• 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

Vicarage Road.

  • Thread starter Thread starter June Moorby
  • Start date Start date
J

June Moorby

Guest
I used to live in Vicarage Rd, from 1938 to the early part of 1950,
One side of us was a Mrs.Orms and the other side was the Hunters.
If for any reason you went into the Hunters house, she would put
paper on the floor for you to walk on.
Also remember Mrs Bagnall who had a little shop in her front room.
The times my mom sent me there to get 6 slices of Spam lovely,
she would cut it by hand very thin slices and it came out of a very long silver tin.
Tat Tar June.
 
vicarage Road

Hello June
So many people talk about Vicarage Road. When you are a child your mind plays tricks with you as to how many people lived in that part of Aston. My Nan owned a Greengrocers shop, I think it was on the left hand side coming down from Victoria Road. Her name was Annie Harris and my Uncle Fred and Aunty Rose lived over the Road and also an Aunt Prissie and an Aunty Violet . I wasn't born until 1946 but I had two elder sisters Ann and Margaret and a brother Bob who were all over 10 years older than me (it was the war you know) :wink: Still they were very happy times when Nan was alive
Lynda
 
Hello Lynda,

Lovely to hear from some one who knows Vicarage Rd,
I lived just over the road from Annie Harris fruit and veg shop.
The times I have gone into that shop and paid 1 penny for a speck
(apple) and some times she gave me two for the price of one.
Also remember they had a daughter who lived in the top end of Vicarage Rd facing the school and she had a lot of children.
I can still remember loads of names from this road.
Do you remember the Sparks family ? same side of the road as the shop.
Also the French family they had a son called Fred.

Take care June.
 
Plenty more where you came from!

Another one here ladies. We lived down an entry opposite the Junior school up the brewery end. I remember the junction of Vicarage road and victoria Road had the LG Fire extinguisher place on one corner, Blakeman's grocer shop on another (there's a picture of it on this site somewhere), opposite that was Stokes' Stores, later taken over by a really nice Pakistani couple and on the other was a bakery. I can remember the ineriors of them all. Also, every time I smell a chocolate eclaire, I can see myself walking up towards the bakery. They used to make them there on Saturday's I think, and the smell would drift down the street and make my mouth water. Just like it is now, when I think about it.
 
Hello,
I am back, now Nipper I remember very well the bakery, they used to make bread pudding and cut it up into slices. Also on my way to the junior school I used to warm my hands on their wall in the winter.
Remember as well going to feed the Shire Horses that belonged to Ansells.
But the corner shop I only knew it as Blakes.

Sheila Sorry I cant remember the shoe repairers, it may come back to me
one day.

Tat Tar June.
 
Ansells' horses

HI June,

My sister, who's a bit older than me, remembers the shire horses at Ansells. Aparrently, they used to run round the yard like crazy when they were let out of their drays in the evening. My mum used to tell me of one called Diamond. Mr Charlsworth, the stableman would put out a bottle of beer on the step for him every evening and the horse would pick it up in his teeth and knock it back in one go!
 
Hi Nipper,

If your sister remembers the horses, I bet she can recall when they were all dressed, with ribbons and the horse brass polished so you could see your face in them, this was always done on the 1st May, and like a fool when I was little I did think they had done it for me, as my birthday is the 1st May.
Also facing the junior school there was some houses that lay back from the road, The Notley family lived there and the husband used to work for Ansells. They had children Sylvia, Barry and then they had one more son but I cant remember his name, it may be Ron.

More to come later on.

Tat Tar June.
 
don't keep going on about your birthday just because I forgot it silly me May the first must remember next year now what was that date ??
 
Hi John,

What a cheek you saying I am going on about my birthday.
I was making a point to Nipper about the horses.

Any way I will remind you next year laughter.

Tat Tar June. :D
 
HI June,

I know the houses you mean. Don't know any notleys but the were the Greswells, one of whom I've been in touch with and also Mrs Moore. Her son had a motorcycle and sidecar, I seem to remember. She used to get drunk at the week end and sit on her bedroom window sill late at night singing 'Nellie Dean'. No one seemed to mind though. She'd get slapped with an ASBO these days though!

My sister (Jean) is away camping somewhere in the wilds of British Colombia at the moment but have a look at some of her postings about Vicarage Road elsewhere on the site. No doubt there'll be names you remember, you and she being older than me, cos I'm only a nipper :lol:
 
Vicarage Road

Hello again June.
Just catching up on the forum and reading all the letters. Nipper and Jean have spoken to me before on the forum about Vicarage Road, and they lived next door to my Aunty Joe Gillam. I was only 8 when my Nan died in 1954 so I would only know the relatives and places they lived. I always remember that walk up Victoria Road though. It seemed to take ages, or was it my imagination. Lovely to speak to you again
Lynda
 
Hi Nipper,

I will have to get in touch with your sister Jean as it seems we both went to the same school, and she may know some of the people that I remember.
The times I have played on the Victoria Police Station steps and again I used to watch all the police horses that were stabled at the back of there.
A friend of mine sent me a photo of are old house taken from the back, just before it was pulled down. It did look a dump, but I still have very happy memories of living there.
Also putting a rope on the old gas street lights and swinging round and round. Also playing marbles in the gutter.

Will be back.

Tat Tar June.
 
Hi John,

I am back on, thanks for dealing with the problem.

Tat Tar June. :roll:
 
Hello Lynda,

I do think when you were small, Victoria Road did seem to go on and on.
Do you remember the Vic picture house and the swimming baths.

Hope to hear from you soon. so take care.

Tat Tar June.
 
June,

I think Jean is back in the next few days and she usually checks the BB for new post regularly, so you should hear from her soon.

One thing about Vic Road cop shop. Do you remember that on Rememberance day they used to fire a field gun in the back yard at 11am? I used to love waiting for the bang!

Cheers

Nipper
 
Hi Nipper,

Yes I do remember the guns going off on Rememberance day.
Also all the people would stop and bow their heads in respect of all those
who did not come home.
When we first came to live in Leicesterhire I did think they would fire the guns here, but not a peep very sad. :(

Do you remember the little shop, front room again it was called Gertie Taylors sold all sorts of things, it was just past our house it would be number 59 or 61. you could buy heck of a lot if things for 6d , :lol:

Take care.
Tat Tar June.
 
Hi oldtimer.
Many thanks for the list of Vicarage Rd.
The Greengrocers (Griffiths) I remember he had a car with a soft top roof
and one time he gave mom and I a lift to the hospital.
Tomlinson we used to have our news papers off them and my comics.
Lines Now I remember you had to go down a step to enter her shop and she had a very old wood counter, that she used to scrub, it was almost white.
McCauley We kids went daft at her shop when the sweets came off the ration. infact she sold out all her sweets in about 1 hour.

Thanks again.

Tat Tar June. :)
 
My Dad - Ken Knight 1929-1996 - son of Harry & Dollie Knight lived at 2 South View, Vicarage Rd from 1929 to about 1938 when the family moved to Audley Rd, Stechford.
I presume they were back to backs but does anyone know about the type of housing? South View (or anywhere with a view!) sounds unusual for pre war Aston
Thanks
Tony
 
Hi John,

Thanks I have now got back on the site.
After my last post on here I have found more people from
Vicarage Rd and its great going over old times with them.
Even had some one a few weeks ago that remembered me
from infants school. Thats going back a long way.

Tat Tar June.
 
Hi Tony,

Sorry I cant remember South View. None of the house's
had much of a view in Vicarage Rd.
But there was entry's leading to some house's at the back
of the main Vicarage Rd. By the way which was in 3 parts.

Tat Tar June.
 
Hi Tony:  June is right about the views in Vicarage Rd - there weren't any!  Southview is listed in the 1891 census and my guess is that it was one of the terraces in the middle part of the street.  I lived at the Ansells end between 1942 and 1964, and I don't recall such an address there. Mostly, there were several terraces with only one access to the actual street.  The Old Brum magazines, published a few years ago, have some photos of the old types of housing.
Regards
Jean Cookson
 
Thanks Jean - are copies of this magazine still around - maybe in the library on my next visit?
Tony
 
Tony, I don't know if the magazines are still around because I live in western Canada and got mine for Christmas presents.  They were published about 10 yrs ago as an Evening Mail Special (Birmingham Post & Mail) and were called Carl Chinn's Best of Old Brum.  If you do find them I would be really happy if you would let me know - I would love to get a sports edition for my husband (after 40 yrs still a Blues fan). If you can't get them let me know anyway and I will scan you a couple of photos.
 
Thanks Jean - will do some searching and for your Hubbie........UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPTHE BLOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSE
Tony
 
Hi Jean & Tony,

Here is the address where you can order it from.

The Brummagem
499, Stratford Road.
Sparkhill.
Birmingham
B11 4LP. Phone number 0121 766 8181

Its still going strong as I have one every month.

Hope this helps
Tat Tar June.
 
June: If you happen to have an email address let me know. Talk to you soon anyway.
Jean
 
Jean,

Hope this gets on here. Computer about to go off
to the great blue yonder.
Will get back as soon as I can.
Tat Tar June.
 
Hi Jan,

I also went to Vicarage Road school, mind you
a long time ago now. Used to live in Vicarage Rd
as well. Happy days.

Tat Tar June :)
 
Back
Top