Description:Information on Island House kindly provided by Terry Wetwood:
Island House was a georgian house situated in the triangle of, Hollyhead road, Island Road and Austen road, Handsworth.
Two Birmingham universtity graduates named Wilkins and Wright,acquired it in the early1920s.
They carried out very secret work at the house making radio components, coils capacitors etc for the soon to be radio industry, this was when my father joined them.
They then moved into producing a new electric pick up to replace the old acoustic gramaphone horn, they were the first I understand to produce the Xtal (crystal) type, which DECCA later used. Sometime in the late 20s early 30s the actual factory was built, surrounding the house itself.
During the war years they were engaged on top secret development of Radar components and tuning capacitors for E.D Stratton (Eddystone) of Redditch.
After the war, they moved in to electric light fittings, they closed in the early 80s, and the factory and house was demolished and a TEXAS store built, now WICK'S LTD.
As I recall, the house was left furnished, and had a snooker room complete with billiard table, the dining room was used as the works canteen. The house was reputed to be haunted, and my father many times saw an old lady with grey pigtails and a candle in the corridors as he was fire watching, only to disapear when approached. I myself, have seen billiard balls rolling across the table when only I was in the room.
The house had two entrances, the main one on Hollyhead road and the rear one on Island road, in its heyday, the factory employed about two hundred workers, some, who must still be around.
I have no idea who lived there, or originaly owned the house, it must have been someone of note, due to its size and the size of the grounds it stood in.. It witnessed many hits during the war, mainly incendiary bombs, and the roof was constantly being repaired, they had a good "fire watch "scheme running though, and there was no lasting damage.