Author Topic: Aston Cross  (Read 10837 times)

John Richmond

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #44 on: March 31, 2021, 12:00:35 PM »
The pub on the corner of Lichfield Road and Rocky Lane was the Golden Cross, which was an Ansells house. I would imagine the reason the Royal George is not marked as a PH on the 892-1914 map is because at that time it was not a full public house and only a beer retailer and therefore would not be listed as a public house.


Hi


I think that is the old ITV studios in the centre of the picture.
When I was living in Tower Road we used to watch TV programmes live on a Saturday late afternoon; when they finished we used to run down the street and sometimes catch the stars leaving.


If memory serves Cliff Richard was one of them.
Fond memories.




Peg Monkey

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #45 on: March 31, 2021, 02:36:08 PM »
Hi
I think that is the old ITV studios in the centre of the picture.
When I was living in Tower Road we used to watch TV programmes live on a Saturday late afternoon; when they finished we used to run down the street and sometimes catch the stars leaving.
If memory serves Cliff Richard was one of them.
Fond memories.
Hi John, welcome to The Forum, Yes I believe it is, I remember it well early 60s, I commuted from Erdington to my school in Hockley using the 64 bus which I got off outside the studios and walked to Rocky Lane to get the Inner Circle 8.
ATV 60s: The Golden Shot game show, broadcast from those studios, featured participants taking part at home where they directed a blindfolded cameraman to fire a crossbow at a target, it was presented by Bob Monkhouse and Ann Aston, his dizzy(?) blonde assistant, later I think BRMB took over the studios.
Peg
P.S. When you have made 25 posts you get the option of an Avatar, mine is my school badge.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

John Richmond

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #46 on: March 31, 2021, 03:59:11 PM »
Hi John, welcome to The Forum, Yes I believe it is, I remember it well early 60s, I commuted from Erdington to my school in Hockley using the 64 bus which I got off outside the studios and walked to Rocky Lane to get the Inner Circle 8.
ATV 60s: The Golden Shot game show, broadcast from those studios, featured participants taking part at home where they directed a blindfolded cameraman to fire a crossbow at a target, it was presented by Bob Monkhouse and Ann Aston, his dizzy(?) blonde assistant, later I think BRMB took over the studios.
Peg
P.S. When you have made 25 posts you get the option of an Avatar, mine is my school badge.


Aston cross brings back one particular memory that stands out more than others.[/font][/size]Way after I left school I worked with a girl, her name was Julie. We secretly liked each other without actually knowing what the other one thought.
It must have been a good six months before Christmas. When it came to the works Xmas party Julie arrived late. There were a distinct lack of chairs I recall. I slapped my thighs with both hands as a joke; and to my surprise she took me up on it. In front of everyone she sat on my lap. That was the start of something beautiful.[/size]Eh hum!On our first date Julie agreed to meet me at Aston Cross. We were going for a meal.[/size]The problem was she lived on the other side of the city and had no idea where Aston Cross was. However, she lived on the Inner Circle bus route... Easy peasey! Right?... Wrong![/size]All she had to do was ask the driver to put her down at her intended destination. The first thing that went wrong was she got the 8c instead of the 8a.I am a stickler for punctuality. I can say, hand on heart, that I have never been late for any appointment/rendezvous in my life. I was never late for school either. Being late for my own funeral? Well that's not up to me.[/size]So there I was waiting at the bus stop on Park Lane. She was late.It has always been fashionable for the woman to be late. So I waited patiently. Now at that time there was a bus every ten minutes. So I played a guessing game... What bus would she be on? the third, fourth... the fifteenth?[/size]When Julie recognized the area where she lived... like an hour later. She approached the driver, who had forgotten to tell her when they had reached Aston Cross. She was almost in tears. She decided to stay on the bus and went around again.When she got there she came running into my arms and told me she didn't know what she'd have done if I hadn't have been there.[/size]So after nearly two hours waiting I was famished.

Andrea67

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #47 on: February 02, 2024, 10:05:23 PM »
I know this is a very old post, but I've just found it. Wow! Blast from the past!


I grew up with my sister (for my first 12 years) in a large house/dwelling on the corner of Tower Rd/Park Rd/Lichfield Rd - the address was 265 Tower Rd when we lived there.
It was above (and included) what I understand used to be a Home and Colonial Store. When I lived there. It was a garage/taxi company/DJ business - my sister's father had his fingers in many pies! 


Although I like old pictures and enjoy nostalgia, Aston Cross was not a nice or safe place to be bringing up children. Just for a start - our bedroom window directly overlooked The Royal George and I can't describe the terror of waking in the night as a young child to witness the frequent drunken violent and bloody fights outside. And sometimes they spilled inside (as I said, my sister's father had his fingers in many pies and he made enemies and we had lots of visitors).


And the fumes! Lord knows how I'm not asthmatic with Ansells, HP, and a garage,/paint shop all in my immediate vicinity and a home heated purely by coal fire and/or calor gas. Plus I've smoked more or less since childhood (cos everyone around me did) - I don't know how I'm still breathing!  But that was all decorated with the peculiar aroma from the public toilets across the road - yes those steps definitely went underground. And there were some very dodgy people hanging around the whole place (not just the toilets).


I'm sorry - I have lots of fond memories of lots of people around there. But I'm glad the whole place was flattened (unfortunately I still dream about it) 😢

Peg Monkey

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #48 on: February 02, 2024, 11:11:27 PM »
I know this is a very old post, but I've just found it. Wow! Blast from the past!
I grew up with my sister (for my first 12 years) in a large house/dwelling on the corner of Tower Rd/Park Rd/Lichfield Rd - the address was 265 Tower Rd when we lived there......
Hi Andrea, welcome to The Forum.....wow! No candy coated memories, I'm sorry to read you had such experiences at a very early age - try hard to give give up smoking you'll be better off all round - health-wise and in your purses.
(To be honest I do succumb to the odd Corona cigar on special occasions - can only afford the odd one, the price is crippling, thanks to the tax the government takes.)
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

lmr3103

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #49 on: February 03, 2024, 06:53:16 PM »
Welcome Andrea, not many of the members on here would say they’re glad that any part of Old Brum was flattened, but you have your own experiences and are welcome to your opinion!

Andrea67

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #50 on: February 03, 2024, 07:09:46 PM »
Hi Andrea, welcome to The Forum.....wow! No candy coated memories, I'm sorry to read you had such experiences at a very early age - try hard to give give up smoking you'll be better off all round - health-wise and in your purses.
(To be honest I do succumb to the odd Corona cigar on special occasions - can only afford the odd one, the price is crippling, thanks to the tax the government takes.)
.


Thank you for your welcome, Peg, and so quickly! Xx


I hear you and most people in the UK, below the age of about 30, are likely to know the health risks of using tobacco by now (don't do it, kids!)


But in my middle age I figure that the damage has already been done, I actually enjoy smoking (even though it stinks, is expensive, antisocial and bad for your health) and I'm 'choosing' to die sooner of heart disease or cancer, rather than later of dementia - which is a genetic likelihood for me and is likely to be a long, drawn-out and heartbreaking process for the people who love me xx

Andrea67

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #51 on: February 03, 2024, 07:27:14 PM »
Welcome Andrea, not many of the members on here would say they’re glad that any part of Old Brum was flattened, but you have your own experiences and are welcome to your opinion!


Thank you for your welcome and I'm sure you're right that probably most members will not agree with me in being glad that Aston Cross was flattened. I understand why and I'm glad that most people have fond memories of their childhoods and younger years in and around Aston. I have very fond memories of friends from the area and the two schools I attended (Aston Tower in Infant and Junior school, then Aston Manor for my first two secondary school years - I loved school ,- it was an escape from home life) Xx


Peg Monkey

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #52 on: February 10, 2024, 09:05:59 PM »
Enduring, if not endearing, memory......
During my senior school years (1960-65) I commuted from my parents' flat on the Lyndhurst Estate, Erdington to Harry Lucas School, Hockley (Why? It's a long story, but the reason is within the Harry Lucas School Topic), byway of the 64 bus to Aston Cross where I changed to the Inner Circle 8 to school. An enduring memory is the fragrance that pervaded the Aston Cross area on my return journey (about 4.30pm) - a mixture of beer and HP Sauce.
OK, enough reminiscing, it would be easy to conclude automation is a relatively recent innovation but the photo below tells otherwise. it shows the new bottling plant at Ansells in 1937, that's 87 years ago.
P.S. Surely that large canvas cover upper centre must be a contender for the largest beret in the world.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Gwladmab

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #53 on: February 11, 2024, 07:55:59 AM »
Enduring, if not endearing, memory......
During my senior school years (1960-65) I commuted from my parents' flat on the Lyndhurst Estate, Erdington to Harry Lucas School, Hockley (Why? It's a long story, but the reason is within the Harry Lucas School Topic), byway of the 64 bus to Aston Cross where I changed to the Inner Circle 8 to school. An enduring memory is the fragrance that pervaded the Aston Cross area on my return journey (about 4.30pm) - a mixture of beer and HP Sauce.
OK, enough reminiscing, it would be easy to conclude automation is a relatively recent innovation but the photo below tells otherwise. it shows the new bottling plant at Ansells in 1937, that's 87 years ago.
P.S. Surely that large canvas cover upper centre must be a contender for the largest beret in the world.
Great photo Peg, looks like you have a choice of sitting or standing job. I do wonder what the lives of those individuals in the photo were like. For example, where did they live?what were the conditions like? They probably didn’t have children at that time as I understand many women finished work in those days to care for the children.


On a lighter note. I think the large beret belongs to one of theTetley Tea Folk, It was a spy from Tetley Tea, Industrial Espionage, they wanted to know the secrets of automation  O0

Andrea67

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Re: Aston Cross
« Reply #54 on: February 19, 2024, 09:28:38 PM »
Great photo Peg, looks like you have a choice of sitting or standing job. I do wonder what the lives of those individuals in the photo were like. For example, where did they live?what were the conditions like? They probably didn’t have children at that time as I understand many women finished work in those days to care for the children.


On a lighter note. I think the large beret belongs to one of theTetley Tea Folk, It was a spy from Tetley Tea, Industrial Espionage, they wanted to know the secrets of automation  O0



What they said ^^ (without casting aspersions on the Tetley Tea folk). Great pic 😊


 

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