Hello I am Brian Hill; I lived in Park Road at No 13 back of 58.The house was in a court yard that had 13 houses; 6 on one side and 7 on the other. all the houses were built to the same design. all had a front garden with a picket fence except for No 1 which had a brick wall at the front, they all had a cellar used for storing the coal. The front door lead straight into the living room, another door in line with the front door lead into the kitchen, which had a big fire range which was black leaded every Sunday be for the Sunday roast. a back door opened out to a back yard with its own toilet and the opening to the cellar and back gate to get to the "miskin". another door by the back door was an enclosed stair way up to 2 bedrooms. My mother brought up 7 children in this type of house, 4 boys and 3 girls. The boys in the back bedroom and mom and 3 girls in the front. I remember the names of the other people in the other 12 houses; I will tell you the names next time.
Hello John, It a long time since the 50s.Yes I did go into the army, in the Paratroopers. Went to cyprus and Suez, only in for 3 years as I met my wife in aldershot; she would not marry me in uniform so I came out. We were married nearly 50 years but she passedaway nearly 4 years ago from cancer. The only person I remember from Parliament Street was a girl named Sheila Bird and the only ginger was Leslie Hall. Johnny Prescott, the boxer lived in Burlington Street. Do you remember Brian Kingsly, he lived there to? What about Barbara Green, Sheila Hough, Margaret Evill, she was my first real girlfriend we lost contact just after I got married. Did you go to Upper Thomas Street School, I was there from the infants through to the seniors leaving in 1952.
Brian.
Park Road aston cross end
John, the photo was a great reminder of Park Road. The shop next door to the pub was
a barbers, then the newspaper shop, a dress shop next door to that, cannot remember the next two but the end shop was a music shop sold sheet music and 78 records, I remember buying most of my big band records there.
The residents of 1 to 13 back of ParkRoad was as follows,
No 1/ Mrs a Woodcock, she was my grandmother. She brought up 7 children in a 2 bed house. My uncles Walter,
Frank, Gilbert & Fred, & aunties Pearl, ann & my mother amy.
No 2/Lived Mrs Bailly, she had a couple of children but they were much older than use. When she died my
sister & her husband moved in & she had 4 girls & a boy.
No 3/was Mrs Dixon with 2 children, who had a lot of uncles & dads.
No 4/lived Mrs Young with daughter Maisy. Maisy work in the music shop just down the road.
No 5/Mr & Mrs Kirkham & son Tommy. They were toff, s, Mr Kirkham had a butchers stall in the indoor
market in the Bull Ring, it was still there in the sixty’s.
No6/ old Mr & Mrs Kirkham Tommy grandparents.
No7/was the home of old Mr & Mrs chamblain. all the houses on the right hand side
Left hand side facing.
No8/ Young Mrs chambling with 2 children, Jean & her brother.
No9/Mrs Smith, she lived by herself, she had a few chickens for the eggs.
No10/Mrs Piper, she lived by herself as well. She had a son & daughter again not in our age group.
No11/lived Mr & Mrs Bell, they had 3 children 2 girls & a boy. The eldest girl was Joan. Every Friday
they would push a pram up to the fish market returning with it full of cockles & whelks & boil
them up then take them around the pubs to sell on Friday & Saturday nights.
No12/Lived 2 old sisters.1of them was blind, all though they lived next door to me I do not
remember their names.
No13/Mrs Hill my mother. She also had 7 children, my brothers, Roland, Me Brian, alan & Richard,
sisters Georgina, carol & Sandra. Georgina was the eldest she was the one who was married
and moved into No 2.
Looking down Park road to the spire of aston Parish church
a bit higher up Park Road
Looking up Park Road from aston cross behind the shops ansells brewery
