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woodcock st..nr gosta green

I work on Woodwock Street in Aston Science Park!

Strange to think that back-to-backs used to be here long before they built the Science Park.

It's not sloped now though.

Is that the end near the current site of Aston University?
 
ellbrown said:
I work on Woodwock Street in Aston Science Park!

Strange to think that back-to-backs used to be here long before they built the Science Park.

It's not sloped now though.

Is that the end near the current site of Aston University?
Click to expand...

ell i dont know the answer to that but hopefully someone will...

lyn
 
This shot is a year out of date - but shows Woodcock Street as it was a year ago


Aston Science Park building site from Coleshill Street and Woodcock Street by ell brown, on Flickr

It kind of goes down and around past the City Council offices building site


Birmingham City Council - New office building construction site at Birmingham Science Park Aston - Gate 2 by ell brown, on Flickr

The Woodcock Sports Centre undergoing redevelopment. Has been there since the 1930s (I think)


Woodcock Sports Centre - redevelopment site - mobile cranes by ell brown, on Flickr
 
thanks ell..could be my eyes but there looks to still be a slight incline...

cheers

lyn
 
The old photo posted by Lyn appears to be a court off Woodcock St, not Woodcock St itself. We used to swim regularly at the baths, now long gone.
Can someone please tell me if Newtons Oils Ltd, which I used to know well, were on Woodock St, or an adjacent street?

Big Gee
 
Hello Big Gee Newton Oils used to be in Holt St( the next st down)The baths are still there but not used as such.This court must have gone by the 50s it must have been on the Holt St side as it did drop down on that side. My first girl friend at school lived 2 doors up from the baths a little higher up was Fletchers I played in the table tennis team at Kyrle Hall with Brian Fletcher, 3 of us used to travel round the boys clubs giving them a good hiding.Dek
 
Thanks Dek - Holt Street, just couldn't recall it. I haven't been round there for years, and wrongly assumed that the baths had been demolished. I remember Fletchers very well - they kept my old bangers running.

Cheers,

Big Gee
 
Big Gee said:
The old photo posted by Lyn appears to be a court off Woodcock St, not Woodcock St itself. We used to swim regularly at the baths, now long gone.
Can someone please tell me if Newtons Oils Ltd, which I used to know well, were on Woodock St, or an adjacent street?

Big Gee
Click to expand...


yes i think you are right big gee.....the caption says court 36 so i guess it would be off woodcock st...

lyn
 
Lyn
As big gee says, it is court 36 off woodcock st. Previously someone (you ?) has put on the forum a photo looking the other way from woodcock st , as below
mike

PS Not sure which i put on & which Lyn, but these are the two photos
woodcockstnrgostagreen1930s.jpg
woodcockst1930sentrcourt36A.jpg
 
The bath's haven't been demolished. They are refurbishing it. Has a lot of steel girders sticking out of the roof (now removed). Do you think they will put glass around it, like other old buildings that have been done up?

It wasn't that long since I heard an keep fit class going on in there last year (before they closed it for the current works).
 
cracking photo mike....dont think its one of mine as im sure i would have remembered posting it...

cheers

lyn
 
I would agree that the court in Lyn's photo is on the side of Woodcock St opposite the baths because of its downhill aspect. I believe it may be court 16 because of this other photo with the same woman a child (she must have liked having her photo taken).

I think the second photo is also of the same court, but taken looking in the other direction. They are both I believe taken in 1955.

Phil

GostaGreenWoodcockStCourt16.jpg
GostaGreenWoodcockStCourt1955.jpg


GostaGreenWoodcockStCourt162.jpg
 
Phil photo 2 post*13 I think the large building to the left at the back is part of the Holt Brewery. Dek
 
A couple of images of the old swimming baths, I remember them well. I remember learning to swim in that gala bath, I also remember nearly drowning in it and having to be fished out with that large hook that they used. I suppose they thought I wasn't worth getting wet for. Mind you it just shows how small I was, because this was in the shallow end.

I also remember some years later swimming my first mile there, the same as many young kids at that time we spent a lot of time at the swimming baths. For me is was a 10 minute walk up Heneage St from home and with the free pass it was one of the cheapest ways of passing your time. When I see how many children today cant swim it makes me think the the abolishment of free swimming passes for school children was a bad decision.

Phil

GostaGreenWoodcockSt1.jpg
GostaGreenWoodcockStBathsInternal.jpg
 
Phil
I think the first of your photos is the same as the one I reposted, but yours has been cropped. In yours, in addition to the women & child, you can see half of the old women next to them as well. Both "mine" and Lyn's are labelled court 36 in 1930s (though that doesn't mean its true !!). The 1889 map shows no court 36, Those named seem to show that no court (then) could be as high as 36. The 1920 electoral roll also shows no court higher than court 10. however court no 36 was next to court 4 , so they could have got confused and meant back no 36(or court next 36) . Court 4 (in red) is also the only court that i can see that is open ended (at least in 1889), so that would fit. i think the court must be court 4.
mike
Added
Court 4 would agree with Dek's comment about Holt Brewery

mapc1889court4woodcockst.jpg
 
Last edited:
Mike,

Your comments and findings only go to prove what I always say "never believe what is published about photos unless you have personal knowledge or other evidence to back it up". Just one thought the pram and the womans & child dress look a little later than the 1930's, but I will admit I am no fashion expert.

Phil
 
Mike

By the way sorry about the repeat photo, but I must have been posting the same time as yourself.

Phil
 
Well I don,t know whats going on at the baths but it has been completely scaffolded out and covered with sheeting looks like a major refurb. Dek
 
Nice photo Ell still has the two accommodation blocks on that were recently blown up (one almost hidden by the other).Dek
 
nw to the forum and trying to work out how to reply to threads etc without success. Perhaps a blog ma work. I used to swim at Woodcock St baths in competitions and the baths had tiers of seats down either side. Remember one backstroke race around 1960 when on the 2nd length I saw the crowd standing up and cheering and my parents standing up on the front row concerned. I saw a lifeguard diving in but carried on. When I finished I found out the crowd were cheering me on because by half way down the 2nd length I was the only one left in the race due to the other swimmers getting cramp due to the cold water and lifeguards had had to rescue them.
 
Welcome to the forum!
You've been successful in replying to the post, but in case you don't realise how you've done it, the easiest way is to click the blue "Reply to Thread" button that is on the left, below the last entry
 
I know this was posted earlier by Phil but I found this on the Facebook page and it stated Court 30 Woodcock Street. If that helps anyone.




Woodcock Street.jpg
 
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