Author Topic: River Cole  (Read 23925 times)

townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #22 on: August 12, 2014, 09:43:12 AM »
Phil Did you find this bike in the River Cole? I used to see loads dumped in the river.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

Phil Davidson

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #23 on: August 12, 2014, 02:00:44 PM »
Phil Did you find this bike in the River Cole? I used to see loads dumped in the river.
No, I actually found it, (most of it anyway), in the River Rea, where it cut through Calthorpe Park. ;D
From memory, it was missing the handlebars and a front wheel, but these were sourced from various bomb sites that still existed in Balsall Heath.


planetmalc

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #24 on: August 12, 2014, 03:50:29 PM »
[/font]Yes. If you look at Google Maps, turn off Peterbrook Road onto Aqueduct Road, go under the bridge which carries the canal, and I remember the track as being on the left, immediately after the canal. This place sticks in my memory, because I had two options to get back to Balsall Heath. I either took the straighter route, back up the Yardley Wood Road and Stoney Lane, or I biked it along the canal tow path, and went on the Alcester Road and Moseley Road.

The second option. I seem to remember that with the fixed gear, a rear brake, which I couldn't afford, was not obligatory. Most of my mates at the time had the same set-up. 
Not fair. I'm left with "Walking Back To Happiness", or "Please Don't Treat Me Like A Child". :D [size=78%] [/size]
 
Ah, I know where you mean, now; never knew there was a track there or I'd have been on it. :-\
   
Off-roading on a fixed gear   -    frightening! :D       Phil/Roy: we need a bowing-down-in-admiration emoticon! ;D
 
I have all three Shapiro tracks on my 'Hits of 1961' CD.     Never sing her stuff when I'm out riding, though.
There's no B/S on Planet Malc.

Phil Davidson

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #25 on: August 12, 2014, 06:13:49 PM »
Off-roading on a fixed gear   -    frightening! :D       Phil/Roy: we need a bowing-down-in-admiration emoticon! ;D
Track riding on a fixed gear was nothing to write home about.
But, a friend and I found a tandem frame, with no hole at the top of the forks, so no front brake.
We only had a wheel with a fixed gear for the back, but we thought it would be a good idea to go to the Lickeys on the tandem.
The big hill on the Bristol Road, after the Q.E., was quite an experience going down. :D

Robgriff

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #26 on: August 13, 2014, 11:59:57 AM »
River Cole flows through a lot of Birmingham estates but which ones do you know? Did anyone used to play in the river as a kid. I used to play in it at Shard End and Kings Hurst where the sewerage works were. . I think Spud said he played in it at Gravely Hill or Handsworth. Did anyone else play in it, if so where ?   
i grew up on kingshurst played there all the time

bernie190

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #27 on: September 30, 2014, 03:52:40 PM »
I used to play there all the time in my younger days mid 1960s Glebe Farm side opposite Shard End building dams and swing ropes over it and of course our little sorties with the Shard End lot. Happy days them and yes it was full of all sorts I don't know if anyone remembers the python snake found dead up river from Glebe Farm at the Atlas part of the river.

townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #28 on: September 30, 2014, 04:16:11 PM »
It was in the 60s when I used to play ay the river. Don't remember any python lots of grass snakes though.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

Terry B

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #29 on: October 11, 2014, 05:05:19 PM »
The River Cole ran behind our house in Wake Green Road, between us and Sarehole Road. We'd climb over the garden fence, cross the field and we'd find the original route of Wake Green Road before they diverted it. The river was just beyond it.
 
The river occasionally flooded and sometimes, cars would have to be diverted on reaching the bottom of Brook Lane before they could continue on to Robin Hood Lane. Pedestrians had a long walk to get around it, unless they used our orange boxes as stepping stones - for a small fee!
 
We'd follow the river along Coleside Avenue into The Dingles and into Tritiford Park. If I recall, a branch of the river had been cut off in the Dingles to head towards Sarehole Mill although that had dried up in my day.
 
I remember the four arch bridge across the river off Coleside Avenue quite plainly and why some vandals would want to destroy it was beyond me. 
 
The river wasn't the cleanest around and rats and voles were always around. It smelled quite badly in the summer. The only fish we caught were sticklebacks. There was plenty of frogspawn though!

townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #30 on: October 11, 2014, 05:16:59 PM »
Terry you were lucky only having rats and voles to contend with. Where we used to play in the river the sewage works was on the other side, so you can imagine what was in the river were we played. But saying that it didn't ever stop us and we had some great times. 
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #31 on: October 12, 2014, 06:09:38 PM »
I saw the river Cole flood a few times, right up to the Heathway and Shard End crescent. It was an amazing sight. 
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

planetmalc

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #32 on: October 13, 2014, 04:10:28 PM »
We'd follow the river along Coleside Avenue into The Dingles and into Tritiford Park.
   
I remember the four arch bridge across the river off Coleside Avenue quite plainly and why some vandals would want to destroy it was beyond me.
 
You'll recall that taking the Dingles track on the RH side of the river was the usual way of getting to Trittiford Park; in recent years, they've opened up the LH side also (it's part of the Tolkien Trail) and this is accessed via the Four Arches bridge which looked in good health a few months ago. O0
There's no B/S on Planet Malc.


 

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