Local History 9
332 Old Birmingham Road, Lickey, Birmingham, B45 8ES - Lickey Post Office
A resident who used to live in Lickey has told us that his mother, Mrs Edwards, worked in the post office (next to the top Cemetery gate) for a while - probably in the 1960’s, and he recalled that it was owned by a Mr. Stiles (or Styles)
Clayton Gardens
Photographs copyright Roy Hughes
This small road was built on the land once occupied by the Clayton family. Lisa Clayton now Lisa Lyttelton, Dowager Viscountess Cobham was born 30 December 1958. She is the first British woman to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world.[On 17 September 1994 Clayton set out to attempt two world records, namely "Fastest Sail Around the World by a Woman, Single-Handed Without Assistance" and "First British Woman to Sail Single-Handed and Non-Stop Around the World." She returned on 29 June 1995, after 285 days at sea. On her thirty-eight foot yacht, called Spirit of Birmingham, a journey of 31,000-miles (50,000 km) . Her vessel was named after her home city and the university which contributed over £40,000 and expertise to make it possible for Lisa to realise her dream. On 1 October 1996, Clayton was recognised as an Honorary Freeman of the City of Birmingham. On 1 August 1997 she married the 11th Viscount Cobham, owner of Hagley Hall in Worcestershire. He died in 2006
(Information partly found on Wikipedia)
272 Old Birmingham Road
Photograph copyright Sue Hughes
This house situated on the corner of Old Birmingham Road and Lickey Square was owned by The Chaplin family (we know from 1953 to 1973) and he was the butcher, the shop closed he went to work at the car plant Longbridge in the stores in CAB 1. At some time before this another butcher called Ballard ran it. There is also mention of the Nash family, who ran the butchers in the early 1960s. Doug Stubbs lived a few houses up the from here and Doug sold meat from a butchers van that came from Barnt Green.
Opposite side of Old Birmingham Road to the butchers
Troth Nursery we believe was here, with huge greenhouses full of tomatoes. The Troth family ran this nursery for several years, and it is mentioned in the Lickey Hills History Society World War One research. https://thelickeyhills.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Bilberry-Hill-Gun-Proof-Range.pdf. Bombardier Hudson Copeland Roberts married Edith Troth in 1919 and her family rented the land from the Earl of Plymouth. If anyone can provide anymore details please let us know.
Another reference to the Troth family appeared in the Bromsgrove Messenger 1932. Here is a summary -The Troth family also had a sideline, driving day trippers on tours around the Lickey Hills in an “Austin motor car converted into a charabancs for 14 people”. Elizabeth Troth (described as a market gardener) employed her nephew William Troth, also of Lickey Square to run these tours but was fined at Bromsgrove Petty Sessions Court in 1932 for not having the correct public service vehicle licences. The court heard that she was unable to read or write and that this had happened through ignorance of the legal requirements rather than a deliberate action to flout the law and that the necessary licences had been obtained as soon as the error came to light. She was treated leniently by the court.
Lickey Square
This newspaper cutting from the Messenger 1 June 1929 seems to indicate Lickey Square was known as Square Lane
