Memories of Alcester Street

Red Lion Street ran into Alcester Street, originally known as Beoley Street and full of houses with long gardens - horses were kept round the back. The houses existed until demolished by the Redditch Development Corporation.

The lpsley Road end of Alcester Street was known as Pool Place as there was once a large pool there, and up until about the 1850's it marked the edge of the town. Washford Mills were round the corner, Mount Carmel Catholic church had just arrived and the first cottages were beginning to appear in Beoley Road. Holloway Lane was a country lane disappearing between backs of trees.

Between 1910 and 1963 Jean Wright's grandparents owned the shoe repairers, listed as A H Lawrence's Boot Factor at the bottom end of Alcester Street. It was one of five shops between Grove House and Pool Garage. Jean says: "The first shop was Mrs Newman's greengrocery. She had a large (definitely overweight) brown and white spaniel who slept on the pavement outside the shop. Everyone either had to walk round him or step over him. He slept until someone gave him a penny, when he would get up and, with the penny in his mouth, lumber past Baylis's next door, then Thompsons, then Lawrence's until he came to Harber's which was a grocers/confectioners. He would go up the steps which were inset in the centre of the shop and push open the door. The bell would ring and Mr Harber would come into the shop, the dog would put his paws on the counter and drop the penny. Mr Harber would take a fairy cake, remove the wrapping and hand it to the dog, who waited for Mr Harber to come round the counter to open the shop door. The dog would then trot back to his own spot, leisurely eat his cake and wait for the next penny.

'In the 1930's I remember flocks of sheep being driven by a farmer and his dogs along Alcester Street. This ceased when one of the valuable sheepdogs was killed by a car.

Milliard’s Washford Mills factory nearby not only had a clock tower, but also a bell tower. Every morning the bell was tolled at 0755 and at 0800 and again at 0825 and 0830. I rolled out of bed at 0755 and left the house for school at 0830. When living in Alcester Street, who needed an alarm clock! For carnival week, the shops put strings of coloured flags across the road."

Many local people remember Fairest toy shop opposite the Palace Theatre. One grand- mother remarks: ''The window was not very large and the shop was tiny, but whatever you asked for, Mr Fairest would say, 'Wait a minute', disappear and reappear with the toy in question. You could go all round Birmingham looking for the latest toy and not find it but Mr Fairest would be sure to have one in stock.''