Mainly For Brummies But All Are Welcome To Join In The Birmingham Fun & Chat |
---|
Gosta Green once known as Gorsty Green or Gorsey Green is a district that has now mostly vanished under Aston University or swallowed up by the districts of Aston, Nechells and the City Centre.
Once the home of William de Gorsty in the 13th century, who probably took his name from the area. Over the years it has had a very varied history, John Wesley preached there and the Chartist Movement held a meeting for 30,000 people there.
It was during the 19th century that Gosta Green became a poor working class neighbourhood and was zoned for clearance under Chamberlains Corporation St development and thousand of poor working class families were displaced as the improvement act made no provision for re-housing.
In 1889 The Council built 22 three bedroom houses in Ryder St, the Councils first public housing. These were followed by more both from the public & private sector. These dwellings rapidly declined into slums once again and were cleared in the clearance schemes after WW2. The area now is mostly covered by the University campus.
Here are a few of the photos of Gosta Green that I have collected. In this first batch you will see the old BBC studio, the old market at AB Row, Woodcock St Baths and the Library.
Phil
Make Love, Not War
John
Three more all of Aston St, a completely different place today. No thats not quite right two of Aston St and one of Aston Rd,
Phil
Make Love, Not War
Thanks Phil I found the Gosta Green story very interesting. SB
Please spread the word about Brummies Talking
Visitors copy this link.. http://brummiestalking.org.uk/
Posts: | 43.994 |
Date registered | 12.22.2009 |
great info and pics phil..sure ive a pic of ab row somewhere...mind you you have probabley got it already but i will look for it later on
lyn
Posts: | 15.017 |
Date registered | 02.24.2010 |
Here are three more, One more of Aston St, this I would think would be the traffic island that stood outside Central Fire Stn. Then the junction of Ryder St & Stafford St, and one of Duke St Police Station one time police stables.
As for the potted history of Gosta Green at the beginning of this thread. I thought it might be interesting to add it. This is the way I like to learn history, I find a little bit of written history along with a lot of photos much easier to absorb.
Phil
Make Love, Not War
Phil,
The W. H. Price photo shows our van the Hillman Husky, opposite our workshop, we were in the process of doing the signs, green background white lettering ,black shade when finished.
The Rover belonged to Richard Lunt, who was a director of Prices, and of Old Square fame.
The consul belonged to Geoff Alderton who was managing director of The Birmingham Nameplate Co. ,of Key Hill, he would have been visiting us at that time.
I have this photo in one of Altons books.
John
That is probably where I got it from, I have a few more to post a little later.
Phil
Make Love, Not War
A few more photos from around the area, starting with the photo of "that" stone on AB Row. This photo must be the most publicised one in Birmingham as everytime I open a pictorial history book it is staring me in the face.
There is also a photo of the Old Gosta Green before they built the University & Fire Station. Following on is a photo of the area that became known as Gosta Green showing The Sack of Potatoes and the old Delica cinema that became a BBC studio. The last one looks up Aston Rd toward that same point.
Phil
Make Love, Not War
phil..have you got another pic of AB row..i had one but cant find it...??? it shows a sort of archway in iron with AB ROW on it...this is just from memory but im sure it was something like that....i will keep looking for it...
lyn
Posts: | 15.017 |
Date registered | 02.24.2010 |
my mistake phil....it was ashted place not AB ROW..here is the pic but i would think you have this one...
Posts: | 15.017 |
Date registered | 02.24.2010 |
Ah yes, good old Ashted Place. Another photo that must be the second most publicised photo in the pictorial history books. That one together with the AB stone must hold the record. I don't think I have opened a book about Nechells that didn't have a copy of it. I wonder why that is. I can think of a lot of things more iconic.
I wonder where it is now, I wonder if our Signman repainted & re-gilded it like the one at Snow Hill.
Phil
Make Love, Not War
Not guilty Phil, although I would have loved to have done so.
The Snow Hill sign is now stuck on the front of Moor St. and is in a sorry condition.