Author Topic: Balsall Heath as it was.  (Read 493889 times)

john2000

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2006, 01:02:19 PM »
Hi"Lizzy, greatdays in some ways, remember the lacorno dance hall , Friday and saterday nights out, never went home with the same girl, funny that ha, remember the fagot and peas shop now that was a saterday treat for me, loved it, and in River street just off longmore st, there was a funereal parlour, we used to go past and ask them if they had any empty boxes, what about the fish and chip shop in Googh st, across the road from Bootes the chemist.  you have never tasted better since.... John 2000 8)
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

john2000

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2006, 08:23:29 PM »
Liz, do you remember Persy shermer, and what he did for the children of Balsall Heath, the ones who had lost their moms and dads in the war, Every year he would take over the City of Birmingham town hall, and put a show on for us, I remember when we went in we where given a bag of sweets an an apple and we would sing at the top of our voices, there must have been half  the kids of Brum  there, and he would say hallo to each of us as we came in the front door, sadly the man died, but no one seems to remember him, he was a little man with a very big heart.........................john2000
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

Graham

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2006, 11:29:41 PM »
Remember this one John?

Vote, vote, vote for Percy Shermer.

Who's that knocking on the door?

If it's old man Whight, then stab him with a knife.

Vote, vote, vote for Percy Shermer.

tassie devil

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2006, 05:15:52 AM »
 ::)and the next line was and he won,t come knocking anymore hi lizzy which part of aussie do you live i lived in perth now moved to tassie its great we realise how lucky we are when we see  other places i,m tassie devil. what about the ritz john in kings heath and laura dixons in straford rd sparkhill my wife use to go dancing there she lived in yardley wood rd  ;D

Lizzy

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2006, 10:33:37 PM »
Hi There We live on the central coast of N.S.W. although
we did live in Sydney for 36 years.
Yes do remember Amblers the undertaker also the fish shop I would kill for some of there fish & chips also a Morgans Pork pie,a bag of Scratchins,cockles,& some pigs pudding. I have tried making the [censored] but they are not the same.I reckon gooch street was a great place to shop.Do you remember Pardoes the fruit shop on the corner of Highgate St ive been chase by old man pardoe
many times the dog we had used to pinch his radishes.
Did you ever go to the Moseley & Balsall Heath Institute
to the saturday night dance???
What School did you go to???I went to St Patricks.then St. Albans.Have a good day   Lizzy

Lizzy

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2006, 10:54:17 PM »
Hi John. yes do remember Percy Shermer do you remember the band he had it used to start in Highgate Street as one of the Smith girls was the mace bearer Yellow & Black uniforms they used to wear but I think all the Kids in the district used to tag on the end
 of the band it was good fun for sunday afternoons.
He used to live in Belgrave Rd just below Muddimans the fruit shop went to his house a few times with my dad  when he was a A.R.P. warden.
Must tell you a funny story about Gooch Street My older brother gave me a bike it was a Dawes frame and the rest was A.S.P.(all spare parts) so down Highgate I rode
ans you may remember it was a hill didnt know where the brakes was got stuck in the tram lines at Gooch St and went flying into the Salvation Armies big drum.
On that note I will say Cheers  Lizzy

john2000

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #17 on: January 31, 2006, 08:39:58 AM »
Hi"Lizzy, I lived in Cox Street West, but when my mom died, I had to live with my aunt in Conybere St,  I used to go to Hope St school,, went out with the daughter of the people who ran the Star pub,  corner of Hope street and gooch st, I remember old Harry ( the barman ) at the star, a tall skinny guy,he lived also in highgate st, there was also a small pub about half way up  Highgat st, got kicked out more than once , youre bringing back the years that where hidden in the mists of time, .
as a kid, not many of the family wanted me, so my uncle looked after me, I lived with my other uncle in Acocks Green, and went to Seven Rd school, that was the only time I felt there was some one looking out for me, I was moved around so many times I felt I didnt have any roots, but when I was at the age for work, every one in the family wanted me to live with them, but no, I stayed with my uncle , I became a carpenter/joiner, then after some years I left and went  to live in France, and never looked back since. been in most countries seen many things good and bad, loved jungles of Africa ( Gabon/Cameroon/Tchad ), Norway was hot in the summer but bloody cold in the winter, the Sahara desert  was the best work I had ( building 23 supermarkets in the desert ). ...................... John 2000
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

Lizzy

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #18 on: February 02, 2006, 12:42:22 AM »
Hi To All,My Husband  has been reading your comments on Sparkbrooke & Balsall Heath.In his  day Sparkbrooke finished at Moseley Rd and Balsall Heath was the other side as was said this could have been one of the snob things as to where you lived.I went to Christ  Church School on Straford Rd.Dennis Rd was considered a  more elite school then. These are a few things that might jog memories I used to deliver the newspaper in Larcher St Larchers Passage and Turner St.Had a friend who lived in Larchers Passage Ralph George.The papershop Was in Highgate Rd there was a home made sweet shop opposite.(Palmers)
Ladypool Rd starting a Highgate Rd there was a greengrcers shop further up was Peakcocks on the otherside was Woolworths in the middle the Olimpia cinema 6d matinee Saturday afternoon Flash Gordon & Tom Micks.Shops around there were Wimbushes, Blisses fruit&veg,the crockery shop,army & navy store  a butchers that only had tins of spam in his window [censored]& pea shop and westwoods the other green grocers. Dont forget Stratford Rd &. Moseley Rd swimming baths.And a game of soccer at farm park it did not have a blade of grass on it.How Many cinemas do you remember around the area??? All the best  lizzy

maltablue

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #19 on: February 02, 2006, 08:42:59 AM »
Lizzy, i lived at 87, Larches St. Was the paper shop you refer to, round the corner from the Turners Arms. The owners moved to Poplar Rd, Kinks Heath, in the 60's. Remember the off licence and the grocers on the corner of Marshal St, South, both called Creswells as i recall, i think the lady in the offie was German ? Used to go to the Picadilly and the Waldorf flicks and also the skating rink, remember the wooden wheels on the skates.
Born and Bred in Sparkbrook.

tassie devil

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #20 on: February 02, 2006, 03:06:47 PM »
hi lizzie and gang
  lizzie cinemas. alambra ,piccadilly,imperial,moseley,triangle,luxor,waldorf,kings heath stirchleyodean. when i started work we had the forum,odean,bristol,gualmount,furturist and the comic house back of new st station of hurst st in city ,baths moseley rd,sparkhill,kent st. we use to walk to kent st from st albans by the time we got there and changed we would be lucky to get 15 minutes in pool ,also went to moseley rd baths for weekly bath ,ha ha does anybody remember the fruit and veg cnr angelina and stanhope st the dirty shop the old lady and newspaper shop in angelina st i had a paper round there 7 days mornings before school and afternoons and also collect money on sundays all for 7/6pence  after school with my mate pete we would go and wait outside upperhighgate st school before i started my round and walk our girlfriends home and buy sweets from the shop cnr conybere and uppperhighgate and show of on our bikes bringing back some great memories since finding this site keep it up :-*

Lizzy

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Re: Balsall Heath as it was.
« Reply #21 on: February 03, 2006, 12:42:11 AM »
Hi John,
Its funny you mentioned the Pub in Highgate St it was the Turks Head(A Dares House)It was our watering hole when I was younger my husband Ray was in the R.A.F. and when he was stationed at Weston-Super-Mare he came home most weekends so we would go to the local.I am begining to feel we must have crossed paths in Brum.
Our wedding reception was held in the smoke room there at the turks head
in 1950.Ray was heading out to Southern Rhodesia only had a week to prepare everything things were still rationed then so the fellows at the R.A.F. camp gave us all there ration cards so we could get some food and a quick trip to the food office to get a permit for a wedding cake often sit and laugh about it.I am quite sure my grand kids think we were crazy in those days.(Maybe we were)
I was in much the same position as you my mum died I had 2 older brothers & 2 very young sisters so I had to stay at home to look after them my 2 sister were grown up when we emigated in 1962 So my career did not start
until 1964 then I started Nursing and have been nursing until I retired 14 years ago. I really dont think I would change anything in my life its been interesting all the best lizzy


 

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