The Holmes, Garrison Lane

[coventrykid]

Blimey, I hadn't realised it was so close!  The irony really was in your saying that you believed there was grass at the stadium-a bit sarky I thought..
Not to worry, it is difficult sometimes when people aren't talking face to face.
I'll stick to the history of places and not mention feelings from now on, I think!
Best wishes,
Anne

[vauxonion]

Why make an issue over grass I knew the area very well there was plenty of grass down the hill 200 yards away there was Garrison Lane Park,over the road between Landor St and Garrison Lane were the remains of the old brick works covered in weeds and grass a huge area(got to be half mile square) that we all played on.I can even remember Sky Larks singing in the sky back in the 50s.Now if you wanted an area with no grass take a trip down Vauxhall and Duddeston.Dek

[planetmalc]

As far as the claim to be the first municipal flats, that could be true, were the properties you name in Muntz St built by the Council they might have just been taken over later. The book I quoted mentions properties in Milk St being built in 1898 that is some 27 years before Garrison Lane. I would imagine they were also built privately because I hardly see the authors saying that Garrison Lane was first and then disproving it on the same page.
 
Phil

 
These stand-alone Wright Street properties were flanked by bog-standard terraced houses, and looked as though they preceded all of them, so they could well be private properties that were taken over by the Council.       This would make their date-of-introduction as council houses difficult to pin down (and well & truly academic now they've been destroyed).       I've seen photo's of these properties in 2 different nostalgia books, so I'll try to hunt them down.

[peter round]

Garrison Lane flats was third to be built, Milk Street flats was the first, them Palmer Street flats. I was born in Eastholme in 1938, my mother moved in Eastholme in 1933. Garrison Lane flats was built in 1919. I have great memory's of the flats.


Peter Round

[Phil]

Hi Peter

Welcome to out little forum, thanks for your input, it's always good to hear from somebody who actually lived in these places. I didn't know anybody who lived in the Garrison Street flats although I did know a family that lived in the Palmer Street ones and I can remember from visiting them what tiny places they were and I lived in a back to back and it seemed small to me.

Earlier in this thread Planetmalc mentions the municipal flats that were in Wright Street Small Heath saying that he thought that they could be the first council flats in Birmingham.

I remember a few years back when Mikejee and I were trying to put names to his collection of photos after he lost his records in a flood this was one of the photos we got stuck on for a while, but I think Mike came across a story of them when they were about to be demolished. So perhaps he will remember more about the story of the flats than I do.

[planetmalc]

Earlier in this thread Planetmalc mentions the municipal flats that were in Wright Street Small Heath saying that he thought that they could be the first council flats in Birmingham.

I remember a few years back when Mikejee and I were trying to put names to his collection of photos after he lost his records in a flood this was one of the photos we got stuck on for a while, but I think Mike came across a story of them when they were about to be demolished. So perhaps he will remember more about the story of the flats than I do.

 
Brilliant photo   -   thanks for posting that!       I had a friend who lived in the top floor flat on the RH side; it was accessed by a kind of spiral staircase which started just to the left of that white door that you can see near the lower centre of the properties, and it ended on the upper shared central balcony which was fronted by a set of railings.     At the time, none of us really knew anything about their historical importance   -   this only really came to light when their demolition was being mooted   -   and it looked for a time as though there might be sufficient interest to save them, but obviously not as it turned out.

[mikejee]

I don't think I have any more information, but will check up tomorrow. A friend of mine was involved in trying to get the flats saved, and so I went to photograph them, and that is the only information I had then.

[peter round]

Hi Peter

Welcome to out little forum, thanks for your input, it's always good to hear from somebody who actually lived in these places. I didn't know anybody who lived in the Garrison Street flats although I did know a family that lived in the Palmer Street ones and I can remember from visiting them what tiny places they were and I lived in a back to back and it seemed small to me.

Earlier in this thread Planetmalc mentions the municipal flats that were in Wright Street Small Heath saying that he thought that they could be the first council flats in Birmingham.

I remember a few years back when Mikejee and I were trying to put names to his collection of photos after he lost his records in a flood this was one of the photos we got stuck on for a while, but I think Mike came across a story of them when they were about to be demolished. So perhaps he will remember more about the story of the flats than I do.

[peter round]

Hi Phil
I'm writing a book about my life in the flats, in the book is  mate mind Johnny Mulrenan who live in top holme (Southholme).
Before I went to Tilton Rd school I went to Garrison Lane school, with my mate Johnny we came lifelong mates and we are still mates.
From 1943 to 1947 we was at Garrison lane school to February 1947 something went on at the school our mothers took us out of the school I went to Tilton Rd school Johnny went on to another school.
If you want to know anything about the flats and Garrison Lane feel free to ask.


Peter Round

[Phil]

Peter

I hope you don't mind me giving you this bit of advice, when you use the quote facility if you make sure that your text does not begin until after the last [/quote] you will find that your text starts below the quote box.

[peter round]

Peter

I hope you don't mind me giving you this bit of advice, when you use the quote facility if you make sure that your text does not begin until after the last  you will find that your text starts below the quote box.

Hi Phil. sorry I never got back to you straight way, thank you for the advice. I had to wait for my son to tell me what I got to do. Has I'm learning about computer's, now I know what to do. All I know was about reply.
All the best
Peter