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Swanshurst Park

  • Thread starter Thread starter BernardR
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BernardR

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When I was born we lived on Yardley Wood Road in the first Council House from Swanshurst Lane, opposite to Swanshurst Park,

My Dad was a Milkman following being discharged from the Army. One day he brought home a big block of ‘Dry Ice’ and chucked it into the Pool opposite where it started to return to a gaseous state rather rapidly. Dad sauntered back home and watched the fun from the front window. The Dry Ice was bubbling away like billy-oh with passers by looking on in horror. Soon the police were called from just up the road and then the Army arrived. By the time they got there of course the Dry Ice had disappeared into the atmosphere.

Dad was laughing fit to burst whilst Mom was in a panic in case anyone told the police who had done it.
 
Just going through some old B/W photographs, and came across these two. Taken in 1950, at Swanshurst Park.

At that time the park had a very nice small golf course, around 30/40 yards between each hole. It was built on the site of the WW2 prisoners of war camp.

On Wednesday half days, we would go there to play golf on this small fun course. Anyone else remember the golf course?

Myself ( a real poser), and my R.A.F. pal Vic Malsbury.

Eddie
 

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I used to regularly play pitch and putt at Swanshurst Park. Quite a short walk from Sarehole Road. There was also a time when you could hire a rowing boat on the small lake but I think that packed up long ago. Dave.
 
Hi bernie and edd
Firstly i have to say abkout seeing boats on that lake i have never seen any in the last eight or nine years
As i do pass there very often more or less daily from worc to brum and back home
And secondry i enjoyed your stkry abkut ykur dad the milkman and the dry ice
Dumping it made me laugh great story best wishes Alan,,, Astonian,,,,
 
You only get geese, ducks and swans in the Moseley New Pool at Swanshurst Park these days.

A circus was just in the park, on the big field area. It also gets used for a fun fair as well.

This was the view around 5 years ago.



There is still faint patches in the grass where the pitch & putt used to be.

 
On summer Sunday afternoons, there was nearly always a queue for the boating lake. It was a real summers day pastime.
Usually it was a man rowing, with his crew sitting back, dangling their hand in the water, and enjoying the leisure time.

Boats were numbered, and if I remember correctly, it was either and hour, or half an hour on the lake.

At then end of your time, you would be called in by the boat yard man, through his megaphone. One would always try to take an extra lap of the lake before retuning to the boathouse.

Wonderful happy days,

Eddie
 
I think your description of the boating at Swanshurst Park is spot on as I remember it, Eddie, though I was more of a watcher than a doer! Hence, I can't remember the pitch & putt. I can only remember the fair at Sparkhill Park with Money is the root of all evil being one of the tunes they used to play. Once my family moved from Knowle Road, Sparkhill to Albert Road, Kings Heath around 1950 then Billesley Common took over as my favourite play area. We fantasised about this area as did Tolkien, and decided that the tracks across the Common would make an ideal route for a teachers' pram race! However, on reflection perhaps this was more akin to Lyndsay Anderson's If, although it was not written until many years later. Happy days! But I'm drifting a bit off topic, as we do......

Maurice
 
I used to go to Swanshurst for the boating with my mates as well as Cannon Hill Park. Same situation and boats just different parks.
On one occasion we arrived at Swanshurst Park to find all the boats beached and the lake drained for cleaning. I was surprised at how shallow it was.
Cheers Tim.
 
sospiri said:
I think your description of the boating at Swanshurst Park is spot on as I remember it, Eddie, though I was more of a watcher than a doer! Hence, I can't remember the pitch & putt. I can only remember the fair at Sparkhill Park with Money is the root of all evil being one of the tunes they used to play. Once my family moved from Knowle Road, Sparkhill to Albert Road, Kings Heath around 1950 then Billesley Common took over as my favourite play area. We fantasised about this area as did Tolkien, and decided that the tracks across the Common would make an ideal route for a teachers' pram race! However, on reflection perhaps this was more akin to Lyndsay Anderson's If, although it was not written until many years later. Happy days! But I'm drifting a bit off topic, as we do......

Maurice
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Wheelers Lane school used the Common as a playing field when I was a pupil there, I have vivid memories of being forced to play football in the freezing wind that used to whip across the open space.
I can't say I recall any tracks though Maurice.
 
tim eborn said:
I used to go to Swanshurst for the boating with my mates as well as Cannon Hill Park. Same situation and boats just different parks.
On one occasion we arrived at Swanshurst Park to find all the boats beached and the lake drained for cleaning. I was surprised at how shallow it was.
Cheers Tim.
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I lived in Yardley Wood through the fifties, our park was Trittiford Park, used to go on the boats there every chance I got, spent many hours rowing my girl friend round there. Was,nt there a story of an unexploded bomb under the water near to the island on the pool?
 
Xmas Day at the Moseley New Pool in Swanshurst Park. Was a bit of litter at this end.

Was the usual variety of gulls, geese and swans!



People keep have a habit of feeding them bread!



Theses signs are near Swanshurst Park (not sure if anyone actually looks at them)

 
The boats in Swanhurst park pool were still available for hire in the late 70s, as was the pitch and put in at least up to 1981.
The boathouse as in photo has now gone. I believe it was burnt down by vandals.
 
Hi am I right or is my memory going astray, but I think I can remember there being a café behind the boathouse.
 
I think the cafe was burnt down in about 1967.....I used to get the no 11 to school in Vicarage Road from the Swanshurst Park stop and I remember looking at the charred remains. My Dad used to take me boating on the lake in the early 1960s - I remember it well.
 
Thanks to all for the lovely photos of old Swanshurst park. It was a favourite stomping ground when I was a boy in late 50s.
 
Isn't it sad when you hear about things being destroyed due to vandalism.
What is it that's going on in someone's head that they get a kick out of destroying lovely amenities, provided for everyone to enjoy including themselves.
I feel a rant coming on.............! Graffetti, Litter, is there no hope.
 
A couple of years ago, the lake was drained for maintenance. There was still one of those fiberglass canoes at the bottom of the lake. It must a have sunk years ago.
 
Do not recognise the golf pics in any of these photos. I was a regular playing golf in the 90s. The course was close to swanshurt Lane entrance not the Brook Lane entrance so the faint lines area is a different place. The pitch and putt was located near the corner of the lake, as you come up swanshurst lane, turn left and with the lake on your right hand side, the entrance to the golf is on the left.
 
Wasn't there another golf course in the park? I have a vague recollection of a more substantial course accessed through a gate at the very far end corner of the park.
 
I thought that as well. The photos in post #2 seem to be on the opposite of the lake to the boathouse with Swanshurst Lane in the background. Not where I thought the pitch and putt was.
 
I can't remember the golf course but found a couple of pics showing myself and my dad with putting green in the background and one of my dad on the putting green taken around 1950. Was this separate from the pitch & putt?
Also remember boating on the lake and also fishing there in my teens. I think there were a few small carp together with roach and perch in there.
Dad & Me, Swanshurst Park.jpgDad Swansurst Park circa 1950.jpg
 
superdad3 said:
Wasn't there another golf course in the park? I have a vague recollection of a more substantial course accessed through a gate at the very far end corner of the park.
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My memory [possibly 50 yrs ago!] was that if you walked along the lake away from Yardley wood Rd, you came to a gate in a wooden fence & the 2nd golf course was through the gate. The red circle on the attached map from Streetmap gives an indication of where I am thinking of. Many years later when I visited the golf course had gone and it was just open ground. Would have taken a trip to look at today but for lockdown. Does this jog any memories? Thanks. Roy
 

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superdad3 said:
My memory [possibly 50 yrs ago!] was that if you walked along the lake away from Yardley wood Rd, you came to a gate in a wooden fence & the 2nd golf course was through the gate. The red circle on the attached map from Streetmap gives an indication of where I am thinking of. Many years later when I visited the golf course had gone and it was just open ground. Would have taken a trip to look at today but for lockdown. Does this jog any memories? Thanks. Roy
Click to expand...
Just asked my husband who played on the pitch and putt and he says you are spot on with your circle on the map.
Different from the golf in the photo in post #2
 
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