A Century (or more) of Birmingham geographical history on one thread

[brian green]

I think another statue is called for.

[tommy smart]

Black Country Villa fans are a unique bunch, I'm from Blackheath but have an 0121 number so I'm a Brummie to fellow BC Villans who have 01384 numbers, a glory hunter to my Albion colleagues and a turncoat to my Dingle friends. We can't win so tend to have a "Nobody likes us but we don't care" attitude.

[Jimbo]

The only football Bardism which comes to mind is "then let us kick against these pricks" from Richard III and obviously proved Shakespeare was one of us and foresaw our games against the Blasted Heath (Scotch play).

See below signature.

[DB]

Black Country Villa fans are a unique bunch, I'm from Blackheath but have an 0121 number so I'm a Brummie to fellow BC Villans who have 01384 numbers, a glory hunter to my Albion colleagues and a turncoat to my Dingle friends. We can't win so tend to have a "Nobody likes us but we don't care" attitude.

I was the same, but BT never really follow the rules / boundaries of a city, whatever works best for their exchanges. My Albion mate lived just up the road (Upper Gornal) and he had 01902 number which he hated! Silly though....

[ian c.]

Anyone got a link for the real size..I am too focussed on landmarks in town..funny how Brummies from suburbs still refer a trip to the centre as 'gooing into town' as opposed to the the shops in Kings Heath, Moseley, Alum Rock or whereever.
If we knew the boundaries maybe we could get as far as the Forest of Arden and include the Bard as a Villein? Certainly there are enough from round there these days. I don't doubt Will would have been a fan...he did his bit in making reference to the game. Of course he'd be a Villa fan; who else is there!
'Love all, trust a few and do harm to no one'.   
That's tennis, I think, but I'll find a footie quote from him somewhere.

The tree in the middle of Arden Road, Acocks Green, is reputed to mark the centre of the old forest.

My dad's old house was right by that tree.

[DeKuip]

Stretching the boundaries of this thread, but on a similar theme. The City of Manchester Stadium was built very close to where United's old Bank Street ground was before they moved to Old Trafford in 1910.
If you know Eastlands, to the right of where away fans sit, over the road there's a big Asda. If you carry on past Asda and MacDonalds you'll come to the Sportcity Veladrome. Part of the Veladrome car park is over where United's pitch used to be. The row of houses in Bank Street are the same houses that used to overlook the terracing behind the one goal and you can still make out the shape of the ground. On the corner by where Asda is there used to be a big pub called "The United" which stood until at least the 1970s. It has be said though City also started life in the east of Manchester before moving to Maine Road, so it's not exactly the same as Albion or Small Heath setting up a new home in the Villa Leisure Centre car park.
Sorry just thought I'd offload some of my useless information on you all - if you're stuck in traffic getting away from Eastlands over xmas you can bore (or fascinate) the other people in the car with it.
Me, I'm the type of person who can't help but glance across at the supermarket when I drive through Walsall and imagine Fellows Park, or walk the long way round from Arsenal station to the Emirates so I pass old Highbury and have flashbacks of Brian Little's semi final hat-trick in 77 and that magical day in 81.

[darren woolley]

Really enjoyable thread.

[Simba]

Last year I got really involved in tracing the Family tree.

Now being from Castle Broom in the fifties we were a mixed bunch of Villeins and surfs. Or being Blue "smurfs". Few Baggies too. For some reason I chose the Villa, wore my V neck claret and blue shirt every time we went to the park. Like all day every day.

Turns out that the Family moved to Aston in the seventeen hundreds with the Father being a Blacksmith. They lived as a Family in Aston until my Dad moved to Castle Brom in the forties. Then still considered part of Aston according to my old man. All Villa Fans since the beginning. As Dave W said the big change of boundary came in 1912. ( I think he said 1911)

Imagine discovering that if I was a nose. In the blood obviously.

[Simba]

P.S Thanks Eddie. Brilliant thread.

[Lucky Eddie]

The Hawthorns has never been part of Birmingham. The city boundary is said to run through what used to be the Woodman corner but that might be a myth. Perry Barr was in Staffordshire when Villa played there and Villa Park was originally in Aston Manor, which was seperate from Birmingham until 1911.

Any scans of old maps would be greatly appreciated.

I'm a bit sad when it comes to looking at old maps I'm afraid.

[Lucky Eddie]

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread. 

[brian green]

When I was a boy we were taken round Aston Hall and I recall a big lump of brickwork blown out of one of the walls.   Mr Lewis our teacher who actually lived in the house next door to the home of our very own Mr Woodhall, said it was the only evidence remaining of the Civil War in the Manor of Aston.

I later went to Camp Hill Grammar school and they always made much of The Ship pub being on the site of Prince Rupert's camp - hence the name of the place.   The only damage done to The Ship Inn was from the monumental punch ups in there every St Patrick's Day.

[The Left Side]

Once again, very enjoyable... keep the historical facts coming!

[martin@ardenley]

I use the British History Online site when l'm doing research.

Here is a map showing the Aston Lower Grounds from 1890

[E I Adio]

When I was a boy we were taken round Aston Hall and I recall a big lump of brickwork blown out of one of the walls.   Mr Lewis our teacher who actually lived in the house next door to the home of our very own Mr Woodhall, said it was the only evidence remaining of the Civil War in the Manor of Aston.

Presumably that would have been made by the same cannon ball that took a chunk out of the balustrade on the staircase that is still evident today. (Along with a small selection of cannon balls)