Author Topic: Hamstead Village  (Read 45088 times)

Turbo79

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 22
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #77 on: December 19, 2016, 03:30:20 AM »
Hi everybody, been to see my great aunt Lil today and it turns out my grandmothers side of family actually all lived old Walsall Road, does anybody remember or knew of the Westwood family in hamstead, having trouble tracing back with the Westwoods, I believe my grandmother lived at 44 old Walsall Road and her cousins (the Bradley's including great aunt Lil) moved a few times but ended up at 14 old Walsall Road, great aunt Lil is 90 next year and was born 120 back row, just off old Walsall Road maybe this when houses were back to back??

Turbo79

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 22
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #78 on: December 19, 2016, 03:40:03 AM »
Whoops sorry forgot to type names in, my grandmother was vera Westwood and she had 3 brothers, Dennis, Eric and Kenneth, although Kenneth died quite young, I think some of Dennis and Eric descendants are still alive who would be my late father's cousins but I have no names to go on

townie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8931
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #79 on: June 13, 2017, 01:32:19 PM »
All the people from Hamstead do you remember a pub on the old Walsall road just before the bridge? There is a photo on the old pubs of brum topic (reply 2271) Thank you. 
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

countrylad

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2267
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #80 on: July 11, 2017, 11:58:07 AM »
This thread has bought back a few memories of the chats I used to have with my old dad as a kid about Hamstead colliery in the war years. Dad and the family had moved from the south Wales valley's - Blaen Llechau, Ferndale and Meardy in the mid 30's and started at Bakelite, Tysley.  There was still a large Welsh contingent at Bakelite up to the 80's


He recounted, a 'man' came to the pits in south Wales and one day he  (the man) was at the pit head when the shift finished. The man was representing factories in Birmingham and offered many of the miners jobs in Brum.    A bus was laid on and many of them went to Brum and stayed in 'rooms' in Smallheath, Sparkbrook and Sparkhill, the women stayed in the valleys a while longer before moving to Brum.


Just after the outbreak of the second world war, Dad was called-up and as an ex Collier a reserved occupation. He went to Hamstead. He spoke fondly of the people of Hamstead. He was never sure though about being back down the pit, was it better than going off to fight? He had no choice, he had to go down the pit but he survived where others didn't.


He would tell me about the pit ponies and how some of them didn't see the light of day for weeks, how he felt sorry for them and would give them spare food, on the rare occasions that there was anything spare. Some ponies would get seriously injured and have to be put to sleep down the pit by exploding a detonator in the pony's ear. However, some ponies did retire. 


He also told me about an accident in Hamstead pit, where a man got killed from being caught up in the pit winding gear. Not sure if anyone would remember this as it is almost 80 years ago.


At the end of the war Dad was back at Bakelite.       



 

jessrose206

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #81 on: November 13, 2017, 09:41:28 PM »
Hi everybody,
I was wondering if anybody can remember the name of the wine bar that was attached to the kings club? Me and my family can't remember and would love to know!
Thanks,
Jess

townie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8931
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #82 on: November 15, 2017, 09:21:56 AM »

jessrose206 Ive come across a photo of the old Kings club but afraid no photo of the wine bar.


Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

GardenGerald

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2182
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #83 on: November 15, 2017, 05:37:59 PM »
Good Evening Everyone
62 years ago I had a Saturday down the Hamstead pit. Saw the Ponies and how the coal was mined. The first thing that struck me was how hot it was. Very educational and a day I have never forgotten. In later life I had a day down another pit that was more mechanical.
Great days and in those days good legs. Super to still be alive.
Gerald.

ironside

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 173
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #84 on: November 16, 2017, 12:21:15 PM »
              My first job was horse driving down the pit. The old blokes had the same horse for years they were like family to them. Being the kid I had the worst possible horse, beautiful to look at, glossy black coat, but I couldn’t do anything with him. I would end up dragging the stuff myself, soon got fed up and left. The colliers called them horses not ponies. That other reference to canal barges, that would get boatmen’s hackles up, they are narrow boats. Barges are those big wide things on the Thames.                                                                                                        The colliery I worked at had 4 and 5 feet seams, Hamstead had a 30 feet seam. During training they told us about Hamstead, they said columns of coal were left to support the roof the weight caused spontaneous combustion, cement was used in usually vain attempts to put the fires out. The fires are probably still smouldering. The 1908 disaster was caused by fire. In the sixties a person was killed everyday on average, in the mining industry. Fires in ships bunkers were common place, caused by spontaneous combustion, the Titanic set sail with a bunker on fire. That is probably why it was hot, all the pits I have been down were cold, particularly by the downcast shaft the onsetters always wore overcoats. Nearer the upcast shaft the air was warmer after it had circulated round the pit. The stables were by the upcast shaft so the smell would be ventilated.
     I recall those buckets going over the road, presumably carrying spoil. Where was it going, and was the colliery on Spouthouse Lane?
    

StevieD

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #85 on: February 21, 2018, 04:44:14 PM »
Hi everybody, been to see my great aunt Lil today and it turns out my grandmothers side of family actually all lived old Walsall Road, does anybody remember or knew of the Westwood family in hamstead, having trouble tracing back with the Westwoods, I believe my grandmother lived at 44 old Walsall Road and her cousins (the Bradley's including great aunt Lil) moved a few times but ended up at 14 old Walsall Road, great aunt Lil is 90 next year and was born 120 back row, just off old Walsall Road maybe this when houses were back to back??


My mom is 86 and was at school with Dennis, she thinks he married a Chandler girl. She also knows Lil, mom's maiden name is Vinall and Lil was very good friends with my mom's sister Marjorie Vinall. Margie married a Canadian soldier and died about 3 years ago in Canada. Did Lil have a brother Louis or Lewis?

StevieD

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Hamstead Village
« Reply #86 on: February 21, 2018, 04:50:25 PM »
Whoops sorry forgot to type names in, my grandmother was vera Westwood and she had 3 brothers, Dennis, Eric and Kenneth, although Kenneth died quite young, I think some of Dennis and Eric descendants are still alive who would be my late father's cousins but I have no names to go on


My mom was at school with Dennis and knows Lil who was a great friend of of my mom's sister Marjorie Vinall ( My mom is June Vinall - that's her maiden name). Mom still lives in Appleton Avenue. Mom has a great set of memories of old Hamstead families and I'm sure would share them if ever you wanted to chat with her.


 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy