Jump to content

Cape Arm

Heartland

By Heartland
in History & Heritage

 Share

Featured Posts

Max Sinclair Community Regular

Max Sinclair

Posted
Posted

Max

Of course is refering to the Henry Michell, later Mitchells and Butlers, Brewery on Cape Hill, which has now been demolished, and I suppose after cycling towards this Brewery one had to turn up Grove Lane to reach the GKN site. It is here where the new Hospital is proposed to be built.

 

I should mention that I raised this topic when the picture of the London Works was published on this site, and the general suggestion was the former GKN works were the subject of the image. However, I have always believed, this image was the London Works in Oldbury. Hence the observation of chance confusion of sites, with the same name.

 

Another example is the location where the Grand Junction Canal Carrying Co steamer, Pincher, exploded Grand Junction Records indicate the locoation of this sad occurence was at Yardley Wharf. This has been interpreted by some as at Yardley near Birmingham with suggestions being made for the Yardley Wood Wharf, Stratford upon-Avon Canal. A newspaper search has found that the explosion happened at Yardley Gobion Wharf situated in modern day Milton Keynes.

 

Ray Shill

Grove Lane is engraved on my heart.One winters morning I cycled into the lane when a motorist cut in front of me hooking his bumper in my front wheel removing a handful of spokes.To avoid prosecution he offered to buy a new racing wheel.

After Work I set off in the dark from work carrying my bike up the lane to the wonderful Cape Hill Cycle Shop

At the junction an elderly lady ran across the main road straight in front of a doulble decker bus which squashed her flat.For many years this terrible event haunted my sleep.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Max Sinclair Community Regular

Max Sinclair

Posted
Posted

A young doctor friend of mine lived on a narrow boat while training at Birmingham University so why not a line of boats at the proposed hospital lending colour to the scene.

 

Incidently his boat was called Thrombus and appears in the Pathe Stourbridge Rally film.A Thrombus was a slow moving object in the blood stream.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 11 months later...
ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I have often thought the Cape Arm would make useful long-term moorings. However the fact that the site has been earmarked as a site for the new Hospital which ties the hands of the BCNS and other groups, for the present. Yet talking to Sandwell Council should not be ruled out! A much more useful project at the present would be support to restore Bradley Locks.

 

Ray Shill

Didn't Ivor Caplan do a lot of work with BW a few years back looking into the possibility of making disused arms into long term moorings?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Max Sinclair Community Regular

Max Sinclair

Posted
Posted (edited)

Its so sad looking at all these fascinating pictures for which thank contributors. I finished National Service as an Officer in the Royal Engineers in 1950 to put on greasy overalls as a graduate apprentice at GKN Heath Street.It was a fascinating world of hundreds of woodscrew forging and turning machines, high speed nut and bolt makers, electro plating, packing and shipping all over the world. The noise was fearsome and sign language was the norm. We manufactured screw forging machines for ourselves and worldwide and that's why all is dereliction now. Now it would seem all is silent, only the ghosts remain with some lying in the canal. If these arms were dredged I am sure there would be sufficient fasteners to establish a business.

It should not be forgotten that this was the birth place of the screw maker Joseph Chamberlains 'Joey' boat. These simple low cost wooden boats carried thousands of tons of mixed trade creating the wealth of the Midlands. Les Allen quoted a cost of £10 each in the 1800's

Edited by Max Sinclair
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Laurence Hogg Veteran

Laurence Hogg

Posted
Posted

 

Thanks Laurence. So were one to (hypothetically!) push the hanging barrier to one side and try and squeeze a boat through, would one be doing anything against the rules?

 

Not sure, dont think so, but the bricked up bridge might stop you!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.