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The little red shop,soho road.

B

Beachmaster

New Member
I have just discovered this brilliant website and have read some of the old posts regarding this subject. Please forgive me if this controversy has already been resolved as I'm not up to speed but I felt I had to say something just as some views were quite wrong. I moved into Reynolds road in 1958 aged 5. I went to Boulton road infants and junior school,then Handsworth Grammar. I worked at the Co op Soho road while waiting to join the army. From the age of about 7, my elder sister and I, every Saturday , had to go and get a 56lb bag of King Cole cobbles from the Little Red Shop. We had an old pushchair to put it on. We went up Boulton road to the school, turned left into Queens Head road, right into Babbington road and down to Soho road. Here we turned right, passed Barclays bank on the corner, passed another 4 or 5 shops till we got to the Little Red Shop. It was just by the bus stops for the no 11,72,74 and 75, and well before Boulton road. Once we had the coal on board, it was back to Firkins for a swiss tart, then back the way we had come. Regardless of what Handsworth Historical society say the shop was between Boulton road and Babbington road
 
welcome to the forum and what smashing memories you have posted...with a bit of luck there maybe someone on here who can also remember this little red shop...by the way was the little red shop its official name because if so a kellys directory look up would help confirm its exact location..i am also moving this thread to the shops section of the forum so it may get more coverage

lyn
 
thanks pedro now all we need is for someone to provide a map marking out no 19 soho road to confirm where beachmaster said it was located

lyn
 
Astoness said:
thanks mike so if the little red shop was at no 19 it was on the corner with piers road and is still there...looking at your map there seems to be another building on the end which is not there now...what struck me is no 19 is georgian so surprised that such a fine building sold coke etc..

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https://www.google.com/maps/@52.501...4!1sUD2NAsbemOXrSBLPWvfOfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Click to expand...

The mention of a Georgian House. Could this be a location for a Birmingham "House Through Time"?

In 1882 it is described as 2 reception and 6 bedrooms when advertised TO LET.

In the 1950s is Grail and Preece LTD and the site of an accidental electrocution.
 
Looking at the map and your Google link Lyn, I’d say the end of the building in the modern view is as it’s always been on that corner. You can see the entrance to the building on Piers Road with its steps into the entrance. Unlikely there would have been a building next to that.

I don’t think this can have been where the Little Red Shop was, it just doesn’t fit. And as Lyn points out, it’s an unlikely building for a shop. Viv.
 
There’s still a Barclays Bank between Babbington and Queens Head Roads - it’s a modern building now. But the shops on the parades either side of Barclays are old buildings. My guess is the Little Red Shop is somewhere amongst these. Viv.
 
i agree viv i also wouldnt have thought no 19 soho road was where the little red shop was although that is the address given in both of pedros newspaper cuttings..beachmaster is certain the shop he knew was between babbington and boulton road..maybe a middle 1960s kellys look up would help as this is when he used to fetch the coke from the little red shop...ahh thanks pedro for the latest article staying the shop was much further up soho road at no 319 this could be the little red shop that beachmaster remembers so well....

mike can we have a map showing where 319 is please...thanks

lyn
 
thank you mike that confirms that beachmaster is spot on with the little red shop being between babbington road and boulton road...just noticed its opposite the red lion pub which i believe is still standing....

lyn
 
Concerning no 19, both the 1923 and 1932 directories show it as a private residence occupied by Robert Louis Foggo. Interesting name, so looked up 1911 census, and then he was there with his father, George (73), who was a manager in a lamp factory, while Robert was listed as a traveller in metals
 
Only just Lyn, looking at it from the outside
Click to expand...

what a shame thee pub is in such a state mike...just trying to figure out if the little red shop is still standing opposite the pub
 
Hi Beachmaster, like you I only joined this week as I heard there was a thread on William Newman & sons on this web sites forum. Then stumbled across this thread when I searched Handsworth Grammar. Also like you again, I was 5 in 1958 however I started at Rookery Rd. School before going to Handsworth Grammar in September 1964 - so must have been in the same year as you? Form 1.8 - (nice to see you are correct about exactly where the little Red Shop was, although when you turned left from Boulton Road that would have been Victoria Road not Queens Head then right into Babbington etc.)
so how about some names from School - John Healy, John Huxley, Michael Murphy, Colin Shaw, Peter Davies, Arthur Cowdrill, Chaney, Chew, Harris, (The now world famous Architect) Ken Shuttleworth - Then there was some of the lads that went into the fast stream - remove etc Ray Fiveash, John Williams, Steve Freer, Banbury, Dhilip Desai etc.
If you look at my William Newmans Thread - John Healy and I left in the fifth form at Christmas 1968 to take up a Traineeship - not the ideal path that the School Headmaster Mr Hill was pleased about, but we were adamant about leaving and so in the end he had no choice but to agree.
School life had been good (with some amazing teachers like Mr Morris Geography being the most genuinely keen to make sure everyone performed to their best whilst still enjoying the process. Mr Gilbert, Miss Barber and Mr Browning all English, Mr Fraser Maths etc - not using any of their nicknames out of respect) but living in Handsworth at that time and not having much, the lure of earning some money was too hard to pass up.
I'm Phil Yate, are you going to post who you are? or at least mention some names of guys you knew and I may be able to guess. Kindest regards.
 
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