Elkington Street

aston Brook by Rod Birch

In darkness now it runs it's course
Under road and busy street
Flowing gently from its source
No chance now for dampened feet
The hidden brook with many names
Below the courtyards, running underground
Settlers drawn to it's watery veins
It cant be heard now, it's babbling sound
From the Rea and Tame, it wends its way
Once powering the mill, and used to cook
No longer touched by fiery suns ray
This is the fate of aston Brook

Rod Birch 2004


Elkington Street

Elkington Street Entrance To aston Brook 3/07/2004 Rod Birch

We have been down in the Brook, many times, usually when workmen opened the little red door in /> Telford Street cul De Sac or in Elkington Street, and put a ladder through down into the culvert.
We would collect peices of wood from outside Wallins the Builders and use them in the same way children play Pooh Sticks nowadays.
I know that a gang of lads who will remain nameless nicked the ladder one time and shut and padlocked the red door.
In our part of Phillips Street the main thing going into the brook was balls, for the wall that contained the little red door, was also a makeshift goal for the lads who played footy, the air turned blue with the colourful language whenever a ball met its watery end - oops!
In summer there was a particular smell to the brook and it became a gangy greenish sort of colour.

We made up stories to scare each other that monsters lived in the tunnel which was very dark!