Cotteridge

Posts Tagged ‘1970s’

Victor writes:

Does anyone remember a comic shop in Stirchley in the 1970s called Outer Limits?

If so can you share any information you have about it or remember?

Vic writes:

“I’m trying to find out two things from the 70s about Kings Norton.

First I remember around the very early seventies that there had been animal sacrifices in the Barn at Hawksley, can anyone shed any light on this subject? I remember it in the press but cant find anything on the Internet.

Secondly, does anyone remember what year the canal bridge opposite the old Primrose Hill school collapsed? Again i have a vauge idea it was 1978 but I want to be sure as I’m collecting the information for a future book.

John writes: “I worked for Bob and Anne Moore at the Breedon, and just came across an old photo.  It shows Bob & Anne, Malcolm, one of the regulars, and Steve Gibbons’ wife Susie”. Contact us or leave a comment if you have any other memories of photos of the now-gone Breedon Bar.

Three photos of Cotteridge School teachers and staff from the late seventies / early eighties. Let us know if you recognise anyone.

Debbie Bevins, neé Wilson, is trying to locate some old friends. She writes, “I lived in Cotteridge for a very short while from 1970 when we moved from Warwickshire.

I remember my first days at Cotteridge School where I have vague recollections of there being murals on the walls of the playground? I lived in Frances Road, but we moved to Wales and I lost touch with my best friends at the time: Paul Poole and Nicola Peevor who I remember had a slide in her garden which got so hot being made of metal, you were hard pushed to sit on it at times!

I have many fond memories of happy summer afternoons playing with a group of friends from the street and if anyone is out there and remembers me I would like to hear from you”.

E-mail us or leave a comment below if you want to get in touch and we will pass it on.

I was born on the Pershore Road just up from the Breedon Pub in 1968, and my family moved to Redditch in 1980.

I attended Cotteridge School and captained the football team to the league title with Mr Stone as manager. (The dreaded Miss Richardson was Head Mistress (now deceased I believe)).

My memories of Cotteridge are all good. Playing down the cut, challenging everyone to football matches in the park and running through everyone’s gardens. Our neighbours were the Georges, Lanes, Leas and Bushells.

It was a close community then with many events being held and day trips to place like Blackpool being organised with the help of Kings Norton Ex-Serviceman’s and the Sunday School in Dell Road. (Mr Sturgess and Mr Carr). School friends and neighbours who still might be about were Simon Cartmell, Phillip Ryder, Paul Dutton, Malcolm Lea, Karen and Nicky Masters, the Turnballs, Girlings, Gavins and Pratts.

If anyone remembers a car crashing into the front room of a house (in about 2001), well that was our house. Also does anyone remember the ice cream van overturning outside what was then Wilmott Breedon? The gas leak when everyone had to be evacuated, the silver jubilee in the Sea Cadet hut, the fire in the basement of the house on the corner of Dell and Pershore Road (The Malonies I think?) and someone moving their TV into the middle of the road sitting down and pretending to watch it (smart move) after an argument with his wife!

Terry Smith
June 2004

Police flats (now local authority housing) under construction on Breedon Road, on the site of the former Fleetwoods yard.

The full history of WR Fleetwood Ltd is here.

I attended Cotteridge school around 1972. I have fond memories of my short stay at the school. Memories of my first kiss and pulling the legs off daddy long legs (not necessarily in that order…)

What I remember of the playground is an alcove that had rubber tires wrapped around a pole and painted like a snake. I spent many lunch breaks hanging of that yellow snake. I also recall some little cubicle like seats at the same end of the playground. This is where a young girl asked me if I had ever been kissed… Like a fool I said no and she planted one on me. The funny things you remember.

We lived only a few houses down Pershore Rd from the school. Many of the pictures I see on the other page are very familiar and I can see where our old house is in one. My father spent a lot of time renovating that place and it would be interesting to see it today. I also remember buying sweets at the corner shop one street down.

The park was where I remember riding my bike, catching spinners and testing out my new plastic binoculars. I recall hanging from trees and falling off of them a lot.

All in all my memories of this area are very cherished and have stuck with me. I now live in Canada and have for the past 28 years. I still come back to Brum from time to time and must make an effort to look around the old haunts.

Andrew Stokes
Vancouver, BC, Canada
January 2003