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Friar Park
Friar Park maps
Historic maps of Friar Park and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Friar Park maps
Friar Park photos
We have no photos of Friar Park, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Wednesbury| West Bromwich| Walsall| Streetly| Willenhall| Bilston| Wednesfield| Dudley| Sutton Coldfield| Sedgley| Essington| Edgbaston| Birmingham
Friar Park area books
Displaying 1 of 9 books about Friar Park and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Friar Park
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West Midlands memories
School And Shops
I went to Fir Tree School in 1970 and remember lots of teachers, Miss Mitton, Miss Pickerill, and then at the junior school Mr McKenzie was headmaster, but the best teacher was Mr Middleton. I remember Red Wood Road shops starting with the Co-Op, Stan's chip shop, butchers, wine shop, wool shop, pet shop, Mapp's grocers, Robinson's, Forbuoys newsagents, Stoke's shoe shop, hairdressers, chemist and mad Dave the barber who I think is still there!
HillTop School.
I attended HillTop School from 1962-67 where I received an excellent, if a trifle ad-hoc, education. Several of my teachers were what one might call 'eccentric': Mr Turner, the science master, taught his subject via the medium of pigeons! A keen pigeon-fancier himself; he illustrated almost every aspect of science through some reference to pigeons, their welfare, and/or their abilities. As many of my friends became scientists/engineers, of one form or another, one can only conclude that his methods were successful. He was also a kind and lovely man.
Mr Darby, the English master, was another superbly eccentric mentor. Being a keen amateur actor, he was able to impress us kids with his dramatic skills. Like all good teachers, he read to us frequently, bringing alive all manner of literature. He was also a very strict disciplinarian. I recall, as if it were yesterday, that we sat, straight-backed, without any movement whatsoever, as he read to us, or re-enacted scenes from literature. I owe him more than I... Read more
On The Market And Such...
Dad used to take me to help on the market stall he had right outside Woolworth's as he and mom had a Ladies & Children's Wear in Birmingham. His cousin was Mayor at the time - hence the prime spot? I remember the Tilley Lamps, and the stout lady who ran the fruit and veg stall on the visible corner, who used to hitch up her skirt to reveal £1 and ten-bob notes stuffed into her stocking tops! My cousin and me used to go the '3d Crush' at the Palace on a Saturday afternoon (never the 'Ri'!) and have a 1d dip which had bits of pork that had drained through if you were lucky and we asked for the scratchings. I also remember Masons and being fascinated by the money tube whizzing to the cashier....ah! the big slabs of butter and sides of bacon! I was born in Wednesbury and lived there 1939-48 - well protected by the Home Guard during the war with their ack-ack guns! My... Read more
Library, 1965-67
I worked in the library from 1965 to 1967 before I moved to Toronto, Canada. I loved working in this college!
Library - Again
Sorry - I didn't add my name. It was PATRICIA YATES then. Now, it's PATRICIA PAVEY.
My Memories of Wednesbury.
I remember going to the Rialto cinema, we called it 'the fleapit', it was a bit rough. The manager used to wear a smart black suit, he would be in the kiosk taking the money, I think he ran the place as a one-man-band, as he seemed to do everything, even selling the ice-cream in the interval! I remember going there to see "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and it scared me to death! I remember my mom taking me shopping to the Market on a Saturday, and if I was lucky she would buy me a coloured ribbon foir my hair, that cost 5d in those days. Money was very tight, and I remember having to stand for ages at the Shambles as Mom looked for second-hand shoes and clothes to buy. If she could afford it my Mom would buy us a quarter of Chocolate Toffee from Teddy Grey's sweet shop. "Happy days."
Wednesbury as A Lad
I have too many memories to many to go into - apprentice Elec; at Patent Shaft steelworks, left Wednesbury aged 20 for 2 years RAF National Service, lived in south Yorkshire since 1954 - think about standing with fire watchers top of air-raid shelter Dangerfield Lane low side of No 92. Aged 12 in 1942 when parachute mines fell next to old-park works Kings Hill, I ended up bottom of steps, 4 firewatchers on top of me. Playing football for Holyhead Road Senier school, first 2 games to be staged 1n 1944 against St Barts - on Bilston Rd playing fields - we won 6-1 first match and drew 0-0, second - does anyone care about who remembers these games? Hours of football played on "top of the hill", Wednesbury Park, with lads from Hardy Road, cousins George and Geoff Dawes, Gorden Richards, Walter Russon, Frankie Lloyd, Beardsmore brothers, Professer Lilac? and several more - keeping an eye out for the park keeper who may have turned a blind eye. Happy days... Best... Read more
