and slices of toast well in hand until the
" Parky " would appear yelling blue murder which was our cue to scatter--all part of the days entertainment.
My Brother died fairly recently and my Wife, Daughters and Grandchildren spent a week in Suttonsorting his estate. At the end of each day we would all go into Sutton Park for a picnic, the Grandchildren would run their little legs off exploring, the whole family loved Sutton and the park to the extent that they would like to return.
Different generation, different era but the magic and attraction is still there.
I lived at No 10, Chester Road North, Streetly near what used to be the Parson & Clerk pub and in between the Royal Oak Gate and Thornhill Road, I think there is a large Shell garage there now. I went to Banners Gate Junior School and then on to Boldmere High. The Cub and Scout troops I joined were associated to Westwood Road Congregational Church.
As mentioned before, Sutton residents could enter the park free but they were also allowed to collect any fallen logs in the wooded areas. At Christmas time Dad would remove the gas fires and I would collect a huge pile of pine logs to burn in the grate, if you threw on some pine cones it gave off a sweet, woodey smell.
I can also remember spending hours around the Sutton Golf course in the park looking for lost golf balls, those that were in good condition could be sold back at the Club House in Thornhill Rd--nice little earner.
In those days (late 50's & early 60's ) the steam trains still ran through the park. Our regular group would walk along the track and collect small pieces of coal and at one point there was a little track side hut with an open grate in it. It was not long before we had a roaring fire stoked up and slices of toast well in hand until the
" Parky " would appear yelling blue murder which was our cue to scatter--all part of the days entertainment.
My Brother died fairly recently and my Wife, Daughters and Grandchildren spent a week in Suttonsorting his estate. At the end of each day we would all go into Sutton Park for a picnic, the Grandchildren would run their little legs off exploring, the whole family loved Sutton and the park to the extent that they would like to return.
Different generation, different era but the magic and attraction is still there.
W
Wendy
Guest
How lovely Mike I can relate to a lot of what you say. I lived in Blackberry Lane on the Four Oaks side, we would go to the Park from Streetly Lane end. We often collected golf balls and would play on the golf course with a broken branch! I loved the park and still do although don't get there as often as I used to. Jennyann and I had a lovely lunch at the resturaunt near Sutton main gate when she came over from Canada a few weeks ago. I have so many happy memories as a child the park was my families playground both for me and my brothers and sister.
Mike Bond
master brummie
Hello Wendy,
Very nice to be able to revive what was for me an extremely happy part of my life.
Happy memories around the area Thornhill Rd, Streetly Village, Streetly Lane, I even went to the Streetly Youth Club which was at the junction of Streetly Lane and Walall Rd/ Four Oakes Rd but on rainy nights it was a long walk and I would arrive like a drowned rat which was not good for the image. A great pity because the birds around Streetly/Four Oakes were definately superior to the rest of Sutton.
My Aunty was a private Nurse and at one time she nursed an old chap in Rosemary Hill Rd, the house was huge and the rear garden was the size of a football pitch.
Just off Thornhill Rd close to the Sutton Coldfield Golf Club was Manor Rd and half way along was a horse riding school owned by Colnol Leach (ex Indian Army ). I used to work there at the weekends mucking out and polishing saddles with saddle soap. Supprise, supprise the site now has houses built upon it.
Each time I return to Sutton to visit it still makes me a little homesick for about a week afterwards, nice to still have roots. I will always be a Suttonian.
Very nice to be able to revive what was for me an extremely happy part of my life.
Happy memories around the area Thornhill Rd, Streetly Village, Streetly Lane, I even went to the Streetly Youth Club which was at the junction of Streetly Lane and Walall Rd/ Four Oakes Rd but on rainy nights it was a long walk and I would arrive like a drowned rat which was not good for the image. A great pity because the birds around Streetly/Four Oakes were definately superior to the rest of Sutton.
My Aunty was a private Nurse and at one time she nursed an old chap in Rosemary Hill Rd, the house was huge and the rear garden was the size of a football pitch.
Just off Thornhill Rd close to the Sutton Coldfield Golf Club was Manor Rd and half way along was a horse riding school owned by Colnol Leach (ex Indian Army ). I used to work there at the weekends mucking out and polishing saddles with saddle soap. Supprise, supprise the site now has houses built upon it.
Each time I return to Sutton to visit it still makes me a little homesick for about a week afterwards, nice to still have roots. I will always be a Suttonian.
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Hi Mike I too went to Colnal Leaches a couple of times but ended up at Foxhills on Barr Beacon. My memories of the park as a child were with my parents as it was our day out. I was fortunate enough to work at Wyndley Leisure Centre for eighteen years and spent many of my lunch breaks walking in the park. It is lovely to be able to look back at your childhood and have happy memories. You were fortunate to have lived next to the park. I used to ride from Foxhills to the park and meet Pete where he would be fishing in one of the lakes. I don't think I have put this one on before of my parents and myself. TTFN. Jean.
Last edited:
W
Wendy
Guest
Mike it's funny only the other day my sister said what a wonderful childhood we had and thats why I will always love that part of Sutton. As a child I had friends who lived in Rosemary Hill Road. I couldn't get over how someone could have a swimming pool in their garden. I worked in a hairdressers in Clarence Road we had so many different people in the shop it's hard to believe now. Footballers wives, Lady Bird from the custard dynasty she lived at Horton Manor in Rosemary Hill Road, Mrs Quantrill the estate agents to name a few. We also had a lot of girls from Lucas and Probus in Mere Green......I couldn't see that happening today! I went to Streetly Youth Club a couple of times it was a bit difficult to get home from there on time! Roy Wood lived in Rosemary Hill Road in the early 70's my friend went to his house and told me he had a recording studio there. My trouble was I was always on the fringe of the wealth
Mike Bond
master brummie
Hi G.G.Jean,
Dosn't the Internet make it a small world, never in a million years would I have thought that anyone would remember Colonel Leach and his Wife, they were deffinately two left overs from the old Raj.
Your absolutelt right when you mentioned how lucky I was to live opposite the Park. Some days when Iwas on my own I would wonder into the woods and sit there for 10 to 15 mins very still and then all the wild life would come out, rabbits, foxes, the squirles in the trees even the bugs on the ground. I don't want to create the image that I am some sort of ANORAKE TYPE but I was deffinately a Sutton Park type of chap.
When you reade all the stories on this thread and someone mentiones a small fact which does not seem to have much importance but to someone else who reads it, forgotten memories come fludding back. Keep the memories comming G.G.Jean.
Dosn't the Internet make it a small world, never in a million years would I have thought that anyone would remember Colonel Leach and his Wife, they were deffinately two left overs from the old Raj.
Your absolutelt right when you mentioned how lucky I was to live opposite the Park. Some days when Iwas on my own I would wonder into the woods and sit there for 10 to 15 mins very still and then all the wild life would come out, rabbits, foxes, the squirles in the trees even the bugs on the ground. I don't want to create the image that I am some sort of ANORAKE TYPE but I was deffinately a Sutton Park type of chap.
When you reade all the stories on this thread and someone mentiones a small fact which does not seem to have much importance but to someone else who reads it, forgotten memories come fludding back. Keep the memories comming G.G.Jean.
Mike Bond
master brummie
Hello again Wendy,
Being a Sutton bread gengtleman, I will not ask your age. I am 63 so I must have been mid teens when I went to Streetly Youth Club. Couldyou have been one of the birds I unsucessfully tried to chat up he he ( and failed ).
I believe Roger Moore lived in Rosemary Hill Rd in the 60's and it sounds as if you have mixed in high places.
You seem to have a lot of imputs into various threads on the Birmingham History Forum Wendy, as I have said to G.G jEAN people mention a small fact but for someone else the flood gates open.
Keep the memories comming Wendy, one exiled Brummie always willing to listen.
Being a Sutton bread gengtleman, I will not ask your age. I am 63 so I must have been mid teens when I went to Streetly Youth Club. Couldyou have been one of the birds I unsucessfully tried to chat up he he ( and failed ).
I believe Roger Moore lived in Rosemary Hill Rd in the 60's and it sounds as if you have mixed in high places.
You seem to have a lot of imputs into various threads on the Birmingham History Forum Wendy, as I have said to G.G jEAN people mention a small fact but for someone else the flood gates open.
Keep the memories comming Wendy, one exiled Brummie always willing to listen.
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Mike if you go way back on this thread take a look at Dave Weavers posts. He had us going back in time and when the central heating was being installed we did just that literally. We vacated the house for the day and followed the trail he told us about and even found the tree he was on about. I am so glad we live this side of Brum because we have the park just up the road and within five minutes we are we are there. Not being funny but one of our twins lives in a lovely part of just outside Brum Solihull but it does nothing for us. We love to visit but love to be back where we belong. Our other twin lives five minutes away and feels the same. Take care Mike. Jean.
Mike Bond
master brummie
Hi again G.G.,
Have taken your advice and looked again at some of the threads on this site including Dave Weavers, the photograph's of the rail line had changed very little-apart from the sounds and smell of a hard working steam train.
On my last visit to the Park with the family around the Royal oak and Streetly gate area's, even after 50 years you could still see the scars left by the Jamoree.If you travel from Streetly gate untill the road gate stops you travelling any further then look to your left towards where the rail line is, the vegitation has grown again but the land is still totally flat and divided into huge squares by tarmac pathways i.e some of the old camp sites.
By the way G.G. is your Christian name Jean and the G.G.part is your love of horses?
If thats being to cheeky then please don't answere.Best wishes, Mike.
Have taken your advice and looked again at some of the threads on this site including Dave Weavers, the photograph's of the rail line had changed very little-apart from the sounds and smell of a hard working steam train.
On my last visit to the Park with the family around the Royal oak and Streetly gate area's, even after 50 years you could still see the scars left by the Jamoree.If you travel from Streetly gate untill the road gate stops you travelling any further then look to your left towards where the rail line is, the vegitation has grown again but the land is still totally flat and divided into huge squares by tarmac pathways i.e some of the old camp sites.
By the way G.G. is your Christian name Jean and the G.G.part is your love of horses?
If thats being to cheeky then please don't answere.Best wishes, Mike.
paul stacey
master brummie
hi dave
great to see the old pool, hard to believe but walked round there when only 10 yrs old some 54 yrs ago and I could still remember it from your film, thanks
paul
great to see the old pool, hard to believe but walked round there when only 10 yrs old some 54 yrs ago and I could still remember it from your film, thanks
paul
W
Wendy
Guest
Dave thank you that has brightened my day. I spent many happy ours in on and around this pool growing up! Happy memories.
bren
master brummie
That's why i said we must have been mental but hey, we was a bunch of young un's who didn't know any better. I'm just glad that we was able to spend all day every day doing crazy things in the park without a care or concern, it really is a pity the kids of today don't have that luxury, i'm lucky, the place still has that magic for me
bren