The Project
Voices of Kingstanding is an oral history project which seeks to record the history of the Kingstanding estate, Birmingham since it was built in the 1930’s. It aims to record the suburban experience of it’s residents across its homes, schools, churches and in particular its community associations. The project leaders hope it also provides its current and former residents with some of the pleasures of reminiscence. We do appreciate that some memories are more painful to recall and will filter out those recollections which could spark controversy or hurt.
Sharing your memories
Comments on all the web pages can be made directly on the web pages They are reviewed before then can be seen by the public. Pictures should be emailed to chrishillcox1@hotmail.com. It is the same for audio and video clips. I can receive most common types of audio, picture, and video files.
The Project Leader
The project has been carried out by Chris Hillcox. Chris is a Geography graduate from Swansea then Loughborough university. As a secondary school teacher, Chris taught history along with other humanities subjects. Chris first worked on an oral history project in 2010 when he lead voices of Allen’s Cross intergenerational heritage project supported by The Heritage Lottery fund. Voices of Kingstanding in Chris’s second project.
Contact
Voices of Kingstanding project is lead by Chris Hillcox and is run in partnership with the community of Kingstanding. To contact the project please use the comment box on this web site or email directly at voicesofkingstanding@hotmail.co.uk. Telephone 07783903096.
Voices of Kingstanding in the community
This is a community based project and every effort will be made to engage the whole community in the project. During the project, the following community events were held:-
18th January Open event at Kingstanding Library
22nd January Community liaison and MINDS open day, St John community centre, Kingstanding
3rd August Community recollection at Perry Common Community Centre
Voices of Kingstanding at Perry Common community centre
19th August 2011. Lakeside Community Centre, Wyley Birch. Oral history presentation to seniors group.
6th September 2011 Maryvale Community Centre, Kingstanding. Oral history presentation to seniors.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following for their help on the project:
All the interviewees for their contributions
Paul Hillcox for scanning slides.
Perry Barr Observer for covering the project in July, 2011
Voices of Kingstanding 
How do I get to be able to log in then.
I was born in 1936, in Peckham road.. lived there till around 1956…..
By: pauline stacey on July 20, 2011
at 9:23 am
Hi..
I knew Barry Sumner a good footballer.. My name is Tony Barton also nicknamed Bo… I will try to attach a team photo when we was at Twickenham. …
By: Tony Barton on December 22, 2020
at 7:01 am
Please, can someone advise me on how to attach a photo, I’ve tried the drag and drop to no avail, can you help.
By: John Prime on June 27, 2012
at 8:08 pm
CAN WE GET THIS PAGE ROLLING AGAIN ..I WAS BORN IN ENSDON GROVE NUMBER 14 IN 1939
By: clement watts on July 22, 2012
at 2:57 am
Did you know John Copson?
By: Barbara Lawford on June 9, 2015
at 7:28 pm
No, i can’t say i knew the name..
By: Graham Curley on July 1, 2015
at 3:11 pm
My Mom was born in peckham road Kingstanding in the 50s and Attended the School There her name was Susan Sumner Any one remember her Im sure she would love to hear from her old school friends She still lives in Kingstanding, My dad lived in Kingstanding too John Davis but didnt move there until the early 60s with his sisters mom and dad.
By: Siobhan Davis on November 20, 2012
at 10:26 pm
Hi Siobhan! I have lived in kingstanding for most of my life, from about the age of 6. I went to Twickenham Rd primary school followed by Kings Rise secondary modern. When i attended Twickenham primary in the mid 60s i knew a Barry Sumner & was wondering if your Mom was his elder sister…
By: Graham Curley on May 25, 2014
at 7:08 pm
Hi Graham
My mom has two younger brothers and one older non of them are named Barry, I will ask my mom if she has any relatives of that name, and let you know tommorow speak soon Siobhan
By: siobhansfitness on February 25, 2015
at 10:44 pm
Hi Graham, its me Tony, is this site still up and running?
By: Tony T. on April 17, 2017
at 8:32 am
I new a Johny Davis my name was Phyllis Fletcher I lived in Aylesbury Crescent he may remember me
By: Phyllis Goodley on March 29, 2015
at 2:05 pm
Has anybody got any memories or photos of Perry Barr Fire Station on College Road? I’m a fireman there and we would love some info or particularly photos to display inside the station. Thanks
By: Billy holland on November 3, 2013
at 9:10 pm
Hi Graham, I met John in 1962 and we got married the following year, so we have been married 52 years. Were you at school with him?
By: Barbara Copson on July 2, 2015
at 9:45 am
No Barbara, sorry the surname doesn’t even ring a bell, even if he had younger siblings. If you were married in 63 then it’s well before my time. I was only 5 July 63.. Where did you both live? Are you still in the area
By: Graham Curley on July 2, 2015
at 12:47 pm
Hi Graham, hope your well, great site, been a while,
Regards, Tony T (The Old Mount?)
By: Tony T on March 17, 2016
at 1:41 pm
Hi Graham, is this great site still up and running?
Please reply via this site, Voices of Kingstanding
By: Tony T on March 21, 2016
at 10:06 am
Hi my name is Jenny and I was born at 136 Hawthorn Road in 1951. I was a Wrensons baby! My dad John Bagnall was manager at Wrensons at the time. Does anyone remember the Wrensons shop?
By: Jennifer Hunt on August 3, 2016
at 3:00 pm
Hi, thanks for a great webpage. I’m sat with my 91 year old Nan at the moment and, although her recent memory is fading, she’s got clear memories of attending Dulwich Road school when it was first built in the the 1930’s, and she lived opposite (her family name then was Bardell, and my nan Sylvia was one of ten children).
Kev
By: Kevin Harrison on October 9, 2016
at 8:47 pm