HALES OWENROOTS
Shirley Butler, from New Zealand , has sent the following photograph to HalesOwen Roots and writes:-
'The elderly man on the left with hat is David Brittain standing next to him is his wife
Bertha (hard to see shaded) who all the others could be no idea. This photo would
have been taken before Bertha died 11 September 1941'
Judging by the bunting and the decorations on the housing, I believe that scene depicted here is a street party to celebrate the Coronation of King George V1 on May 12th 1937.
The Brittain's shop was in New Street Hasbury so I would say that this party took place there, I can positively identify the lady seated in the zig zag dress as Lily Hodgkins of Cross Street.
My wife identifies the lady seated next to Lily ,with her arm on her chair, as Lily's sister Martha . Colin Holloway identifies the grey haired lady sitting opposite to Martha and Lily as their mother Elizabeth Hodgkins, their mother.
After the houses in Cross Street were demolished, Lily and Martha moved to Foxhunt Road and lived next to my wife's mothers family. I don't remember Martha but Lily lived there until the 1990's. My children regularly popped across the garden to visit Lily and listen to her tales.
Caroline Howard writes:-
Can anyone else put a name to any of the faces in the photograph above? If you can please
Regular Contributor Ken Williams writes ' The lady sitting to the right of the grey haired lady as we look at the photo and immediately above the little boy, is my Aunt, Emily Williams (Nee Palmer). I thought it was as soon as I saw it but wasn't sure because her and my Uncle Percy lived in Wall Well as far as I remembered but I checked with their Grandson Roger who not only confirmed they used to live in New Street, but that it was Emily when he went into the site and looked at the photo. There is a young lady standing to the left of the photo who looks like my mother, Gladys, but I don't think it can be because I know for a fact that Mom & Dad were still living in either Spring Gardens or Birmingham Street in 1937 before moving to Foxhunt road in 1938'
Shirley informs me that Bertha Brittain was her great grandmother and the daughter of Charles and Eliza Withers who ran the British Arms and Royal Arms public houses in the period 1881to 1911
The British Arms shown here is the first building on the left