Wordsley memories
Here are memories of Wordsley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Wordsley or a Wordsley photo.
Wordsley Memories
What a web site ! What memories come flooding back.
I lived at 69 High St, right opposite the Community Centre, from 1935 until 1959. Many of your older readers will remember Wood's bakery owned by my Father and Mother for over 50 years. I attended Lawnswood Road school (Miss Turner was my favorite teacher) and I remember Geoff Lowe, Bobby Douglas, Jean Palmer, Bert Woolly, " Blacky" Leadham, Jean Balinger, Johnny Wilde, Robert and Frank Gregg from Mount Road.
I married Judy Goodby from New Street at Wordsley Church in December 1959. Our wedding reception was held at the Community Center.
I also remember many hours playing football at Foxhill and I remain an avid Wolves fan to this day. I spent many happy evenings at the Olympia (Lymp)Cinema
I am retired and now live in Palm Coast FL, near Daytona Beach and would love to hear from any Wordsleyites.
woodwandabob2@bellsouth.net
Bob Wood
The Fox Hill Boys
I remember Fox Hill (Fox Bonk) and sliding down on cardboard in the summer and sledges in the winter. I remember John, Colin, Mike and Ian, all kids from around the 'Bullring' - Church Road, Mount Road and Ryder Street. I also remember swimming in the cut at Bell's Mill or fishing under the bridge. And the rope swing - miss the return first time and it was in the cut! And playing football - always bottom pitch - teams of kids playing in all weathers and scores of 24-0 on a bad day. I remember the gardeners, Edie Humphries and Stan Potter, getting their pea and bean sticks from the woods, the same woods us kids set up summer camp in. Always near the spud field, just so we could lift the odd one or two and cook on the camp fire. I live in Cardiff surrounded by the Welsh language but it's got nowt on the Black Country twang. From playing the fool at school, in my 60's I'm studying for... Read more
This Stile
I was seven when we moved to Wordsley and we lived at 3 Hope Street. I remember walking up to this stile many times, with my mum and brother, and later when I came up here to play in the woods on my own with friends. Many times when we came to the stile there would be a couple of old men sitting, smoking pipes staring across the road to the fields.
Living in Wordsley
I remember Wordsley as a small boy to a young man. I went to Lawnswood School now a Music College? I lived in New Street which is further up the high Street ,than this picture. I remember the Chip Shop, the first shop you see in this picture on the far left. It used to be our Friday teatime treat or sometimes Saturday. I lived in Wordsley for 35-36 years and still loveit today. My parents and family all still live in the area, I being the one to drift away. I still go back mind you.
Green Fields
These houses were built as a private estate and took up most of the land which belonged to Tack farm. Houses went from here across to the "old wood", and into it at some points, they went down from here to the edge of the park and down to Bells Lane were the old estate ended. There was a Council estate built on the land from were Kinver Street ended with the Sewage station, my grandad had an allotment opposite this station, skirting Fox Hill, extending back to opposite where the farm used to be and following back up Bells Lane to just beyond the new pub on the private estate.
I and my friends spent many hours playing on this land and Fox Hill then progress happened and the green fields were lost for ever, even Fox Hill got flattened. John Lampitt
Wordsley Hig Street
Wonderful to see these old photos of Wordsley. Unfortunately not of the shop where I spent the first few years of my life, from 1950.
My parents had a chip shop at 109 High Street, next door to the Cat Inn. Eventually they changed trades and went to fresh fish, then greengrocery, then hardware. Perhaps a few might remember "Bob" Hope and my mom, called Dora. As I walked to school every day (Brook Street Primary) I know the whole road as it used to be. From our shop uphill I remember a little shop owned by an old gentleman (well he seemed old then). He reputedly set fire to the shop, then hanged himself, when I was very young. Can anyone enlighten me and confirm my memory? As a young boy I knew all of the shop owners, from the Colliers, and several more.
Must stop rambling ... Thank you for a wonderful view of my long distant childhood.
Walks With my Dad
This picture is the memorable part of our route, a walk from Belle Vue where I lived until the late fifties. My father would take me for walks on Sundays when the weather was good, which it seemed to be most of the time, we would walk up the common which was then all countryside. We would climb over the stile in the photo and turn up the hill towards the wood, known as the Cally Wood, it was private with no public access. So we we would take another stile which would take us across the fields towards Cot Lane. This was the exciting bit for a six year old as the path crossed the sand pits by a metal footbridge high above the workings, which was often a few feet deep in water. We then joined Cot Lane and back to Wordsley, perhaps for a Vimto and packet of crisps at the Raven, where they had a bowling green at the back. It was kept by the Mansells,... Read more
The Community Centre
The large building on the right is the Community Centre, built as an art school to improve the standards of design which in the 19th century was very poor, particularly in the glass industry. Opposite was a parade of shops, just out of shot. On the left at the corner of Kinver Street was Whitehouses the butchers, housed in a very old building with a Dutch gable. Farther on was the chemist, double fronted with large glass bottles in each window. Next I think was the bank, followed by the Co-op, and on the corner was Woods the baker. Mr. Wood's son Bob was in my class at Lawnswood Road school, and we were friends until I left to do national service with the RAF at 21.
However, it was the Community Centre that had a major influence on my life, in a variety of ways. Each night of the week had a different activity, Monday and Wednesday were boys' club nights, Tuesdays and Thursdays girls' club nights, Fridays was... Read more
Football in The Park
Behind this picture were the tennis courts and behind that were the football changing rooms and the pitches. I played in goal there for several teams over the years, the last being the Wordsley Labour Club. I had started with Stuart Crystal and over the years gained nicknames like the Crab or the Bear. There would also be some I cannot put here. Getting married and moving to Cradley put an end to the football (and other things) and I eventually moved to the Lake District (Cumbria Crystal) and then to Kings Lynn (Wedgewood Crystal) before moving to Stourport on Severn aprox 17 years ago. John Lampitt
Lower High Street
This picture is taken from the junction of Kinver Street and is looking up towards Church Street on the top left. At the bottom right is the Rose and Crown pub (Davenports house) next to which was a shop that sold everything and I think belonged to the Randalls. After that was the Hall (like a village hall) and then the church land started. On the left and out of shot was a butchers, a bank, a chemist (window showing by cars), a Co-op and a bakery. In front of the white house (Conservative Club ?) ran a lane which went to the bullring of Mount Road where I spent some of my time as a boy. John Lampitt
Lawnswood Farm
I do not have any memories of Wordsley but I would like to know if anyone remembers Lawnswood Farm or the Challingsworth family or Challingsworths' iron foundry. I am interested because they belonged to my grandparents' family and I do not have anyone left to ask, unfortunately.
Memories of West Midlands
A Gentlmen From Amblecote
A Gentlemen from Amblecote, Staffordshire
By The Oracle | April 16, 2009
This public voice, dos not usually, print obituaries. However, three persons have signed their names to a tribute to Samuel Kinnear from Amblecote, and we feel it should be heard.Samuel Kinnear, universally, known as "SAM" was a successful business man. A veteran of the Second World War, a family man, who had two loves in life, which were His wife, family and The Royal British Legion.
He spend all his spare time working for the RBL. He was a member of his local branch, his local group and the county executive. He held most of the offices, open to all branch members. He was County President for years. He organised the sporting activities of his County for years. He was universally liked. He did, however, make a few enemies. Persons of no consequence, failures in their own lives, who resented his popularity, success and drive.
The usual character assassination associated with such persons, started in later life... Read more
Where I Once Lived as A Young Boy
Lovely to find a photo of the road in which I lived as a young boy. I lived at the Fruit and Vegetable shop (owned by my Uncle Norman Evans) which stood on the corner of Cobden Street and Bridgnorth Road. It can be seen about halfway along the right-hand side of the photo titled Wollaston, Bridgnorth Road 1968. Cobden Street is the turning on the right. I remember opposite Cobden Street was Parke's Bakery who had a shop also in Coventry Street in Stourbridge. The Bus Stop on the right hand side brings back so many memories of visiting my Grandparents in Kinver. My Mother and I would catch the then 250 (Stourbridge to Kinver (White Hill). Again really very nice to discover a photo of Wollaston.
Childhood Days
My name George Conquest, I lived at 12a King Street before it was rebuilt. I used to play in Mary Stephens Park, and the swan pool, the 'rec', and the sand pit at the top of King Street where C&V coaches were based. I went to Wollaston school then on to Brook Street (now Woodlands). I have revisited the home town and it has changed beyond all recollection, nothing like the old Wollaston where I grew up.
Summerhill Disco's Wednesday Evenings
A group of us, boys and girls, would go to the Summerhill disco every Wednesday. We went to Summerhill School just up the road in Lodge Lane. It was the days of Babychams and Cherry B's and dancing round your handbags.
Oak Farm
My great-grandparents Lived at Oak Farm, Oak Lane, Kingswinford. Their name was Bradley.
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