Heartlands People 2

Memories Nobody seems to have mentioned the Great Illegal Speedway Meetings we had on the Bomb Pecks with the cinder track and starting grids and the crowds of 100's of people which was all floodlit till the coppers came and shut it down, the best one wasin Nechells at the bottom of Scholfield Street in the 50's (I can see it now) Why wasn't any of you their ? you missed some great fun Graham Knight Hi Does anyone out there remember my nan Eva? she sang in most of the pubs in and around the Aston area in the 40s and 50s and 60s Eva had a very high pitched voice and i remember when my mom and dad ran the Dog and Partridge at Nechells I was only little, but dreaded her singing when some of the customers said come on Eva give us a song!! Angie It used to be called Ashted Row and our house was directly opposite Dr O'Keefes, They knocked them all down in the early 60's as part of the inner city 'Slum' clearance Slums...how dare they give them that label. Ashted Row held some of the finest examples of Georgian/Victorian houses in the City. And one of those so called slums was also my home. Ashted Row formed me and gave me my education. I learned to read and write while living there, I also learned about love, laughter, life and sadness. Nechells gave me my values and my respect for other people, It also gave me Community spirit back there too. I remember our doors were left open, that kids could play out late, I knew the Seasons were defined and we all lived there in the knowledge that there was a better tomorrow. But what I really loved was that our neighbours took the time to chat over the fence while the sun was going down. That part is gone now, at least for me... They built a monstrosity called Humber Tower in exactly the same spot as 143 Ashted Row. By knocking down one home that held 10 people, they put up a square soulless block that held 85 families... 85 families without a garden to play or sit in...85 familes whose children had no trees to climb, who never dug a hole or made a bonfire. Those same families who never made a a snowman or sat in front of a roaring coalfire toasting Pikelets...and we call it progress... I could weep. I'm sure those 85 families living there had values equal to mine, I'm sure they have their hopes and aspirations... I'm certain too they have their dreams... I just wish they hadn't all chosen to live on mine.... Les Robinson

Glenys & Shirley Hill At Saint Annes In The 1960's	Gladys Heather Robinson Of 8/45 Devon Street 1929	Eric Hill On A Daytrip To Ward End Park 1961
Good Samaritans Outside The Brittania In Inkerman Street 1949	Bill Ravenhill & David Hayes 1966	Doris Goodman Of Goodmans Store In Erskine Street
Debbie Brown On A Swing At St Annes School Devon Street 1964	Joyce Hill	Samuel Galton Esq

FREDRICK BROOKS My name is Fredrick Brooks, I was born 1n 1934, at that time the third child of Charles and Florence Brooks and we lived at 199 Rocky Lane, in later years another eight children were born but sadly two died. I started my education at Cromwell St Primary School and later at Charles Arthur Street Secondary Modern. We were rather lucky as my father won the Littlewoods Penny Points in 1937 his prize money was £500, on the Saturday night that he won it he had to go to his mates shop across the road and borrow 2/6 to send the Telegram to claim his prize. The part of Rocky Lane where we lived was between Rupert and Cromwell Streets. I had a variety of part time jobs while still at School; one was with a milkman who worked for the Midland Counties Dairies the area we delivered was around Lingard and Bloomsbury streets and St.Clements Rd. Another one was for Barber Brown who had a shop on the corner of Cromwell Street and Rocky Lane, when it was quiet we used to mend Umbrellas, sometimes he would be cutting a customers hair and all of a sudden he would put his comb and scissors down and said that he wanted to go to the Toilet across the road at the Royal Exchange nicknamed the Wrexham where my mother used to work, but instead of going to the toilet he would go and sink half a pint of beer. My last job before leaving school was at Hughes Paper Shop on Nechells Green right by the No.8 bus stop, the paper round was from the shop up to Cattells Grove, back to Oliver Street down Rocky Lane as far as the Hen and Chickens which was on the corner of William Henry St and Rocky lane then back to the shop via Charles Arthur St, I was about 15 when we finally moved to a 3 bed roomed house in Rupert Street right next to the primary school, we stayed there till I was about 18 or 19 and then we moved to Erdington in Abbey Rd. This was sheer luxury with a bathroom and indoor toilet. I emigrated to Australia with my wife who came from Manor Rd, in Witton and my two sons, we were then living in Barton Street, Aston right next to the Canning Family one of whom I believe became Lord Mayor of Birmingham.

Sadie Weiss My Grandfather had a chain of shops in B'Ham which sold prams, toys and nursery furniture. My Father left his good job at BSA as an engineer and took on the shop in Great Lister St - 168. I have forgotten many numbers - all my previous phone numbers and many birth dates - but that number is branded into my brain like our phone number was Aston Cross 1640. The thing is, the other kids were always jealous of me living in a toy shop -if only they knew! The shop was our life. It took over everything. It was my prison. The stairs to the upstairs went from the shop itself; originally it had gone from the front room but Grandad, when he had lived there, had extended the shop to include it. The front room upstairs, instead of being the lovely large sitting room many of these buildings had, was a stock room and the little hovel of a room behind the shop was our living room with worn linoleum on the floor, a ghastly fireplace and my Dad's bed alongside the wall. It did have a window at the side - looking out at the what would you call it? Lean to/ glasshouse at the side - full of more stock, my father's bike and his carpentrystuff. Very interesting [ there was a garden there, if this thing hadn't been in the way]. Upstairs there was a big bedroom and a small one the large stock room a dark cupboard on the landing. Each of the bedrooms had a fireplace - the big room fireplace was actually used. When I was put in the small one at 7 yrs [ after my sister was born] I can remember almost freezing to death in the Winter! Probably everyone on your books living in those post war years can say the same. There was no nice bathroom to take the edge of all of this, or even a toilet - maybe other people you know can also tell you this? We washed in the sink in the kitchen - boinling water in a kettle! It was bare, bleak and cold, literally! Central heating came in years later, didn't it! The loo, as I once mentioned to you, outside in a little brick building, - a wooden bench with a hole in it to sit on and a pull chain cistern! It would look good in a museum of pre-war buildings I guess. Should I go on? My Mom nagged and nagged me about my Brummy accent and consequently I spoke very 'Posh' - which got me bullied plenty, you can imagine, in Nechells. But she left when I was five and my Step Mom - who came a year later - came from hell after it froze over - she had all the coldness of an ice age woman. I can only remember more and more sad things after this which is why I have never really contributed anyting to your illustrious pages - cus this isn't illustrious at all. And it is kept in a dark room in my mind, rarely visited. I remember Poulton's big green grocers and the butchers and the bakers and the chemist on the corner of = was it Rupert St and pub opposite where Trixy lived - and died aged five years. Does anyone remember Trixy? She had a mess of bright red curly hair and was a happy girl. I remember feeling so sad when I called to see here and was told the news. I remember St Matthew's Church on the opposite corner and Lloyd's bank on the next corner down. And a nice cafe opposite - their daughter went to was it Saltley Grammar School which I should have gone to except for the ministrations of my stepmother I would have done. I think her name was Rose but it's gone now. Opposite that cafe was a shop which may have been an ironmongers but I can't remember now. And down on the next corner from the cafe there was a chippy where there was a huge vat of pease pudding; I loved these peas. then somewhere down there I remember tall flats being built -still there today but I told you all this some time ago I believe. I remember as I once said, the shops opposite being pulled down and replaced by maisonettes - I'd had never seen maisonettes before - and making friends with Mrs Parson on the first floor - in those days you called people by their surnames and never found out their Christian names. Her son Nicky caused me trouble with his rumour spreading. But I was innocent then and befriended him tho I believe he caused her heartache too. And lastly, I remember the vicar at St Matthews, constantly drunk yet now a Canon - always interested in girls' legs and, well, girls. His wife had been an actress and was very glamorous. He was often in our shop sharing a whiskey with my Dad and laughing uproariously at some rude joke. Some years ago I revisited this church and was amazed to see how big it is - huge balcony, the lot. Yet in some back water of East B'Ham! Sadie Weiss

1950s Metro-Cammell Saltley This is a photo taken in the 50s at Metro-Cammell Saltley. In the sawmill every xmas a competition was held to judge the cleanest machine this might bring back some memories for someone By A Wayne