My name is John Houghton (Ginger) of 1/15 Parliament street now living in Aldridge Juxta Walsall.

This site needs your stories, memories of your schooldays, works and your growing up in Aston, and any photographs. Let's make this the best Aston site.

Our street started at Park Lane down to Upper Webster Street with Burlington Street junctioning half way down. We had five shops three were huckster shops, a pigeon fancier's shop, a wool shop and a second hand shop.

Mr James owned the shop on the corner of Parliament street and Park lane. Kate Baker owned the second hand shop opposite. Mrs Grieg had her shop opposite the junction of Burlington street

McHewhans had their shop on the corner of Parliament street and Upper Webster street.The wool shop was half way up the other side as we called the posh end. This left Jenning's the cartier's in the middle of the street No 34a. Mr Stirks owned the pigeon shop on the corner of Burlington street and Parliament street.

Dr David Holmes

Born in Malta 1855. Attended Edinburgh University qualified as a doctor 1877. Qualifications LIC. R. Coll. Surgeon. M.B.Universitity of Edinburgh. Practised in Aston Manor at the Birmingham General Dispensary in Thimblemill Lane.

He resided at 33 Lichfield road Aston Manor; he attended the death of Robert Houghton in Catherine Street Aston.This was my great great grandad.

He also attended the inquest at the Victoria Inn Lichfield road on the 5 of April 1888, the verdict been death from Syncope caused by exposure too cold. The coroner Daniel R Wynter admonished the witness William Bowker after the jury where dissatisfied with Bowkers evidence and he therefore refused him expenses and called a most unreliable witness.

The above Dr David Holmes was reputed to be a friend of Sir Arthur Conan Dolye he also was a doctor out of Edinburgh University were he had qualified as a master surgeon registered 1881. And was in residence at No 63 Aston road north at the surgery of Dr Reginald Ratcliffe Hoare a surgeon. He was paid £2 per month for his services, also Dr Arthur C Doyle was at this address from 1878 to 1881 according to the Birmingham Civic Society.

The 1881 census of Scotland listed Arthur C Doyle living with his mother Mary T Doyle born Ireland, at 15 Lonsdale Street Cuthberts Edingburgh. Both Holmes and Doyle where practising and residing in Aston at the same time and only living a few hundred yards from one another, so it's possible they where friends and they both trained at Edingburgh University.