RE: Nechells - 9

pudding I have dug out these two photos of the old cavalry barracks on Great Brook St where the Ashcroft Estate is now , looking at them from the rear toward Great Brook St. The first one shows the barracks being demolished shows the church of St James the less on the right and what I first thought to be St Vincents on the left, but I soon realised it must be Windsor St School (which somebody asked me if I had recently and I said no).

The second older photo of the barracks shows a spire peeking over the rooftops, which has to belong to St Vincents as I can't think of what else it can be. So all I have to do now is find the rest of the church.

Phil
In my opinion the spire you are seeing on the second photo is the one that is part of the Windsor street school? If there was a spire for the church it would be out of shot of the barracks parade yard. The photographer is looking too far south according to the street plan. From what I have read, the church and school were demolished in 1925 that's if that info is accurate? If that's the case then how come the new St Vincent's school and church were not ready until 1930. Also, I think the pic of the interior of St Vincent's church looks to be a small building and quite low by the angle of the roof beams.

Phil is it possible to look up in an old Kelly's Directory to see if the building next to the entrance is belonging to the church and school.

thanks.

Pudding

You are probably right about the Spire anyway I don't even know if the original church had a spire, interestingly enough the maps do not make a mention of the church only the school you can usually tell a church from its outline on the map. In the 1903 edition of Kelly's it gives Parliament House at No 39 and Albert James Bradbury Bootmaker at No 43 we get St Vincents Catholic Church and Schools. There is no mention of an entrance in Great Brook St but there is obviously one on the map.

Pudding post the photo of the inside of the church you have got, I won't be able to tell you if its the old one. Though I certainly will be able to tell you if it's the new one because I spent enough time in there.

I was posted to Nechells in 1977, when I was a young policeman. I remember a lady called "Sis" Knight
who once told me the story how, in the Great War, the man she was going to marry was killed in action.
She never married. She lived in Thornbury Walk, off Nechells Park Road, and was well in to her 70s when
I first visited her. I adopted her as my "Grandma" as my own maternal and paternal ones were long gone.
Always had a cup of tea with her when I was walking the beat. I even brought the wife and kids over
to see her too. RIP "Sis"

Michael

By 1977 I had long gone from Nechells along with most of the old nechells that I knew and spent some of my younger years. I have to say that Thornbury Walk was unknown to me, mind you "pudding" might recall it was it a new or old part of Nechells. I suppose you were based at Bloomsbury St Nick? What other districts were you posted to or did you do all your time there?

Hi Phil, I was at Nechells from 1977-1985 but I spent the rest of my service in and around Birmingham at stations which included Aston,Kingstanding, H.Q.(Lloyd House) Bromford Lane and Stechford.

A couple of photos that I came across recently including one of the Green Man public house on the corner of Richard Street and Dartmouth St that I have been looking for a copy of for a long time now. There is also one of Great Brook Street from Windsor St looking toward Lawley St, no sign of St Vincents pudding. The other one is of the bottom of Melvina Rd at it's Saltley Rd junction, I'm just trying to work out if the community centre had been built at the time of the photo and its behind the photographer the year is 1962 which makes me think it's borderline. The other thing is why is the sign pointing left for Melvina Rd

Hi Phil and all.
the old St Vincents RC school and church were demolished in 1925 so I am made to believe.however I don't know how far up Great Brook st from Windsor st the back entrance to the school was?
Phil on the right hand side of the photo that you have posted, would that be the back of the co op building?,If you look at the shop on the corner of Windsor st then cast your eyes above next door property you will notice a iron frame I wonder if this was a pawn shop of the past or even a beer house?
as for the sign in your pic I think it has been turned 90 degrees clockwise? I'll post this photo more or less taken the same time as yours from the opposite side of saltley rd, the rubbish bin is in the same place on Melvina rd.

pudding

regarding Great Brook St, yes the building on the right are the rear of the Co-op workshops. As for the building with the iron frame hanging outside if I have got my numbering right number 36, yes it did start out in life as a beer retailer but it had closed before the outbreak of the second world war. It lay empty for a while and then became the Ebenezer Gospel Hall until it was demolished I think. I don't think it ever had a name it was listed by, but perhaps Mikejee could tell you that. He is very good at that sort of thing, it would be interesting to find out.

By the way oddly enough the grocers next door 37 & 38 was a pawnbrokers before it became a grocers shop, and further up the road toward Lawley St was another one at number 21.

In 1871 & 1881 no 36 Gt brook St was named The Barracks Tavern

Well done Mike I knew you would sus it out. It's one I never heard of though. There again why would I if it was closed years before I was born.

i was trying to remember where the nechells swimming pool was, i had family in bennets road washwood heath, so as kids we used that pool, also i had my first fishing lesson nearby, there was a fishing shop on the saltley viaduct over the rail and canal, i was about 6 years old my uncle took me to the shop bought me a rod for my birthday and took me to the canal a taught me how to thread worms and maggots, i enjoy you guys jogging my memory - just thought I used to buy a glass of tizza (wrong spelling i think) from a shop near the pool 3d i think

tca

You are more than likely talking about Nechells Baths at the junction of Aston Church Rd and Nechells Park Rd though I suppose you could have quite easily used Saltley Baths on George Arthur Rd.

pudding

Have you seen these two before, one of Scholefield St and the other is Rocky Lane?

Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)Hi Phil, Thanks for posting the photos of Scolefield street (rd?) and Rocky Lane, The first photo I have never seen before but had no trouble working it out, We are looking toward Rocky lane with the sweet shop on the corner, Have you notice on your picture that the houses on Rocky Lane have been demolished, I think this is were the new St Joseph School was built.

posting a photo of the sweet shop from Carl Chinn site