You are here:
Balsall Common
Balsall Common maps
Historic maps of Balsall Common and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Balsall Common maps
Balsall Common photos
We have no photos of Balsall Common, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Meriden| Knowle| Kenilworth| Dorridge| Packwood| Ashow| Solihull| Coventry| Stoneleigh
Balsall Common area books
Displaying 1 of 9 books about Balsall Common and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Balsall Common
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Balsall Common.
Add your memory of Balsall Common
or of a photo of Balsall Common.
The Old Speedwell Factory Needlesend Lane
I remeber the old canteen, playing on the old factory site, and I remember the lorries parked there full of dead cows from Lidgates (stunk like hell). I remember when it was just fields all around, the old Shell garage was just a wooden shed with old pump. No Shenstone Colse or Whitnash and so on.
West Midlands memories
Pickerings Antique Shop
I have lived in Knowle for most of my life,I went to Knowle School before Arden School was built. The Rev. Sharpe was the vicar and took us for history lessons about the church. I also learnt to play the piano with Miss Muriel Mawbey in her studio situated in an old bungalow type building at the back of Chester House Antiques. There was an old petrol pump at the back of Chester House and a yard where the GPO vans would park. The scout and guide hut was just along the road behind Salmons shoe shop. There was an old air raid shelter in the corner of Pickerings Field. Lots of memories too many for here.
Knowle Window Cleaners
My Mother, brother and I arrived in the Knowle and Dorridge area about 1941, being evacuated from London during World War Two.My Father had remained in London,. At first we were billeted in a large house opposite the Dorridge Cricket Ground, the owner of the house was very nice. Later we were moved to a large house in Temple Road Dorridge, the name of the house was Selborne. I attended school at an emergency school (no other school being available) in a hall attached to the church of St George in Station Road Dorridge, Mr Doyle being the head teacher and Miss Vaughan looking after the infants class. I attended that school until the age of 14 years when I left to enter the working world, after one year I joined my Father at his work, my Father had joined us in 1943.
My Father and I were window cleaners in Knowle for a number of years. Every Saturday afternoon after finishing at Dorridge we would walk to Knowle pushing... Read more
Elmdon Airport During The War Years 1940-
Hi
This is not my memory but my mother's. My mother was stationed at Elmdon during the war. She joined the Women's Mechanized Transport Corp (Army) at age 17. She came from a rather influential family Dick and Jeanne Robinson. She was eager to join and serve. She has told me numerous tales of how she would get rides in the airplanes from guys in the airforce and how her and one young officer went up and he flew the plane upside down. Her name was Jackie Robinson. She even drove VIPs around on the base including Winston Churchill. I would like it if anyone had any pictures of the base during that period, or any memories I would love to share them with my mom who has lived in Canada since 1954. Her fondest memories are of that era and that of her growing up on Jack o'Bean Lane Knowle/Solihull.
Louise Brooks
Elmdon Airport 1939 Onwards
These early memories were passed down to me by my grandparents (Bridgwater) who lived in Elmdon House Farm from 1936. Two of their sons worked on the building of the airport and I believe some of the workers actually lodged at the farm. The farm was in the small portion of Elmdon Lane which remained in Elmdon after the airport was constructed. I have an original copy of the programme issued for the opening of the airport in 1939. My grandfather used to talk of the TIN HOSPITAL somewhere near the airport but I do not know where this was. There was an air raid shelter on the farm grounds - between the farm and the Coventry Road but my grandparents could not use it - I am not sure who did - they used to go down the cellars of the farm. There was also a gun pit (that was what they called it), this was square with a narrow hole in each side and 4 big concrete 'wings' inside almost dividing... Read more
Elmdon Airports Flashing Light
As a child in the 1950s I lived in Hillside Croft, Sheldon/Solihull behind Tigers Island. On warm summer nights with a packet of chips we would sit on the banking of Tigers Island and watch the planes taking off and landing. What I want to know is what happened to the flashing light? We got so used to it as kids watching the flash on our bedroom wall at night, it was almost comforting. Elmdon Airport was a big part of our childhood ,plane spotting, airshows, Christmas party, my mom was a waitress at the airport for many years and so got an invite to the party each year. I remember the Don Evral crash, plane train and Midland red bus spotting, playing in Elmdon Park with Nocker Averis, the best times of our life.
My Year in England as A French Assistant Malvern Hall
This is the street I used to go to the station.
