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Vicarage Road.

Vicarage Road

As a newcommer to this site may I add some of my memories of Vicarage Road?
My name is Robin Mortiboys and along with my parents, Bill and Rose and my sister Wendy we lived at 46 from about 1955 to 1962. This house was owned by a Mr. Bond, who owned a number of houses in the area. My aunt and uncle lived in Victoria road three or four doors down the hill from Vicarage Road they were Dick and Ada Jones and had three children, Richard, the eldest, joined the army and became a member of the Military Police. Unfortunatly he died of cancer ten or twelve years ago. His two sisters were twins, Pam and Gill, who still live in Chelmsly Wood. Another aunt and uncle lived in Pugh Road, Harry and Lilly Mortiboys, they had one daughter Linda.
My main friends at the time were Michael Shaw who lived at 38 or 40, Barry Jones who lived a few doors the other side and David Blakeman whos parents owned the shop on the corner of Victoria Road and Vicarage Road. One of our favourite tricks was to steal a roll of cotton from my mothers workbox and tie as many door knockers together as possible, then wait in anticipation until a vehicle came down the road, broke the cotton and all the doors knocked at once.
About eight of the houses on Victoria Road backed onto a yard with access from Vicarage Road. This yard gave easy access to my aunt Ada's house, but a shock was in store when a sikh family moved in at the bottom of the yard. The boy soon became a firm friend and was nicknamed 'Nobby' due to the knot of hair on his head. For some reason he was not allowed to go swimming so when we went to Victoria Road baths with the school he was always supplied with trunks and a towel so he could join in, he only just missed out on being a member of the swimming team along with Tony Rose, Alfred Glazebrook, Derek Cotter and myself.
We went to Thomas Street school and for a time I was a milk monitor, remember the bottles of milk we all received at morning break? Of course there was always a few left over and that was the perk for getting to school early to deliver the milk to the classrooms.
Can anyone who went to Thomas Street infants remember a teacher called Mrs Brotherton? She was a hunchback and had the first clas on the right as you entered the hall. I still remember her walking me round the rest of the school because I had got a maths sum right on my first or second day, 2+2=4! I am still embarassed by the memory of showing everyone my little blackboard containing this mystry of the universe.
I look forward to reading more on this site.
 
Hello Gummy and welcome. I enjoyed reading your memories. The door knocking I never did but apparently my husban Michael and his mates were masters at this, another 'trick' was to lift off garden gates untill one day he was caught red handed:redface:. This was in the Saltly area. I hope you find a neigbour or friend on here. Some have even found they are related. I hope you enjoy but beware its very addictive:D
 
Door knocker

Hello Gummy,:) loved reading your memories, (i think i remember the twins)
I was a door Knocker, what great fun........Cat:)
 
Did you have a sister?.

:confused2: Gummy. Did you have a sister called Wendy?. I think she went on to be a nurse. She would be 5 years older than myself?. :confused2: TTFN. Jean.
 
Sister

Hi Jean

Yes Wendy was my sister and she did go on to become a nurse. She did her training at Stratford upon Avon before moving to Manchester, working at North Manchester General and Booths Hall Childrens Hospital, where she reached a very high position. She married and had one son, David.
Unfortunatly she died suddenly while visiting friends in leeds five years ago.
If you were one of those who called Wendy 'Queenie' then my mother would still hit you with a rolling pin.;)
Gummy
 
Vicarage road

Is this Vicarage Road in Kings Heath? If so anyone remember the school teacher Stan Bray and his family from N° 112?

Graham.
 
Gummy, you may have seen the site link below. I keep posting and supprisingly many have not seen their old street.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/m...=10074&ox=4290&oy=2378&zm=1&czm=1&x=303&y=413

You can use the zoom features on the map or better, just click on the map and where you click will move to center. In this way you will be able to see the whole area and maybe pick out your house.
The period is about 1900 but the area probably may have not changed that much to your knowledge of it.
If you have a wheel mouse, you can hold down ctrl and use the wheel to zoom in to see greater detail. Again I did not know about this feature until I read it here.
I used to go to Aston Tech. that was on Whitehead Road that crossed Victoria in the 50s. There is not much left of the old times now.
 
Maps

Rupert,

Very interesting map, do you have one like that of Sparkbrook from the same era?

Graham.
 
Wendy.

:taketemperature::taketemperature: Gummy I am sorry to hear about Wendy. The reason I remember her so well is that when I visited the school she was the person who showed us round and welcomed us. The thing that sticks in my mind was the day she left school. Miss Plant read out Wendy's leaving certificate stressing what a caring person she was and that she was going into nursing. Miss Plant stressed that if she was ever ill she would love to be looked after by Wendy. As there were four years between us and didn't meet up much she must have left a lasting impression. Miss Plant is still alive so I have been informed by Dorothy Holland. TTFN. Jean. Have you any photo's of Wendy you could put on?. :D
 
Wendy

Hi Jean
I will have a look through the photos I have and see if I can find a nice one, hopfully from when she was younger and that may bring back more memories for you.
Robin
 
Thanks.

:) Thanks for that Robin. I have let Dorothy Holland know also. She is the same age as Wendy and is going to let Miss Plant know. Bye Jean.:)
 
Hi Jean Sorry it has taken so long to get this photo to you but I have been in hospital.
This is a photo of Wendy, her husband, Louis and son, Michael. It was taken about 2 years before she died.
Bye for now.
Robin
 
:) Thank you for the lovely photo Robin and I hope you are feeling much better now. My husband asked if any of your family worked as market traders only he remembers someone with your unusual surname?. Thanks again. Jean. :(
 
Hi Jean, I don't know of any relatives who worked the markets, but I will ask my father when I speak to him. Which market was it, the Bullring or the little indoor market that used to be opposite the Midland Red bus depot (I can't remember the street name, must be getting old;))?
Funny you should mention market trades though, because my wife works on the markets round Oldham and one in Barrow in Furness.
Bye for now.
Robin
 
When my mother died when I as 13 in 1943 when we lived in Shirley I was sent to live with my Nan in Queens Rd opposite Atkinson Brewery, I was there until 1948 when I joined the RAF, whilst on leave Xmas 1951 I met a girl (later to be my wife) at a Xmas dance, by pure coincidence she was from a back house in Vicarage Rd, 4/128 opposite the School,name Doreen McNicholl, her Aunty Ann kept a shop also opposite the school, near junction with Sycamore Rd she was noted for her home made ice scream, does any one remember the shop (a converted house like all the little shops).I can remember a lovely pie shop in Church Rd or lane called Peedles
 
Cookie I remember a little sweet shop opposite the school and you had to climb up about four steps to get in. After school we used to buy peeny lolls and penny vantas's. I don't remember the ladies name though but she was quite advanced in years. I loved the green flavour vantas the best. Jean.
 
G G Jean could be the shop, she was born about 1897 (told me she remembered the steam trams) and there were a few steps up, she died shortly after the road was demolished for the Aston Expressway, 1n the 70's i think
 
Hi all just been reading through all the stories about Vicarage Road. I remember the shop opposite the school I used to be friends with Veronica Bent who lived at 2/128(sure it was 128). We used to go in the shop and buy 5 Woodbines in a paper sleeve, 2½ each -naughty, naughty. Denise
 
G G Jean, Just checked with my sister in law (my late wifes sister) she said her Aunt was the only shop in Vicarage road to sell vantas, so it must have been her shop.

Denise, the time I am talking about is 1952 and it was a Mrs Priest and her son at 2/128 Vicarage but she was old and after she died you pal Bent may have moved in.
The houses were privately owned and the landlord spent nothing on them so they were very dilapidated, damp and would be condemmed as unfit to live in now
 
Hi Cookie. It would have been around 1957 till I left five years later. It has got to be the same shop. We used to rush over to make sure we were served first as there was always a queue. Jean.
 
Hi Cookie, I don't know when the Bent family moved in, I am 95% sure of the number but it's been a long long time ago. I knew Veronica from about 1958. Denise
 
Denise you do have a good memory I only remember Veronica's with Rita Palmer and me and we used to put our make up on lunch time and take the boys back to her house ( very naughty I know) I have seen Veronica a cople of times in the last 4 yrs at the reunion at the Barn, she comes with Doreen Robinson
 
hi nipper
do you remember queing up with a couple of jugs to get your lovely home made faggots and peas from the gibbson fish and chip shop on vicarage rd my old man sent me up there most nights aweek always a dammed que out side the shop
it was virtualy next door to the police station and about five doors from the baking shop
best wishes astonian ,;;
 
Hi Pat, I remember Rita Parry, Veronica, Doreen, Rita and me used to go to the dances I think it was near Ward End, my memory isn't that good, it was a hall belonging to BHM, BHC or something like that. Doreen keeps in touch with Veronica often and she comes and stays with Doreen. I used to go to Veronicas with Keith Smart, did you know him, he ended up in a band - can't remember the name - see I told you, it's my age Denise
 
Does anyone remember Carol Thorn from Vicarage road school? only I bumped into her last week outside the bank. She talked about the little sweet shop opposite and her friends from school. Jean.
 
Hi Denise

I remember having my first (and last) taste of Marmite while sitting listening to Keith learn to play the drums in his bedroom. My sister Wendy went out with him a few times. The band he was in was called 'Lemon Tree' if I remember correctly and they did have one minor hit and appeared on TOTP once or twice.
Robin
 
Hi Robin, Remembered I had a photo of Keith at the ice rink, I think a thorn amongst the roses haha. I had left Brum when he was in his band but a friend did send me some info on him and what happened to him.Will have a look through all my bits of info. Denise
 
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