So even to this day, residents live in such delightfully-named streets such as Cob Lane, Mulberry Road, Laurel Grove, Cedar Road and Sycamore Road. Rowheath Pavilion is well-used and is the home of Bournville Harriers running club and also a wedding venue and community hub. But then Bournville's founder, George Cadbury, saved the building and arranged its move from its original home in Selly Oak into Bournville where it stands today. How long before the walls of the "rest house" in the centre of the village green, where mods in parkas used to gather when I was a 10-year-old, is daubed with "Yanks Out" graffiti? As well as helping less experienced runners achieve their potential, it was also ambitious and helped its members compete at the highest level.

Cadbury Bournville Chocotoff Dark Chocolate Coated Toffee Bag

You won't find any big, brash chain stores in Bournville. There are just a handful - and they're all small, quaint independents. Some are on the Village Green, others are in Mary Vale Road . My own childhood home two miles away was built at the turn of the last century, and like most of my family I attended the school built by Cadbury so that his workforce could give their children a good education. Once a week we would march through the imposing steel factory gates on our way to the Cadbury swimming pool. When the wind changed direction, the smell of chocolate wafted over the playground. Although now owned by American giant Kraft and trading as Mondelez, everyone knows it as Cadbury and that will not change. The Cadburys were Quakers, and there are still no pubs in Bournville – with the exception of the Cadbury social club. There are already rumours it will close. If the company had fought off the Kraft proposal, the club – cavernous enough to host boxing bouts when I was a teenager – might have been sold, with the money raised handed to City shareholders as a sweetener in exchange for rejecting the bid. One thing that strikes anyone using the station is the signage and walls are all painted purple - the same colour as Cadbury.

The church was built in 1968 and is best known for its richly-decorated frescos and holy icons. Visitors are welcome during its opening hours. 7) Bournville Harriers Bournville Carillon is one of just 15 left in the UK and is the largest of them, with 48 bells. Because of its size and excellent condition, it is regarded as one of the finest instruments of its kind in the world. But Bournville is more than just Creme Eggs and cocoa, this part of Birmingham has incredible history, breathtaking architecture, beautiful green spaces and quirky things. At one time the gardens were part of the long-demolished Bournbrook Hall, which was bought by Richard and George Cadbury. Now that Kraft has upped its offer – and borrowed much of the money to finance it – it is likely that it too will be looking for assets to sell.

Bournville - News, views, gossip, pictures, video Bournville - News, views, gossip, pictures, video

In 1879, Richard and George Cadbury decided to move their expanding business from Birmingham's city centre into the countryside four and a half miles away.. We look to encourage the runner in all of us and to make membership of Bournville Harriers as fulfilling an experience as possible." Read More Related Articles It is hugely popular with new and experienced runners alike because it is so friendly and inclusive. Indeed, it has a reputation as "Birmingham's friendliest running club". The loss is felt more acutely locally because of the rollcall of well-known brands that have already closed or moved away, including Dunlop, HP Sauce and MG Rover, whose Longbridge base was just three miles away. "Many of the people who worked at Rover now work at Cadbury," Clarke says. The area is predominantly white, although the mixed workforce includes Polish workers. The trust, which handles a huge waiting list for its affordable homes where rents are low, hands out a significant number to single mothers and families on low incomes. There is no poverty, but there are few signs of ostentatious wealth in a place that comes close to capturing the essence of that elusive phrase, "middle England". However, the newsagent is not part of the Bournville Village Trust estate and therefore, the estate is still "dry" with nowhere selling alcohol. 5) Its green spacesWe felt Bournville was located perfectly in between these suburbs and had a highly environmentally conscious, residential neighbourhood." Read More Related Articles Club chairperson, Dave Powner, said: "Our members all share the common aim – the desire to run, to improve our performance and enjoy the experience of running," he said. But all this changed in 2015 when Mary Vale News was granted a licence to sell alcohol - overturning a 120-year "dry" tradition. There was uproar from locals and councillors at the time, but the controversial decision was still passed.