Category: local history
John Page – Shirley's jockey
On 6th March 1867, local jockey John Page (1844-1917) won the Grand National for the first time, riding the Duke of Hamilton's horse, Cortolvin. He won the race at Aintree by five lengths. Five years later, he won the Grand National again on Casse Tete and, until his retirement in 1880, was one of the foremost jockeys in England and France.
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Silhill Hall
Silhill Hall stood on the corner of Streetsbrook Road and Broad Oaks Road for some 700 years until it was illegally demolished in 1966. An exhibition at the Core Library, Solihull (until 28th May 2022) includes photos and memories from descendants of the Morris family who owned the house 1904-1949.
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W. H. Auden and Solihull
Wystan Hugh Auden was born in York on 21st February 1907 and was the youngest of the three sons of parents Dr George Augustus Auden (1872-1957) and his wife, Constance Rosalie (née Bicknell) (1869-1941), who was a trained missionary nurse, although she did not practise. Dr Auden apparently named his son for St Wystan, having being fascinated by the Parish Church of St Wystan whilst living in Repton, Derbyshire.
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A life-saving operation at Solihull, 1945
On 9th February 1945, medical history was made at Solihull when a newborn baby, Rosalind Shelley (1945-1990), was given a complete blood transfusion five minutes after her birth, which took place at Netherwood Maternity Ward, Solihull Hospital. This is believed to have been the first time in the world that the blood of a so-called "blue baby" was changed at birth.
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[New] Berry Hall
Berry Hall is a name that has been used for two different buildings in Solihull. The name originally referred to the 15th-century half-timbered farm house on Ravenshaw Lane. However, this building was renamed Berry Hall Farm after the estate was bought by Birmingham steel pen-nib manufacturer, Joseph Gillott (junior), from Henry Ludlow on 21st January 1867.
Joseph Gillott transferred the Berry Hall name to a new mansion which was designed for him by architect Julius Alfred Chatwin. Work on the new house apparently began in 1870 and was completed in 1880.
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Sparkhill Housing Association, Ebrington Avenue
I set about writing this Blog in September 2021 in the hope of bringing together local history and the community. I set out to share what has been one of the most interesting parts of my work as a member of staff at Hobs Moat Library, and that was talking to a customer who has been with us from the start since we opened in 1957.
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Coade stone statues at Malvern Hall
In April 1819, two pairs of Coade stone statues arrived at Malvern Hall, Solihull, following a journey from London by canal. Malvern Hall was the home of Henry Greswolde Lewis, a patron of John Constable who, in December 1818, had ordered the statues from the London firm established by Eleanor Coade.
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Totehill, Blossomfield Road, Solihull
On 15th November 1940, a new Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital opened at Totehill, Blossomfield Road, Solihull. The house was built during 1901/2 and was originally the home of Stephen William Challen (1842-1937) of the Birmingham engineering firm, Taylor and Challen. It became a Red Cross convalescent home during the Second World War and was subsequently known as Red Cross House.
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Solihull's first Meals on Wheels
On 31st October 1961, the first delivery from Solihull's Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) Meals on Wheels service was made to 78-year-old twins, Annie and Ethel Blizzard. The sisters had served Solihull as greengrocers from their shop in the High Street but the Solihull News of 4th November 1961 said it was now their turn to be the customers.
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Solihull Virtual High Street 1948
The Solihull: Back to the Future event at the Core Theatre, Solihull on 17th September 2021 included the World Premiere of a short video showing Solihull High Street's shops as you've never seen them before. That's unless you were around in 1948…
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