Moseley B13 Magazine August Issue 510 by Moseley B13 Magazine

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B13 MAGAZINE

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AUG 2020 ISSUE 510

C O V D N A L A CE C LO IN 3

M SELEY

PALMYRA: MOSELEY’S DELICIOUS MELTING POT

A MOSELEY MINUTE: CHRIS FEWINGS

TOMMY QUANG: FANTASTIC BEASTS

BOOTS IN MOSELEY: END OF AN ERA

SELECT & SAVE: SERVING MOSELEY

MOSELEY B13 MAGAZINE

AUG20 EDITOR Mark Baxter (editor@moseleymagazine.co.uk) THE TEAM Ian Cook, David Isgrove, Stephanie Silk, Maria Arroja Ferreira, Tipton. Debbie Aldous, Max Jalil, PHOTOGRAPHER Position Vacant CONTRIBUTORS David Spilsbury, Moseley Local History Society, Tessa Lowe, Peter Streets, Ruth Yorke, wwVal Hart.PROOF READER Jane Barry ADVERTISING Position Vacant SOCIAL MEDIA Position Vacant TREASURER Leanne Holloway (accounts@moseleyb13.com) DESIGN Andy Wickett (andywickett@gmail.com) MAIL Moseley Publishing House Ltd. Moseley B13 Magazine, c/o: Moseley Exchange, 149-153 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JP. ONLINE YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCqC-sOw9T6mBgpj8ox9Ph0Q?view_ as=subscriber instagram.com/moseleyb13mag facebook.com/MoseleyB13Magazine twitter.com/MoseleyB13Mag info@moseleyb13.com www.moseleyb13.com PHONE 0843 289 3665 BOARD David Isgrove (Chair) Stephanie Silk (Editorial) COMPANY SECRETARY Position Vacant LEGAL STUFF Moseley Publishing House Ltd is a non-profit voluntary run company based in England and Wales. Company No. 07786560. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or part, without express permission. All material is believed to be correct at the time of going to print.

WORDS FROM THE

EDITOR

Do you long for the days when the word Zoom made you think of nothing more complicated than a lovely lolly in the shape of a spaceship, and “unprecedented” was a British Summer where it stayed sunny for five consecutive days? If so, we have plenty of nostalgic pieces in the latest issue, including Peter Streets farewell to Boots (pages 10-11), a long serving shop in Moseley which has sadly closed its doors for the last time. We are also looking forward as local businesses open up again, including our cover star Palmyra Mediterranean Food & Coffee (pages 8-9). Ruth Yorke reports on getting a haircut on “Super Saturday”, otherwise known as July 4, and whether it was a hair raising experience or if the safety precautions all gelled together (page 9). This issue also sees the return of Tommy Quang, Moseley’s answer to Arthur C. Clarke, with a spooftastic guide to the legendary creatures of the area (pages 16-17) featuring dubious eyewitness accounts and highly suspect photographic evidence. I hope you enjoy the magazine! Mark

OUTLETS A and R News (320 Yardley Wood Rd) Drinksville (23 Woodbridge Rd) Greenhill Garage (89-91 Billesley Ln) Indigo Foods (50-52 St. Mary’s Row) Moseley Post Office (149 Alcester Rd) Nima Deli (103 Alcester Rd) One Stop (117 Billlesley Ln) Select and Save (174-176 Alcester Rd) Marks & Spencer (Saint Mary’s Row) The Mix (500,Moseley Rd) Farmers’ Market (Village Green) 2020 PUBLICATION DATES

ISSUE COPY SALE Jan (no issue) Feb 15 Jan Mar 19 Feb Apr 18 Mar May 15 Apr Jun 20 May Jul 17 Jun Aug 15 Jul Sep 19 Aug Oct 16 Sep Nov 21 Oct Dec 18 Nov

25 Jan 29 Feb 28 Mar 25 Apr 30 May 27 Jun 25 Jul 29 Aug < 26 Sep 31 Oct 28 Nov

IN THIS ISSUE

NO.69

NEWSHOUND

5G MASTS

PALMYRA: MOSELEY’S MELTING POT

BOOTS: END OF AN ERA

SELECT & SAVE

LOSING THOSE LOCKDOWN LOCKS

A MOSELEY MINUTE-

TOMMY QUANG

THE LOST CHILDREN BOOK

STATION UPDATE

MOSELEY MEMORIES

MOSELEY IN BLOOM

LOST MOSELEY

B13 CITIZENSHIP QUIZ

VICTORIAN BUILDING PLANS

THE FAIRY DOORS

B13 NEEDS YOU!

TO BE CONTINUED...

BY MARK BAXTER

NEWSHOUND

Tipton, the B13 Newshound Twitter: @B13Newshound / Instagram: @tiptonb13

MOSELEY, MOOR GREEN AND CANNON HILL SEE HIGH NUMBER OF COVID-19 DEATHS Moseley Village, Moor Green and Cannon Hill are among several Birmingham suburbs with above-average numbers of coronavirusrelated deaths, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). An interactive map published by the ONS this summer shows the number of Birmingham deaths which occurred between March 1 and May 31 and were registered by June 6, and where Covid-19 was mentioned as a cause on the death certificate. The coronavirus-related deaths figure for Moseley Village was 16, Moseley 15 and Moor Green and Cannon Hill 13. These figures were nearly twice the average for Birmingham suburbs, which on average had below nine deaths. However the Moseley Village area was by no means the worst affected in Birmingham. Chester Road near Erdington recorded the most Birmingham deaths with 30, followed by Sheldon North with 28, Kings Norton with 23 and both Bordesley and Yardley Wood West which had 22. A host of other city neighbourhoods saw double figure totals. While most areas which make up Birmingham city centre fared well: Digbeth recorded one death, Central three, Attwood Green Park and Park Central six and Ladywood–Summer Hill one. Locally, Wake Green East and Moseley Bog had just four – half the city average. Kings Heath had three. The neighbourhood listed as 'Selly Oak' is the only one to record zero deaths in the period. However, as with other parts of the city, the area was divided up into a number of smaller locations including 'Selly Oak Park and Lodge Hill', and 'Stirchley North and Selly Park', both of which recorded several deaths. The ONS also stated that a small number of deaths had been 'reallocated between neighbouring areas' to 'protect confidentiality'. Figures were based on Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOA). Middle Layer Super Output Areas are a geographic area designed to improve the reporting of small-area statistics in England and Wales. The minimum population of each MSOA is 5000 and the mean is 7200. They are linked to postcodes. Picture caption: colin-d-unsplash CANNON HILL’S MAC SAYS IT WILL STAY CLOSED UNTIL 2021, AFTER COVID-19 CRISIS Cannon Hill’s iconic arts venue, the MAC, has announced it will remain closed until next year as a result of coronavirus. "As a direct result of the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, MAC has taken the difficult decision to remain closed to the public until 2021," the venue confirmed. A statement from Deborah Kermode, MAC CEO and Artistic Director and Jonnie Turpie MBE, MAC Chair of Board, reads: "The impact of Covid-19 upon the cultural sector has been devastating and undoubtedly will be long-lasting. We have all seen with heavy hearts fellow arts organisations across the UK trying to make sense of this challenging situation, which for some has resulted in permanent closure." Continued on next page. 4

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It adds: "As a direct result of the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, MAC has taken the difficult decision to remain closed to the public until 2021. The safety of our staff, audiences and artists is paramount, and until we are able to demonstrate that we can operate safely and trade successfully as an independent charity during the on-going crisis, our doors must regretfully remain closed. "MAC’s earned income accounts for 85% of our annual turnover, which is generated through vital revenue streams from trading, conferences and ticket sales. Despite the relaxation of measures in recent weeks, social distancing at 1m greatly reduces audience capacity across the venue – in every part of the arts centre, which significantly impacts our ability to generate this crucial income and keep our doors open. "We cannot operate as a single service at MAC, such as a café, or a cinema or theatre. As a business, we need all our services to be running together at high volume to ensure financial viability. MAC is a very complex operation and we need time to plan how to adjust to these new considerations. As a charity with very limited reserves, we cannot risk the uncertainty of opening too soon." The statement continues: "Despite the cancellation of our public programmes, MAC’s community outreach programmes for our most vulnerable audiences, MAC Makes Music and Hidden Voices, continues whilst our building remains closed. We are grateful for the on-going support from Arts Council England, Youth Music, players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, Birmingham City Council and Spirit of 2012 for helping us to continue this vital work. "We have had to accept that our immediate future has changed, and our financial situation will be at risk for some time. We will continue to work with every effort to determine when it is safe and financially viable for us to reopen. During this period, we will continue to review all areas of the business with the Board of Trustees and stakeholders to plan for MAC’s future so we can continue to be there for our community for many years to come." Picture caption: Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), photographer credit Ben Fearnhead LEAFY AVENUE NEAR MOSELEY TO LOSE 14 TREES AT ONCE One of Birmingham's leafiest main roads on the Billesley, Moseley and Hall Green border is set to lose 14 trees in one go, as a result of old age and disease. The trees are on the Brook Lane incline from its junction with the Wake Green Road. Losing 14 trees at once from one specific beauty spot – when several have already been removed over the years – will further reduce the impact that the central avenue of Lombardy Poplar trees has had for decades on the neighbourhood. The species of tree is often to be found lining roads and riversides in France and Italy but they have always seemed to be just as much at home in Birmingham. The 14 trees which are to be cut down on Brook Lane, Billesley, include seven of the Lombardy Poplar trees on the central reservation. Birmingham City Council says all of the affected trees have a notice pinned to their trunks informing local residents of their fate. They typically have a black cross on a yellow background next to the Death / Decay / Age section, one of five conditions for replacement. The notes say: "Every tree removed will be replaced with a suitable size and species as close to the original position as possible although in a number of instances the exact location will not always be possible. "We have informed local ward councillors about the removal of this tree and have received approval from Birmingham City Council prior to the removal of this tree." info@moseleyb13.com

BOHEMIAN BAR MAKES ‘DIFFICULT’ DECISION TO CLOSE ITS DOORS The owners of the Bohemian Cocktail Bar and Kitchen, which had been shortlisted for best bar through the Swish Media Awards in April, have taken the 'difficult' decision to announce the bar’s closure via their Facebook page. The popular Moseley bar will not reopen despite lockdown restrictions on the hospitality industry being eased and other local pubs re-opening. The Bohemian, located at Salisbury Chambers on Alcester Road, had said on March 20 that it would be "open until last orders from Boris". But after three months of closure due to the pandemic the establishment was officially shut from June 22, their social media confirmed. The Bohemian’s owners said on their Facebook page: “This is a little difficult to announce, and we cannot believe we are saying this but ..... as of today Bohemian Bar will be closed. The last seven years have been a joy and we would like to thank all our loyal customers and business associates. Most of all we would like to thank our staff for making Bohemian Bar a fantastic place to be, your efforts are truly appreciated. We wish the next generation of Bohemian Bar owners all the best for the future. Thank you all!” PETITION CALLS ON MARKS AND SPENCER FOODHALL TO RE-OPEN CAFÉ Nearly 90 people have signed a petition calling on Marks and Spencer to re-open the café attached to its Moseley foodhall in St Mary’s Row. The petition follows news that there are no plans for the café to re-open following the easing of lockdown restrictions. The 45 seater café opened as part of the foodhall in 2017 and was a favourite with disabled and older people as well as those with young children, being arguably Moseley’s most accessible café with parking and toilet facilities on site. Since lockdown was eased for pubs, cafés and restaurants on July 4 the M&S café has not re-opened, not even for takeaways. This is despite other local cafés such as Java Roastery, Damascena, Lewis’s and Costa re-opening either fully or partially. The M&S café petition was launched by a Moseley resident and café user Katerina Chamberlain on July 9 on the change.org website. The petition says: “I have been told that the café at Marks & Spencer foodhall in Moseley Birmingham will not re-open after being closed during lockdown. This will be the loss of a much loved community facility. It is really valuable for shoppers who are elderly or disabled as it gives them somewhere to sit down during their shopping trips. Please M&S don't do this.” As we went to press on 16 July 87 people had signed. In spite of this, the prospects of the petition being successful do not seem promising as the following official statement from M&S makes clear. An M&S spokesperson said: “We announced earlier this year that we were closing the café in our Moseley store. We appreciate this was disappointing news for some café customers, and are very grateful for their regular custom over the years. The changes to the store will allow us to increase the range of M&S food products on sale and improve the store layout, making it easier to shop”. If you want to sign the petition visit: https://tinyurl.com/yc6armr8

Ian Cook

COMMUNITY

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5G MASTS AND CHANGES IN MOSELEY VILLAGE CENTRE First – 5G comes to Moseley (and won’t increase Covid-19 in the area!): Two months ago, someone spotted that Vodafone had asked for planning permission for a 20m high 5G mast to be constructed and placed outside M&S.

to make Moseley safer and to reduce the impact of cars. This includes: • Widening of the pavement zone from outside of Cafephilia down to King Edward Rd by taking out the first traffic lane. The original pavement area is too narrow to be safe for people to pass by and respect each other’s social distancing.

This would have affected not only the plans the Forum was putting forward for the station access junction with Oxford Rd and Wake Green Road (see other article on Moseley Railway Station Update), but also the negative visual effect on the Conservation Aea of Moseley Village which reaches up to that junction.

• The parking on the slip road alongside the Green in the centre is removed enabling people and cafes to use the layby space. The slip road will be closed at one end in the future but this will only be done once pavement outlines As Moseley Forum was already involved in are changed – which will take longer to this junction through it’s plans for a small organise. roundabout, it took on the responsibility The bus stops outside of the Coto act on this. The Mayor’s Office helped • op and also opposite Cafephilia will also to persuade Vodafone that it had to be moved and that they needed to talk with be moved out as they are also regarded contrary to social distancing rules. us as to what could be put. The Forum’s plans show the need to As a result, I walked round Moseley make the centre people friendly using looking at about 6 alternative sites that were ‘out-of-the-way sites or where trees shared space principles which include reducing the traffic lanes and to remove could hide part of them, ranging from the slip road except for access. So we see the top end of the Car Park, or between these current measure as a step in the the station area and Woodbridge Rd, to right direction and will make Moseley further along Wake Green Rd. safer and a better place to be in. “Rome Their planners are now looking again at wasn’t built in a day” but little by little we these sites and will be producibg a report hope to effect changes for the better to upon which we’ll be able to comment. improve the centre for pedestrians and We’ll keep you informed. bikes whilst also looking to the current continued needs of motorists which must Second – Improving the centre of never be forgotten. Moseley: If you haven’t been to the centre of Moseley or the Farmers’ David Isgrove Market, you wouldn’t have seen the drive

NOTICE BOARD Moseley Misfits are looking for volunteers to help us run our socially distanced musical activities in Moseley Park and Pool during the summer. Find out more on misfitsmusic.org.uk/ volunteer or email Rob on rob@misfitsmusic.org.uk.

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PALMYRA: MOSELEYâ€™S DELICIOUS MELTING POT

Thank goodness the lockdown situation is starting to ease a little. Thank goodness Palmyra is open again and that it survived the two months’ enforced closure.

young Albanian community and learned a lot about that beleaguered country. Until then I had only a few preconceptions about Albania. Now it’s on my bucket list!

I really missed it but now my friends and I can again be people who lunch and savour the delights of Syrian cuisine. Better still, we can eat and converse with strangers who really are just friends we did not yet know, and who come from all sorts of backgrounds, with stories to tell that could have come straight out of Tales from the Arabian Nights.

The young Albanians headed off and next in was a young man in search of mango juice. He wanted pure mango juice, preferably pulped from Honey mangoes. Subhi offered to add honey but I know a thing or two about mangoes, coming as I do from South Africa, fifty long years ago.

Conversations about mangoes led to conversations about Enduring Power of Attorney (as they do). The new customer is ‘a civil servant’ who specialises in the field of guardianship. He treated me to a mango juice and had a freshly squeezed orange juice for himself. It was his first time in Palmyra. I personally hope things ‘I have been searching for a will have eased enough for place like this all throughout more than just a very few to Birmingham,’ he said as he be able to attend. It’s one sped off back to caring for the auspicious occasion I wouldn't concerns of those who now want to miss. Subhi makes cannot so easily care for their visiting Palmyra feel like being own concerns. on holiday in a different and glorious land without having Next at the door was to clock up any air miles. You another young man. Subhi get the holiday mood where was busy back in the kitchen barriers are down and you – he is running the place on can strike up conversations his own for a while. Finances with fellow travellers on the took a hit during lockdown, journey of life without it but he doesn’t really mind. seeming strange. It has been a long and interesting, if difficult, road Soon after Palmyra refrom his war-torn native town opened my friend Janet and of Kafr Nabl in Syria, to his I went back for lunch. We recent marriage and home met at 12.30, and by 3.45 we in Moseley. There hasn’t were still there, having met been much time for holidays several of Moseley’s new or rest. These two months Subhi, the young owner and visionary young chef, is the real reason why Palmyra is such a delight. He has just passed his British Citizenship test and has now only to wait a while until restrictions are further eased and he can take part in the official ceremony.

have given him and his wife unaccustomed time together; money is insignificant compared to happiness. 'Customer!' Janet calls to the back. This customer’s name turns out to be Khalil. 'Like Khalil Gibran, the poet?' I ask. Our Khalil, a young Moseleyite originally from Somalia, doesn’t know of my hero writer, The Prophet. What he does know is that he can hear an accent in my voice. Khalil has worked and lived in Holland, Germany and Belgium. He can understand, therefore, a bit of my second language, Afrikaans. ‘Tot siens,’ he says with a smile as Subhi brings him the pre-ordered takeaway for delivery. It is time to go. Three hours have flown by. We will be back for lunch once a week from now on, Janet and I. Maybe we’ll get to meet you! Tessa Kate Lowe

BOOTS: END OF AN ERA Boots in Moseley, on the corner of Alcester Road and Salisbury Road, closed on 30 June. Boots had issued a press release in January 2020 stating that it would be closing some smaller UK retail premises.

The Post Office is the oldest retail business in the centre of Moseley; Boots, the second oldest. The Post Office itself has been subject to change: it originally also housed the sorting office and delivery office for Moseley as well as the telephone exchange (the old Moseley Exchange number was SOUth) where operators worked 24 hours a day. Boots in Victoria Parade was opened about 1905. They were not the original occupiers, and the premises were originally a corn dealership. The Parade COMMUNITY

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had been built in 1900. Volunteers from the Moseley Society History Group have established an approximate date but as the Birmingham Library is currently closed, trade directories giving the exact date cannot be accessed. If anybody knows the opening date, please contact the Editor. When you walked into Boots in the 1950s the premises smelt of antiseptic and unwrapped soap. In the left-hand corner at the rear was the pharmacy, where the pharmacist would make up tablets from jars and dispense medicines. A large closed book lay near him, on the front cover the words, ‘Poisons Book’. I am sure that things had hardly changed in

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50 years. In one corner, a set of narrow, steep stairs (no Health & Safety), led to the first floor. As you reached the floor there was a warm atmosphere – and a musty smell, coming from the private library with its numerous shelves tightly packed with books. The book counter also sold postcards, paper, and pencils and crayons. The room always seemed busy with adults browsing. While my parents looked for books, I sat in the window watching the traffic negotiating the traffic lights. I liked watching the Corporation buses, the 48, 49 and 50 stopping yards away from the window, City bound.

The number 1 could be seen in St Mary’s Row, and this also travelled into the City Centre in the 1950s. My parents, living in School Road, often talked to people they knew, while I was quite happy to sit on the windowsill. The road junction today, unlike many parts of Birmingham, is little different. The vehicles and the buses have changed but thanks to campaigning by the local community, the building line has not. However, the long connection of Boots to Moseley has been broken. Peter Streets With thanks to the Moseley Society History Group

COMMUNITY

It’s been a challenge as when the lockdown started we had to limit the opening hours, but serving the community was our job and we stayed open through it all. Plans and hopes for the future? We would like to refurbish the shop and make it more attractive for the community. How do you think Moseley can recover from the pandemic?

SELECT & SAVE

local residents supporting us throughout the years and helping us to stay open. Lows have been the coronavirus and leaving the EU as this has made stock expensive with, for example, sugar tax on drinks.

Many local businesses are preparing to open their doors again at the time of writing, but Select & Save has remained open throughout lockdown, acting as an essential supplier of food products. Neni Hussain chats to Moseley B13 Magazine about the shop’s many years of service to Moseley...

How has Moseley changed in the time you’ve been open?

How long has Select & Save been open in Moseley?

Business has been quiet due to the lockdown and has been hard to get.

For over 25 years. We opened up in the 1990s in what seemed a friendly environment and good location to open a convenience store. What have been the highs and lows of running a business in the village in that time? The highs have been the

More and more new businesses have opened and this has brought new faces into Moseley. This has built the area up and that has helped us as well. How has lockdown been for the business?

We all need to follow the government’s measures and keep ourselves and the people around us safe. Hope all the local small businesses come back and open up so we can all start trading again. What do you like about Moseley? Moseley is like our family. It’s like coming from home to another home. Everyone is friendly, helping and supportive. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us for the past 20+ years and hopefully we can keep the shop going for many years. Mark Baxter

How have customers been during this time? They have been great and have followed social distancing and the two metre rule. What have been the challenges in keeping the shop open and serving the community? 12

M. Hussain (Neni's father) & M. Akhtar www.moseleyb13.com

LOSING THOSE LOCKDOWN LOCKS: A TRIP TO A MOSELEY BARBER

As lockdown was eased on July 4 we asked Chris how his first trip to the barbers went. Chris went to his usual hairdresser, the Village Barbers on Woodbridge Road. How did it feel going into the barbers as lockdown was eased? It was strange having to book an appointment – the first time I’ve ever needed to book to go to a barber! This meant though that there were none of the usual queues. There was no coat-stand, no

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papers or magazines. They told me they’ve deliberately spaced out the appointments to give them time for the cleaning regime between customers. At the moment they don’t know how many appointments will really fit into a day, so they’re being cautious and trying it all to find out. What was different? When I went in, I had to sanitise my hands and put a mask on (they provided it); the chairs had plastic partitions between them; and the barber was wearing a disposable apron, and face shield and gloves, which were changed/disposed of between customers. They cleaned all the equipment, including the chair, between appointments and gave me a disposable apron to wear rather than 13

the cloth aprons they usually use. Only two chairs are used for those waiting for appointments and these are well spaced in line with the position of the barber’s chair. They aren’t doing beard trims because that would require close contact with the face and the customer’s mask would have to be taken off. Payment was by cash or card. The atmosphere was as usual really – just without any queue! Did you feel safe? Yes, I felt very safe. There was no queue and it was quiet – it felt like they were taking lots of precautions to make it as safe as possible – you can’t ask more than that. How do you feel now that your lockdown hair is trimmed?! I’m so happy! After 102 days of my hair growing in its own merry way, it’s finally back in proper control. I’m glad I went just before lockdown and had a shorter cut than usual! Ruth Yorke

A MOSELEY MINUTE

“PITY THE UNCROOKED TREE” – CHRIS FEWINGS This is the first time I have interviewed a person up a tree, but somehow it felt appropriate. Luckily, Chris spotted me on ‘his tree’ in Holders Wood as he made the way to our meeting, and climbed up to join me on another branch. It must be said that the tree is excessively big with huge outstretching branches. Enough to fit a whole family on, which is exactly what Chris did ten years ago. Let me backtrack a little, to explain why I interviewed Chris up a tree in the first place. I went for a walk a couple of weeks ago, to an area I had never been to before in Holders Woods. It was here, to my joy, that I discovered this immense tree. I took a photo of the tree because I was so impressed with it and uploaded it to COMMUNITY

Facebook for all to see. Chris, whom I was about to call to arrange a time to interview him about his new poetry book, Pity the Uncrooked Tree, saw my post and commented that it was ‘his tree’. He added to my post by uploading a photo of his family and friends all sitting on this huge willow tree where he had held his 50th birthday gathering ten years earlier.

was in his early 20s. He can still recall these works after 35+ years. Chris chuckled to himself as he remembered his early days when he never had much time to write, scribbling things on the back of envelopes with a couple of young children around his feet. In those early days he started to share his writings with friends and found that people enjoyed listening to his work. This inspired him to carry on and, after ten years of writing, Chris made a booklet of his poems and distributed copies among friends. He held a reading on his birthday, inviting friends to listen and sharing wine with all that came. Chris would go on to join Cannon Poets in Moseley. This was when his poetry writing began to accelerate, and the group encouraged Chris to write more. Eventually he thought, “What am I going to do with these poems?” His answer came in 2015 when he decided to put together a limited-edition hardback book. Chris started

Once seated on the ample (and luckily) firm branches, I asked Chris when he had started to write poems. He answered that he started to write shortly before his first child was born, 24 years ago. Life was changing for him back then and this sparked the inspiration to write poetry. Chris had always loved the art form and used to memorise poems when he 14

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to gather his poems together for the collection, and found to his surprise that he had 900! By 2016 he had halved this number, and now – four years later – he has reduced the total to the 250 or so that he is putting in the book. It must be said that he has not thrown the other poems away, just chosen the most relevant for others to enjoy. The rest are safely stored on his hard drive. Chris started an online poetry magazine and needed to select poems for publication. This enabled him to develop a critical eye for poetry and to use the ability to judge his own work and which pieces should go into the book. You may have bumped into Chris around Moseley as he runs courses on creative writing and poetry at the Buddhist Centre and the Moseley Exchange, amongst other places. He regularly performs poetry at spokenword events around Moseley too. Before the interview came to an end I took the opportunity to ask Chris how he came up with the fantastic title for the book. He explained that it was an opening line from a poem he wrote many years ago, and this has been included with the article to give you a taste of his wonderful poetry. Chris is donating £2 of each book sold to the charity he is passionate about, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). Here is a link to their website info@moseleyb13.com

where you can explore and donate to the amazing work they are doing around the world. https://www.caat.org. uk/

Chris can be reached on his website, www.fewings.uk. As well as details of his poetry you will find a link to his fiction e-book A Glossary of my Grandmother. Debbie Aldous

COMMUNITY

TOMMY QUANG’S WORLD OF STRANGE

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them We have a further account from Victorian times when chemist Charles M. Shelley spotted the Billesley Bigfoot: “His feet alone were the size of the rackets used by Moseley Park Lawn Club. My heart pounded at the wretched sight of him and I only hope that our fair and gentle ladies never witness this monster. They would faint on the spot when met with his wickedness.”

Billesley Common

When we speak of cryptozoology (the study of and search for legendary animals) we usually think of sightings of fantastic beasts in remote places, such as the Yeti in the Himalayas. However, built-up places like Birmingham have gathered eye-witness accounts of odd ogres, such as the Northfield Neolithic Nutter which is sighted on a regular basis. There is also the Cotteridge Sasquatch (said to have survived the Ice Age due to the area’s inclement weather) and the Five Ways Trombone Monstrosity (no one was prepared to go on record to talk about their experiences with this fiend, which is said to emit the ghastly sounds of an under-rehearsed brass section). The Billesley Bigfoot has been described as “half wolf, half lizard, all beast”. Sightings of the brute have been on record since the 17th century when local poet William P. Ayres recorded the event thus: “I strolled across the common and witnessed the behemoth that I had desired only existed in mine nightmare. That beast had a visage of a drunken barbarian having climbed up from the bowels of hell, and that savage was clearly a creature with a heart as black as coal. I fear mine soul hath been contaminated just by witnessing the abomination.”

Dave Pringle’s illustration of the Billesley Bigfoot.

A 1950s local newspaper reported a sighting by the terrified plasterer Bill Rotunda. “I just couldn't believe the state of its fizzog. It were a yampy so-and-so, I’ll tell you that for nowt. He got a right cob on with me gawping at him so I had to leg it through the cut. Never in a 16

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rain of pigs pudding did I think I’d see such a luggy lummock looking like a sack of spuds.”

contacted by a Mr Norbert Snappingbrace to discuss sightings of the Cannon Hill Park Lake Ness Monster. We met (where else?) in Cannon Hill Park and Mr Snappingbrace took me through various sightings of the water-based monster, including a recent occasion when it was apparently caught on camera (see photo). I mentioned that park rangers had informed me that the lake was fairly shallow at its deepest point, so it would seem highly unlikely that it could be inhabited by a mammoth survivor of the prehistoric age. At this point Mr Snappingbrace became upset and shouted something along the lines of “Don’t you know this country is tired of experts?” before running off to catch the No.1 bus.

A more up-to-date sighting from 2019 led to the following detailed account from Dave ‘Facebook Fanatic' Pringle: “Dunno…it was... you know...a thing. Weird, innit?”

Mr Snappingbrace is currently crowdfunding to carry out a "scientific search" for the Cannon Hill Park Lake Ness Monster using sonar, satellite tracking and "Farm Food fish fingers sellotaped to a giant inflatable of Barney the Dinosaur''.

The 1984 Walkathon

The Billesley Bigfoot made a rare appearance away from the common in 1984 when it is believed to have joined the BRMB Walkathon. Due to a number of participants dressing up in costumes, the beast went undetected for several miles until he was spotted, leading to chaos and carnage during the charity event. "It's just a shame he wasn't sponsored – he's a good walker," said a Walkathon steward.

Tommy Quang Next month: Terrifying details of the alien abduction of a Moseley man, and the couple that experienced "The Curse of Gary Barlow". Twitter: @WordofStrange Photo credit for 1984 Walkathon image: Birmingham Live.

Not all accounts of local creatures are as credible as the Billesley Bigfoot. I was recently

Photographic evidence of the Cannon Hill Park Lake Ness Monster info@moseleyb13.com

THE LOST CHILDREN BOOK

The Balsall Heath Local History Society‘s project, The Lost Children, was funded by the Big Lottery Heritage Fund and an element of it was the book The Lost Children which is now on sale, available through our website: www. balsallheathhistory.co.uk. The booklet has 48 pages, and is in colour and fully illustrated. It tells the story of the Middlemore Children’s Emigration Homes, founded by John Middlemore in 1872. Between the years 1873 and 1948 over 5,000 children were emigrated by the Homes, chiefly to Canada. Described at the time as “gutter children or street Arabs”, children taken into the Homes were from the poorest families, living in desperate conditions in the slum streets of Birmingham.

Some were orphans, some were illegitimate, some were simply given away by parents who could not afford to keep them. John Middlemore’s intention was to give them a new start in life and better opportunities, saving them The future lives of these from a life of grime, crime and children varied enormously – poverty. there are tales of happiness and success as well as tales of The children spent a few great sadness. Many children months in the Homes in went through great hardship preparation for emigration. and struggled to cope with There were farewell parties the stigma of being a ‘Home with their parents and for Child’. almost all the children it was the last time they would ever From 1935 the Homes see them. moved into a partnership with the Fairbridge Society and Initially children were taken children were then sent to to Ontario and subsequently Fairbridge Farm Schools – in to the Maritime Provinces British Columbia, Canada, of New Brunswick, Nova but also to Australia and New Scotia and Prince Edward Zealand. Island, to be placed with farmers carving out lives for This is not just the history of themselves in the backwoods. the Homes as an institution, however. The book also contains many stories of the children themselves, drawn from information sent in by families and archival research. The Middlemore Archive is a rich source, with details of why children were admitted to the Homes and their subsequent placements. However, the personal records end when the children reach maturity. The families and relatives

Middlemore girls about to leave for Canada 18

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have given us a much fuller understanding because they tell us what happened in the later lives of the children and their families. We have also been allowed to use wonderful letters which were sent back by the children to their family in England. There are many relatives and descendants living in England and particularly in 3 Fairbridge the Birmingham area. This is for several reasons: some children were sent back by the Homes; some returned themselves, often during the First World War; and some are here because families had to make difficult choices to send some of their children to Canada while others stayed here. As soon as we can, after Covid lockdown eases, we will be calling more meetings of the Middlemore Group of relatives and descendants as well as some of our volunteers, who want to continue meeting. We hope to be able to assist with research in the archives, when restrictions are lifted. We also have more plans. In 2022 there will be a Civic Society Blue Plaque in St Lukeâ€™s Road, Highgate, where the Homes were founded. The launch is planned to coincide with the Commonwealth games coming to Birmingham and we plan to remount our Lost Children exhibition then as well. Meanwhile, do buy our book! It costs ÂŁ4 plus post and packing. Details are on the website. Val Hart info@moseleyb13.com

Letter to England 19

MOSELEY RAILWAY STATION UPDATE Thank you to all those who submitted comments to the West Midlands Rail Executive proposals for the Moseley Railway Station a few weeks ago. As you may know, this is the first stage where planning permission is given on the basis of the submitted plans. These plans, however, included the proposal for four-way traffic lights to be created at the junction of the station access road, Wake Green Road and Oxford Road. In the light of increased concern about our environment, the Forum and all the other Moseley Groups felt that this would be detrimental to Moseley – in terms of congestion, idling traffic, pollution, danger to cyclists with cars speeding away from lights etc. So the Forum produced its own plans from 2 years ago as an alternative. These had been produced using a £10000 grant from the council and £5000 from the Moseley Farmers’ Market and were based on extensive traffic and pedestrian surveys done by local volunteers and Birmingham University students. Phil Jones Associates (PJA) used this and other data and discussions with a core design group made up of interested Moseley people and stakeholders such as businesses, to produce plans for the WHOLE of the centre of Moseley. These PJA plans showed that putting a roundel (small HISTORY

roundabout) at this station access junction would be better in an environmental sense with reduced traffic flow and better safety for cyclists, and more in keeping with Moseley. We pushed the West Midlands Rail Executive, The Mayor’s Office and the City Highways Dept into considering our proposals as an alternative. PJA were asked to put in more detail. Finally, the Head of the project for the Moseley railway Station sent me this: “1. We are going ahead with the roundel design and withdrawing the traffic signals design. Aiming for planning determination late September / early October. 2. I am cautiously optimistic that I can get £100k from the Section 106 Marks and Spencer development to put towards the scheme and have submitted a paper to BCC about this.” So concerted action by individuals and groups in Moseley has worked yet again, illustrating that we can achieve much together with the synergy it produces if our case seems reasonable. We see this as the first stage towards the regeneration and renewal of Moseley. So THANK YOU MOSELEY. After planning permission has been given, which is to be expected, the next stage will be to look in detail at materials etc for the station. So another update will be here in a few months’ time. David Isgrove

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MOSELEY MEMORIES

cap to gym shoes (or “pumps,” as we called them). Mom and Dad scrimped and saved to raise the money and she took me to Foster Brothers, the approved supplier, in Bradford Street. When we got back, I tried on the outfit and spruced myself up in front of the mirror. Then, Mom insisted on taking me down the road to her best friend, Mrs Ball, mother of Diane, who was Margaret’s best friend, and Derek, who was my classmate. As she showed me off in all my finery, I saw Derek sniggering in the background and could not wait to get home. I stripped my things off and put them away tidily until the first day of the September term, never to be publicly humiliated again. All the other lads went to Wheelers Lane Secondary Modern in Kings Heath, until Queensbridge Secondary Modern was built in 1953, when they all transferred to that. Somehow, I drifted away from them, as grammar school values took over my way of thinking. We still played together occasionally, especially cricket in the entry alongside our house.

AN IN-BETWEEN TIME August 1950 was an interregnum between primary and secondary schools. By one of those statistical quirks, six boys had been born in our area between September 1939 and March 1940, so we were all in the same yeargroup.

The usual reward for passing for the grammar was a new bicycle, but I understood why Dad could not afford one. Instead, I got a real willow cricket bat with the name “Len Hutton” impressed on it and some hard tennis balls. Hutton was England’s captain at the time.

Two of us passed the so-called 11-plus (I took it at 10 years and 3 months and was not 11 until December 1950). Roger Bough opted to follow his elder brother Colin to King Edward’s (Five Ways), while I chose Moseley Grammar School, because it was local.

We put up rudimentary wickets more or less lined up with the front of the house and bowled up the entry at top speed. Often, the ball would sky into Aldwyn Avenue, sometimes into Mrs Stears’s back garden. She was usually fairly blasé about retrieving our balls, but she blew her top when the ball hit her back window. Nothing was broken, but there was always that chance.

Mom took great pride in my “passing for the grammar” and even more so when my brother Alan and sister Margaret followed suit in later years. She undoubtedly had a sharp eye and quick mind and was impressed when we went for an interview with Ernie Robinson, the headteacher, and she saw my name upside down at the top of the paper in front of him. She was convinced that meant I had scored highest of all that year’s entrants, which I doubted.

Apart from the odd kick-around in the road, that was increasingly my only contact with my old companions. The British class system ruled and we obeyed. David Spilsbury

In the late summer, a form arrived listing all the items involved in the school uniform, from info@moseleyb13.com

A YOUTUBE GUIDE TO MOSELEY IN BLOOM

Thanks to Jonathan Smith, Gill Abraham and the Open Gardens team, I have learned a lot about beautiful gardens. They both worked hard in

gathering and editing 32 wonderful Open Gardens films for 2020. Thanks are due also to my 22

Tall teas and phenol daughter Bryony for alerting me to the marvels of selecting the captions-ON option for subtitle commentaries on YouTube. Now I know more www.moseleyb13.com

varieties of plant than I ever dreamed existed. Over the next few paragraphs I’ll take you through the YouTube translations of our beautiful Moseley gardens, but cannot guarantee the descriptions will be as attractive as the real thing, or even make any sense!

this lingo will make more sense on a beer or two!

For instance, in my own front talking garden at “8oz the road B13 it be”, I discovered that my “war flowers give joy from one year to the next” and “that fabulous teas will have coming nice and tall”. I was pleased to hear that “the giant future is giant Seng very nicely” and that the phenols are doing beautifully. It was reassuring to know that “those lovely things will be all spectacularly orange and nuts” and that a better name for anemones is “let’s call them many things”.

No. 9 on the list is David Isgrove’s at “welcome to the road” where eco hubs there’s “a box brush which is like a person needs a box tree”. If we come up the “you edge... through the garden gate...we grow mainly fruit suffered so raspy canes because bris....” we then discover “some fossils and rocks as I’m a geologist including over here and I’ll crease dump”. I’m sure some of you are making up your own jokes at this point. Come on, we’re better than that! One thing is for sure – David’s garden is a wonder to behold with or without the “crease dump”.

First up, at No. 1, “it’s a sheet of forks” offers to show you round her garden in Oakland Road. Thank you Sheila Fawkes. It’s a glorious garden even if it lacks the promised page of cutlery!

Talking garden 8oz the road B13 some treasures. “This is the flow mistress in Vienna and learned about here at the flow miss it stops being focal in pink...”

Furthermore, “for some of the time in the day understand shade so it’s a mixture of shade lobbying and some logging plants again more in warmer rongzi dark reds oranges colours”. Emilia has “koi flowers” in the veg bed and spent time At No. 22 Jean Gilkison and repurposing and recycling, Trevor Hocking begin with creating a new shed from “welcome doesn’t maris row”, the old one, and a “table which is a charming way to made from some dolls, a doll introduce us to their lovely rather”. I’m not sure what garden. Monty Don would think about all of this! At No. 25 Martin Passmore of Mayfield Road has “cheese I have great plans for my at the top of the gardens” but own back garden now. I fancy is “in a green ass this year” the war flowers will get along with his “dance with a moon beautifully with Emilia’s flow All orange and nuts with giant gate to the other half”. I have mistress in Vienna. a feeling that the cheese at future Tessa Kate Lowe You may be pleased, as was the top of the garden must I, to read that the “hot lips are have gone as green as the ass if these hallucinatory You can watch the Moseley hot clipping” and that “I like descriptions are anything to In bloom Open Gardens 2020 the Congo garden ordinary go by! videos on YouTube at: www. fabulous foxgloves” but really moseleyinbloom.org.uk/ don’t want to be told to cut In penultimate place at videos “this you for beer I think it is No. 31 Emilia Prodanova back”. I’m beginning to think of Elmfield Crescent offers info@moseleyb13.com

Birmingham 13 as it was known at the time), The Moseley Paper, Moseley Arts and Moz-Arts of the 1970s and 80s. Long before adverts were created using the precision technology of desktop design systems, our local papers produced promotional pieces using pens and typewriters. From the Mr Booze off licence (“For draught bring your own jug”) on School Road to Piggies restaurant (“...any dish of your choice will be cooked for you”) on Woodbridge Road, we reveal an eclectic collection of B13 businesses…

July 2020 has seen shops and restaurants opening up for the first time since March after much debate and concern about the future of the village as a destination for retail and recreation. Moseley Village as a shopping centre has gone through many ups and downs since it was developed at the end of the Victorian era, and the latest milestone would seem like a good time to look back at the businesses that once existed in the area. We have collected together advertisements from Moseley B13 Magazine (or

Mark Baxter

The Moseley Paper Dec 78

Birmingham 13 May 1973 (First Issue)

Moseley Arts June 79

Moseley Paper May 79 COMMUNITY

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The Moseley Paper Dec 79

Moseley Paper July 79

The Moseley Paper Feb 81

The Moseley Paper Nov 79

Birmingham 13 April 1980

The Moseley Paper Oct 80

Moz-Art July 1980 info@moseleyb13.com

COMMUNITY

SO YOU THINK YOU’RE A GREAT BRITISH SUBJECT? IT’S CITIZENSHIP QUIZ TIME!

3: Britain became permanently separated from the Continent of Europe geographically about how many years ago? A 10,000 B 5,000 C 2,500 D 20,000 4: In The Middle Ages the English controlled an area of Ireland around Dublin that was called what? A The Pale B The Dark C The White D The Bright

If there’s one thing Moseleyites love, it’s quizzes. Pub quizzes preferably, but anywhere will do. Moseley has one of the largest graduate populations of anywhere in England of comparable size so we are by and large an educated lot. If the content of Moseley B13 Magazine over the past decades is anything to go by, the thing we are really interested in is history. Well, local history at least. So, here’s a treat for you: a quiz! Questions are taken from sample practice papers on the historical component of the British Citizenship Test. The test papers prepare hopeful future citizens for the trial of proving that they know and understand British life, and will be able to blend in easily with those lucky enough to have been born British when chatting over a pint in the local. You need 75% to pass this one. At that level the grade remark would be ‘Not Bad'. Are you sitting comfortably?

5: Following the Norman Conquest experienced almost constant... A Peace B Prosperity C Disease D Warfare

Britain

6: The Scottish repelled an English invasion at the Battle of Bannockburn in which year? A 1314 B 1304 C 1334 D 1324 7: The English had pretty much abandoned their claims to land in France by which decade? A 1440s B 1450s C 1460s D 1470s

1: The Bronze Age in Britain began roughly how many years ago? A 20,000 B 4,000 C 10,000 D 2,000

8: In what year was Wales annexed to the English crown? A 1256 B 1322 C 1224 D 1284

2: The first farmers in Britain were probably descended from the people of: A Southeast Europe B The Middle East C Northeast Europe D North Africa

9: Around the time of Magna Carta it began to be established that judges in England should be A Unpaid B Independent C Abolished D Women

16: Which of these quotations does not come from a work by William Shakespeare? A All the world’s a stage B A rose by any other name C Was this the face that launched a thousand ships… D Once more unto the breach

10: In what year was Magna Carta signed? A 1215 B 1315 C 1115 D 1415 11: How many Houses did the Scottish Parliament have in The Middle Ages? A 4 B 3 C 2 D 1 12: Under The Bill of Rights a new Parliament had to be elected at least every how many years? A 7 B 2 C 5 D 3 13: From 1695 what were allowed to operate without a government licence? A Newspapers B Gun makers C Moneylenders D Carriage drivers 14: A constituency controlled by a single wealthy family was called a what? A Simple borough B Single borough C Rotten borough D Pocket borough 15: Which of these plays is not by William Shakespeare? A The Jew of Malta B Romeo and Juliet C The Merchant of Venice D A Midsummer Night’s Dream

17: In Elizabethan times settlers began colonization of where? A East coast of North America B West coast of North America C Southern tip of South America D Southern tip of Africa 18: Sir Frank Whittle invented what in the 1930s? A The jump jet B The hovercraft C The cruise missile D The jet engine Answers to be found on: A Google B Somewhere in Moseley B13 Magazine C By phoning a friend D In next month’s magazine Don’t forget to tweet your results! Tessa Kate Lowe

MOSELEY SOCIETY LOCAL HISTORY GROUP VICTORIAN BUILDING PLANS

Victorian building plans are fascinating to study and often very attractive. Block plans show the position of the planned house in its plot and the location of the plot in the road, and often give information about what there is on either side. The elevations reveal the detached and semidetached villas that drew the middle class to Moseley in the Victorian era as well as terraced housing. These different designs reflect the patchwork of architectural styles employed over the half-century in which Moseley developed – the Italianate style inspired by Renaissance palaces, the mid-century Gothic Revival and the Queen Anne style. They show how some houses were much embellished and ornamented, but others plain.

John Padmore’s Home, Wake Green Road, 1875 Floor plans highlight how rearing. A range of storage Victorians divided their solutions are labelled on homes into separate spheres. building plans – ‘a place for On the ground floor were the everything and everything in key rooms: the drawing and its place’ – the pantries and dining rooms; the separate larders, china, linen and tool kitchens for cooking that cupboards, closets and boot protected family and visitors stores. Cellars stored wine from servants at work and and beer, tools and wood. kitchen noise, smells and Later in the century, smoke and the miasma concern about the damp thought to cause disease; and smells in cellars that and the separate sculleries signalled miasma meant for washing-up, scrubbing that many houses were built vegetables, chopping and without them, but they did all the messy, low-status not go totally out of fashion. activities that involved Upmarket Moseley homes water. Larger houses had had yards containing washspecialist rooms such as houses, dairy, wood and breakfast, morning, billiard and smoking rooms, and also tool stores and a rainwater cistern room. Some had studies and libraries. Many bicycle sheds. Only the houses had dressing rooms on the first floor accessed via better-off could afford bedrooms, and the nurseries bicycles until very late on in the century. The ‘carriage near to parents’ bedrooms class’ had coach houses, mirrored more permissive stables, loose boxes, harness caring attitudes to child28

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rooms, manure pits and corn and hay stores. Most Moseley houses had bathrooms, which were, according to a Victorian writer, “a cheap and useful luxury, which would be considered by many persons an indispensable requisite for a perfect villa”. The flush lavatory first came to widespread public awareness with the 1851 Great Exhibition, where those in the ‘retiring rooms’ of the Crystal Palace were a great success. WCs came in a large range of finishes from ‘cane and white’ fire clay at the bottom end of the market to highly ornate models complete with decoration in relief, colour or a combination of both. Concerns for health led to the ceramic tiling of bathrooms and WCs, frequently in rich colours such as dark green, blue, mustard or claret. Some Moseley homes had two indoor WCs, but all houses had toilets in the outside yard. Building plans include documentation that monitors construction and materials, and usually names owners, architects and builders and the road where the house was planned, but not always the name or number of the house. The houses were not always built as planned, and sometimes not at all. For example, in 1887 John Avins of Highfield House, Church Road (now the Moseley All-Services Club) entered plans for Highfield Estate, of twenty-two houses, between his house and the Wake Green Road, but he died in 1891 and they were never built; and the meadow there info@moseleyb13.com

Penlee, 34 Chantry Road, 1893 was not built on until the Society Local History Group 1930s. has a large collection of photographs of building Kings Norton Union plans. Do contact us to see if Building Plans for Moseley we have plans of houses in (BPKNU) are held at the your road. Library of Birmingham Wolfson Archive. Some can Janet Berry be fully opened, but others moseleyhistory@gmail.com are fragile and can only / moseley-society/localbe partially opened or not history.org.uk opened at all. The Moseley

First Floor Plan, Detached House, Park Hill, Moseley, 1897 29

THE FAIRY DOORS OF HIGHBURY PARK Have you spotted the Fairy Doors of Highbury Park? The magical portals fitted at the base of trees have

been popping up over recent years, but there seems to have been a fresh wave of them in the last couple of months. The Newshound managed to find four of them on a walk, leading to some concern about the freshness and hallucinatory nature of her snacks. “I don’t think I should have eaten those out-of-date dog treats before going to Highbury Park!” tweeted Tipton with photographic evidence of the charming discoveries. “They seem to have opened my doors of perception!” Fear not, Tipton – you haven’t turned into the K9 equivalent of Jim Morrison!

The award-winning poet Liz Berry also recently tweeted about the enchanted entrances. “To whoever makes the fairy doors of Highbury Park – thank you, they are bringing us joy.” Liz’s poem ‘Highbury Park’ was nominated for the 2019 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. The work described a walk in the park with her newborn son. Liz was born and brought up in the Black Country, and now lives in Birmingham. Her poems draw on the dialect, people and landscape of the West Midlands. Who made the doors? The fairies of course! We’d love to see your photos of any of the doors that Tipton failed to find on her hunt. Mark Baxter

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info@moseleyb13.com

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