Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: bones. on September 28, 2010, 06:26:00 PM

Title: Villa landmarks
Post by: bones. on September 28, 2010, 06:26:00 PM
If you had a spare day in Brum, say before an evening kick off, and you felt like taking in a bit of the Villas history, which landmarks ,if any ,would you visit ?
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: pedro25 on September 28, 2010, 06:33:25 PM
Villa Park
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: TopDeck113 on September 28, 2010, 06:38:32 PM
St Andrew's. 

There is no where else in the city where you'll find a place built solely for the purpose of the gathering of those obsessed with the Villa.

Alternatively, go to St Mary's, Handsworth and pay your respects to two of the men who made it all possible.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: bones. on September 28, 2010, 06:44:12 PM
Im ashamed to ask this, but whos buried at St Marys ?
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: TopDeck113 on September 28, 2010, 06:51:00 PM
Im ashamed to ask this, but whos buried at St Marys ?

William McGregor and George Ramsay.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: PAKISTAN on September 28, 2010, 06:52:53 PM
the church on villa road also
is the lamp post stll there ?
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: bones. on September 28, 2010, 06:57:39 PM
Im ashamed to ask this, but whos buried at St Marys ?

William McGregor and George Ramsay.
thank you.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Legion on September 28, 2010, 07:44:41 PM
If you had a spare day in Brum, say before an evening kick off, and you felt like taking in a bit of the Villas history, which landmarks ,if any ,would you visit ?

The William McGregor statue outside Trinity Road reception after buying a copy of H&V from yours truly.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: curiousorange on September 28, 2010, 08:28:48 PM
Crown and Cushion?
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Nev on September 28, 2010, 08:47:44 PM
There is the oft neglected section of central reservation on the Lichfield Road in between BRMB and The Albion pub, where my mate Big Seamus went arse over tit trying to hail a taxi in the famous snowstorm in '96, after the League Cup semi second leg.

It topped a great night off in the best possible way.

Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: London Villan on September 28, 2010, 08:50:23 PM
I've always thought they club could do some kind of history trail around the city. Previous grounds, lamposts, graveyards, shops where cups were stolen from, Andy Gray's nightclub...;-)

I bet there are only about a dozen of us anoraks who would be interested though!
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Holtenderinthesky on September 28, 2010, 08:57:28 PM
Find out the exact co-ordinates of the keepers right hand post in front of the away end at St. Andrews, we have a very minimal tiny insignificant (in the bigger picture) history there.

EDIT.  But still very much worth noting...  :D
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: dave.woodhall on September 28, 2010, 08:57:54 PM
Most of the historical landmarks are long gone. There's probably only St Mary's left of any great significance. 
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Mac on September 28, 2010, 09:01:22 PM
Im ashamed to ask this, but whos buried at St Marys ?
I was going to suggest this.  McGregor's grave is easy to find if you follow the path away from the church towards the lake.  You'll struggle to find Ramsey's though.  It's in the middle, about 100 yards away from McGregor's.  Good luck though.
William McGregor and George Ramsay.
thank you.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: dave.woodhall on September 28, 2010, 09:11:38 PM
Unless you've got hours, or you know exactly where to look, you'll never find George Ramsay's grave.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: bones. on September 28, 2010, 09:19:09 PM
Unless you've got hours, or you know exactly where to look, you'll never find George Ramsay's grave.
Any help gratefully recieved. What makes it so difficult?
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: dave.woodhall on September 28, 2010, 09:23:38 PM
Unless you've got hours, or you know exactly where to look, you'll never find George Ramsay's grave.
Any help gratefully recieved. What makes it so difficult?

It's in the middle of a load of totally overgrown and broken-down graves, with no paths anywhere near. If I was there I could probably get to it, but the best description is it's level with one end of the island on the park lake, about fifty yards off the main path.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Mac on September 28, 2010, 09:25:25 PM
Ramsey's grave for reference:

(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8559/p1357281109.th.jpg) (http://img138.imageshack.us/i/p1357281109.jpg/)
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: bones. on September 28, 2010, 09:39:52 PM
Thats a sad picture. Thats pissed me off a bit. Thanks though youve helped me make my mind up what to do before the Burnley game now.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: ez on September 28, 2010, 09:55:38 PM
Is that the grave on the Proud History Bright Future dvd?
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: UK Redsox on September 29, 2010, 07:53:02 AM
The two spots out side the Trinity Road gates where Legion usually sells H&V.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on September 29, 2010, 09:24:37 AM
Ramsey's grave for reference:

(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8559/p1357281109.th.jpg) (http://img138.imageshack.us/i/p1357281109.jpg/)

What a mess. How much would it cost to get that cleaned, tidied up and maintained once a year ? About £30 ?

PS. Wikipedia has info. here on St Marys, with mentions of Ramsey,McGregor and other notable local figures.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary's_Church,_Handsworth

Mcgregors grave.

(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/81/38260.jpg)
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: OzVilla on September 29, 2010, 10:21:42 AM
Ramsey's grave for reference:

(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8559/p1357281109.th.jpg) (http://img138.imageshack.us/i/p1357281109.jpg/)

That's not good.  The Club should really do something about that.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: PaulTheVillan on September 29, 2010, 10:23:28 AM
Rotterdam.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Dave Cooper please on September 29, 2010, 10:40:29 AM
Whatever happened to that campaign on VT to get the graves cleaned up?
I assume it was the usual internet enthusiasm followed by complete apathy.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: dave.woodhall on September 29, 2010, 10:47:09 AM
The problem with renovating the graves is that they would then stand out so much from the rest of the churchyard it would be like having a big sign saying "VANDALISE HERE" pointing to them.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Rip Van We Go Again on September 29, 2010, 10:58:25 AM
Thats a sad picture. Thats pissed me off a bit. Thanks though youve helped me make my mind up what to do before the Burnley game now.
I've seen it, it's in a bit of a state, the ground is quite worn and dry Bones.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: Chico Hamilton III on September 29, 2010, 03:09:59 PM
Good news for Sarf East Londoners

Outside of Aston, the most important landmark in Villa's history must be Crystal Palace Park. It hosted 20 FA cup finals before Wembley was built. We won 4 of our FA cups there, beating Albion, Sunderland, Newcastle and Everton. We won 2 of those before Man United even existed!!!!

100,000 plus to see the Villa Newcastle final

Still a fantastic park as well - if a little difficult to get to. I've taken my kids there loads of times ( I get the 122 from Lewisham, takes half an hour).

If any of you do visit, here's a map showing where the football pitch used to be. A weird feeling, knowing your're miles away from home but in the exact spot where Villa made history in 1897

http://www.cocgb.dircon.co.uk/cry_pal_park.htm
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: bones. on September 29, 2010, 06:21:33 PM
Thats a sad picture. Thats pissed me off a bit. Thanks though youve helped me make my mind up what to do before the Burnley game now.
I've seen it, it's in a bit of a state, the ground is quite worn and dry Bones.
I wasnt thinking of doing any digging but thank you anyway.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: ChrissyPrice on September 29, 2010, 08:37:31 PM
Good news for Sarf East Londoners

Outside of Aston, the most important landmark in Villa's history must be Crystal Palace Park. It hosted 20 FA cup finals before Wembley was built. We won 4 of our FA cups there, beating Albion, Sunderland, Newcastle and Everton. We won 2 of those before Man United even existed!!!!

100,000 plus to see the Villa Newcastle final

Still a fantastic park as well - if a little difficult to get to. I've taken my kids there loads of times ( I get the 122 from Lewisham, takes half an hour).

If any of you do visit, here's a map showing where the football pitch used to be. A weird feeling, knowing your're miles away from home but in the exact spot where Villa made history in 1897

http://www.cocgb.dircon.co.uk/cry_pal_park.htm

Thank you Chico. I'll have to search it out and try and picture the scene. By the way, the walk that covers where the track went from the old Crystal Palace high level station to Nunhead is worth doing, even if has absolutely nothing to do with Aston Villa.
Title: Re: Villa landmarks
Post by: lovejoy on September 29, 2010, 09:48:59 PM
The clock end Highbury (or the houses which now sit on it).
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