Villa Street Lozells

[roger ralph]

The ford van in the photo belong to G E Packer scrap metal merchants Villa St also in the buildings to the left was G Molloy metal spinner, also Poole and sons who made scoops for weighing machines and the pearl button company was in the building as well

 

[Astoness]

How did the numbers run Lyn? I have a struggle to work out where Watsons was from the various photos and maps posted.

hi eric evens going up in twos on the side of copes pearl buttons watsons garage on the other side of the road a bit further up...think it was almost opposite padmores garage..i will see if i already have a map if so will post it later

lyn

 

[Eric Gibson]

Padmore's was almost directly opposite Lyn, I was there when they first opened it as a filling station, they ran it as an engineering works before.
I think I can just about see Watsons in the aerial view, the bright bit looks about where the front fence was.

 

[Astoness]

Padmore's was almost directly opposite Lyn, I was there when they first opened it as a filling station, they ran it as an engineering works before.
I think I can just about see Watsons in the aerial view, the bright bit looks about where the front fence was.

i think you are about there eric...maybe one of our members could find out what number watsons garage was at unless you know?

lyn

 

[brummy-lad]

Is this any help? Watsons was No. 187

 

[Astoness]

thanks for the map john i was just going to post it...the ground that watsons garage was on is now part of georges park

lyn

 

[Eric Gibson]

Got it John, the house with 187 on in the map was where our foreman and his family lived, John Rice and His wife and two young sons.
Ps. Couldn't remember the number but the phone number was Northern 3017

 

[brummy-lad]

Another aerial view of Villa Street and also shows Hunters Vale.

 

[Eric Gibson]

My ma in law lived in Hunter's Vale in the late fifties, an upstairs maisonette at the very far end. It had concrete steps up from the front door, she painted them white then demanded everyone removed their shoes on entry.
I installed an immersion heater for her because there was no hot water there.

 

[Astoness]

my brother visited today and i showed him marks photos on posts 199 and 200 and he was transported back to over 50 years ago when he used to get up to all sorts behind copes pearl buttons...he said the workshops were a great place to play..he remembers them very well and said to say thanks for the memories mark

lyn

 

[Cookie55]

I worked at Watsons in Villa Street from when I was about sixteen until I was twenty three or four (National Service excepted) but I only get a vague recognition of some of these photos.
Watson's was on the left hand side towards the top of the street, the workshop was a corrugated iron barn building lying well back from the road and we had a petrol pump with an arm that swung out over to footpath to serve cars at the roadside, the pump was operated by winding a handle not electric.
The Padmores filling station was built on the opposte side of the road just a little further up.
Going down the road on our side a few doors away there was a small grocery shop then further down Kent's factory where they made weighing and packing machines I believe, further down there was a small drapery shop then the cafe on the corner where we used to get our 'saus and tom' sandwiches.
I don't suppose anyone's got pics of that part of the street. E.

 

[Cookie55]

hi eric evens going up in twos on the side of copes pearl buttons watsons garage on the other side of the road a bit further up...think it was almost opposite padmores garage..i will see if i already have a map if so will post it later

lyn

Padmore's was almost directly opposite Lyn, I was there when they first opened it as a filling station, they ran it as an engineering works before.
I think I can just about see Watsons in the aerial view, the bright bit looks about where the front fence was.

What year was that Eric? I worked there in the 1970s as a windscreen fitter. Before that I worked across the road in what was B W Motors previously Watson’s.

 

[michaelwicks54]

The cafe you mention Cookie55, was this the one at the bottom of Villa Street, by nursery road. If so, I used to live next door to it in the early 70's. They used to throw their empty beans & tomato can over the wall into our garden every day.

 

[Cookie55]

The cafe you mention Cookie55, was this the one at the bottom of Villa Street, by nursery road. If so, I used to live next door to it in the early 70's. They used to throw their empty beans & tomato can over the wall into our garden every day.

It was yes! I had to go for a job interview in 1970, a place called B W Motors I’ve recently found out it was previously called Watson’s! Unfortunately I was early and had to wait so I popped in this cafe for a coffee and toast, I can remember it was very old looking place.

 

[michaelwicks54]

It was yes! I had to go for a job interview in 1970, a place called B W Motors I’ve recently found out it was previously called Watson’s! Unfortunately I was early and had to wait so I popped in this cafe for a coffee and toast, I can remember it was very old looking place.

I remember this cafe very ell Cookie55. Yes, it was a very old looking place. Thankfilly, even though I lived next door, I never entered the cafe. Just did not look very clean.

 

[Cookie55]

I remember this cafe very ell Cookie55. Yes, it was a very old looking place. Thankfilly, even though I lived next door, I never entered the cafe. Just did not look very clean.

As I remember, it wasn’t.

 

[Eric Gibson]

What year was that Eric? I worked there in the 1970s as a windscreen fitter. Before that I worked across the road in what was B W Motors previously Watson’s.

I worked at Watsons Villa Street from late 1950 to 1958 with my national service in the middle 53 to 55 then went to the place they bought in Granville Street for about 18 months, I think Padmore built the filling station in the late 50s after I returned from the army.
Still looking for a photo of the Watsons 'barn'

 

[Cookie55]

I worked at Watsons Villa Street from late 1950 to 1958 with my national service in the middle 53 to 55 then went to the place they bought in Granville Street for about 18 months, I think Padmore built the filling station in the late 50s after I returned from the army.
Still looking for a photo of the Watsons 'barn'

Hiya Eric
I remember it well, I never did like using the antiquated air operated car lift, whenever we did we always secured it with what I think? was a railway sleeper I think the compressor was as old as the garage. Our Bosses name at the time was Burt Walters, I’d have loved to have seen the place in the early days I’ve read there used to be a fuel pump at the front of the forecourt. I left there in 1972 and got a job at what was! Padmores, then called Edwards Bros, Windscreen Services got married while working there and moved into the large house at the back and stayed there till 1975. I too have been looking for pictures of Watson’s and the house behind Padmores.

 

[Eric Gibson]

Yes there was a vintage hand operated petrol pump with an arm that swung out over the footpath, I served a lot of petrol from it over the years I was there.

 

[Cookie55]

hi eric just wondering if you recall village cottage..think it would have been just a little way up from watsons garage...quiet a substantial building but i just cant remember seeing it...could be it was demolished when i was quite young...map below marking it out

lyn

View attachment 115577

it wasn’t there in the mid to late 1970s because i remember it as a builders yard.

 

[Eric Gibson]

I remember it we used to be able to see it from Watson's front yard, it was occupied as flats by tenants mostly Irish with a bit of a reputation as prostitutes but that might have been just malicious gossip.
I do recall though one of them hanging out of an upstairs window topless and shouting abuse at someone below.
Our (Watsons) cycles salesman lived opposite a Mr Chambers, he was in his eighties, told us his wife had died beside him in bed, we asked what did he do he said "Turned over and went back to sleep, nowt I could do."

 

[Cookie55]

I remember it we used to be able to see it from Watson's front yard, it was occupied as flats by tenants mostly Irish with a bit of a reputation as prostitutes but that might have been just malicious gossip.
I do recall though one of them hanging out of an upstairs window topless and shouting abuse at someone below.
Our (Watsons) cycles salesman lived opposite a Mr Chambers, he was in his eighties, told us his wife had died beside him in bed, we asked what did he do he said "Turned over and went back to sleep, nowt I could do."

 

[Cookie55]

Great memories of Villa street Eric

 

[Eric Gibson]

I can add a bit more about Mr Chambers although it might not get past the censor.
He remarried not long after his wife passed, to their home help a forty five year old divorcee, one of the lads said "How's married life going?" old Chambers replied "The old cock still crows."

 

[Cookie55]

I can add a bit more about Mr Chambers although it might not get past the censor.
He remarried not long after his wife passed, to their home help a forty five year old divorcee, one of the lads said "How's married life going?" old Chambers replied "The old cock still crows."

sounded like a man of character

 

[Astoness]

hi folks just a quick message to anyone who lived in villa st who may have any photos they could share...been quite a while since any new ones have been posted....

many thanks

lyn

 

[Astoness]

i know this one is on the vine inn villa st thread and i did think it was on this thread but seems not so i will post it now...great shot no firm date taken from nursery road looking right up villa st...this is the first photo that many years ago started me on a mission to find more...eileens drapers shop on the left..also on the left just up from the car the white wall jutting out is the vine inn pub....my old house is on the right obscured a bit by the trees

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

I asked a question about this image on the other Villa Street thread (now closed so comments can’t be added there)

villa street

there is no question in my mind that this pic was taken from my back garden looking nothing like it did when i lived there.. the.branches you see just to the right would be the apple tree that was climed many many times as was the wall you see at the back..the houses you see in the background we...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Grateful if someone could date this by the vehicles please ? It’s useful to others to try and date these postcards to help them in their research. Many thanks. Viv.

 

[Eric Gibson]

The truck could be Albion or Dennis from the 1920s Viv the fronts are very alike.
Doesn't of course give an accurate time because they could be ten years old.

 

[michaelwicks54]

I asked a question about this image on the other Villa Street thread (now closed so comments can’t be added there)

villa street

there is no question in my mind that this pic was taken from my back garden looking nothing like it did when i lived there.. the.branches you see just to the right would be the apple tree that was climed many many times as was the wall you see at the back..the houses you see in the background we...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Grateful if someone could date this by the vehicles please ? It’s useful to others to try and date these postcards. Many thanks. Viv.

Hello Vivienne. From the appearance of the clothing on some of the people, it could be from the 1940's. Probably during the 2nd world war as the gas lamp appears to have a cover on the glass.