Hi everybody. I stumbled across this thread when I Googled the names of some old pubs and have managed to read through every page so far, really interesting and brings back some memories.
I'm not a Brummie from up North, Cumbria but spent some years there from around 1976 to 1983 and remember drinking a lot of pints in some of the pubs mentioned and have happy memories of them.
I first lived near the Dudley Road and The Lee Bridge Tavern was my local. Run by an Irish guy and his wife, great working man's pub and always full after work in the afternoon.
If you turned left from the Lee Bridge down Heath St , on the corner of Winson Green Rd there was a pub called The Shakespeare, another good old pub run by an Indian guy called Paul. Further on down the road nearly opposite the gates of H.M. Winson Green Hotel was another pub whose name I can't remember.
From City Rd if you turned right into Dudley Rd you came to (from memory) I think The Wheatsheaf on the corner which I think was mentioned earlier. Just off on a street to the right was a pub which I think was called the Bricklayers Arms. On the opposite side the Lee Bridge. Continuing further down towards the city I think on the right was another pub, maybe the Windmill, not sure and then still further down on the same side the Birmingham Arms. This was also run by an Irish guy at the time, an ex boxer, can't remember his name, maybe P.J something. On the wall in the back bar was a giant painting of the famous photo where Rocky Marciano lands a big right hand k.o punch on Jersey Joe Walcott.
On the other (left as you go towards the city), side was a pub which was a bit set back from the road, a quite big old building but can't remember the name.
When you got to the bottom of the hill on the left going into the city at the corner, I think, of Spring Hill and Middleway was another pub, the name of which I can't remember. Quite a young crowd in there at the weekends.
From looking at the net I think the Lee Bridge, Shakespeare, Wheatsheaf, Birmingham Arms are all closed, don't know about the others.
Somebody mentioned the Woodcock earlier. A friend of mine and I used to walk from his place in Bartley Green to Woeley Castle and used to call in this pub for a refresher on the way. Would that be the Woodcock, near Cromwell Lane/Woodcock Lane area?