Wednesbury memories
Here are memories of Wednesbury and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Wednesbury or a Wednesbury photo.
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
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
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."
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.
Speckled Apples
Paul talked about the Home & Colonial. I think it was "Masons" used to be next door in the market place. I remember getting a 'penny dip' on the way back to school (Ridding Lane Primary). Mum would have gone potty if she had known we did that after a good meal at home. The other thing was the market vendors would always let us have 'speckled apples' for nowt, just for the asking.
Home & Colonial
I can remember my Aunt Marjorie working in the Home & Colonial in the Marketplace. I used to sit in my pram outside and she would bring me something nice. I can still remember the smell of the cheeses and hams.
Bluebell Woods
i well remember ,as a 12 year old lad the woods and football pitch on
friar park estate wednesbury.i came home one saturday afternoon
to find our back garden full of football players from both sides
drinking tea.
it turned out that my uncle jeff was playing that day and my mom
and dad invited him in for a cup of tea after the game.
when the players got to know they all followed.
i still am not sure where all the cups came from ,but we had good
neighbours.
now in 20007 the pitches and woods no longer exist,in their place
a school has been built albeit for the good of friar park.
in friar park road there used to be a large pub called the coranation
or cora to the locals,my family used it frequently over the years
and my uncle bert could be found in the bar most days with his mates.
alas it has now gone and a suppermarket has been built in its place,... Read more
Memories of West Midlands
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
GOLDS HILL SCHOOL
I attended the above school from 1941 to 1947. I know of one person who attended with me at that time and who I am now still in contact with..Jean Goldie (nee Hill). If anyone remembers us or the teachers ,Misses Dufty, Scot, Whitcomb. Please let's share memories. Ernie
Princes End Bred
I was bought up in Princes End from the age of 6, my brother and parents are still there. It's a bit dilapidated now but was brilliant when I was young. The community was full of families where generations lived just streets away from each other. We all knew one another, we played in the streets and in the fields ... yes fields ... including the one across the road from my house with the pond in it which was drained and turned into a park (boring), we had a maze in there and a den, and we had a rope swing under Cox's Bridge across the old drained canal. What a childhood.
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!
Owen Street
My dad was the sub postmaster of Tipton Green Post Office approximately from the years 1949-1961. I attended the local grammar school. Owen Street was then a thriving shopping area, so who remembers Mrs Yates the Newsagent at the railway end and the 2 almost identical sweet shops next door? And The Maypole, Harry Edge the barber (and Charlie of course), and Danks for your fish and chips? And Eades the chemist (who had a fabulous young assistant who I dated a few times), The Miners Arms and the Fountain for liquid refreshment and that poor man who sat in a chair on the pavement every day? Happy years but gone forever.
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 28,901 memories of 5,955 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:
How does it feature in your personal history?
What are your best memories of this place?
How has it changed over the years?
How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?
Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?
Start now!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- Almondsbury, Avon
- Souldern, Oxfordshire
- Patshull Park, West Midlands
- Ilfracombe, Devon
- Irby, Merseyside
- Bridge Of Gairn, Aberdeenshire
- Oswestry, Shropshire
- Streatham, Greater London
- Shotley Bridge, County Durham
- Hawley, Hampshire
- Heswall, Merseyside
- High Halden, Kent
- Upton, Cambridgeshire
- New Malden, Surrey
- Worplesdon, Surrey
- Welshpool, Powys
- Dartford, Kent
- Helsby, Cheshire
- Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Delamere, Cheshire
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
I Remember When...
This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the
Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.
A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an
irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.
