Grassy Bank
master brummie
Only just seen those two eroll entries, catching up after hols. Great to confirm my Mom living there in 1945, we left in April 1956. Thanks for these.
-
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
Villa Street, Hockley (The Flats)
- Thread starter Grassy Bank
- Start date
I was born in 1943 and I lived in Brougham St. and used to play as a kid round there till we moved out to Great Barr in the early fifties when my parents bought their first house. By those maisonettes was a brick built box which we used to climb onto to look over the wall at the brook, it ran in a blue brick lined culvert about ten ft deep, some of the houses over the road had been taken over as factories one made enameled badges and one was light engineering with several lathes which ran from a line shaft in the ceiling which was driven by a car engine in a shed at the back.
Further up Villa St. was a house with a big workshop at the back again with lathes in and it was owned by the father of twins that went to my school St. Silas's names I think Kay and Ann Hadleton. a few doors up was a double fronted shop that seemed to lay back from the road had a big advert in the one window for Blue Bird Toffies, on the corner with Nursery road was a green grocers that had a big fish in a display cabinet on the wall the opposite corner had a cafe, I had a friend that lived in one of the back to back houses at the bottom of Villa St., that was a whole different way of living. The Angel Pub was on the opposite corner across Nursery Rd (see correction in post #34) At closing time at weekends a local bobby would go into the bar bang his trunction on the bar and shout come on Paddy time to go home, big Irish contingent round there. (the place emptied.Try that now).
Sadly i have no photographs of the area, if i was living in an old area that was going to be re developed now I would be amassing photographs of the area before and after. The last time I went round the area about 8 years ago. I didn't recognise anything all the terraced and back to back houses had gone and replaced with modern housing apart from half way down brougham street there was a Hawthorn tree which was in my next door neighbours front garden still standing. A lot of the streets were one way in one way out with bollards at one end. Ive lived in rural North Wales for some 30 years so it was an eye opener.
Funny how once you start thinking of something how memories come flooding back.
Brian
Further up Villa St. was a house with a big workshop at the back again with lathes in and it was owned by the father of twins that went to my school St. Silas's names I think Kay and Ann Hadleton. a few doors up was a double fronted shop that seemed to lay back from the road had a big advert in the one window for Blue Bird Toffies, on the corner with Nursery road was a green grocers that had a big fish in a display cabinet on the wall the opposite corner had a cafe, I had a friend that lived in one of the back to back houses at the bottom of Villa St., that was a whole different way of living. The Angel Pub was on the opposite corner across Nursery Rd (see correction in post #34) At closing time at weekends a local bobby would go into the bar bang his trunction on the bar and shout come on Paddy time to go home, big Irish contingent round there. (the place emptied.Try that now).
Sadly i have no photographs of the area, if i was living in an old area that was going to be re developed now I would be amassing photographs of the area before and after. The last time I went round the area about 8 years ago. I didn't recognise anything all the terraced and back to back houses had gone and replaced with modern housing apart from half way down brougham street there was a Hawthorn tree which was in my next door neighbours front garden still standing. A lot of the streets were one way in one way out with bollards at one end. Ive lived in rural North Wales for some 30 years so it was an eye opener.
Funny how once you start thinking of something how memories come flooding back.
Brian
Last edited by a moderator:
hi bri...i well remembers berts the green grocers and his stuffed fish....great memories from you but just one correction ..it was not the angel pub on the corner with nursery road and villa st it was the crown...the angel was on the corner of wills street and george st...we have plenty of old photos on the threads for villa street...brougham street and nursery road...just use the search box at the top right of the main page...hope this helps
just to start you off here is a photo of the four corners of villa st and nursery road showing the fruit and veg shop..the post office ..the crown pub and the cafe
lyn
just to start you off here is a photo of the four corners of villa st and nursery road showing the fruit and veg shop..the post office ..the crown pub and the cafe
lyn
Last edited: