Holbrooks and Holbrook Lane

Brian Gubbins mentioned Holbrook Lane, we moved to 260 around 68-69 when I started school at Cardinal Newman as it just opened. Next door were the Kendall, coalman. My dad used to park his truck on the Holbrooks pub car park. I have fond memories of Holbrooks, Dunlop disco Monday nights, Holbrooks Sunday nights, Holy Family some Saturday nights, Christ the King started some disco's. Steptoes caravan, The Lyric, Batch Bar, paper round at Dales, Unicorn social club, Hen Lane club, glass collecting, The Bantam, bottles of cider from the off licence along from Foleshill park next to Dunlop works, Craftsman pub, Seagull chippy, the stink from the bonemill up from Rowleys Green. We moved to Holbrook Lane from Langdale Avenue on the Dales estate.

Was that the batch bar on the corner of Hen Lane and Holbrook Lane, they had the best pork and stuffing batches. I lived in Farndale Avenue. Used to get the maggots from the bone mill to go fishing in the canal.

The corner shop in Hen Lane is now 'Simply Scrumptious', a take-away or eat in, & it is very good. (I was not that thrilled with my breakfast at the Tollgate yesterday morning, a bacon butty from Simply Scrumptious would have been far better. ) That is after previously being a haberdashery, and before that a house decorating business. Sat outside the shop, under the awning, half close your eyes and you are in 'Costa-del-Henlane'. It opens early but shuts up shop shortly after 2pm most days.

Does anyone know anything about the history of Holbrooks? I am particularly interested in Roland Avenue.

Hello. I live in a cul-de-sac that is off Roland Ave. Lived here for over forty years. I think that I am going to like it here.

I expect you mean "The Mount".

Hi there Please could someone tell me how old the houses are in Dymond Road (Holbrooks I believe)? I have a relative that used to live there in 1941 - were these houses bombed in the war and rebuilt? or are they the original houses? Any info given would be much appreciated! Thanks!

They look original to me and the city planning department has no record of any post war rebuilding applications.

Hello, There was much bomb damage in the area, but the damage was classed as repairable. Rotherham Rd houses suffered bad, with several re-builds as were houses close to the St John's Ambulance Hall (now Holbrooks GP Surgery) which suffered a direct hit. Hope that helps.

Hi, my mum and dad moved into a house in Kirkdale Avenue, (which isn't far from Dymond Road) after they got married in 1937. I remember them saying that the house had just been built and that planks were laid down over the mud for mum to get in wearing her wedding dress. Hopefully this will give you some idea of when the houses were built.

Hi, I lived in Masser Road. We moved there in 1932-3 when I was born. I always understood that the estate including Dymond & Briscoe Road were built at the same time. Hen Lane School was built a few years later but pre-war

Hello erwegoagen, Both of my parents and both sets of grandparents lived in Masser Rd. 'The Green Family' (my mothers side) at number 2 and 'The Gardner Family' (my father's side) at number 80. Gilly

Hi Gilly!!!! Well what do you know. I lived at no.77 Masser Road. 'The Millses'. I remember back in the distant past a Ray Gardner.

Hello again erwegoagen, It really is a small world isn't it! Ray Gardner is my uncle. He was the second youngest of 8 children, 3 girls and 5 boys (can't imagine 10 people living in such a tiny house!). Sadly the girls and 3 of the boys are no longer with us.

Gilly How de do!! When you get in touch with Ray again tell him that Bunny Mills is still alive and kicking, and his brother Tony. Ask him if he remembers the Wimbys and Tombs and Mocca Johnson?