The Sons of Rest

The Sons of Rest is a social organisation that has provided leisure facilities for men of retirement age in and around Birmingham and the Black Country in the English West Midlands since 1927, and more recently for women.

The Sons of Rest

Sign on The Sons of Rest building in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, seen in 2009
Formation	1927
Founder	Lister Muff
Founded at	Handsworth Park, Birmingham, England
Type	Voluntary organisation
Services	Leisure facilities for men (and more recently women) of retirement age

The movement was established when a group of retired working men, veterans of World War I, met in Handsworth Park, Birmingham, in 1927.[1][2] One of them, Lister Muff (1852[2]-1938[3]) proposed that they form a club.[2] The name was suggested by W. J Ostler recognising that they had been "sons of toil" during their working years.[2]

They originally met in an old cab drivers' shelter in the park in summer and the park's bowling pavilion in winter, but appealed for funding for their own building, where they could meet and play games such as cards, draughts and dominoes.[2] Their appeal succeeded, and the first building was opened in Handsworth Park in 1930.[1][2]

City of Birmingham Federation of The Sons of Rest membership badge

The appeal was supported by the chairman of Birmingham Corporation Parks Committee, Councillor George F. McDonald, who became the first president of "The City of Birmingham Federation of The Sons of Rest", on its inauguration in August 1932.[2] The organisation's anthem, Sons of Rest, was written by one of the early members, Charles Smith, who was aged 81, and blind:[2]

United in our Brotherhood,
  Our aim is for the best
We've passed our many milestones long,
  Still happy Sons of Rest.

We sit and talk of days gone by,
  And how we stood the test,
Of hopes deferred and joys fulfilled,
  The stalwart Sons of Rest.

Then let us all with one accord
  Proclaim "how we are blessed,"
And let contentment fill our minds,
  God bless the Sons of Rest.

At its peak, the organisation had 3,000 members and 29 buildings, located in parks.[1][2] A number of the buildings survive and are still in use.[1]

Plaque in the Handsworth Park building, commemorating Lister Muff

The Handsworth building was replaced in 1937.[2][3] A public campaign prevented its demolition in the 1990s[2] and it was subsequently refurbished.[4] It is now managed by The Friends of Handsworth Park[2] A 2018 mosaic mural by Claire Cotterill, on an external wall, commemorates the movement.[2][5]

Some branches such as that at Darlaston, rebranded as Sons & Daughters of Rest, and admit women.

Buildings

Name	Location	Completed	Date listed	Geo-coordinates	Notes	Designation	Image	Ref.
Handsworth Park	Handsworth Park, Birmingham	1927			The first site; rebuilt 1937; restored and enlarged 2006
Adderley Park	Adderley Park, Birmingham
Brookvale Park	Brookvale Park, Birmingham				Destroyed by fire, 2013[6]
Cannon Hill Park	Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham						Cannon Hill Park
Cotteridge Park	Cotteridge Park, Birmingham				Demolished in the late 1990s[7]
Digby Park	Digby Park, Small Heath, Birmingham				Destroyed by arson
Kings Heath Park	Kings Heath Park, Birmingham							[8]
Selly Park	Selly Park, Birmingham							[9]
Small Heath Park	Small Heath Park, Birmingham							[10]
Ward End Park	Ward End Park, Birmingham
Britannia Park	Britannia Park, Blackheath
Darlaston Sons & Daughters of Rest	Darlaston						Darlaston Sons & Daughters of Rest
Buffery Park	Buffery Park, Dudley	1950						[11][12]
Walsall Arboretum	Walsall Arboretum, Walsall						Walsall Arboretum
Brunswick Park	Brunswick Park, Wednesbury							[13]
Cripplegate Park	Cripplegate Park, Worcester						Cripplegate Park
Gheluvelt Park	Gheluvelt Park, Worcester				Replaced by a new building in 2018[14]			[15]

and others at:

• Coleshill
• Willenhall[16]

The organisation uses rooms in Lightwoods House (seen here in 2018)

In addition to the above, other branches meet (or met) in hired premises. These include:

• Hamstead, Great Barr[17]
• Eli-Fletcher, Oak Road, West Bromwich[17]
• Lightwoods House, Smethwick

References

1. "The Sons of Rest". Birmingham Images. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
2. "Sons of Rest". Handsworth Creative. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
3. "The Sons Of Rest Building". Friends of Handsworth Park. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
4. "Sons of Rest". Walker Cunnington Architects. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
5. Cotterill, Claire. "Sons of Rest by Claire Cotterill seen at Handsworth Park, Handsworth". Wescover. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
6. Greatrex, Jonny (30 October 2013). "Erdington Sons of Rest veterans' club destroyed in blaze". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
7. "Building". Friends of Cotteridge Park. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
8. "The History of Kings Heath Park, 1951-1960: 1955 Clippings". The History of Kings Heath Park, 1951-1960. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
9. "Details Page for Planning Application - 20547005". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
10. "Small Heath Park Lodge: abandoned?". The Birmingham Press. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
11. "Lease of life for Sons of Rest centre". Express and Star. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
12. "Buffery Paradise Centre, Sons of rest, Paradise rd, Dudley, dy28nb, West Midlands, England For Hire". Halls for Hire. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
13. "Sons of Rest Revamp to Help Local Community in Wednesbury". Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2020. |first1= missing |last1= (help)
14. George, Rob (28 July 2018). "New Sons of Rest pavilion opens its doors to Gheluvelt Park visitors". Worcester Observer. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
15. Field, David (24 January 2017). "Tuesday's letters: Come and enjoy park". Worcester News. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
16. "Photographs of the Willenhall Sons of Rest". Black Country History. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
17. "Sons of Rest sites saved from axe". www.expressandstar.com. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2020.

Further reading

• Sons of Rest Birmingham (1938). Sons of Rest. History of the birth and growth of the movement in Handsworth Park, 1927-1937.