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Audnam

Audnam maps

Historic maps of Audnam and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Audnam maps

Audnam area books

Displaying 1 of 7 books about Audnam and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Audnam

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West Midlands memories

Football in The Park

Behind this picture were the tennis courts and behind that were the football changing rooms and the pitches. I played in goal there for several teams over the years, the last being the Wordsley Labour Club. I had started with Stuart Crystal and over the years gained nicknames like the Crab or the Bear. There would also be some I cannot put here. Getting married and moving to Cradley put an end to the football (and other things) and I eventually moved to the Lake District (Cumbria Crystal) and then to Kings Lynn (Wedgewood Crystal) before moving to Stourport on Severn aprox 17 years ago. John Lampitt

Lower High Street

High Street 1959
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This picture is taken from the junction of Kinver Street and is looking up towards Church Street on the top left. At the bottom right is the Rose and Crown pub (Davenports house) next to which was a shop that sold everything and I think belonged to the Randalls. After that was the Hall (like a village hall) and then the church land started. On the left and out of shot was a butchers, a bank, a chemist (window showing by cars), a Co-op and a bakery. In front of the white house (Conservative Club ?) ran a lane which went to the bullring of Mount Road where I spent some of my time as a boy. John Lampitt

Walks With my Dad

The Common c1955
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This picture is the memorable part of our route, a walk from Belle Vue where I lived until the late fifties. My father would take me for walks on Sundays when the weather was good, which it seemed to be most of the time, we would walk up the common which was then all countryside. We would climb over the stile in the photo and turn up the hill towards the wood, known as the Cally Wood, it was private with no public access. So we we would take another stile which would take us across the fields towards Cot Lane. This was the exciting bit for a six year old as the path crossed the sand pits by a metal footbridge high above the workings, which was often a few feet deep in water. We then joined Cot Lane and back to Wordsley, perhaps for a Vimto and packet of crisps at the Raven, where they had a bowling green at the back. It was kept by the Mansells,... Read more

The Community Centre

High Street 1959
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The large building on the right is the Community Centre, built as an art school to improve the standards of design which in the 19th century was very poor, particularly in the glass industry. Opposite was a parade of shops, just out of shot. On the left at the corner of Kinver Street was Whitehouses the butchers, housed in a very old building with a Dutch gable. Farther on was the chemist, double fronted with large glass bottles in each window. Next I think was the bank, followed by the Co-op, and on the corner was Woods the baker. Mr. Wood's son Bob was in my class at Lawnswood Road school, and we were friends until I left to do national service with the RAF at 21.
However, it was the Community Centre that had a major influence on my life, in a variety of ways. Each night of the week had a different activity, Monday and Wednesday were boys' club nights, Tuesdays and Thursdays girls' club nights, Fridays was... Read more

Wordsley Hig Street

High Street 1959
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Wonderful to see these old photos of Wordsley. Unfortunately not of the shop where I spent the first few years of my life, from 1950.
My parents had a chip shop at 109 High Street, next door to the Cat Inn. Eventually they changed trades and went to fresh fish, then greengrocery, then hardware. Perhaps a few might remember "Bob" Hope and my mom, called Dora. As I walked to school every day (Brook Street Primary) I know the whole road as it used to be. From our shop uphill I remember a little shop owned by an old gentleman (well he seemed old then). He reputedly set fire to the shop, then hanged himself, when I was very young. Can anyone enlighten me and confirm my memory? As a young boy I knew all of the shop owners, from the Colliers, and several more.
Must stop rambling ... Thank you for a wonderful view of my long distant childhood.

Green Fields

These houses were built as a private estate and took up most of the land which belonged to Tack farm. Houses went from here across to the "old wood", and into it at some points, they went down from here to the edge of the park and down to Bells Lane were the old estate ended. There was a Council estate built on the land from were Kinver Street ended with the Sewage station, my grandad had an allotment opposite this station, skirting Fox Hill, extending back to opposite where the farm used to be and following back up Bells Lane to just beyond the new pub on the private estate.
I and my friends spent many hours playing on this land and Fox Hill then progress happened and the green fields were lost for ever, even Fox Hill got flattened. John Lampitt

Living in Wordsley

Lower High Street c1955
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I remember Wordsley as a small boy to a young man. I went to Lawnswood School now a Music College? I lived in New Street which is further up the high Street ,than this picture. I remember the Chip Shop, the first shop you see in this picture on the far left. It used to be our Friday teatime treat or sometimes Saturday. I lived in Wordsley for 35-36 years and still loveit  today. My parents and family all still live in the area, I being the one to drift away. I still go back mind you.   

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