The picture above is of Walmley Garage (Ashfield Engineering) around 1962.  Bill Butler ran the garage and his wife, Hilda, ran the Mace grocers shop next door which at one time was the post office. The Butlers at one time lived over the shop. You can see the grocers shop in the picture with a light in the window. This shop is not the original buliding that stood here at the turn of the century. Elizabeth Brockhus is shewn as the shopkeeper and post mistress in 1900 but by 1924 Ellen Butler was in residence and it is believed she would have been the mother of Bill Butler, whom it is also believed was the grandson of Elizabeth Brockhus, making the Butler family Walmley's oldest shopkeepers. In a 30s picture the garage is shewn in the same postion between The Fox Public House and the village shop.The original Fox was pulled down sometime around 1930 and rebulit in 1931 and we think the post office was also demolished and rebuilt at this time too. 

Ashfield Engineering which was always known just as Walmley Garage  was typical of the old style garage where an automobile engineer was the proprietor. Its small frontage belied its true size as it stretched quite away back with a very large vehicle workshop and machine shop that was like an Aladdin's cave with every conceivable tool including lathes and a cylinder reboring machine. A complete engine and gearbox could be rebulit on site, as they were before the exchange part systym became commonplace. .

Ted Cartwright was Bills mechanic in the 60s. Ron North, who used tp park his immaculate Velocette outside the garage, used to work on the pumps part time and we would very much like to hear from him. The garage, which sold National Benzole petrol, was pulled down in 1966 to make way for the road widening scheme and would have occupied the postion in front of the present library. The cottages in Walmley Road opposite the shops were also demolished at this time. A new filling station was built on the other side of The Fox, along with a new block of shops with flats above (Berkeley House) which replaced the cottages during the widening and re-development scheme. This filling station has also now closed and been replaced by housing.

After Ashfield Engineering closed Bill Butler moved the company to Marsh Lane, Erdington to become a small motor accessory shop and after two further moves along Marsh Lane, the business closed around 2000. Ted, his mechanic, moved to Springfield Road Garage (owned by ex REME man Fred Mac Roberts) close to the junction of Signal Hayes Road, another garage which was also later demolished to make way for housing. The Butlers had one son, Tony, and after moving from the shop they lived in Walmley Road but moved to 278 Penns Lane in the 60s. and the good news is we have just located Tony on 29th February 2008.

One of the first new shops to open in Berkely House was Michele Ladies Hairdresser owned by Harry Totty and run by his wife. Next of all was Willis of Walmley, an electrical appliance shop which had the largest unit on the Wylde Green Road end corner. Willis however did not last long and was in liquidation and closed by 1975. A Willis repair shop in a large garage, situtated behind the shops in Walmley Close, survived a few years longer. Also in the block was Walmley's first gentlemens hairdressers run by the Pole, Mr Petrovic and his daughter. Walmley Wallpapers were also in this block. (We need more information on these shops)

In the picture at the top of the page in the background you can just see the butchers shop owned by  Arnold Tranter MBE, who lived in the flats above the shop for a time. Next door is the fruit and vegetable shop owned by Arthur Powell who lived in Walmley Road but is believed to also have had another shop too, to the left of this shop is Marion Paul hairdressers,this shop was previously Pattisons the cake shop, next to that is the Post Office, next to that Fosters off licence, run by Mr & Mrs Littler, who lived in Falcon Lodge. Next to that was George Masons, the grocers, then Brian Morris's Hardware shop, Brian lived in 60 Allendale Road and sadly died around 2005. Next to Brian's the last shop, a dress shop called Margot Hayward which had previously been owned by Pat Collins's wife (Pat Collins Fairs). Margaret Hayward and her husband Ken, lived in 72 Allendale Road but are now believed to retired in Devon. Above the shops were flats and a dentists practice.

The picture above was taken from outside TH Totty, the chemists. Harry Totty was well known in Walmley and a committee member at the Walmley Social Club which was between Jones Wood and the telephone exchange in Fox Hollies Road. In the upstairs section of the chemist (we believe) his wife ran a ladies hairdressers which relocated to the new shops opposite the chemists after the re-development and was called Micheles apparently after Totty's only son Michael. The Totty's at one time lived above the shop but by the 60s had moved further up the Walmley Road, near Signal Hayes Road. Harry Totty had previously bought the chemists from John Frost  who then started a shop in Sutton Coldfield. Harry Totty had been Frost's pharmacist.

It is believed that the Lloyd Brothers, who formed Lloyds Chemist's, started the expansion of their chemist chain by buying Totty's Chemist when he retired in the late 70's. We are very keen to hear from anyone who worked at Tottys's Chemist especially in the 70s before he retired. Sadly Harry Totty has passed away. Sally Cross (Penns Court) worked at Totty's until 1966. 

Station Master Les Hollins used to buy cyanide from the chemist in the summer to deal with the wasp problem by the station embankment. He got some strage looks sometimes when he asked for the the deadly poison.

Next door to the Chemist was a hardware shop which after closure in the 60s was briefly an artists supply shop,(This shop had a long history of tenants including Wrensons the grocers and Letts the grocers) then Haleys's the Greengrocers. Roger Haley bought the shop in the early 60s from Mr and Mrs Wetton who moved to a shop in Sutton. Roger modernised the shop, replacing the old wooden shop front and just before selling, he opened a very small mini market selling groceries in one side of the shop which he had extended to the rear of the premises. The competition from the first superstore in the area, Carrefour at Minworth, damaged trade in the village. The Haleys moved to Llandrindod Wells in the 70s. (Has anyone seen or heard from them?)

Next door to Haleys was Cox's, the butchers shop and the whole family worked there. They all lived in Walmley Ash Road but moved to Australia in the 70s and we have just received a contact for Barry the son. Next door was Stones Sweet Shop (run by Mrs Timmis) then the Midland Bank, next door again a privately owned  newsagents Duff's (later Lowes, previously Bowes Paper Shop, Mr Duff at one time lived over the shop and will be rembered for his immaculate blue MG B). Next door,  the wool shop run by Miss Ford and then Bromwich's of Four Oaks, Bread & Cake shop owned by the Burtons of New Shipton Farm shop, now a Fish & Chip shop (after years of arguing about planning permission). This shop was originally Youngs Cake Shop receiving bread and cakes from Andre's Balkery in Coleshill road

At the end of the row of shops was and still is in 2008, the GPO (now BT) Ashfield Telephone Exchange.

All of the shops on the Walmley road were completed around the time of the buliding of the houses in Walmley Road sometime in the late 20s early 30s

Walmley Village Hall was built in 1902 and during the second world war it was used as a tea room.

Walmley Close  was originaly a field belonging to Walmley House, the shops with flats overhead were built in the 50s

We are keen to hear from anyone who worked at any of the formentioned shops or knows anyone who worked at those shops or who can add further information. Contact details are on the home page.

Penns Lake Estate

One of the first new estates to be bulit in Walmley in the early 60s was the Penns Lake Estate built on land owned by Sir Alfred Owen from New Hall which had been formerly part of the Penns Estate. The builders were Gilbert and West Brothers and both partners lived in houses built on the estate. Any information of what became of this Sutton builder would be very welcome.

Eldon Lodge, Penns Lane

Flats and maisonettes were built on the site of Eldon Lodge in the early 60s and the road named Eldon Drive. The managing director of HP Sauce(Bayliss?) lived in Eldon Lodge.

The Cottages, Penns Lane

A row of cottages was built by Joseph Webster in 1812 for the workers at Penns Mill, one set were demolised to make way for the Midland Railway, leaving 293 - 297 Penns Lane. One of those cottages became Walmley's first Post Office. After Penns Mill closed and relocated to Hay Mills in 1859 the cottages were occupied by other trades and professions and even a police officer! The last owner of the cottages were the Woodward's who operated a milk delivery business from the one cottage they lived in. The business had started in 1939. In 1984 Les Wwoodward retired and put the site up for sale and the cottages were sadly demolished and replaced by Arbor Court. It is belived that Les Woodward originally took milk from Brookhus Farm farm but by the 60s milk was being supplied from Midland Counties Dairies in Erdington.

PENNS STATION (Penns for Walmley)

Retired Penns Station Master, Les Hollins in 2007, fifty years after he started at Penns!

Penns station was a busy ex-Midland Railway station and it last station master was Les  Hollins who lived in the station masters house which was the second house on the left after Penns Court, just past the railway bridge, next to the railway embankment.(Due to recent demolition of Eric Gannaways house built for his uncle, the station master EW North (1930-1934), in the 30s and rebuilding of two house on this plot the original staion masters house will now be the third house on the left!)

The railway line ran to Walsall via Aldridge, Streetley, Sutton Coldfield, Penns for Walmley and Castle Bromwich. The line is still open and very busy and  is still used as a freight only line and diversion line for the avoidance of Birmingham New Street.

The passenger service was amazingly closed under the Beeching cuts, yet more evidence of how corrupt and pointless this legislation was. The passenger trains were always well patronized and would be even more popular today as Walmley's population has increased fourfold.

The station also had its own goods yard which was further down the line beside the Eachelhurst Road bridge. The yard mainly dealt with agricultural needs, and when built had cattle pens but there were also two coal merchants on site.

In the 50s and 60s, while Les was there, the yard had a daily pick up goods (known as no 51 trip) usually hauled by a 'duck six' locomotive (0-6-0) from Saltley Locomotive Shed (21A). The locomotive would be parted from it's train on the main line, taking wagons for Penns into the yard and then after a series of shunting manoevres would take the outbound wagons and manoevre them back onto the waiting wagons back on the main line. A time consuming process that caused one road of the main line to be blocked but a very interesting everyday railway happening which was ultimately swept away by Dr Beeching as a loss making operation. (no future in the carriage of parcels and freight according to Dr Beeching)

When some Royal Scot express passenger locomotives were re-located to Saltley in the 60s towards the end of steam traction they put one of these giants on the pick up goods one day which caused some consternation because it was to big to get into the Walmley yard. Les was not pleased!

The yard was one of the smallest and difficult to work and Les applied for special permission to have a tow rope used in the yard to assist with shunting.

The former goods yard is now a housing estate, Penns Wharf.

Les, a Welshman, started his railway career in 1940 at 14 as a junior porter on the LNER in the Chester area and worked his way through the clerical ranks to become a station master.

Needing a house in the fifties for his daughter, Rosemary, wife and father in law, he applied for and got the station masters job at Penns Station. The previous station master, John Davies, moved to Croft in Leicestershire. Les was in charge of the passenger station and also the goods yard in Eachelhurst Road where Gunstons coal merchants were situated, latterly joined by Harris Coal. Animal food stuffs were provided by two companies Richard Silcock and BOCM and their supplies were brought from the docks at Avonmouth in 10 ton wagons. At that time there were still many farms in the Walmley area, the largest being New Shipton Farm and Warren Farm run by Stan Burton, which was part of the Sir Alfred Owens New Hall Estate. (now mostly occupied by a country park) The original New Shipton barn is a grade 2 listed building and survives. Other farms in the area were Froggats Farm, Oak Farm (Mr Bates). Len Chipman's farm in Walmley Ash Road which used to keep donkeys that were used on the beach at Rhyl and Keelings Farm (Geoff Keeling)

Les doubled the foodstuff traffic from 3000 tons per year to 6000 tons per year. Several Maltese boys worked at the station at goods yard, one was Fred Bianchi who later opened a cafe and is now belived to be living in the Northfield area of Birmingham.

Les moved to take up his post on April 27th 1957, just in time for the World Scout Jubilee Jamboree at Sutton Park. He arrived with his suitcase and bicycle at Chester Road station and had to cycle the 3 miles to Walmley to see his new station which he knew nothing of. He was relieved to find it was a smart station with decent buildings on either side of the two road line.

Les also knew nothing of the Jamboree until he took up his position and was extremely suprised to find out just how busy his station was going to be during the Jamboree with a constant shuttle service being operated to and from Birmingham & Sutton!

A small temporary signal box was specialy erected on the platform and manned by a relief signalman. Les was not so lucky with his house, having to go into digs in Falcon Lodge untill it was ready on 22nd August. A special station was erected in Sutton Park for the Jamboree. Les went home to his family every weekend but was told off by the district superintendant for not being there on the bank holiday during the Jamboree as one train had to stop in the station and loads of German scouts invaded the platform causing havoc and delaying the train!

Les brought about a large increase in coal and feed figures at the goods yard raising the stationmasters job from grade 3 to 4 but it wasn't enough to stop the Beeching axe which fell in 1965. Les says he was not really surprised because only the rush hour trains were anywhere near full.

Les must have been one of the last old style station masters in the Midlands. He was always immaculately dressed and always wore his hat. The station was always clean and tidy with a nice warm fire in the winter. Oh how we miss the 'OLD' railway!

This beautiful station was vandalized after closure and had to be eventually demolished. For a time both sides were occupied by a Sutton theatre group who stored costumes there. The main site (down side) is now occupied by  the Plymouth Brethern sect in a purpose built buliding but at the moment we undertstand that the site is to be sold and houses and flats erected (March 2008).

It is a great shame that more was not done to prevent the closure of Walmley station but as we now know 60's Britain was all about getting as many cars onto the roads as possible. Amazing isn't it now, 40 years later, similar types of short sighted politicians and local councilors are trying to limit the amount of cars on the road. Meanwhile the Walsall to Birmingham railway line which had stations at Aldridge, Streetley, Sutton Coldfield and  Walmley and runs around one of Birmingham largest council estates (Castle Vale) without any stations, even though it is still a main line!. Les suggested a new station for the newly bulit council estate, Castle Vale as the line runs completly around two side of the estate, when he was station master. British railways were keen on the idea and even took it to the stage of getting Les to draw up an itinary of what was needed to furnish the staion but then just dropped the scheme without any explanation.

Contrast the Penns closure with the Central Wales line which was saved from closure and runs between places we cannot pronounce with very few passengers, This then was the corrupt and non sensical BEECHING REPORT. Even today there is no campaign or even local interest to get the stations re-instated but attention is of course still being focused on roads and cars with the original staion site being proposed for housing and the meeting house of the Plymouth Bretheren being demolished..

The Ford Keepers Cottage

A very interesting Vesey stone cottage exists in Wylde Green Road near the Plants Brook bridge. It was said to have been the fordkeepers cottage and the occupant was supposed to have assisted travellers across the ford before the bridge was built. In the 60s the cottage was owned by the Greswolds, who ran a plumbing busines from the house. When the road was widened the curve of the road and its elevation were changed.

Walmley House

Walmley House (42 Walmley Road, Mrs Showell nee Horsfall) was built in 1868 and demolished in 1969 to make way for housing.

Bus Services

Before 1974 the area was served exclusively by the Midland Red from their Holland Street garage.The 114 service ran along Walmley Road and on past Pype Hayes Park into Birmingham. The 105 Midland Red service also from Sutton Coldfield turned into Penns Lane and then ran along the Birmingham Road through Erdington and onto Birmingham. An S65 service normally operated by single deckers  terminated at Wylde Green, close to the terminus were the last Birmingham tram ran from in the 50s. The Midland Red  was a very well loved bus company within Sutton having a bus garage in Holland Street, since demolished and  now a shopping centre.

Farms in the 60s

Stan Burton was the tenant of both New Shipton Farm and Warren House Farm giving a total of  220 acres.

Warren House Farm house is part of a Vesey cottage which was built around 1671.

Brookhus Fram was probably owned by the family who were related to Walmleys first post mistress.

Frogatts Farm, Walmley

Oak Farm, Bates family

Chipmans Farm, Walmley Ash Road, (Chipman was a scrap dealer from Boldmere) formerly Joe Busby's farm

Langley Hall Farm,up from The Anvil public house (The site of Walmley's blacksmith)

Horsfall's Farm, Fox Hollies Road

Thorpes Farm, Eachelhurst Road. Its entrance was opposite Orton Avenue and there was a large lake in front of the house and this is apparently why the house are set back at this point. Eachelhurst Road was originally called Terr Lane after the major landowner and farmer who owned the surrounding land on both sides of Eachelhurst Road.

Vernon Hart's Farm Walmley Ash Road

Keelings Farm (Geoff Keeling)

We will be having a seperate farms page shortly

Other businesses in Walmley

Cooks Nursuries, Fox Hollies Road (Once featrured in the radio programme, Down Your Way) Now housing.

Gregories Nursuries, Eachelhurst Road demolised in the 60s and now flats and maisonettes, Trident Close.This nursury may have previously been a farm.

Walmley milkmen

Hargreave (own farm)

Jack Clifford who delivered in a motorcyce and side car 

Shop in Signal Hayes Road

Ormes the milkman originall lived in this house and the present extension on the left side is in fact the stable were he kept his horse, Captain!

Around 1935 the Wells family lived here and Mrs Wells began making Ice Cream in her front room selling it though the window!

The next occupants were the Wrights and in the 70s the Grice's.

Wally Masters Transport, Windyridge Road

Wally had a contart to remove waste from Ansells, HP and Hercules in Aston

This site is part of   www.madeinbirmingham.org

 I am indebited to Bill Webb who has lived in Walmley since 1899!  Also Eric Gannaway and Les Hollins for their help with this page