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Ward End
Ward End maps
Historic maps of Ward End and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ward End maps
Ward End photos
We have no photos of Ward End, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Yardley| Castle Bromwich| Birmingham| Acocks Green| Water Orton| Olton| Moseley| Edgbaston| Sutton Coldfield| Solihull| Harborne| Streetly| Bournville| Kingsbury| Northfield
Ward End area books
Displaying 1 of 9 books about Ward End and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Ward End
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Ward End.
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Ward End Scouts
I was a member of 1st Ward End Scouts Group from 1956 until 1971. First known as the 45th Birmingham, they became known as the 34th Birmingham in the late '60s (?) when they merged with the nearby 181. Our headquarters were in Rogers Road. The group is still going today.
Ward End Adult School
The Ward End Adult School was held on Sunday mornings in 'The Barn', St.Margaret's Road, Ward End before the 2nd World War. It was run on a sort of religious basis, like a church (non-denominational, I think, but similar to Methodists) with hymns, prayers, bible readings and guest speakers, some of whom were described as 'Rev'. My father, William Joseph Shakespeare, was 'Registrar' and 'President' from 1930-1940. I have the original Register from December 1930 to November 1938 showing details of attendances and subscriptions paid. The average attendance was around 40-45. The register shows the names and addresses of all those attending the meetings. For some reason that I do not understand, the attendees were given 1 of 2 different kinds of attendance marks. A black mark (in pencil) if they attended before 9.30 (later changed to 9.45) or a red mark (in crayon) if they attended after 9.30 (9.45). There is an occasional reference to 'breakfast' in the Agenda Book, so the early or late attendance might refer to... Read more
Pelham Road
I used to live in Pelham Road. On Sunday morning my sister Norma and our friend Sandra used to go to the Swan at Yardley, for the disco, it finised at 12, then we would go to the Yew Tree in Stechford.
Pedleys
Pedleys was on Coterills Lane, Bert, his wife, daughter Margaret, and his two sisters ran the paper shop. They also lived there. I collected paper money for them. Lovely people. I also came from Tile Cross before living in Cotterills Lane. There was also a chip shop, wool shop, grocers and Hopkins the butcher. The 14 bus would have stopped at the Pelham where lots of people traded, Ted Haynes greengrocer, Hunts the draper, Salts grocer, Hawtins the record shop and many more, not forgetting the Capitol picture house. We lived there from 1954 until the 1980s. I would fetch the Sports Argos for my dad on Saturday evenings, we would wait untill the van pulled up.
Pelham Road, Alum Rock
I hope I have got the right area as my grandparents lived in Pelham Road from about the 1920s. My father was born in this road in 1924. I can remember as a child in the 50s and 60s visiting them every week, catching the No. 14 bus from Tile Cross to see them every Sunday. I also remember my grandmother taking my brother and myself across the road to the local shops known as Pedley's, who I think have passed away many years now. I do not live in the UK any more but these fond memories of the area still remain and the friendly neighbours in those days.
West Midlands memories
Childhood Memories.
My family and I, 5 sisters and a brother, lived in Nigel road just up from the Washwood Heath Road. I was born in the house in Nigel Road in 1948 so were my siblings. My memory is very vivid of my times there until I left home to get married in 1969. Ward End Park was our playground. In the summer it would be football nearly every day down at the sandpits, as we called them, no grass to play on only sand. We would put our coats down as goalposts and played whatever the weather. The park always looked nice, well tended flower beds and great for boating on the pond. Most weekends in the summer there would be cricket games played with the players in their whites and spectators relaxing in the sun watching the games or having a picnic. During the big freeze of 1963 I remember many happy hours sleding down the steep hill towards the pond and of walking across the frozen pond. I... Read more
MEMORIES OF WASHWOOD HEATH 1962-1972
My family moved to Common Lane, Washwood Heath circa 1962. I remember the haberdashery next door to Creaney's groceries (Mrs Creaney and her two children Paul and Norma), the chipshop and Wright's the newsagents with Mr and Wright and their son. At the bottom of Common Lane was what we children affectionately called the 'monkey run' which led to a predominently freight railway track. There was also a car factory. Half way up Common Lane was Metro Cammel who manufactured "state of the art" railway carriages. Further up from them across the road was Washwood Heath Church hall, which led to the main church situated on Washwood Heath road next to a couple of houses and a second hand shop. Across from the church was The Swan public house. Some of the families living on Common Lane were Brown, Aston, McKewan, Williams, Griffiths, Kerr, McKenzies, 'Irish John', Edith and her elderly father, Mrs Robinson, Mr & Mrs Levante, Mrs Carter, Mr & Mrs Churchill (I think), whose house was... Read more
