Author Topic: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM  (Read 42657 times)

JW

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LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« on: June 21, 2009, 10:42:38 PM »


Looking for information on Longmore Street in the 1950's what type of street was it, from the pictures posted it appears to have plenty of pubs.  Was it working class street, what type of properties were there, ie business homes mixture, rented properties, type of business there, and what is left there now.  Has the street been totally demolished and rebuilt.

Phil

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2009, 09:34:34 AM »
Hi JW

First of all welcome to the forum, secondly you are right about Longmore St it has now gone well at least all the old buildings have. It runs between Balsall Heath Rd and Belgrave Rd (Middleway). It was a continuation of Cox St West and it ran in to Gooch St.

It was a working class area in its time and mostly a shopping area (at least as I remember it). I will have a look and see what photos I can come up with.

We have several members on this forum who lived in the locality. They should be able to tell you more about the area. Was there anything specific you wanted to know?

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

john2000

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2009, 10:02:58 AM »
Longmore St, ( balsall Heath) Birmingham,
had 3 pubs, one at each end and a free house ( owned by the Hope family), the free house ( in the middel) had an open space agross the road from them, which backed on to the river Rea,  later it was turned into a car show ( bombsite car sales),
Starting from Balsall Haeth Rd on the left, we had a furniture shop,same side a fish and chip shop, an Army Navy store, great for donkey jackets and Dr Martins (brover = brother boots) then acouple of more shops, ( cant remember what they sold, ( old age getting to me, again) after the car show area ( bombsite) where some small business, one or two more shops then you came to Belgrave Rd,
Now back again to Balsall Heath Rd this time on the right, you had a pub ( phill has a pic of it some where), a couple of houses, the a small shop that sold bread/tinned stuff/ ham/and best of all cake, after that was an tool shop, great stuff there, I even bought my tools from there, ( paid a lot of money for them but had them for years after). some more houses, the free house pub ( corner of Longmore St and Sherborne Rd, cross over Sherborne Rd, there was a very small bombed area ( one house was hit),next was some more houses, then Amberlers the coffin makers, ( you could ask if they had any empty boxs,) but you had to run then, Amblerlers Brothers was on the corner of Longmore St and River St, some more houses and then the Belgrave pub,
I was the main shopping area of Balsall Heath, going from Longmore st over Belgrave Rd to Gooch St which also had lots of small business's, in retail..
Happy hunting..
Sadlly it has all gone now they took the life and the heart beat away when they pulled it all down, leaving in its place an empty space and lots of memories,,J2






Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

JW

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2009, 11:56:24 AM »
Thanks for the information I am looking for a relative who gave that address in 1953, as to where he was living, as I was  trying to find out what happened to him.  No offense  but I was curious as to why he would move to Birmingham.  The answer about the bombsite car sales might be a clue as he listed his occpation as a motor dealer, he may have secured a job there.

It would be nice to see what the street looked like in the 50's as people who moved around usually choose similar areas to live, and it would be nice to compare with the area he was born.

My relative's name was Fred Stanley

Phil

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2009, 12:22:33 PM »
Hi Again JW

Where was it your relative moved from? I can't help you out with a street view but I have got the three pubs named by John2000, he always thinks of the important thing first.

I have also got one of Pinnicks on the Balsall Heath Rd corner of Longmore st. If I come accross any more I will post them.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

john2000

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2009, 12:36:25 PM »
JW, If he was a motor dealer then he would more than just the one place in Longmore St, he could have just been living there, but working in an other street there where plenty of car work shops, the bigest was in Coxs St West, called Bristol St motors, just before they started the same company was called Lincon St motors, which if you find an old map you will see Lincon St was on the other end of Coxs St West, in fact if you had your back to the show room  you would be looking up another St called Balfour St, Lincon St is still there, ( name only) so you can get an idea where and how things where then.
Another work shop was in Mary St ( white building small) it was a cross the road from Mary St school, so again with your back to the school, the car repair shop would be just to the right hand side but across the road, some where in this forum there is a link called ....location, location, location,.. you will find a lot of photos ( which have been kindly given by Phill47,  there is almost every street in the area,
I dont think you know Birmingham so if and when youre in the area go down Digbeth you can get a taste of what BH was like, you will see that as far as accommodation goes you cant get any worse, we lived there not by chose, and when you are that low, there is only one way you can go after and that is up,
most, if not all of the people who where draged up there now live in nice houses, with real toilets inside the house,( dont know much about Solihul)  ;D, many of the people who lived there moved to other countries, and a better way of life, some moved to Solihul, :-\.. J2


 
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

john2000

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2009, 12:39:59 PM »
What did you say Phil.. Cheeky sod,?.. :D.. O0..J2
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

Phil

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2009, 01:38:18 PM »
John

Whats more important that the local pub?

Phil ;)
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

JW

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2009, 02:13:35 PM »
The area looks similar to where he grew up. No-one seems to know what happened to him, and most of his relatives have now died, my cousin has given up, we were only aware that he had returned to England recently, and belived him to be in South Africa, so that is where he came in from, when he returned to England.

frank

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2011, 09:32:24 PM »
JW. Are you still about. My mother had a brother whose name was Fred Stanley, my mothers maiden name was stanley. There were 8 children, 5 girls and 3 boys, they were Dorothy born 1897-Gladys born 1898-Fred born 1902-Dennis born 1904-Horace born 1907-Salie born 1909-Edith born 1912 ? Nancy born 1914 ? . Some were born in a sherbourne avenue
which was in sherbourne road. And some were born in sherbourne road itself. Sherbourne road ran from Moseley road
to Longmore street. So may be he went back to his roots. Frank.

Anne from Stirchley

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Re: LONGMORE STREET BIRMINGHAM
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2011, 10:35:37 PM »
I was curious as to why he would move to Birmingham.

Because of the lovely people who were born there mate.  :)


 

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