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Witton Road

  • Thread starter Thread starter steerboy
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Big Gee said:
Not used to the 'new' forum layout yet....made a hash of previous post. Not to worry!

Phil's Photo No 42 includes Tandy's fashion shop, were my Mom shopped for clothes from time to time, and Di, the old cinema on the right of the photo was called The Empress, and eventually became a small factory. My dad also remembered it as a real flea-pit. Photo No 40 shows Oliver's Newsagent, where I worked as a paper-boy for a (short) time. They were real slave-drivers, and I could hardly lift my bag when I set off on my round. Didn't last long - not fit enough.

We lived in The Broadway (and knew Di's family in Woodall Road). Strange how sometimes we hardly had two ha'pennies to rub together, but Mom always shopped at the 'better' local shops, usually at Bevan's Grocery which was very close to The Empress. Sam Bevan was a real character, a natural-born comedian who would get the whole shop laughing. He called me 'Beanpole' (amongst other names...). His daughter Lynne married former Villa player Bruce Rioch.

I also used Aston Library from time to time, but found it dark and oppressive compared with Birchfield Library. I used to spend my pocket-money at The Model Mecca (George and Nancy Rowand) next door but one to Wigley's Fashions, and after 60-odd years I'm still very active in model flying. My mother's cousin Bill Sims had the green-grocer's on the corner of Witton and Trinity, twice the price of anywhere else (!) my mother used to complain, which I guess is how when he retired he and his wife could move to Rosemary Hill Road in Streetly.

I hope you're keeping well, Di - very nice to run into you again!

Big G
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Hi, My Name was Lynne Bevan and my parents owned Bevan's Grocery shop.
 
Hi, My Name was Lynne Bevan and my parents owned Bevan's Grocery shop

Hello Lynne, what a surprise! I remember you well from The Broadway, and also when you were receptionist at Hemming-Allen's dental surgery on Trinity Road.

Mom thought the world of your parents, and your dad was always good for a laugh when we went into his shop.

I hope life's been good to you.

G
 
Big Gee said:
Hi, My Name was Lynne Bevan and my parents owned Bevan's Grocery shop

Hello Lynne, what a surprise! I remember you well from The Broadway, and also when you were receptionist at Hemming-Allen's dental surgery on Trinity Road.

Mom thought the world of your parents, and your dad was always good for a laugh when we went into his shop.

I hope life's been good to you.

G
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Hi, Thank you for getting back to me, fancy you remembering me from Hemming-Allens, I worked there for 8 years. Mom & dad loved the shop, Happy days... I married Neil Rioch (Aston Villa) although someone wrote on the Forum that I married Bruce Rioch!!! What is your full Name??.
 

Hi
I just happened by chance on a forum about Witton and was interested because I'm doing my family tree and my Great grandfather Henry Brown had a coalyard at Witton, I think quite a few of my family are buried in Witton cemetery, I have a photo of him with his horses in the coalyard. He died in 1910 and I believe some of the family had farms in the area before it was built up, I know there was a Kingstanding farm and Yew tree farm. I have an old map of Birmingham but have not located any of them yet.
 
JulieR said:

Hi
I just happened by chance on a forum about Witton and was interested because I'm doing my family tree and my Great grandfather Henry Brown had a coalyard at Witton, I think quite a few of my family are buried in Witton cemetery, I have a photo of him with his horses in the coalyard. He died in 1910 and I believe some of the family had farms in the area before it was built up, I know there was a Kingstanding farm and Yew tree farm. I have an old map of Birmingham but have not located any of them yet.
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Hello Julie & welcome to the Forum, a really great and interesting place. Enjoy!!
 
Hi JulieR, welcome. A good place to start maybe to post the image of you have of great-grandfather in his coal yard. The members here are exceptionally good at finding locations.
 
JulieR said:

Hi
I just happened by chance on a forum about Witton and was interested because I'm doing my family tree and my Great grandfather Henry Brown had a coalyard at Witton, I think quite a few of my family are buried in Witton cemetery, I have a photo of him with his horses in the coalyard. He died in 1910 and I believe some of the family had farms in the area before it was built up, I know there was a Kingstanding farm and Yew tree farm. I have an old map of Birmingham but have not located any of them yet.
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Would your ggf be the Henry Brown, coal merchant, Lichfield Road ?

There is a Henry Brown, 234, Witton Lane, coal merchant in 1890.
 
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hi julie and welcome.. if you are able to post it on this thread it would be lovely to see that photo of your grandad at his coalyard in witton..

:)
if you need any help with your family ancestry..ie gt grandad henry brown could i suggest that you start new thread under the surname interests section of the forum

lyn
 
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Pic 2 c/o Witton Road/Albert looks like the old Art School I went to in 1947/8, could be wrong, it was over 70 years ago. Eric
 
Does anybody remember the 'corn' shop on the corner of Witton Road and Manor Road? I had an amazing smell inside probably as a result of stocking all mom manner of feeds and hay etc. My most vivid memory was being in the shop as a ten year old with Mom on Christmas Eve 1959 when the proprietor of the described in almost forensic detail the dreadful circumstances surrounding the Stephanie Baird murder which occurred on the previous night. It made a long lasting impression on me but I often wondered how she knew so much about the case particularly as the press in those days were far more restrained in the reporting of the details of such events. I guess kids these days have to deal with exposure to far more graphic stuff that they can access on Youtube etc. Some people, I suppose, would say it is all part of growing up!
 
Yea I did upgrade to one of those pea firing pistols I forget there name they came with 50 gold plastic balls you got a lot of misfires because of misshaped peas the corn shop sold them by weight you ended up with a giant brown paper bag full very hard to hide from your parents lol
 
I more or less knew all these shops having been born a hundred yards or so down from Kynocks, 504 Witton road to be exact and three houses up from Holdford Drive, the first shop on the right up fro the bridge was Mrs Jackson a lovely old lady, sold sweets and tobaco, there was also a shoe shop just passed hers, i remember in 1959 i went in for a pair of shoes, the sop was a bit crowded and the two women serving kept telling me to wait a bit when i was trying to pay for the shoes, i just sat down again and put the new ones back on and walked out, leaving my old ones behind.
On the opposit side of the road there was a tailors shop named Hardy's, when I was fourteen I went in and bought a Black suit on tick, I cant remember how much the Suit cost but all I paid was ten bob, when Mr Hardy came to my house my dad told him to clear off or he would have the law on to him for selling stuff on tick to a minor, I still used his shop but got friends to go in and get things for me: I did pay though.
 
AlanD2 said:
Does anybody remember the 'corn' shop on the corner of Witton Road and Manor Road? I had an amazing smell inside probably as a result of stocking all mom manner of feeds and hay etc. My most vivid memory was being in the shop as a ten year old with Mom on Christmas Eve 1959 when the proprietor of the described in almost forensic detail the dreadful circumstances surrounding the Stephanie Baird murder which occurred on the previous night. It made a long lasting impression on me but I often wondered how she knew so much about the case particularly as the press in those days were far more restrained in the reporting of the details of such events. I guess kids these days have to deal with exposure to far more graphic stuff that they can access on Youtube etc. Some people, I suppose, would say it is all part of growing up!
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I remember the corn shop well, I had to go and fetch the corn and grit for my Dads chickens
 
Just come across these great photos of Witton Road . My wife’s great grandad had a furniture store 252-254A Witton Road for 1920s until 1959. It was just past the junction with Trinity Road on the left hand side. The building is still there! His name was Howard Wimbush Terry and he died in 1959. We have often wondered whether anyone on the Forum remembers this shop or if there are any photos of it?
 
Can anyone let me know the name of the shop that used to sell air fix models and the likes on witton road
also there was a tool shop on the RH Side i think it was called Sam Troughs OR Bobs hardware
 
Dudley lee said:
Can anyone let me know the name of the shop that used to sell air fix models and the likes on witton road
also there was a tool shop on the RH Side i think it was called Sam Troughs OR Bobs hardware
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hi dudley could you give us the years you are on about please...someone maybe able to check the kellys directories for you

lyn
 
Dudley lee said:
Can anyone let me know the name of the shop that used to sell air fix models and the likes on witton road
also there was a tool shop on the RH Side i think it was called Sam Troughs OR Bobs hardware
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HI sorry the dates are 1970 - 1981 I worked for James Nuttall the used furniture shop near the traffic lights witton road and trinity road
opposite to Jardine's cycles i also remember Stan Taylor the ex villa player had a sports shop
 
Dudley lee said:
Can anyone let me know the name of the shop that used to sell air fix models and the likes on witton road
also there was a tool shop on the RH Side i think it was called Sam Troughs OR Bobs hardware
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It was called the Model Mecca shop. The guy who owned it used to sail a radio controlled boat over Witton lakes. It was unusual as it had Gannet 15cc engine in it. Most boats had these diesel engines, but this was like a proper four stroke with a little sparkplug, and external rockers and pushrods.
 
I lived opposite the model shop next door was Pats newsagents then Wigleys a ladies clothes shop
yes he had his boats on the lakes every Sunday.
 
Morturn said:
It was called the Model Mecca shop. The guy who owned it used to sail a radio controlled boat over Witton lakes. It was unusual as it had Gannet 15cc engine in it. Most boats had these diesel engines, but this was like a proper four stroke with a little sparkplug, and external rockers and pushrods.
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Thanks much appreciated amazing shop at the time
 
I lived at 107 from 1951 until 1972 when I got married and moved to Erdington. The neighbours were Mrs Whomesley and the Pearce's. I went to Prince Albert Primary school and then to King Edward's Aston. Great memories of the library, Model Mecca and many of the other shops mentioned on here.
 
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