Weoley Castle - Alwold Road

[carolina]

Chapo No 91 - Williams

 

[Chapo]

No, we lived at 177 opposite the school.

 

[Pedrocut]

Evening Despatch May 1939

 

[paul stacey]

I remember the name, Alwold Road, but can't remember exactly where it was, pedrocut. Paul Stacey.

 

[mikejee]

Here is c 1937 map, showing that then it was not yet complete

 

[Phil]

A couple of photos from 1932 showing Weoley Castle Farm & Mill, before it became Alwold Road some years later as Mike's 1937 map shows.

 

[paul stacey]

Many thanks, for the info. Paul

 

[norfolk brummie]

During the fifties I was a professional musician, working at the Casino in Birmingham. To earn a bit more ready cash, I would sometimes be called upon to collect insurance premiums for the Prudential Assurance Company. At one point I had undergone some training with the 'Pru', so knew the routine. This collecting would be holiday cover for the regular agent.

One week I had to collect around the Weoley Castle estate, and on the Saturday morning I knocked on the door of a house. After a few minutes it was opened by a quite attractive young lady, who had obviously just got out of bed, since her dressing gown was wrapped around her.

When I explained who I was, she said that I had 'better come in' whilst she looked for the insurance books and premiums money, apologising for the fact that her mother and father were out.

Having taken the premiums etcetera, she asked, "Would you like a cup of tea?"..."That would be nice" I replied, and sat down on the settee.

For a few moments we sat talking about music, the Casino, and the fact that she occasionally went there dancing.

Suddenly she moved in really close, undid the dressing gown, revealing everything.

I shot up, said that I must be on my way, and dashed out of the house. Absolutely true story.

Before any one asks "Why?" I can tell you that, as the drummer in the band at the Casino, I never had any problems in finding a nice lady friend.

Memories of Weoley Castle!!!

Eddie

 

[paul stacey]

dos'nt sound like the Weoley Castle, I lived in, I was looking for some adventure like that most of my teenage years. Paul

 

[farmerdave]

Certainly didn't happen to me in Hall Green. Unfortunately, nice, respectable people lived there. Dave.

 

[Mysticqueen]

Does anyone know where the Salvation Army hall was in Alwold Road? I don't think it is still there - but if anyone knows where it was, or has a photograph of the building, I would be most obliged.

Salvator I would like to know that, I didn't even know there was a corps in Weoley Castle, I lived in Dormston Drive from 1999 to 2011 and I never knew that, at one time, probably where the bungalows are, there was once a corps. It only came to mind today, because, I am a member of Birmingham Citadel, and I was having coffee with the captain, and she mentioned it.

 

[campfremont]

About The Square
I just had to try.
After making a bold statement in a recent post (re: Princethorpe Road School) I had a go at recalling all the shops on Weoley Castle Square in the fifties and sixties. I did surprisingly well. The shops on Beckbury Road were my greatest challenge. They were furthest from where I lived and probably least frequented. With the help of old phone books and a couple of Kelly’s Directories, I think I have completed the task. I’m sure others will have done something similar. My list is attached to this post.
The Square at the time of my childhood, provided for almost everything (but no fish and chips by 1956). It was a hive of commercial and social activity from 8 till 6 Monday to Saturday where those who dwelt on the roads and avenues around (there were no streets in Weoley Castle) made a beeline for their daily needs and wants. Its busyness was exacerbated by the regular bus services that semi-circulated within it and the growing, but tolerable, number of cars.
A square, however, it was not. Most of the shops were arranged in an oval, forming a sort of amphitheatre within which a myriad of acts were played out daily. At its centre, where pre-war an expansive ‘green’ had once provided respite, was a warren of prefabs. These were fabulous little homes whose neat and compact layout contributed further to the overall sense of theatre. To a young observer like me the daily happenings in and around the Square were hypnotic and memorable.
What follows are the most vivid of my, hopefully not too inaccurate, recollections. They begin at the top end of Weoley Castle Road:

• On the right-hand side of this gateway was always a greengrocer. It became chaos corner with assorted crates and boxes once Ken Need took it over.
• Opposite was the newsagents, outside of which we would wait at 6:00pm every Saturday for a van to screech to a temporary halt and throw out a tied bundle of Sport Argus’s. It was always an honour to be the one to race into the shop with them. It was here the lovely Denise worked part-time.
• Next door was Wrensons with its threatening cheese wire, even more threatening large red bacon slicer and black and white tiled floor.
• The triptych of Co-op shops (‘Ten Acres Stirchley’) were my family's providers of choice; because of the divvy!
• The Elim Church, whatever Elim meant.
• The duelling barbers, clean Fred and dirty Fred.
• Castle Larder, the only shop that dared open on a Sunday. It would sell you almost anything as long as it was put in a brown bag and concealed on your person as you left the shop.
• Ganes Funeral Directors; "is that where they keep the bodies?"
• Lawrence’s, with its pneumatic payment tube. Where you would wave goodbye to your payment as it travelled downline and wait the arrival of your change at platform 2.
• Craythorne’s cavernous hardware emporium that reeked of paraffin. It had to be traversed every time you needed to visit the newly-installed post office counter at its rear.
• College Radio with its modern TVs to wonder at, and its groovy records corner. Here I bought my first ever disc, ‘Let’s Dance’ by Chris Montez. I’ve still got it.
• Faux’s Sweet Shop, run by a one-legged killjoy who oversaw the point-and-mix sweet counter. 8 aniseed balls for 1p.
• John Favour’s, with its array of open biscuit tins outside the shop.
• Stoddard’s on the other side of Somerford Road where a big bag of scratchings was a regular sneaky pleasure.
• The ‘Offie’ next door; where it was a rite of passage as a 16-year-old to try to get served alcohol.

I’m sure you will have your own store of memories of what was a great way to shop and socialise.
Paul W

 

[superdad3]

I think it has been mentioned before, that Weoley Castle Library on the corner of Beckbury road/The Square has a massive collection of photographs on Weoley Castle including a good collection showing the shops etc. and much more. Well worth a visit for anyone interested in Weoley Castle.

 

[campfremont]

Unfortunately those of us who live a long way away, cannot easily visit. They should be encouraged to digitalise further the collection of documents and photos.
Paul W

 

[mikejee]

With regard to this, do we know what the future of that library is likely to be? At the moment all local libraries seem to be at risk as proper libraries.