sharing Solihull's local history
Sharmans Cross Senior School was built in 1933 and opened to pupils on 9th January 1934 under headmaster Edgar James Phillipps Orrett (1882-1967). Children aged over 11 from Solihull, Olton and Shirley were transferred from existing all-age elementary schools on this date, with the schools they left then all becoming junior schools.
Continue reading “Sharmans Cross Senior Schools”
For Heritage Open Days, 2023, local historians from Knowle Society, accompanied by poet Jonny Fluffypunk and supported by library staff, led a guided walk around the historic centre of the village. Jonny then created a poem based on the history discussed during the walk and afterwards at Knowle Library.
Continue reading “A Poem for Knowle”
On 22nd May 1944, a 16-year-old carrier pigeon known as “Old Billy,” travelling at around 60mph, flew into Solihull bearing a cheque for £1,000. The pigeon, owned by Albert James Wager (1880-1947) of 338, Blossomfield Road, was one of the “heroes” of Solihull’s “Salute the Soldier” week, part of a national savings campaign to raise money for field hospitals and military equipment.
Continue reading ““Old Billy” helps Solihull’s Salute the Soldier Week, 1944″
The open-air swimming pool in Malvern Park, Solihull was purchased by Solihull Council in March 1954, although it had been in use as a privately-owned swimming pool since the early 1940s. It was apparently the first municipal swimming pool in the Solihull district and, according to the Birmingham Daily Post, 8th February 1954, it had been built by Horace Brueton, who had bought the Malvern Hall estate c.1922.
Continue reading “Solihull Lido”
Alfred Steadman was born in Derbyshire on 6th December 1912 and won a scholarship to art college in Derby but his parents reportedly decided that it wasn’t a good idea, so he became a chemist on leaving school. Art was a lifelong hobby and he was able to devote more time to it after his retirement from work.
Continue reading “Alfred Thomas Steadman (1912-1994)”
The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull came into existence on 1st April 1974. The new Metropolitan Borough comprised the former County Borough of Solihull, 10 parishes from the former Meriden Rural District and the parish of Hockley Heath from Stratford-upon-Avon Rural District.
Continue reading “Metropolitan Borough of Solihull”
On 1st April 1964, Solihull and Luton were both elevated to county borough status – the first county boroughs created since 1927, and the first of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. The towns exchanged messages of goodwill and congratulations.
Continue reading “Elevation Day, 1st April 1964”
On Solihull’s Charter Day, 11th March 1954, H.R.H. Princess Margaret visited Solihull on behalf of the Queen to present the Urban District with a Royal Charter of Incorporation as a Borough. Although the elevation to a borough was important in Solihull’s journey to become a County Borough, it did not bestow any new powers on Solihull, apart from the new Borough having a Mayor instead of the previous Chairman of Solihull Urban District.
Continue reading “Solihull’s Charter Day 1954”
Arthur Stokes was born in Birmingham on 19th February 1871 and was the second of the six children of parents, Peter, a carter, and Ann (née Humphreys) who had married in Bordesley in 1867. He started work on the railways at the age of 13, and spent 44 years as a signalman at Solihull Station. In 1936, he published his memoir, the proceeds of which went towards the Solihull Methodist Church Building Fund.
Continue reading “Arthur Stokes (1871-1953), signalman”
Marston Green Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1923 and was known as Elite Lawn Tennis Club. The members in 1923 are pictured above. The women wore long dresses and men wore long trousers, and initially, there were more women players than men. The Elite name was dropped in 1926 and it became MGLTC.
Continue reading “100 years of Marston Green Lawn Tennis Club”
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