Author Topic: Smiths Wood  (Read 7343 times)

townie

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2018, 11:21:46 AM »
One of my locals The Cheshire Cat. O0
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Technonan

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2018, 04:26:13 PM »
Country Lad....Cat Lane was also off the Heathway. There were two lad who lived underneath us, who went to that school. Phillip and Alan Cunningham. They were older than my lads , so would be in their late 50's early 60's now

Phil

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2018, 05:15:17 PM »
The Cheshire Cat, Cat Lane, gone the way of most pubs demolished and probably being used as hard-core under some motorway. The only thing that is left is the original pub sign framework although it holds a different sign now.

Phil died in 2020. RIP.

countrylad

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2018, 08:17:29 PM »
Technonan, I had forgotten about he Cat Pub, I only visited that part of Shard End a couple of times in 73/74. The girl I was seeing at the time had family near the Cat I think we went over one Boxing night and a couple of other family do's. They were from Arthur street originally. I can't remember the first name of the lady at the flat but she would have been Pickering before she married. I'd say she would be in her 80's now.


Cunningham rings a bell. The problem was with Alderlea all the lads were addressed by their Surname so didn't get to know many by their Christian names.


Couple of other puds not far away that I went to once or twice was Hunters Moon and The Raven.

Ian Dalziel

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2018, 04:25:44 PM »
Smith's Wood in the early 1940s.





This photo was taken from the bottom of our garden at 547 Chester Road (opposite Kingshurst Estate). My brother and I spent many happy hours playing in the Wood with our friends.
Let's make the best out of a bad situation.

countrylad

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2018, 05:57:20 PM »
Ian, I can imagine what it was like at the time. Is that a crop of hay in the foreground? I'm thinking back to the old machinery that would have have used to gather the harvest. I bet you have some lovely memories of your time there.


I can remember the old Chelmsley Wood. I think we got to it by the Old Bell pub. Lovely walk and masses of Bluebells. We would sometimes go as far as Bacon's End farm.
countrylad   

Ian Dalziel

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2018, 03:36:38 PM »
Hi Countrylad, It might have been wheat, barley or oats - I think they were all grown in these fields at various times and were harvested by a Reaper with rotating sails towed by a tractor. They started using a Combine-Harvester in the early 1950s. The farmer used to let us ride on the mudguard of the tractor, no worries about health and safety then.


 


When the field was in fallow, the farmer put bullocks in it. We were only 7 and 8 years old so initially, we were worried when a dozen of them would come towards us but we soon realised that they were only being inquisitive and they were more scared of us. My father built all his (and his friends) garden furniture from the Wood and he used us as child labour to haul the branches across the field.


Yes, we often used to cycle through Chelmsley Wood from Bacons End to Marston Green. I haven't been in the Bell pub for years but I've heard that it is a bit rough now.







Let's make the best out of a bad situation.

frederick

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2018, 06:18:06 PM »
I remember the lovers lane before the houses were built.     ;)
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countrylad

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2018, 06:22:15 PM »
What a lovely picture of summers gone by Ian. The last time I saw one of those in action was in 1982. My neighbour was harvesting Oats. The machine is still at the back of my barn, worse for wear though. Looks like a David Brown Cropmaster tractor pulling the machine. In this part of the country they call it a Binder.


You probably remember the old Balers as well. They would make the small bales of Hay or Straw. Most farms have now gone to big bale silage.


The last time I did small bales of hay was about three years ago. My neighbour he was 84 was still very traditional in farming techniques. He was dying of cancer. I knew it would be his last harvest so I took time off from my job in London to gather his last Harvest with him. I really wanted to spend the time with him before he departed. It was lovely to see him doing what he had enjoyed doing since he was a child on the same farm. We were lucky, The weather was good harvesting weather. Although we did have a few breakdowns with his very old equipment. It was 'Harvest Home' at the end of August. He died two months later,  RIP Noel.


countrylad

Ian Dalziel

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #20 on: February 20, 2018, 04:36:47 PM »
Hi Countrylad, Yes, I remember the Balers, and my brother would have been very interested in your machinery as he became a farmer after studying at Harper Adams, then working for Henry Plumb at Coleshill before landing himself a 'plum' job with the Min of Ag which later became Defra.


Frederick, where was Lovers Lane? - just wondered if I ever used it.
Let's make the best out of a bad situation.

robx52

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Re: Smiths Wood
« Reply #21 on: February 20, 2018, 04:44:23 PM »
Loverly memories Ian, sad to say the Bell is now an Indian restraunt.


 

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