R
Rod
Guest
I am looking for information, stories and pictures of "The Ratpan", UPPER GROUNDS HOTEL. please can you help
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We lived just up the road from The Ratpan and I remember my folks always telling me to stay away from it since it had a bad reputation. I never did find out what the reputation was, but whenever I walked past and peered in, the place was always full. On match days it was heaving. Is it still there ?
D
dollyferret
Guest
D
dollyferret
Guest
thats the view toward the villa from the ratpan
C
Catkin
Guest
only went in there once with my husband he lived in Beacon Hill, had my first barly wine there, yuck, never had another.
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I just looked again at your photo looking toward the Villa. Pete. The house on the corner of Bevington Road was Dr Massy'es surgery in the 40's/50's
H
hmld
Guest
What A Very Terrible Appalling Condition For Such A Well Built Capacious Old Building To Be In.
I'm Sure Dr Massey Wouldn't Need A Barley Wine To Vomit If He Saw It Today.
What Kind Of State Of Mind Are They In To Let That Happen?
Depression?
Incidentally, To Make Barley Wine More Palatable Mix It With Stones Ginger Wine....
I'm Sure Dr Massey Wouldn't Need A Barley Wine To Vomit If He Saw It Today.
What Kind Of State Of Mind Are They In To Let That Happen?
Depression?
Incidentally, To Make Barley Wine More Palatable Mix It With Stones Ginger Wine....
The Rat Pan
My dad used to drink at the Rat Pan - it must have been reasonably respectable way back when, otherwise he wouldn't have used it. I can remember him telling me that in pre-war days the manager of the Rat Pan was a Mr Bill Beer! My grandparents lived in Bevington Road between the Rat Pan and Witton Road, and on Villa match-days half the team would still be in the bar at about one o'clock! Legend has it that Eric Houghton would walk down from the Villa to herd them all back....
Opposite the Rat Pan was a tripe and cow-heel shop, from which issued the most delectable aroma, and on the other corner was Dr Rosenfield's surgery.
Big Gee
My dad used to drink at the Rat Pan - it must have been reasonably respectable way back when, otherwise he wouldn't have used it. I can remember him telling me that in pre-war days the manager of the Rat Pan was a Mr Bill Beer! My grandparents lived in Bevington Road between the Rat Pan and Witton Road, and on Villa match-days half the team would still be in the bar at about one o'clock! Legend has it that Eric Houghton would walk down from the Villa to herd them all back....
Opposite the Rat Pan was a tripe and cow-heel shop, from which issued the most delectable aroma, and on the other corner was Dr Rosenfield's surgery.
Big Gee
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Rose and Freds cafe'.
Does anyone remember Rose and Freds cafe'?. It was by the lights on the corner of Witton road. That's where all the Villa players hung out. They used to mix with the fans in those days. My husband used to there with his three brothers not to eat but play the pinball machines. Bye. Jean.
Does anyone remember Rose and Freds cafe'?. It was by the lights on the corner of Witton road. That's where all the Villa players hung out. They used to mix with the fans in those days. My husband used to there with his three brothers not to eat but play the pinball machines. Bye. Jean. Ratpan
We lived in Bevington Rd in the 70s and one night a neighbour invited us to the "Ratpan" for a drink so my wife and myself went and bought a raffle ticket each when they came round. Well, we won first and second prize, both cash payouts, the regulars looked quite upset that "newcomers" had won and we hurriedly left a short time later and never darkened the doors again!
We lived in Bevington Rd in the 70s and one night a neighbour invited us to the "Ratpan" for a drink so my wife and myself went and bought a raffle ticket each when they came round. Well, we won first and second prize, both cash payouts, the regulars looked quite upset that "newcomers" had won and we hurriedly left a short time later and never darkened the doors again!
C
Catkin
Guest
The Rat Pan
My husband and his friends drank in the Rat Pan sometimes, he lived in Beacon Hill, I had a Barley wine in there, some-one said it was good for colds, which i had at the time, yuck.... never had another one also my mother in law had a hairdressers shop somewhere over the road from the Rat Pan.
My husband and his friends drank in the Rat Pan sometimes, he lived in Beacon Hill, I had a Barley wine in there, some-one said it was good for colds, which i had at the time, yuck.... never had another one also my mother in law had a hairdressers shop somewhere over the road from the Rat Pan.
C
Catkin
Guest
Cafe
Gee Gee was it next door to the butchers shop.. Cat
Gee Gee was it next door to the butchers shop.. Cat
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Butchers shop.
:headhit: Catkin. I can't remember because my grandad died before I was born. My nan remarried but I was only four at the time. All I can recall is Mr Minty's cafe' at the end of nans back to back and the coach station at the end of her garden. There was a coal merchants on the corner who owned a black horse. Bye for now. Jean. :headhit:
:headhit: Catkin. I can't remember because my grandad died before I was born. My nan remarried but I was only four at the time. All I can recall is Mr Minty's cafe' at the end of nans back to back and the coach station at the end of her garden. There was a coal merchants on the corner who owned a black horse. Bye for now. Jean. :headhit:
C
Catkin
Guest
Wrong corner
I am thinking of the cafe by the traffic lights at witton road that is another cafe they went into, did they ever play.....Cat
I am thinking of the cafe by the traffic lights at witton road that is another cafe they went into, did they ever play.....
Cat
C
Catkin
Guest
I knew some
Hello again Gee, i knew some of them we had a sports shop by the traffic lights don't ask me their names, i can't call them to mind at present apart from Slueinhawk if thats how you spell it..Cat
Hello again Gee, i knew some of them we had a sports shop by the traffic lights don't ask me their names, i can't call them to mind at present apart from Slueinhawk if thats how you spell it..Cat
C
Catkin
Guest
Shops
We had a shop by the billiards hall which was owned at one time by frank Lofthouse not sure if he was a retired Villa player, then as you go along on the same side of the road to the next set of traffic lights we had a sports shop by the lights next door to the sweet shop and next but one to the record shop, i think there was a cake shop over the road which belonged to Bevingtons and a furniture shop called Norrises and a tobacconists...Cat
We had a shop by the billiards hall which was owned at one time by frank Lofthouse not sure if he was a retired Villa player, then as you go along on the same side of the road to the next set of traffic lights we had a sports shop by the lights next door to the sweet shop and next but one to the record shop, i think there was a cake shop over the road which belonged to Bevingtons and a furniture shop called Norrises and a tobacconists...Cat
George1468
master brummie
Hello again Gee, i knew some of them we had a sports shop by the traffic lights don't ask me their names, i can't call them to mind at present apart from Slueinhawk if thats how you spell it..Cat
Catkin, The name was Sloovenhook or similar left Villa just after the air crash with the Man U. players on board. He left to play for United. There was a TV shop on the corner of Bevington Road, owned by Leslie Smith an
ex Villa and England international.
M
Mossy
Guest
Slogger as we called him R I P worked at The Met at metro cammell weyman on the buses as a fitter he was a good player and a nice bloke,it was in the eighties
Mossy
Mossy
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Didn't Leslie Smith have the sports shop on the corner of Endicote road in the late 50/s60's.
The cafe next to the Municiple Bank on Witton Island in the 50's was Syd's. We often used to go in and buy a sandwich or a pie for lunch when I was at Kynochs.
The cafe next to the Municiple Bank on Witton Island in the 50's was Syd's. We often used to go in and buy a sandwich or a pie for lunch when I was at Kynochs.
C
Catkin
Guest
Di, yes you are right about Leslie Smith.
No Gigi
My Dad never played tennis we sold fishing rods crafted by a polish man fishing licences, maggots... yuck... weights, flights,knives.shooting sticks,underwater equipment tennis cricket and golf balls, footballs, boxing gloves,creels. etc etc etc....... Cat i had to work there on a Saturday for my pocket money.
No Gigi
My Dad never played tennis we sold fishing rods crafted by a polish man fishing licences, maggots... yuck... weights, flights,knives.shooting sticks,underwater equipment tennis cricket and golf balls, footballs, boxing gloves,creels. etc etc etc....... Cat
i had to work there on a Saturday for my pocket money.
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Your dads shop.
:biggrin: Now I know where you mean. I bought my first fishing rod from there without telling my parents. It was made from bamboo. Couldn't afford a reel. Just tied a bit of line to the top hook. I trundled off to Salford park when I should have been at a friends house. I had a nail on the end for a hook. [thought that's what you did] When I got there some very kind men got me sorted with a hookj and a bubble. I caught more roach than they did and did I get hooked from that day. Mind you did I get a spanking when I got home. I was always going off doing things without telling my parents and my Aunt Nell would always cover for me. When you become a parent you can look back and realise what I must have put them through. I was a little s.. TTFN. Jean.:headhit:
:biggrin: Now I know where you mean. I bought my first fishing rod from there without telling my parents. It was made from bamboo. Couldn't afford a reel. Just tied a bit of line to the top hook. I trundled off to Salford park when I should have been at a friends house. I had a nail on the end for a hook. [thought that's what you did] When I got there some very kind men got me sorted with a hookj and a bubble. I caught more roach than they did and did I get hooked from that day. Mind you did I get a spanking when I got home. I was always going off doing things without telling my parents and my Aunt Nell would always cover for me. When you become a parent you can look back and realise what I must have put them through. I was a little s.. TTFN. Jean.:headhit:
bluenoseshell
Brummie babby
hi my aunty rose and uncle george used to run the ratpan when i was young .about 25 years ago but before that they had the royal george on lichfield rd aston before the brewery nocked it down thats when i was 4yrs old cos the security guard from the hp sauce factory used to take me through the gates to go to school at aston manor nursery .but it realy has changed now but unfortunatly not for the better .
but before that they had the royal george on lichfield rd aston before the brewery nocked it down thats when i was 4yrs old cos the security guard from the hp sauce factory used to take me through the gates to go to school at aston manor nursery .but it realy has changed now but unfortunatly not for the better .
Charlie
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Catkin: Billiard Hall and Frank Loftus....crikey, so that's what happened to him!
I was engaged to Frank Loftus at one time, his parents lived in Witton Road, just up from the billiard hall. The engagement came to an end cos we either went to watch Frank play snooker at The Barn or we didn't go out! (Actually, he dumped me for a girl he worked with, but I don't want to lose face over that). Often wondered what became of him, but he obviously went with his first love :brokenheart:
I was engaged to Frank Loftus at one time, his parents lived in Witton Road, just up from the billiard hall. The engagement came to an end cos we either went to watch Frank play snooker at The Barn or we didn't go out! (Actually, he dumped me for a girl he worked with, but I don't want to lose face over that). Often wondered what became of him, but he obviously went with his first love :brokenheart: