Spon Street

Neil, I remember the Coachmakers well, we moved into Corrie House next door a block of 2 storey maisonettes built in 1959. The photo would have been taken from Givens House circa 1967/8.

Thanks mods Looks like a proper boozer to me I love the interiors of these old pubs - there are not too many originals left around now. What was it like inside?

Hi Neil, 2 rooms, main bar and 'Snug' if I recall. There used to be some gambling (illegal at the time) at the side of the pub on a Sunday lunchtime, a circle of men tossing a coin in the air I think with a pint in hand. My mate and I found boxes of thick pint glasses all with 'GR' on the side (pre Queen Elizabeth), all unused, in the cellar when it was empty and due for demolition. I had a few but alas they got mislaid or broken over the ensuing years. There was a court nearby with one tap in the centre for the properties to use even in mid 1960's!

Brilliant mods - that conjures up all sorts of images in my mind. Would've loved to have wandered around all those old courts but like even in my generation/time you do not realise the significance of areas/buildings around you at the time. Thanks for sharing the memories.

Just joined this forum today, and was mooching through some posts, spotted one or two from Sally Watson... Hello. Regarding the shop in Spon Street. Mrs Allen was my late Grandma, she was Alderman Emily Allen and she had the drapers shop from the fifties, through to 1962, when she became Deputy Lord Mayor, and the following year she was Lord Mayor. (Pearl Hyde was the first female to become LORD Mayor, Grandma was the second) and G'ma's Lady Mayoress was Councillor Elsie Jones. My late Mum, Joan Allen, also worked in the shop, along with Gladys Keyte, and me and Glad's daughter Linda were able to "help out" in school holidays, tidying the wool that the ladies had "put by" and the ribbons in the glass fronted counter, sorting out the stockings into sizes and colours... these were the days of American Tan, and Tudorose nylons... I mostly remember the ladies from the GEC rushing in during their lunch breaks. Looking from the road... to the right was a chemist (Boons??), to the left was Bates cooked meat shop, mouthwatering hams, pork etc., delicious cheeses, and about 5 shops further to the left was Worthingtons, a general provisions grocer. Looking from the shop... across the road was a wine shop, a corn merchants, but their names I can't remember. Much further right, over the road, was the Bowling Green pub, towards Spon End. I've been doing our family history for a long time (my late Dad Gordon, Emily's son started it) and us grandchildren, and Emily's surviving daughter Joyce (91), would dearly love to have a photo of the shop, we think the number of the shop is between 130-140, and we would add it to Grandma's life story, so if anyone, anywhere, has one, I'd be very, very grateful. When this pandemic is finally over, I'm hoping to spend some time at Herbert Art Gallery... I know it's called something else now, but it shows my age!!

Hi Lesley welcome to the forum If you click on the blue Library Pictures button on the left and search for Spon, you'll find a lot of images for that area. There are others at Historic England Keep opening boxes till you find Spon Street If you don't find what you're looking for, I'll see what I've got.

The north side of Spon Street west is poorly covered by the HE photos - this is about the only one of the era where you can see some of the buildings there on the left. I think that 'Moores' shop is No.132. They also have their east and west folders the wrong way around.

Fifth picture down at Colin's Cornucopia might be relevant Area at Britain From Above, log in to use the zoom

Thanks for the welcome Helen I've had a good look through the Spon Street photos, the nearest location is Picture 38 of 80. Grandma's shop was on the opposite side of the road to that photo, if my memory serves me correctly... Are you aware if there is a list of businesses, or business owners, for that area and timeframe?? I think it was sold, or maybe compulsory purchased, it was 1962... Many thanks, kind regards, Lesley

Lesley, there is an article in a 1957 CET on the online newspaper site when your grandma had a break in at the shop and it says it was number 139 Spon Street. In 1953 Brains leather goods are advertising at that address but in 1956 E Allen is advertising for a part time shop assistant so she must have taken over the shop between those dates

Is this the building behind the demolition? Did it have bay windows? Most of my research is pre war or older, so I don't always know what the later buildings looked like.

139 would put it on the north side about a third of the way between the junction from Meadow Street to Windsor Street.

Yes Neil. Pre war, The Black Swan/Moira's Wet Fish Shop was 123 and the Lamb and Flag was 147 and 139 was roughly in the middle, but in 1949 the numbering had changed. 1949 map - zoom out to view But that area, as you write, is mostly unrecorded other than the image from Britain From Above. Sorry Lesley. The best bet would be looking at records from the redevelopment of the area, where there may be images of the buildings affected.

Thats just the map I was looking at Helen!

Lesley says there was a wine shop opposite. My mum worked in Bablake Wines until it was closed in 1982. An article mum has in her scrapbook says they had been on that site, 162 Spon Street, for over 50 years. It was to the left of the 3 storey building that is still there, so I would think that Lesley's gran's shop would have been somewhere opposite there.