Walsall memories
Here are memories of Walsall and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Walsall or a Walsall photo.
As it Was
I left Walsall at the age of fifteen, at the time of the date of this picture. I loved the trolley buses and watching the trolley conductor change the rails. I remember the Bridge well, as shown in this picture. It was my task on a Saturday to collect and return my younger nephew every Saturday morning from my older sister, taking him home to Mom for the day so my sister could work in one of the shops on the Bridge. On my return I sometimes waited outside the pictures in Walsall town centre, asking adults if they would take me in with them to see an A grade picture (I would not reccomend that now!).
It was a penny in those days from the Fulbrook where I lived in Brockhurst Street to the Bridge, and half a penny to either Palfrey of Caldmore. The school I attended was Joseph Leckie and Walsall Technical College, before the family moved to Bearwood, Smethwick.
I have plenty of good... Read more
The Rendezvous
The shop on the right of the picture used to belong to my father and his brother. They bought it in about 1927. It was known as the Rendezvous.
My Time at The Littleton Arms
My husband and I ran the Littleton Arms in the 1960s, my son Adam was born there in 1971 in the front bedroom. I remember Sunday nights when we had a pianist playing in the smoke room, what an atmosphere, it was great. I have many fond memories of the pub, we made many friends, but the most startling thing that happened was a car coming through the window and landing up by the bar, my children were in bed and it shook them and they came downstairs crying with fear, fortunately no one was hurt. We had one or two accidents outside but of course they installed traffic lights about 12 months after so that made things better. We left there in 1973 to take up residence in the Pipe Hall Hotel, Blston. I was a local girl and was born in the Back Butts in 1940 and then moved to Warwick Street in 1946 where I stayed until I was married. My husband came from Darlaston. I have... Read more
The Girl's Drink
I met this girl in the basement bar of the George where they had the go go dancers, I bought her a drink and then took her home to a house up the Sutton rRad, arranged to see her on Sunday night, kissed goodnight and waved as she went in. Arrived to pick her up at 7-30, this house had been empty for a long time, it sounded hollow, I knocked on the next door's house and asked what had happened to Jackie and her family, I was told the family moved away after Jackie was knocked down and killed outside the George Hotel 18 months ago, the house has been empty for 12 months. So who did I take home on Friday night? Who did I buy a drink for? and WHO DID I KISS GOODNIGHT? I never went in that basement bar again. Has anyone else had any strange happenings?
The Entrance to The Arbo
I was brought up in the Chuckery and so my friends and I regarded the Arboretum as our personal back yard and "'m going down the Arbo" was the usual refrain shouted to my mother in the school holidays. We usually entered the park by way of The Broadway but I always thought that the gates in the picture were particularly elegant and a wonderful entrance into this land where one could play on the swings, jump brooks, tease Park Keepers and generally keep ourselves amused for hours and days. The building to the right must be the Melba Cafe which I thought had been demolished a little before this picture was taken. There was a huge picture of a boy with a gleeful smile holding out an ice cream to tempt passers by. I believe that the Melba later developed a darker reputation as a night time haunt of 'Rockers'. To me though the eye is always drawn to the gates of The Arboretum. I left Walsall in 1967... Read more
A First Illicit Drink
After leaving school I worked for a short time at Walsall Co-op in Bridge Street. One of my colleagues was a rather raffish young gentleman and 'man about town'. One day he invited me, which I thought a great honour, to have lunch at The Priory Hotel. I thought that it was all terribly grand despite the fact that it was only meat and two veg in an upstairs room. Afterwards he suggested that we go and have a drink in The George. I was at the time fifteen! Into The George we went with me feeling a mixture of bravado and sheer terror. I was asked what I wanted to drink and having no idea but the words mild and bitter were floating around my head I asked for half of the latter, drank it quickly, stuffed my hands in my pockets and whistled nonchalantly as if I was merely with my older brother. The George was a lovely Art Deco building as smooth as a Fred Astaire film,... Read more
Getting Locked in The Arboretum
I remember when I was 14 my friend Josie Weston and I rode our bikes along Broadway West to the Arboretum. We were walking along the paths and around by the lake when we met two boys and one of the boy's mothers worked for Josie's mother at Dawson's coaches. They asked if we would go on the lake and we said yes, so off we went on the lake in a rowing boat. We went all the way over the other side and we sat talking and by the time we actually got back to the boat shed, the park keeper had already locked the gate.
We had to get one of the boys to scale the gates and then lift our bikes over and the other boy 'bunked us up' so we could get over the gate. We got on the bikes and rode like mad as we had to be home before 9.30pm. My dad met us about halfway in the car and by the time... Read more
I Lived There ....
My parents were landlords of the Littleton Arms in the early 1960s era. I was around three years old or so then. Can remember the Saturday nights when bands played down in the bar, wooden beer barrels large and small being delivered into the cellar and Dad hooking them up. Bottles of "BabyCham" on shelves, the odd bag of crisps or pork scratchings for a treat and a Vimto! ... Go figure what lingers in the memory. I understand the pub was demolished recently to make way for a road expansion .. such a shame. It would have been a blast to visit the place after all this time since I have now lived in Canada these past 34 years and pubs in the same realm do not exist here.
Aboretum
I was born just around the corner from this photo, in Ward Stree, it's now a car park. This junction is going through yet another re vamp.
As a teenager I would visit the Aboretum with friends and race the boats across the pond and get told off by the staff. We would visit every year for the lights, many now are from Blackpool.
Christmas Time
This photo always reminds me of christmas as a child, there used to be a policeman sitting in the upstairs window of the bank, watching you cross the the road,he used a loud speaker to tell you when to cross and when not to the road, he used to tell you off if you crossed the road when it was not safe, me and my mates used to run across the road, so the policeman would tell us off, the area is now pedestrians only
How Things Have Changed
oh mi how things have changed in this photograph i was 12 then 40 yrs on it was so peacefull then arbo has we called it i can remember going there during school holidays. we be there all day with our bottle water and our jam sandwiches we wouldnt go home till dusk or till the man came round with the whistle telling you he shutting the gates oh what fun then we go to the old sweet shop on lichfield road before we caught the trolly bus home. it has know changed it so busy everyone seems to be in a rush and of cause the sweetshop been pulled down so have many of the shops but i have lovely memories off this.
First Love
I meet my husband, who was my first boyfriend, at Walsall and Staffs Technical College in 1970, we would often go into the George for a drink at lunchtimes. It holds special memories for us both, still together after 33 years of marriage, and we were horrified when they pulled it down.
Memories of West Midlands
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!
Down The Wood
Born next door to Smiths post office-chemist in 1949. The high street was full of shops and you could buy anything. I can recall: HOLMES FRUIT SHOP, FELTONS THE BUTCHERS, COLMANS BY THE BRIDGE WHO SOLD BIKES BY DAY AND FISH AND CHIPS AT NIGHT, THE HAWTHORN PUB, THE LION OVER THE ROAD NEXT TO HAIRDRESSERS AND BARBERS, THE VICARIGE WITH THE BIG TREES AND A GARDEN PARTY EVERY JUNE. THEN A GOOD CRICKET MATCH ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. I left Streets Corner Secondary School in 1964, worked for Wernicks for a few years then went on the buses. I moved up on to the Castlefort estate in 1960. A gang of us used to go up the fox covey the woods at the end of holly lane. I live in Dolgellau in north Wales now, I came back 3 years ago to have a look. The buildings are still there, but the old atmosphere is missing. I've been invited back for a reunion in October so I'll drive down all... Read more
Jack Clayton Newsagent
Is there anyone who used to deliver papers for Jack Clayton when he had the newsagent shop from 1959 to 1981? If so please let me know John Clayton (son)
Willenhall As I Remember It
My home town was Willenhall. Every Saturday my mom and us would go to Willenhall market to do our shopping. We used to love it because we could choose a treat, like a tube of Smarties or a packet of Polo.
Even though I have travelled to Oxford, Harrow, Wembley and now living in Spain, Willenhall is always in my heart. If anyone mentions it to me it gives me a great joy that I was born and bred there.
Willenhall Revisited 2012
At the request of my 42-year-old daughter "to see where Mom was born and her childhood up to age 15 years" we made a nostalgic visit from Herefordshire back to HUMP-SHIRE as Willenhall was known, on New Year's Day 2012. 1938 was my birth year, Acorn Street was the place, a little insignificant street just off the main Wolverhampton-Walsall Road...but a happy little street of terraced "party yards" as they were called....sharing their wooden seated "privvies".. washing lines, and doorstep gossip..all gone now.
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