Memories of Acocks Green
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Acocks Green, Yardley Road c1965
Ref: A136012
I was born in 1940 and lived at 27? (it might be another number) Hobmoor Croft. We lived next door to the Lewis family and the other side was the Bessie family. We lived there between 1940 and 1945 when we moved to Erdington. As I was so very young I don't have many memories of the place except that there was some sort of space at the back where they had huge tank shelters and where we kids used to play (illegally I'm sure). In the garden we had an air raid shelter built of corrugated iron and half buried in the ground. I used to love having to go down there at night with my playmates. It all seemed such fun! Little did we know what was going on at the time! My dad used the pub at the bottom of the road. My name is now Jayne Gilbert but I was born Jayne Watson. I went to a nursery in Yardley when I was 2 as my mum ran her own hairdressing salon nearby. Dad worked at the aircraft factory during the war. His name was Chris and my mum was Eileen. They were both hairdressers. I am still in touch with Gillian Lewis who married an American Airforce staff sargeant called Tommy Cooke and they now live in Texas. I eventually attended Lyndhurst Prep School in Erdington folowed by a year at Burcot Grange in Seven Oaks and then King Edward VI Grammar in Handsworth. I lived in London for most of my career (I am a barrister) and now live in Suffolk.
Shared on 21 October 2009
I was born in Douglas Road in 1941 and remember many local shops as they were then important parts of our life and we often visited daily. On the Yardley Road I recall Greenwoods the baker, their son, Malcolm, and I went to the same school, Wrensons the grocers, C King Bowdler the chemist (we would now say pharmacist) and a firm of solicitors, Morgan Lugsdin. There was also a rather Victorian jeweller's shop, the name of which, unfortunately, escapes me. Further along towards Acocks Green station and before the Great Western public house was my favourite establishment, Gordons Fish and Chip shop. In those far-off days chips came in 3d, 4d and 6d bags, the latter being more than enough for even the greediest schoolboy. Old Mr Gordon was a decent man and would willingly give a bag of chips if you took him a large supply of old newspapers for wrapping purposes. Wonderful far-off days in an England which no longer exists.
Shared on 10 July 2009
Acocks Green, Yardley Road c1965
Ref: A136012
I remember when all shopping was done by visiting independant local shops. The shops I remember going to with my mother on Yardley Road were Alldays butchers, Timms greengrocers, The Bargain Shop, Terry Lovetts Sports, The Iceberg (drinks store), The Chocolate Box, Washland and many more I can picture but cannot remember the names of. This was well before people had heard of supermarkets!
Shared on 02 October 2008
Acocks Green, Olton Boulevard East c1955
Ref: A136043
We lived at 1, Northanger Road, which was at right angles to Olton Boulevard East and we have had views down both directions of the Boulevard. I remember the regular visits of the rag and bone man. Cars were becoming common-place, but a horse and cart seemed very old fashioned. The horse manure was soon collected up by the keen gardeners in the area. It was a good way of getting rid of the unwanted articles, as the rag and bone man seemed to take all we gave him.
Shared on 08 April 2007
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