Where was River St Balsall Heath

[Lonnie D54]

Hello to all, this is my first post.

I live down south these days and am trying to map my Brummie history. I was born in Solihull (nearest maternity unit) and lived the early part of my life around Stirchley and Balsall Heath (59-61). I have located my old Stirchley home but am having trouble locating where River St used to be. I attended Rae St School for a short while.

I spent the most of my Brummie life living in Northfield and working for Whittaker-Ellis-Bullock (Nechells). I later moved out to Ladywood, Lozells and then down South.

Both my Uncle Alec and Irish Grandad Thomas played piano for many years around the local pubs in Brum and were piano tuners.

 

[Phil]

Hi Lonnie

Welcome to the forum, River St ran from Seymour St to Longmore St and was between Belgrave Rd & Sherbourne Rd . I think they built the Percy Shurmer School on top of it.

Phil

Sorry just had to edit this as I got my roads mixed up.

 

[Lonnie D54]

Phil,

Many thanks, I have been back there a couple of times in the past and tried to place it but I was only six when we left. I saw a photo of the Eagle Pub (Longmore St/Belgrave Rd) on another thread and am sure that was where my Mum and Stepdad would go for a drink.

Would I be right in saying that River St was just along Longmore St from the Eagle? I seem to remember a greengrocers on the corner also walking down an alleyway out the back of our house and coming out onto a main road possibly the Belgrave Rd.

 

[davidfowler]

Hi Lonnie
Here's a map from the early 50's.

 

[Phil]

Lonnie

Yes The Eagle was only a short walk from River St on the corner of Belgrave Rd.

Phil

 

[Lonnie D54]

Dave/Phil,

Many thanks, thats another distant memory cleared up. As a little rogue I remember that I would try my chance at putting my hand round the corner at River St and taking a piece of fruit off the greengrocers outside display then pedalling away on my little brothers three wheeler.

Also the waste ground between River St And Sherbourne Rd (looking at the map) that was always covered in building rubble and water.

On my way home from School one day I stopped to throw stones into the River Rae where it ran as I remember on blue brick through the factories and a girl pushed me off the ledge. I smashed my ankle and had to be lifted through a small metal door in the factory wall. Not so fond memories.

 

[paul stacey]

hi all
Does any one remember the name of the big red brick church that sat on the corner of Pershore Road and Raglan Road Edgbaston in the late 40's/early 50's??.
regards Paul stacey

 

[Old Boy]

Paul,

St Ambrose Church is on Pershore Road near to the county cricket ground. I am fairly suire that it is on the junction with Raglan Road. The church is still active,

Old Boy

 

[mw0njm.]

was there not a river st off fazeley st to digbeth?

 

[paul stacey]

thanks old boy
Its nice to know the old church is still there, lived at No 5 Raglan, right next to the church and played with the two children who lived there 1947-50.
Many thanks once again.
regards
paul stacey

 

[Lonnie D54]

was there not a river st off fazeley st to digbeth?

MW,

According to Google that River St is still there, I believe the River Rae runs along the back of that one. I found it when I started looking some timeback. I thought at first it was the one I was looking for that maybe had just been built over.

All I need to do now is orientate Rae St school to River St as I cannot for the life of me remember how I got from home to school and back, we never had a car and certainly couldn't afford the bus in those days.

 

[peter (Pirate) Graham]

Hi David would you have any other maps of Balsall Heath i am looking for maps around Hick Street of Belgrave road

 

[mikejee]

here is a OS 1913 map showing hick St

 

[peter (Pirate) Graham]

thanks Mike

 

[Malc]

The green grocers on the corner of River St was owned by Mrs Baylis. I lived in the shop near the Seymour St end of River St, owned by my mother.

Malc.

 

[mr wombat]

My father was born at no 7 River street in 1914 and lived there until they moved to 41a Upper Cox Street in the late 20`s

 

[pjmburns]

As far as I can tell from directories of the time it ran from Longmore Street to Seymour Street. Longmore Street is still there.



Janice

 

[davidfowler]

I believe this is River Street.

 

[Phil]

Yes David, that is River Street looking toward Seymour St from the Longmore St end, this one shows the street in the other direction looking toward Longmore St.