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Wollescote

Wollescote maps

Historic maps of Wollescote and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Wollescote maps

Wollescote area books

Displaying 1 of 7 books about Wollescote and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Wollescote

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West Midlands memories

Nan's House

Mr grandparents lived at 80 Dudley Road. This property was many years earlier a public house (I think it was called the Raven or the Blackbird). It was next to the railway line. To this day it has helped to give me a love of steam engines.
I remember the Christmas tree was at the top end of the high street (later it was moved to the Cross). The Clifton cinema had been converted to a toy store, it was like an Aladdin's cave. John Webb and his pony and trap were a regular sight.
Later I would work in Lye, first with the parks department of the council, later for Annabel's florist. I love the humour and warmth of Lye people, my immediate family have all at some time felt the love of Lye people.
Like all places, Lye has changed, and I don't think for the better. Ok, the slum housing has gone, but what has replaced it, yet more (modern) back to backs. I remember the... Read more

Memories of Lye in The 1950s

I too remember the Clifton Cinema and the temp. cinema, also the Salvation Army. There was 'Thornley' who sold veggies from his horse and cart, also 'Kitson' who sold bread from his horse drawn van with his brother, 'Wacaden' milk, the knife grinder who came round on his bike and coverted it into a grinder, gas lamps in the street, and where I lived at 19 Hayes Lane, gas and electric was in the house, Lye church when it had a steeple, the water tank opposite the Clifton from which my father Josh saved a small boy from drowning. Orchard Lane Infants School, also the Juniors and Valley Road Secondary Modern, where Jeramiah Harper was the headmaster.
Just a few of my memories, I've hundreds more...
Keith Shaw

Finding an Old Friend in Lye

I wonder if anyone can help me? I'm looking for a girl I grew up with - Mary Brettel was her maiden name, she lived in Stourvale Road off Hayes Lane where I lived. Mary left there in about 1958 when she was 13 or 14 years old and moved to High Park Avenue in Norton. Her father Ben and his brother Stan and his son David owned a holloware factory in Lye, BRETTLE BROTHERS, opposite the Station pub. I last saw and spoke to Mary in the late 1960s
at Lye Labour Club. I would love to find her again after all these years and talk over old times, I do hope someone can help.
Keith Shaw.

Ragamuffins Growing Up!

My name was Betty Knowles, my family and I also lived in Hayes Lane at number 48, and my grandfarther lived next door, his name was Wilfred Poole. I remember the ash bank over the road where we use to put jacket potatoes in the ash at night where the fires used to glow at night. What a sight we must have been when we got home. My mother married twice so another name for us is Pearson - we were a BIG family, 8 girls and 1 boy. We moved from Hayes Lane to Waste Bank, later to become Hill Bank. I met a girl at Valley Road School, her name was Janice Edwards who lived with her grandmother, her name was Mrs Walsh. I've lost contact with Janice and would love to get in touch with her again, can anybody help me? I remember that her nan and grandad owned a old-fashioned bike shop, I can't think of the name of the road but "Golfars", a... Read more

SUMMER DAYS IN MARY STEVENS PARK

Mary Stevens Park, Childrens Play Ground 1931
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As a young boy from 1943 to 1960, I lived in Heath Lane, Stourbridge and I think I spent almost all my free time playing in Mary Stevens Park.
The area where the playground still stands would be where all the children would meet up, then decide what the game for that particular day would be. Quite often it would involve a ball. Coats or jumpers would be thrown down for goal posts if we played football, or one of the trees became the wicket if cricket was decided on.
Whatever the game we all had great fun.
When it snowed we would take our sledges to the top of the hill, near the Love Lane entrance and all speed downhill as fast as possible until the snow disappeared.
As very young children we fished in the lake for 'tiddlers' with homemade nets and a jam jar to carry home our catch. As we got older we'd fish 'illegally' with rod and line in the hope of... Read more

Swan Pool Park

Swan Pool Park c1965
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I remember Swan Pool Park from the 1950s-60s. It is in South Road, Stourbridge. There used to be paddle-boats available to hire in the early 1960s, and there were lovely weeping-willow trees - even, perhaps, swans.

The pool was filled in during the 1970s, and the playground became derelict.  How sad.

The Park Keeper

Swan Pool Park c1965
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I remember the boating pool in Swan Pool Park, the park keeper was Mr. Willits, he still owes me a go in a paddle boat, I hired a boat, I think it cost 3d, after a few minuets rowing, he called me in and said he needed to go, but if I came back he would let me have a boat for nothing, does anyone know where Mr. Willits lives...
fond memories.

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