I grew up in Dorridge between 1945 and 1957. We lived at 102 Dorridge Road - a three-storey house built in 1887. I am probably the last person alive who remembers the house as it was in Victorian times, as we found, when we moved in, that there had been no renovations. The front rooms still had the old crank handles that, when pulled, rang numbered bells in the servants' quarters. The kitchen sink was still the original stone one, which looked like a long, low, shallow horse trough. And, of course, the old coal range was still in place. I remember some of the shops on Station Approach. The first one was a grocer's. The next one, I think, was a greengrocer's. Roughly in the middle, there was musty drapery/gift shop run by an ancient lady. And at the end, as you say, there was the post office, where I used to buy commemorative stamps for my collection. Interestingly, I didn't dine at the Forest Hotel until I visited Dorridge in 1998. By that time, I was living in Palmerston North, New Zealand. And my parents, after moving first to Henley-in-Arden and then to Llandeilo, Wales, were living in a tiny retirement home in Stow-on-the-Wold. My father, who had had a dental practice in Sheldon, Birmingham, died in Cheltenham Hospltal in 2009, and my mother died in a nursing home in Leamington Spa in 2019.
@@youngsrus I'd love to know what my father paid for it in 1945. My guess would be less than £2000, possibly as little as £1000. In those days, the rear garden ran all the way to Gladstone Road. Before the age of 10, when I was a reluctant "Wolf Cub", I used to walk up Dorridge Road, turn left before I reached the station, walk down a track between fields, pass over a bridge, and make my way to the Scout hut in a field on the other side of the railway tracks. But my favorite hangout was Mill Pool Lane, which is out towards Packwood. I used to watch the kingfishers there while playing truant from Cedarhurst Preparatory School in Solihull. Later, between 1950 and 1953, I attended Solihull School, whose headmaster, Brigadier Harry Butler Hitchens, committed suicide in 1963 after allegedly being caught soliciting at public toilets in Rugby.
Excellent, thank you. Recentlt discovered my late Grandad Ken North lived in Poplar road as a baby in 1920s. Lovely to see the old photo. I did walk down there last year
The newsagents I remember was Morgan's. I'm more seventies but it was not a new shop when I was eating sweets there. It's the barber's or maybe Elegance shop space
We moved into Kingscote Rd past the bridge of which you never went further in the mid 1950's one of first to do so... I used to frequent the station too,some steam trains used to terminate at Dorridge platform 3 and if lucky we would get a ride on the engine down to the signal box back up to platform 4 to take on water and back to platform 3 to couple up onto the other end of the carriages ready for its return journey. A few visits to the signal box was also a treat now and again,it was all bells and buzzers and rows of levers.Dont remember a sweet shop by the bridge there was one on Station Approach with a family butcher and Wrensons the grocery shop next to the pub.There was a toy come cycle shop near the bridge ,,yes the cinder path ran between the rail track and the quarry,there was some sort of government warehouse across the track no one knew what was in there and there was never anyone there.And yes again ...Conker Lane who could forget that .Shocked St Philips has been pulled down l was sent to Sunday school there....thanks for trip down memory lane.
What a wonderful film! I have lived in this area for many years (1955-1976 in Tilehouse Green Lane then moved to Poplar Road in 1976 and am still here. I can wander round any of the roads you showed whenever I like but viewing then through someone elses's eyes is fascinating and I have learned some things I didn't know along the way. I have no recollection of that awful train crash and I don't remember there being a stream alongside the ash path. I love that path and still go there to pick blackberries and I'm glad you found it again. I know there is an underground stream in the centre of Dorridge and sometimes, after heavy rain, you can hear it gushing under the road so I guess it's the same stream that you remember. My house is on your itinerary, on the site of the old village hall. I think the house was built in 1974. My privet hedge is the same one that used to run alongside the path up to the hall where I used to take part in amateur dramatics with The Greenwood Theatre. When I was treading the boards there I never dreamed I would one day be living on the same spot. The hall was still there in 1969 so it must have gone not long after that. You noticed a stone plaque on the wall of Charon's Cottage in Poplar Road and I was told the house once belonged to a stone mason. I used to have house martins nesting on my gable and they got the mud for their nests from a sandy pond on the old brickworks site. Sadly, when the site was built on, the pond went and so did the birds. Conker Lane was very lucky to have been spared. I think it's original name was Chestnut Walk or Chestnut Lane but it became Conker Lane officially because everyone locally called it that. You were very lucky to see any trains at the level crossing as it was a strike day. I believe it was Thursday 20th July, wasn't it? I could tell from the bins I had put out! Thank you for sharing your memories with us - very nostalgic. Carole
Thanks Carole ...... it was 20th July but seemed to be trains at the station too so clearly some were moving okay. Interesting to hear about the Village Hall as I've had a few stating with some assurance that no such hall existed !
@@youngsrus If I remember correctly, the old village hall was actually the church hall for St.Philip's. When a new hall was built next to the church (now also gone, along with the old church) that must have been the cue to demolish the old one. Some years later a new Village Hall was built along Grange Road and is still in use. Incidentally, as far as I know, Woolmans Nurseries are no longer in business but the house is still there on the way out of Dorridge going towards the Stratford Road. It is on the right (though not visible), not far past Earlswood Road and the Cricket Club. The gardens are sometimes open to the public. You are also right about Eveson's the coal merchants. It was not far from The Vine pub.
Hello there. I was also born in 1960 but in Solihull. However when I was about 4-5 years old we were one of the first families to move into the new houses in Walcott Green. Our house actually backed on to the railway line just where the shunters used to bring the car transporters up from the yard and change lines and head back again. There was no Fish and Chip shop back in the 60's. Do you remember Beglams Shoe shop along that stretch and I think it was masons the grocer? Where Sainsburys is now used to be the Precinct. You went up stairs to it. At the rear of the precinct was Bishops Food store, and other shops in the precinct was R.S. Mcolls Newsagent, Dysons Chemist, there was a Cycle/Toy shop whic I think was called McCauley's and there was a Motor Spares Shop. Finally I don't recall there ever being a Village Hall in poplar road. I left Dorridge when I was 21.
The precinct is where the Sainsbury's is now. There was a ramp to the left, where dry cleaners was and steps on the right, next to the phone box, jewellers at the top of steps. I can't be sure it was there in the 60's as I was born in 69., It was definitely there early 70's, I can remember climbing and walking along the wall, holding my mum's hand.
I remember all those but it was Dyehouse the chemist. My father had an account there and my brother used to buy our Christmas presents there and put them on my father's account! There was Manstyle, gentlemens outfitters, a coffee shop and a jeweller on the corner at the end of the precinct.
Loved watching you walk down my old road (Hanbury) and I remember you from school
Another Dorridge Lad 1960 to 1964. Attended Dorridge County Junior School. Lived at 23, Arden Road. Before that - 156, Mill Lane, Bentley Heath 🍂
I grew up in Dorridge between 1945 and 1957. We lived at 102 Dorridge Road - a three-storey house built in 1887. I am probably the last person alive who remembers the house as it was in Victorian times, as we found, when we moved in, that there had been no renovations. The front rooms still had the old crank handles that, when pulled, rang numbered bells in the servants' quarters. The kitchen sink was still the original stone one, which looked like a long, low, shallow horse trough. And, of course, the old coal range was still in place. I remember some of the shops on Station Approach. The first one was a grocer's. The next one, I think, was a greengrocer's. Roughly in the middle, there was musty drapery/gift shop run by an ancient lady. And at the end, as you say, there was the post office, where I used to buy commemorative stamps for my collection. Interestingly, I didn't dine at the Forest Hotel until I visited Dorridge in 1998. By that time, I was living in Palmerston North, New Zealand. And my parents, after moving first to Henley-in-Arden and then to Llandeilo, Wales, were living in a tiny retirement home in Stow-on-the-Wold. My father, who had had a dental practice in Sheldon, Birmingham, died in Cheltenham Hospltal in 2009, and my mother died in a nursing home in Leamington Spa in 2019.
Great memories ! That was and still is a big house !
@@youngsrus I'd love to know what my father paid for it in 1945. My guess would be less than £2000, possibly as little as £1000. In those days, the rear garden ran all the way to Gladstone Road. Before the age of 10, when I was a reluctant "Wolf Cub", I used to walk up Dorridge Road, turn left before I reached the station, walk down a track between fields, pass over a bridge, and make my way to the Scout hut in a field on the other side of the railway tracks. But my favorite hangout was Mill Pool Lane, which is out towards Packwood. I used to watch the kingfishers there while playing truant from Cedarhurst Preparatory School in Solihull. Later, between 1950 and 1953, I attended Solihull School, whose headmaster, Brigadier Harry Butler Hitchens, committed suicide in 1963 after allegedly being caught soliciting at public toilets in Rugby.
@@AlanIreland Your father would have been shocked at today's £2.5 million valuation !!!
Excellent, thank you. Recentlt discovered my late Grandad Ken North lived in Poplar road as a baby in 1920s. Lovely to see the old photo. I did walk down there last year
The newsagents I remember was Morgan's. I'm more seventies but it was not a new shop when I was eating sweets there. It's the barber's or maybe Elegance shop space
We moved into Kingscote Rd past the bridge of which you never went further in the mid 1950's one of first to do so... I used to frequent the station too,some steam trains used to terminate at Dorridge platform 3 and if lucky we would get a ride on the engine down to the signal box back up to platform 4 to take on water and back to platform 3 to couple up onto the other end of the carriages ready for its return journey. A few visits to the signal box was also a treat now and again,it was all bells and buzzers and rows of levers.Dont remember a sweet shop by the bridge there was one on Station Approach with a family butcher and Wrensons the grocery shop next to the pub.There was a toy come cycle shop near the bridge ,,yes the cinder path ran between the rail track and the quarry,there was some sort of government warehouse across the track no one knew what was in there and there was never anyone there.And yes again ...Conker Lane who could forget that .Shocked St Philips has been pulled down l was sent to Sunday school there....thanks for trip down memory lane.
What a wonderful film! I have lived in this area for many years (1955-1976 in Tilehouse Green Lane then moved to Poplar Road in 1976 and am still here. I can wander round any of the roads you showed whenever I like but viewing then through someone elses's eyes is fascinating and I have learned some things I didn't know along the way. I have no recollection of that awful train crash and I don't remember there being a stream alongside the ash path. I love that path and still go there to pick blackberries and I'm glad you found it again. I know there is an underground stream in the centre of Dorridge and sometimes, after heavy rain, you can hear it gushing under the road so I guess it's the same stream that you remember. My house is on your itinerary, on the site of the old village hall. I think the house was built in 1974. My privet hedge is the same one that used to run alongside the path up to the hall where I used to take part in amateur dramatics with The Greenwood Theatre. When I was treading the boards there I never dreamed I would one day be living on the same spot. The hall was still there in 1969 so it must have gone not long after that. You noticed a stone plaque on the wall of Charon's Cottage in Poplar Road and I was told the house once belonged to a stone mason. I used to have house martins nesting on my gable and they got the mud for their nests from a sandy pond on the old brickworks site. Sadly, when the site was built on, the pond went and so did the birds. Conker Lane was very lucky to have been spared. I think it's original name was Chestnut Walk or Chestnut Lane but it became Conker Lane officially because everyone locally called it that. You were very lucky to see any trains at the level crossing as it was a strike day. I believe it was Thursday 20th July, wasn't it? I could tell from the bins I had put out! Thank you for sharing your memories with us - very nostalgic. Carole
Thanks Carole ...... it was 20th July but seemed to be trains at the station too so clearly some were moving okay. Interesting to hear about the Village Hall as I've had a few stating with some assurance that no such hall existed !
@@youngsrus If I remember correctly, the old village hall was actually the church hall for St.Philip's. When a new hall was built next to the church (now also gone, along with the old church) that must have been the cue to demolish the old one. Some years later a new Village Hall was built along Grange Road and is still in use. Incidentally, as far as I know, Woolmans Nurseries are no longer in business but the house is still there on the way out of Dorridge going towards the Stratford Road. It is on the right (though not visible), not far past Earlswood Road and the Cricket Club. The gardens are sometimes open to the public. You are also right about Eveson's the coal merchants. It was not far from The Vine pub.
Yes it was the Midland Bank! I used to have a saturday job in the Ideal Dry Cleaners, I cant believe its still there!
Hello there. I was also born in 1960 but in Solihull. However when I was about 4-5 years old we were one of the first families to move into the new houses in Walcott Green. Our house actually backed on to the railway line just where the shunters used to bring the car transporters up from the yard and change lines and head back again. There was no Fish and Chip shop back in the 60's. Do you remember Beglams Shoe shop along that stretch and I think it was masons the grocer? Where Sainsburys is now used to be the Precinct. You went up stairs to it. At the rear of the precinct was Bishops Food store, and other shops in the precinct was R.S. Mcolls Newsagent, Dysons Chemist, there was a Cycle/Toy shop whic I think was called McCauley's and there was a Motor Spares Shop. Finally I don't recall there ever being a Village Hall in poplar road. I left Dorridge when I was 21.
Certainly don't recall there being any precinct but I suspect you are right and my memory wrong !!!
I believe the village hall was where Fennis close Is now.
The precinct is where the Sainsbury's is now. There was a ramp to the left, where dry cleaners was and steps on the right, next to the phone box, jewellers at the top of steps. I can't be sure it was there in the 60's as I was born in 69., It was definitely there early 70's, I can remember climbing and walking along the wall, holding my mum's hand.
I remember all those but it was Dyehouse the chemist. My father had an account there and my brother used to buy our Christmas presents there and put them on my father's account! There was Manstyle, gentlemens outfitters, a coffee shop and a jeweller on the corner at the end of the precinct.