Posts Tagged ‘Shops’

John asks…

Can anyone remember Burt Coley’s fishing tackle shop which was opposite the Grant Arms pub?

As a child you could buy maggots for a few pence then go to the Rea and fish.

Does anyone remember the 1950s school of dance (ballet and tap) held above the shops?

I attended for years but gave up when I went to KNGS.

It was run by a blonde lady (maybe Ivy ?).  Trying to remember her name is driving me barmy!

Also, can anyone recall The Fordrough… a way of getting from Cotteridge to Kings Heath, coming out just below Pineapple Bridge? Can recall walking with my mum to grandparents who lived in Priory Road, Kings Heath.

Tony Jones writes…

I used to manage Blakes Radio and & TV shop located in Watford Road, Cotteridge 1955 – 1959.

It was a very lively place with plenty of young people coming in to buy records.

Mr Tom Mansell was the owner, and Phil Hughes, Don Hancock, and Les Calcutt were all members of staff. Did anyone out there go into the shop.

I would love to reminisce with them.

Tony now 80 years old.

Monica writes…
I’m trying to locate my late uncle’s shop. It was on Pershore Road, Cotteridge, maybe around 1726 Pershore Road. It was a carpet shop, I think.
He was Maurice White. My dad was George White, and their was another uncle Johnny.
I remember going once has a child around 1980s.
I would love to know the number of the shop or better still the name… can anyone help me?

Diana writes…

Does anyone know anything about a cycle repair shop – Charles Chadwick, 111 Pershore Road, about 1900?

I know it existed from a Commercial directory but would love to know more about it.

Many thanks!

I attended Cotteridge School from 1948. I had a week at Bournville School on the Green and made such a fuss as they made us have a lie down in the afternoon. I did not want to lie down. I remember the rocking horsein the windows which was still there many years later.

My first teacher at Cotteridge was Miss Rich in the reception class. Opposite the class room was the small stair case up to Miss Howard the headmistress’s office. The hall had murals of nursery rhymes on the walls and the parquet floor was highly polished. Mr Carling who was a dab hand with the side edge of a ruler, Miss Smith who was very strict, Miss Powell and Mr Hewlett who shouted and went red in the face. I remember the wall being knocked down between the boys and girls playground and Mr Hewlett picking up the boys toes. I had lived in the cul de sac on Dell Road, I remember Barbara Barnes and Pauline Dunn. The horse which used to pull the milk float ate the top off the gate post whilst the milkman had a cup of tea in one of the houses. I attended Dell Road Gospel Hall every Sunday with Mr Stormont in charge. Saturday was the baths in Stirchley in the morning and the Pavilion picture house in the afternoon.

I did not pass the eleven plus exam so went onto the Senior Girls School aged 11 years. Miss Walshe was the headmistress for the first year, she then left to take up the position of headmistress at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School which opened in 1959. She was very keen to teach us netball and we continued to play until we left in 1958. Having won all our matches whilst in the final year a few of us continued to play for Miss Walshe as Linden Netball Club which she ran for many years after her retirement. It was a very successful club, won many trophies and had many girls trialled for the England Netball Squad.

Miss Warren became the headmistress, Miss Watterson, Miss Woodall and of course our final year teacher Miss Garfield who used to say ‘Girls that is not Christian like’ whenever we misbehaved. I remember girls came to join us from Kings Norton and Stirchley schools, Kay Parker and Maureen Alcock who also played netball for the school team.

I was a member of Dr McMahon’s special choir which sang in the Town Hall. The memory of sitting in the choir stalls at 14 never left me even when as a member of the CBSO Chorus I stood in the same place for concerts years later in the 1970’s. I left at 15 years old in 1958 to join the GPO as a telephonist.

In addition to the shops mentioned on this website I do remember the horse meat shop just down from school on Pershore Road and the Treasure Trove bear was a white polar bear named Harold. Peter who ran the Treasure Trove after his father died told me that he was sold to a posh hotel in the centre of Manchester. I too spent many hours in there and still have a few items bought from the fascinating amount of items.

Looking back now I suppose we were all quite poor, but we did not know anything different. What more could you want, going to Cotteridge Park to play on the swings, the pictures on a Saturday and the swimming baths. Life was carefree. Happy Days.

Val Lovett nee Taylor

Julia writes…

I am one of many grandchildren of Frank Lawton, who started a business in 1906 of cooked meats and pork pies etc.

This shop was 1833 Pershore Road, Cotteridge.

In 1956 they celebrated its jubilee. The business continued into the early 60s.

I am very anxious to know if anyone has pictures of the shop, as I am in the process of writing about this.

You may even remember the van driven by Harold – pale green with a cream egg shape sign on the sides of the van with writing about Lawton cooked meats.

My Dad owned the chemist in Cottridge for about 30 years.

I am desperate to try and get some old photos of the shop, L E WORRALL Chemist. Can you help?

Thanks,

Andy

Graham writes:

Hi, love the site. I was born and raised in Birmingham. Lived in Ashmore Rd for over 20 years,

I just wondered if you had any photos or info on Roger Page’s cycle shop. I loved this shop when I was growing up and in my early cycling days. I’m now a father and wanted too show my children , what and who kick started my passion for cycling.

Any info would be gratefully received.

Thank you!

The pictures below come from the great new book, Cotteridge Through Time, by Wendy Pearson. Thanks to her for the images. The book is available on Amazon via this link.

Cotteridge in 1910

Cotteridge in 1910

Cotteridge in 1913

Cotteridge in 1913

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotteridge in 2011

Cotteridge in 2011 (copyright Wendy Pearson 2011)

 

Cliff Fleetwood and his cousin Hilda Thompson outside the bottom shop in 1929 or 1930. Thanks to Cliff for the photo.

Francis Road 1929 or 30

Francis Road 1929 or 30

Peter writes:
I was wracking my brain to remember the name of the very large site exhibiting and selling second-hand furniture, bric-a-brac, books etc in Cotteridge. It was a favourite haunt of mine when I was a scholar at Kings Norton Grammar School for Boys 1949-1955.

The shop was Treasure Trove.

Peter writes back:

I vaguely remembered the bear at Treasure Trove, but reading about him brought him vividly back. I used to put pennies in the coin-operated Victrolas (is that the right word – large music-making machines with a rotating copper disc punched with slots that operated to play music-hall tunes). Most of them didn’t work, but a few did. I spent many intriguing lunchtimes browsing at that place. Other lunchtimes I spent my dinner-money on return train rides between Kings Norton and Northfield with a bag of chips from the chippie on the corner of Northfield Road (or near it).

I’m at that age when childhood memories come thick and fast, a nice nostalgic blast, I never thought I would be such a softie…) I was born and brought up in Northfield, my mother’s sister and brother-in-law were live-in stewards at Kings Norton Golf Club during and after the war. I remember that the land between Northfield and the club used to flood (down Hole Lane) and the unmade lane was sometimes impassable without a boat. Happy Days.

There are two other references to Treasure Trove on the site too:

Cliff wrote:
The Treasure Trove: I remember there was that big bear when you went in the entrance. And then there was a statue of a nude man outside and people used to come along and stick chips on his wotsit. When we were children the place was just a little shop then Mr Vincent opened it as the Treasure Trove. There were sheds round the back where they stored all the big things – suites of furniture, grandfather clocks and beds and wardrobes and all sorts of things. With the house and the sheds it would take you quite a while to go round and look at everything.

Kath wrote:
Near St. Agnes Church was a shop called “Treasure Trove” that sold all kinds of things, many from house clearances. It was a wonderful place to look round,you could find anything from a large stuffed animal to a tiny button. It was owned by a Mr Cecil Vincent.

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?

Photo by DJ Norton
 
 
Thanks to DJ Norton for these photos
There’s a fantastic website of more photos like these here
Looking north towards the city from the Pershore Road / Watford Road roundabout. On the corner of Watford Road is George Mason's shop. St Agnes Church is still present - it's now a supermarket. The newly-build Lloyds Bank building is present in the row of Victorian shops on the right.

1962. Looking north towards the city from the Pershore Road / Watford Road roundabout. On the corner of Watford Road is George Mason's shop. St Agnes Church is still present - it's now a supermarket. The newly-build Lloyds Bank building is present in the row of Victorian shops on the right.

September 1962: the construction of Pearks Supermarket on Watford Road (now a Spar). Next to Woolworths is Boots and George Bridge.

September 1962: the construction of Pearks Supermarket on Watford Road (now a Spar). Next to Woolworths is Boots and George Bridge.

September 1962: a different shot of the supermarket under construction, also showing the post office.

September 1962: a different shot of the supermarket under construction, also showing the post office.

The central building is the Fire Station. To its left, the shop features a neon sign saying, "Electricity Supply". To the left of that is a shop called, "Under the Clock" - for obvious reasons! Finally, on the far left is Malcolm's 'Hair Fashion Artists'. On the far right, the top of the spire of Kings Norton church can just about be seen.

The central building is the Fire Station. To its left, the shop features a neon sign saying, "Electricity Supply". To the left of that is a shop called, "Under the Clock" - for obvious reasons! Finally, on the far left is Malcolm's 'Hair Fashion Artists'. On the far right, the top of the spire of Kings Norton church can just about be seen.

For the same views today, click here

 
Photo Not By DJN 
 Thanks to the Geoff Thompson archive, hosted on the DJ Norton website, for these photos.
There’s a fantastic website of more photos like these here
On the corner of Midland Road and Rowheath Road was this store owned by D Nicholls. Amongst the items on display are step ladders, bowls, mops, buckets, coal, seeds, plants and watering cans.

1966. On the corner of Midland Road and Rowheath Road was this store owned by D Nicholls. Amongst the items on display are step ladders, bowls, mops, buckets, coal, seeds, plants and watering cans.

Broad Meadow Motors, 1726 Pershore Road. 1958. Now a couple of houses next to the Murco (formerly Jet) garage.

Broad Meadow Motors, 1726 Pershore Road. 1958. Now a couple of houses next to the Murco (formerly Jet) garage.

1951. This picture was taken from the corner of Watford Road and Northfield road and shows Wincott's Newsagent and Tobacconist on the opposite corner of Watford Road and Rowheath Road. Note the attractive lamppost to the right, probably still gas powered at this time - note the two little extra lamps to illuminate the 'keep left' sign.
1951. This picture was taken from the corner of Watford Road and Northfield road and shows Wincott’s Newsagent and Tobacconist on the opposite corner of Watford Road and Rowheath Road. Note the attractive lamppost to the right, probably still gas powered at this time – note the two little extra lamps to illuminate the ‘keep left’ sign.
Scotts Garage, 1958. Opposite Midland Road. Now a Nationwide Autocentre. To the right of the garage is the Cotteridge Social Club, still going strong!

Scotts Garage, 1958. Opposite Midland Road. Now a Nationwide Autocentre. To the right of the garage is the Cotteridge Social Club, still going strong!

Bullock's and the Empire store would later become the site of Woolworths. To the right of Empire Stores is Boots, still there today!

1955. Bullock's and the Empire store would later become the site of Woolworths. To the right of Empire Stores is Boots, still there today!

This picture was supplied by Mary Gibbons who moved to 1885 Pershore Road in 1947 when her father bought the shop from his employer, Arthur Turner.  He decided to keep the name of JL Mason so that the customers would still recognise the shop. JL Mason was primarily a fishmongers but a small sign above the entrance says that it was also a, "licensed dealer in game". Mary thinks the picture was of Christmas stock as she remembers it looking like this at Christmas when she was a child. Normally there would just have been a display of fish on the marble slab. Note the sawdust on the floor to prevent slipping. Mary's father, Jim Bird, is the chap on the right and at this time he was a fishmonger's assistant.  Less than ten years later he would own the shop! Thanks to Mary and the DJ Norton website for this photo.

This picture was supplied by Mary Gibbons who moved to 1885 Pershore Road in 1947 when her father bought the shop from his employer, Arthur Turner. He decided to keep the name of JL Mason so that the customers would still recognise the shop. JL Mason was primarily a fishmongers but a small sign above the entrance says that it was also a, "licensed dealer in game". Mary thinks the picture was of Christmas stock as she remembers it looking like this at Christmas when she was a child. Normally there would just have been a display of fish on the marble slab. Note the sawdust on the floor to prevent slipping. Mary's father, Jim Bird, is the chap on the right and at this time he was a fishmonger's assistant. Less than ten years later he would own the shop! Thanks to Mary and the DJ Norton website for this photo.

Cotteridge Stores

Cotteridge Stores: late 19th century

Wendy is researching her family tree and has these two photos of Cotteridge Stores, which seems to be an off licence. The licensee is Clara Moorfield who was married in 1915 to Samuel Townend (his second wife). The photos appear to be taken in the late 1800s. Clara is in the centre of the first photo and on the left of the second one. Wendy wonders if anyone has any information about Clara Moorfield (perhaps her married name by a first marriage or maybe her maiden name). Also, where is this building and what is it now? Any information would be gratefully accepted.

 

  
Cotteridge Stores

Cotteridge Stores: late 19th century

Heather is researching her family tree. She’s interested in Edwards ‘leather sellers’ from Macdonald Street. The business was run by Esther Edwards (nee Horton), she had two sons Walter Oliver born in 1866, who became a butcher and married Louisa Elizabeth Richards in 1887, and George Edwards born 1869 who became a tailor and married later in life to Elizabeth (Betty) Judge from Towcester. Any information on these people would be greatly appreciated.

The last day of Woolworths, December 2008

The last day of Woolworths, December 2008

Somerfield on the site of the former St Agnes Church, 2008

Somerfield on the site of the former St Agnes Church, 2008

Cotteridge roundabout, 2008

Cotteridge roundabout, 2008

The "bottom shop" at the corner of Frances Road and Lifford Lane, early 1930s

The "bottom shop" at the corner of Frances Road and Lifford Lane, early 1930s

Frances Barrack lived at 77 Watford Road with her parents (William and Elsie) from the 1920s until she married and moved to Bournville after the war. She spent her working life as nurse at Woodlands Hospital, and now lives in Rednal with her husband Stanley Newton.

Here she recounts her memories of Cotteridge to her nephew Andrew. Frances would like to hear from anyone who remembers her at school or the Barrack family at Watford Road. If so, e-mail us or leave a comment at the end of the article.

The text below is the edited version featuring the sections on wartime Cotteridge and the shops – for the full reminiscence including family history and home life, click here.

My brother Frank and I both went to Cotteridge School and sat together in class. When I was eleven years old I moved over the playground from the Junior School into the Senior Girls. But that was just for girls, so Frank had to go Stirchley School. I remember teachers Mr Tozer and “Gerty” Garfield (I couldn’t stand her).

I remember a lot of the mothers used to be outside the railings giving the children biscuits and all sorts, because there were no school meals. No shoes were allowed in the hall, so you had to walk around the edge, you couldn’t go across because they polished the floor, it was like glass. In the war I used to hope a bomber would come and blow the place up. I used to say “if a bomb dropped I wouldn’t have to go to that bloomin’ school again!” I was never lucky, the Germans never hit it.

Another teacher was Mr Major, he lived in Woodfall Avenue. He wrote on my school report “Frances talks too much” and when I took it home Dad refused to sign it, and instead wrote on the report “and it is your job to stop her” and I had to take it back to school. Then Mr Major pushed a letter through our letterbox telling our Dad to go up to the school.

I remember the Life Boys at St Agnes Church. And Councillor Fryer, he used to come round and give you a talk and bore the pants off you. He used to give these talks in the school hall, we all used to groan “oh gosh he’s here again.
I think Fryer had two sisters who opened a wool shop… Fryer’s Wool Shop.
Of course the railway bridge was just outside Cotteridge School on Breedon Road and Frank would run along the parapet. Never thought twice about what would happen if he fell off the bridge. And I remember there were some stiles there and we used to take a short cut back to Watford Road.

Frank, Ernest, Frances and Elsie Barrack

Frank, Ernest, Frances and Elsie Barrack

When war started Frank and I were evacuated to Headless Cross at Redditch. Because Mum wanted us to stick together as brother and sister we went with the junior school but they were only children and Frank and I were 13. So we had no companions really – I think it’d been better if we were separated and went with the seniors. We went on the train and they put these labels on you and they took us to what looked like a school house and women came in and they just picked who they wanted. At the end there was Frank and I left plus another girl. You felt like a spare part. So then they walked us round the roads in Headless Cross and started knocking on the doors asking “will you take these children…” It was really that haphazard. Anyway we got to this one house and this lady answered the door, her name was Mrs Moseley and she said “well I only want one but because you are brother and sister I will take you both in.”

But Frank had to sleep next door – there wasn’t enough room for both of us to stay at Mrs Moseley’s. Frank had his meals with us but he slept next door. I always remember Frank said how they got MacLeans toothpaste at his house. Well we’d never had toothpaste back in Watford Road, we used to clean our teeth with salt and soot. He said the toothpaste “tastes lovely” and used to eat this MacLeans. I bet the poor woman wondered where the toothpaste was going.

But Frank soon had enough and packed his bags and came home on the Midland Red. Mum brought me home soon after that. The war started in September and we turned 14 at the beginning of December the next year so after that we were at work. Me at Cadbury’s and Frank at Charles Taylor’s.
I remember the plane that came low over Cotteridge School looking for the Triplex factory, you could see the pilot and the swastika on the side of the plane. Then I remember we heard a German plane was shooting at people in the street. Mum was beside herself as she had sent Frank out on an errand. When he eventually came back Mum was so relieved. But Frank had got the sense to shelter in someone’s entrance.

We had no electricity at number 77 until after the war. It was gas, but only downstairs. We had a candle to go to bed at night. We weren’t allowed to read in bed because candles were too expensive. But when the Germans bombed Grant’s Wood Yard it lit up Watford Road like it was daylight. Frank was able to read in bed that night, he thought it was bloomin’ marvellous.

Dad built an Anderson shelter in the garden; he made a right mess of it. Dad used to do a job and he’d say that it was temporary but nothing he did ever became permanent, nothing ever got finished. We only went in the shelter once. After that we said if we are going to die well we might as well die in bed. Mum would say she would get us up if it got too bad. I think you got very blasé about the bombing. All you used think was “oh gosh they’re here again.” We went into the pantry under the stairs the first time the bombs came down, but after that we stayed in bed. You knew they were German bombers because their engines made that “whum-whum” sound. And you could always hear the anti-aircraft guns starting up. A bomb did drop just beyond Kings Norton railway station but nothing round the houses near us. You just thanked God it wasn’t you. That’s how you thought about the bombing really.

If you were at the pictures then you got the warning come up on the screen if they thought there was a raid. I remember being at the Savoy watching “The Last Days of Pompeii” when the sirens sounded. Elsie wouldn’t let me stay to watch the end. I never did see what happened at the end – until it was shown on telly a few years ago. 65 years later and I finally got to see the end! But I always remember Elsie dragging me out the Savoy because of the air raid warning – I could’ve killed her!

Dad was working nightshift at the Austin throughout the war and whenever there was a raid they used to go into what they called ‘the tunnel’. They always played “Woody Woodpecker” on the loudspeakers, so if that started he said they knew they’d be down there all night. I suppose it was meant to cheer up the workers but he hated that song. I know Frank said one night the sirens sounded when Dad was on the tram to the Austin so he just stayed on until it got to the terminus at The Lickeys and spent the night in the Hare and Hounds. When they asked him the next night at work where had he got to he just said he’d been in a public shelter. Public house more like!

Dad used to take us into town to see the bomb damage. We’d get off the tram in Navigation Street and sort of walk around. I remember one shop that was blown up and there was all these sweets scattered about amongst all the broken glass on the pavement. Our Dad said “don’t you dare touch anything.” And nobody touched anything.

They made Hollymore Hospital into a wounded soldiers hospital and my sister Elsie used to go up there and get chatting to the soldiers… she was a bit flighty and liked to go out and dance with the men – one time when she stayed out too late at night, Dad went out to find her – she must’ve been around 21 then – but he still got the walking stick to her.

I know Frank used to listen to the radio or read about the war in the papers but I don’t remember following the news myself. The only time I can remember, I was down Stirchley and they’d got all these newspapers with photographs of the bodies in the concentration camps. I went and had a look and people were saying it’s not true, it’s all fake. They didn’t believe it: it was too horrible to believe this was happening.

When I was young none of the shops existed at the top of Watford road, they were just houses. You had to go round the corner (into Pershore Road) before the shops started.

I remember Fleetwoods, they were opposite Cotteridge School and Clifford Fleetwood was in my class. Everything was delivered by horse and cart then. But when it snowed… I remember the horses used to come up Breedon Hill and the poor horses used to slip in the snow and they got sacks out to try and help them get a grip with their big hoofs. I used to feel ever so sorry for them.
I remember Huins the shoe shop. Dad took Frank in there to have his feet x-rayed because he couldn’t believe Frank had outgrown his shoes so quickly. Dad went barmy and refused to buy a new pair of shoes until the x-ray showed Frank’s feet were bigger.” (Before the harmful effects of radiation were realised, many shoe shops used to have an x-ray machine so customers could look at their feet. It was more for novelty value than anything else.)

I remember the carnival in Cotteridge Park and the Ten Acres Co-op, they used to give you a cardboard box with oranges, a squash and an ice cream. Then you went into the park to the carnival. We thought it was marvellous, you got this box with sandwiches. And The Blue Belvederes band. The Bummer Toots, as our Dad used to call them.

Ferris’s was a great big house. As children we used to say they had a gold bath in there with gold taps.

The Treasure Trove: I remember there was that big bear when you went in the entrance. And then there was a statue of a nude man outside and people used to come along and stick chips on his wotsit. When we were children the place was just a little shop then Mr Vincent opened it as the Treasure Trove. There were sheds round the back where they stored all the big things – suites of furniture, grandfather clocks and beds and wardrobes and all sorts of things. With the house and the sheds it would take you quite a while to go round and look at everything.

Yoxall’s – they sold dog biscuits.

The chemist Bellamy’s: Frank worked at Taylor’s chemist, the one opposite. He used to deliver prescriptions for them. They would make up the medicines in the shop and also refill soda siphons and Frank would take them to addresses even as far as town (Birmingham) on his bicycle. If there had been an air raid the night before there would be broken glass and water running down the street but Frank always had to deliver the prescriptions. And he’d always come back with shrapnel, which he collected in a drawer at home.

There was a music shop – Dugmores – and they got like a concave window. And when you looked in the window it was like those mirrors at the fairground, and we used to pull faces in the shop window and your faces were all terribly distorted. And the shop woman used to go barmy she used to go “Clear off! Clear off!”

Then there was Jones, a little sweet shop. And our Dad was always sending me up there, “Go and get me some acid drops,” then you’d get home and Dad would say “These acid drops are stale. Take them back!” I had to go back and say our Dad says these sweets are stale. The shop woman shouted “I do not sell stale sweets!” She went barmy and said tell your Dad from now on not to come in here. But he never did go in there – he always sent me!

I remember there was another sweet shop on Dell Road, near Fleetwoods. Elsie used to get them root liquorice from there. I hated it. But Elsie loved that root liquorice

Apart from Bellamy’s and Taylor’s, there were other chemists too…

Wakefields, Bloomfields and Hedges. Dad used to send me there for his snuff. I used to run down the Cotteridge and I used to shout “L2-60 box of snuff” all the way to Hedges, because I used to think if I forget the number… and you could only get the snuff from Hedges.

Mum and Dad used to go out on a Saturday night, always to the pictures. The Savoy, in Cotteridge. The King’s Norton on King’s Norton Green. The Empire and Pavilion down Stirchley. That was their night out. And if they went to Cotteridge they went in the Grant Arms after the pictures.

Friends I can remember? Well there was Connie Booth who lived in Holly Road. Her father was an engine driver on the railway. You thought he was God, I mean… a driver on the steam train! Nice man he was. Millie Tye was another friend, she lived in Heathcote Road.

Frances Newton (nee Barrack)
Rednal, Birmingham
July 2008

Cotteridge Fire Station Band, about 1930

Fire Station Band, about 1930

I was born in King’s Norton Fire Station and attach a copy of the Fire Brigade Band assembled outside the Fire Station in about 1930. My father is on the left of the top row holding a tuba. Although I left Birmingham over 50 years ago, to me it’s remarkable, after such a period of time, I can still recall the names of shops in Cotteridge when I lived there – some your correspondents have already mentioned, some not.

A few which come to mind are George Mason (the grocers) on the corner of Pershore Road where butter was patted, cheese cut to weight with a wire, and money put in a container and propelled across the shop to a central cash desk. Tansleys the fishmonger who, prior to Christmas, had turkeys (unplucked) hanging from the front of the shop. Blakes, the electrical shop where I bought records (78s). On the same side of the road (next to the Post Office) was a drapery shop where my Mother used to buy knitting wool and which I think was called ‘Frys’. On the opposite side of the road was ‘Gem Stores’ a small grocers where my Mother used to buy ‘Empson’s Tea’ (she insisted on Empson’s Tea) then, further along toward the junction with the Pershore Road, Tay’s the Butchers. To list the names of the shops I remember going down Pershore toward Cotteridge School would be boring to the reader so just one – Hazeldene’s the barber. Here I was dragged (probably kicking and screaming) for Mr Hazeldene to do a ‘pudding basin’ – no stylists in those days.

The variety and choice of shops then have nowadays been replaced by something very clinical and multinational without much to attract one’s interest. I don’t know what’s happened to Cotteridge, perhaps the wonderful hotch potch of shops remains. Although living many, many miles away, in our equivalent of Cotteridge we still have a fishmonger, an ironmonger, an electrical shop, a independent chemist shop, a butchers. a greengrocers, a bakers and cake shop (all made on the premises) and so on. Not a MacDonalds in sight. If there’s any disadvantage in having this variety of shops it’s that it can take three hours to buy a lightbulb. Somebody’s bound to trap you for a ‘chat’, as I’m sure they did in Cotteridge all those years back.

Chris Perman
September 2007

I attended Cotteridge School for a year in 1938, when I was 12, after my family moved to Birmingham from Gloucestershire. We rented a flat over Eden and Son, the butcher’s shop, opposite the Grant Arms. My younger sister Sylvia also went to Cotteridge School, but my brother Sidney had to go to Stirchley School. At Cotteridge School I was issued with my gas mask, ready for the war. I remember that one of the teachers was called Mr Major.

One of my most vivid memories is that we were given free dinners because my dad was ill and couldn`t work. Each week the school gave us a little white ticket and we had to go by tram to a house in Cartland Rd, Stirchley for a revolting dinner. The tram fare was 1/2d (1/4p) each, so each day the “free” dinner cost us 2d (1p).The fares for the whole week cost 10d (4p).It doesn`t sound much, but we only had 9 shillings (45p) to live on. It wasn’t worth it. I would have much rather gone home for a sandwich. One day I lost the tram fare and we had to walk all the way, instead of just from the Co-op. I don’t know how it was decided that we should get these dinners, in those days nobody asked children their views or explained things like that.

We had family ties to Cotteridge. My grandparents lived at 9 Holly Rd. My grandfather, Sidney Boston, was a painter and decorator and went to work with his handcart. All of his 7 children attended Cotteridge School. The eldest, Thomas Boston, served in the 1914-1918 war and his name is on the Honours board in the library. I also had an aunt and cousins who lived in Laurel Rd. These photos show the street party in Laurel Rd, in 1935, for the Silver Jubilee of King George V, the decorations put up on the house in Holly Rd for the coronation in 1937 of King George VI and the Cotteridge football team of 1915, where Thomas Boston is 2nd from the right, standing up. I enjoyed living in Cotteridge and I remember some things very well.

Near St. Agnes Church was a shop called “Treasure Trove” that sold all kinds of things, many from house clearances. It was a wonderful place to look round,you could find anything from a large stuffed animal to a tiny button. It was owned by a Mr Cecil Vincent.

Lawton`s Cooked Meats, next to the Midland Rd railway bridge, sold delicious meat and such delights as pigs` feet, tripe, chitterlings, black pudding and a-la-mode beef, which was a big round of cooked beef in jelly and they would cut off slices for you to buy. I often got sent on errands for my gran.

An old lady, Mrs Grant-Ferris, owned a big house near the school, where Grant Court is now. She owned lots of property in Cotteridge and I remember that she often wore a fur coat.

Number 1 Holly Rd was the fire station. The station master was called Mr Cox and he had a horse-drawn fire engine, wore a shiny brass helmet and rang the bell loudly on his engine.

On the corner of Dell Rd and Pershore Rd was a sweet shop that had rows of sweet jars in the window and we could buy gobstoppers, sherbet fountains and liquorice rolls, if we could ever make up our minds with so much choice.
Opposite the school on the corner of Breedon Rd was Fleetwoods Haulage Yard, where they used horses to pull the carts.

If we wanted to travel to Birmingham we caught the 36 tram along Pershore Rd. The terminus is where Beaumont Court is now. Where the Jet garage now stands used to be a small factory in the early 1940s.

On Saturday mornings we used to go to the pictures at the Savoy Cinema, (opposite the Breedon Bar) and see films with Shirley Temple or Alan Jones.
On Sunday afternoons we went to Sunday school at the Gospel Hall in Dell Rd.
Sometimes there would be a fete or carnival in Cotteridge Park. It was very exciting to watch the jazz bands marching through Cotteridge to the park where they were judged to find the winner. The Blue Belvederes often seemed to be the favourite.

I have seen a lot of changes in Cotteridge, I wonder what’s next?

Mrs Kathleen Marsh, née Tainton
Acocks Green, Birmingham
July 2000

Mr and Mrs Winscott - Newsagents, Watford Road 1951

Mr and Mrs Winscott - Newsagents, Watford Road 1951