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The smallest Park in Birmingham

Bojalu

Bojalu

master brummie
Do any of you remember the park , as we called it although it did not have one blade of grass .
It was in Sandy Lane near the junction Coventry Road and Watery Lane in Bordesley.
There was room for a roundabout and see-saw but little else as I remember.
The park had railings and was very near to the road.
I remember it in the 1960s but I wanted to know how long had it been there before that ?

It disappeared in the early 1970's for the redevelopement of the area.

Bo
 
Hi Bojalu. Yep we played there regularly. it was "THE ONE SWING PARK" even though it contained just a roundabout At least I don't recall the see-saw, but you could be right. It was certainly there in the 50's...
 
I remember this park as well, I used to pass it regularly when walking from Nechells to Balsall Heath. If I remember correctly it was at the bottom of Sandy Lane on the left.

Phil
 
The smallest park - Yes, I remember it too. In fact, I am currently writing a book about my childhood, and at one point I lived just a street or so away. I lived in Bordesley Park Road from 1955 to 1962. I have just written about this little park as we used to go there regularly. You described it just as I remember it with a roundabout and a seesaw and railings around the front.
If anyone has any more information or memories about that area at that time I would love to hear them please.

Angela
 
Hi Angela,

Bordesley Park Road Eh? The Old Lodge on the corner with the Cov. Do you remember the litlle shop Mrs Fishers? and a little further along the Outdoor, where they sold Mason's Super Jaf, then the butchers, on the opposite side the Horse and Jockey on the corner of Miles street and the along to the railway bridge, and just before that the scrap yard and that old Victorian green painted toilet. What about the brook on the bombed peck..do you remember that...Oh the memories, and so far we ain't gone under the bridge yet. Oh yes the 28 bus stopped at the corner...under the bridge to the newsagents and on the opposite corner - was it with Arthur street? - Patrick's the greengrocers...5 pound of spuds and still get change out of a farthing...Did you go to Dixon Road School? The Kingston on Saturday morning for a tanner...what about Kingston Park? Do you remember the bank by the railway catching fire in the summer from sparks of the trains? what do you recall?
 
Hello Beamish,

Thanks very much for your prompt reply. It was so informative and I found it fascinating. It was great to have so much detail, I have rather hazy memories as I lived there from birth to only about 7 years old .
Yes, I remember the shop and the outdoor (how good to hear it called that, everyone looks at me strangely if I call it that and says, you mean the Off Licence?).
I knew there was a pub, but not it's name until you told me, and the railway bridge at one end. I remember on the main road (Coventry Rd) the doctor's and the cinema - was that the Kingston? - also a shop called the Doll's Hospital where my mother got a new eye for my favourite doll.
I remember a neighbour called Mrs Clutterbuck who grew veg. I recall the public toilet you mentioned and (with a shudder) our own outside toilet that was at the bottom of the garden. A passage ran at the end of the gardens that led to another and then on to the street. The dustbin men came along here once a week to collect the bins - they wouldn't bother doing that nowadays!
We used to go up to Green Lane library and the swimming baths where people could have a proper bath if, like us, you didn't have a bathroom at home. We never did though as we had a big tin bath at home which came out every Friday!
Once again, thanks for such interesting stuff. I'd love to know more if you have any further thoughts.

Angela
 
Hi Angela, If you want some background info re Bordesley Park and its development through history, type in the following and then go to index: www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/teacher/history/jm_jones/aston_manors/bordesley/page26.htm
 
Hello Beamish,
Once again thanks, the site you suggested is great, lots of good information, very helpful. Your own personal memories were fascinating, really stirred my own. I went to St Anne's RC School, Alcester Road, and remember the flyover being built. Can you recall what Mrs Fisher's shop sold, was it groceries? I don't remember Kingston Park but we went to Small Heath Park occasionally.
Shame it's all so different now but that's the way of the world now, isn't it?
Angela
 
Hi Angela....Fisher's did indeed sell general groceries. Mrs Fisher sat on a chair, right next to what appeared to be an upturned barrel on which was a cheese block - she used to cut a chunk cheese to nibble at. Behind her was loose butter that she would cut and the use butter-paddles to shape. There were three steps up to the shop and every morning you could see people buying bundles of fire wood 3d..to get the fire going. She was very generous and most of the loclas paid her at the end of the weel - on the slate or the book as she called it. Yes, the cinema was the Kingston.
 
Re: The Kingston Park in Birmingham

Does anyone have any photos of Kingston Road.
I lived on Kingston Road from 1955 and went to At Andrew's Infants and Juniors then on to Tilton Road Girls.
The park was great it was on the back of our house.
The crowds that went to the football matches and used to be walked down Kingston Road into town from the Blues games.
Looking after the cars some weeks for the football fans. Other weeks going to the matches.
Shutts the newagents on the top of the hill
The wool shop
The other shop I cannot Swains that sold bike spares, paraffin
The bomb peck we had on the top of the road.
Played on it for years
Happy Days
 
Kingston Hill Park was a flat tarmac area with large swings. Now its a mountain with a crown of granite stone on the top in a sea of green grass and trees and shrubs and around the corner is Garrison Lane Recreation Ground
 
My gran & grandad Timothy lived on the corner of Coventry Rd.and Bordesley Park Rd.in the 50's-60's.The kids and moms used to meet up there on Saturday nights while the men went to the pub.Sometimes we would go round and my gran would be outside polishing the step.We did not have far to go because we lived just down the road in Glover St.
 
Oh what great memories...would be extra fantastic if some one some where posted pictures...I remember Shutts on Kingston Road...I used to be a paper boy there. I delivered papers all around Ada Rd,Kingston Road, Saint Andrews Road...'as well as to the football club' in Emerline Street.
My mother woke me at 5-30 in the mornings and I was back in bed before 7...she then woke me again for school.
I meet Stan Cullis in Shutts Once, it was very early in the morning I remember.
My only regreat from then was, I didn't ask him for his autograph.
I and my bested pals ever used to play football on the car park opposite the Kingston picture house,It was behind large advertising boards, just as you turned the corner on Saint Andrews Road..I remember it was gravel. There was also an outdoor and a grocery shop next door to the car park...It was an extreamly old building..who remembers that?
A girl from my school class was the daughter of the owners of the outdoor..her name was Rose.
Would be 'fantastic' to see some pictures.
Great memories
redken
 
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