Author Topic: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950  (Read 853 times)

DH

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Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« on: December 31, 2019, 01:53:55 PM »
This is my first note to this forum so if I repeat things already said by others, I apologise! As I am now 77 I may well get a few facts the wrong way round but anyway..... I imagine that my family were one of the first to arrive at the Bells Lane prefab site. I can remember new ones arriving on lorries and being quickly erected on site, I believe they were what we were told were the 'American ' ones? Goodness knows if that was true, though I know that these new ones with a pitched roof seemed to be a lot better that our flat roofed one. I also remember the school actually being built and being told off, with other kids, for playing on the piles of sand etc that were being used for the building. I enjoyed going to the school when it was finished and I think I am right in saying that the first Head was a Mr Pascoe?
Amongst other things still in my memory are, the winter of 1947 when the lane down to the site was completely closed, indeed completely full, of snow and we enjoyed getting up on the roof of our prefab and launching ourselves into the deep snow drifts, an advantage of a flat roof! There was also the stream to play in, try to jump over, and catch stickle backs, A few people linger in my memory, picking bluebells with a girl named Pat Sargent, a clever girl named Vivian Ridley who, I think, wanted to be an engineer, I do hope she succeeded. 
A few other things, Saturday cinema, that wonderful smithy at the top of the lane, I loved going to watch him at work, a real Dante's inferno. The farm that we used to go and 'help out' in the summer, oh and doing a paper round from the shop opposite the Maypole pub,
so heavy, had to do the Sunday round in two halves as I couldn't get all the papers in the bag in one go!

roy one

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2019, 03:32:51 PM »
Bells Lane, Kings Norton


www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=9488.11


hi dh welcome to you have a look at this topic     enjoy  roy
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

baz

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2020, 09:03:07 PM »
This is my first note to this forum so if I repeat things already said by others, I apologise! As I am now 77 I may well get a few facts the wrong way round but anyway..... I imagine that my family were one of the first to arrive at the Bells Lane prefab site. I can remember new ones arriving on lorries and being quickly erected on site, I believe they were what we were told were the 'American ' ones? Goodness knows if that was true, though I know that these new ones with a pitched roof seemed to be a lot better that our flat roofed one. I also remember the school actually being built and being told off, with other kids, for playing on the piles of sand etc that were being used for the building. I enjoyed going to the school when it was finished and I think I am right in saying that the first Head was a Mr Pascoe?
Amongst other things still in my memory are, the winter of 1947 when the lane down to the site was completely closed, indeed completely full, of snow and we enjoyed getting up on the roof of our prefab and launching ourselves into the deep snow drifts, an advantage of a flat roof! There was also the stream to play in, try to jump over, and catch stickle backs, A few people linger in my memory, picking bluebells with a girl named Pat Sargent, a clever girl named Vivian Ridley who, I think, wanted to be an engineer, I do hope she succeeded. 
A few other things, Saturday cinema, that wonderful smithy at the top of the lane, I loved going to watch him at work, a real Dante's inferno. The farm that we used to go and 'help out' in the summer, oh and doing a paper round from the shop opposite the Maypole pub,
so heavy, had to do the Sunday round in two halves as I couldn't get all the papers in the bag in one go!
That newsagent/shop was Westwoods, I was a paper kid there too. I'm 78, so there's a chance our paths crossed. Two of us used to cover the prefabs, a very heavy round. As well as the Sundays, Friday's Mail used to be about half an inch thick and the bag used to weigh a ton!

DH

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2020, 06:15:25 PM »
Well, you never know, my round was mostly down the Alcester road, first turn left after the Maypole. Arundel Road where my parents bought their first house and where on the corner of the road we used to catch the school coach to Redditch County High. I remember what now seems to be an odd situation, on the next road down the Alcester road, can't remember the name, was a small boat yard. I used to enjoy going there and watch the guy who ran it paint the names on the boats, a very clever skill as he was painting on a complex curved surface. He owned a beautiful car, a Triumph Roadster, a two seater sports car with a 'dicky seat' at the back, quite a searched for car now I imagine.

baz

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2020, 08:07:52 PM »
Well, you never know, my round was mostly down the Alcester road, first turn left after the Maypole. Arundel Road where my parents bought their first house and where on the corner of the road we used to catch the school coach to Redditch County High. I remember what now seems to be an odd situation, on the next road down the Alcester road, can't remember the name, was a small boat yard. I used to enjoy going there and watch the guy who ran it paint the names on the boats, a very clever skill as he was painting on a complex curved surface. He owned a beautiful car, a Triumph Roadster, a two seater sports car with a 'dicky seat' at the back, quite a searched for car now I imagine.
As kids we used to haunt those fields, on the other side of the Alcester Rd from Arundle Rd. In later years my brother lived in New Rd, just down from you.
That reference to a boat yard is odd. The next road down from you is Highters Heath Lane, a long way from any deep water ! I can't remember a boat yard in that area, in fact the only boats I can remember were on sale at a premises at the top of Glenavon Rd.
When I had a new bike, (A Philips Kingfisher, wow !), I had to pay the instalments myself and as Westwoods only paid 7/6 a week I got a job as errand kid at a grocer's in Kings Heath. They paid the princely sum of ten bob  a week ! So it was goodbye paper bag and hallo errand bike.

DH

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2020, 08:31:55 PM »
My memory for names has always been poor, so you may well be correct about the name of the road with the small yard selling boats. I recall that the road was part way down a bit of a down slope on the Alcester road. My other memory, a very sad one, was of a serious accident at the junction of that road and the Alcester road. A car drew out in the direct path of a motor cyclist who had absolutely no chance and smashed into the car. I was actually there when it happened and remember being horrified and too scared to go too close. I imagine that the poor guy on the motorbike would have been very badly hurt. 
You mentioned a pushbike. My first bike was bought for me when I passed the 11 plus. It was, I think ( bad memory again!) an Elswick and was bought from a bike shop quite nearby(?) Can't remember but an easy walk from the Maypole, I remember lusting after it for months before I was eventually given it.

DH

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2020, 09:02:15 PM »
I just received an email saying that I had a personal message on the Forum. When I logged on to the forum, the only message there was 'Error...personal messages are not allowed' Hey ho, frustrating, is this a rule of the forum?

Scipio

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2020, 09:35:09 PM »
I just received an email saying that I had a personal message on the Forum. When I logged on to the forum, the only message there was 'Error...personal messages are not allowed' Hey ho, frustrating, is this a rule of the forum?


DH it was from me welcoming you to the site and encouraging you to post your views , plus to comment on other posters comments . I think you have to submit five posts or something like that before the site opens up for you sorry
If voting made any difference , they wouldn't let us do it.
Mark Twain

baz

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2020, 10:19:22 AM »
My memory for names has always been poor, so you may well be correct about the name of the road with the small yard selling boats. I recall that the road was part way down a bit of a down slope on the Alcester road. My other memory, a very sad one, was of a serious accident at the junction of that road and the Alcester road. A car drew out in the direct path of a motor cyclist who had absolutely no chance and smashed into the car. I was actually there when it happened and remember being horrified and too scared to go too close. I imagine that the poor guy on the motorbike would have been very badly hurt. 
You mentioned a pushbike. My first bike was bought for me when I passed the 11 plus. It was, I think ( bad memory again!) an Elswick and was bought from a bike shop quite nearby(?) Can't remember but an easy walk from the Maypole, I remember lusting after it for months before I was eventually given it.


Oh yes you're right, that junction was notorious for accidents. I remember that there was a small cottage there and for some reason cars kept crashing into it, (probably driving home from the Maypole !). A truck hit it one night and they finally gave up and demolished it.
Thinking about bike shops. I would think the one in Highters Heath Lane, just past Sladepool Farm Rd, would've been nearest to you. There was quite a variety of shops in that area in those days.
I'm pretty sure a girl I knew in the 50s lived in your area. Did you know a Susan Blick ?

Phil

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2020, 10:23:12 AM »
DH


As Scipio says, you cannot receive or send personal messages until you have posted a minimum of 5 posts to any board of the forum. I have no doubt that once you have made the required 5 posts that any messages you have received will become view-able to you.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

DH

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Re: Bells Lane circa 1945 - 1950
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2020, 10:44:41 AM »
Thanks for that I'm not surprised that junction was dangerous. I would love to get hold of a map of the Maypole/Bells Lane area for the dates 45-50. People are talking about road names, most of which I remember, though for the life of me I can't remember exactly where they are. My excuse, apart from age and failing memory is that I left the area in 1960 and haven't been back since. If anyone can give me information about how to get hold of such a map, I wold be grateful.


 

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