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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...

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What a brilliant film of the old trams, I'm to young to remember them. When was the film early 50s? They certainly rocked and rolled when getting up speed along the straights. What was Chunkys advert on many of the trams?. I don't remember it.
I remember going to Billy Smarts circus at the Bingley Hall about 1955, and they had elephants. Were the trams running then? Poor things, they must have hated it, walking in the busy city centre, a young elephant looking at the size of it . Thankfully that's one area of the modern era I agree on, no large animals in circuses.
 
I always look at the people in old street pics and on a sunny afternoon in the 1930s the traffic lights have changed and folks are on the move (except one) towards the pavements, some to the left, some to the right, and one still in the middle. Most wear coats, but that lady on the left wears only a short sleeved dress ... it was a favourite spot for street photos.
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A photographer was taking a pic of a not particularly interesting part of Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green, and some children stood and wondered why. The women with the pram could safely stand in the road in those days.
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Nearly the same part of the road today.
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A light hearted look at some of our old street pics. I enjoy looking at the buildings but often see a pic with people in it and find myself trying to imagine what they were doing, and what they were thinking ....
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A 1940's dad taking baby for a walk. Is this the only old photo on the forum showing a man pushing a pram? 1940's dads did not usually push prams unless the wife was walking alongside, but this dad took the pram out and so he's on the forum !
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OM Have you ever thought it might be Sunday morning about 11.55 , and once he's seen the photographer's gone, he'll be straight in the pub for a pint then out again to keep an eye on the pram while he relishes hi pint
 
OM Have you ever thought it might be Sunday morning about 11.55 , and once he's seen the photographer's gone, he'll be straight in the pub for a pint then out again to keep an eye on the pram while he relishes hi pint
I suppose back in the 1940s you could leave a baby in a pram outside a pub without anyone commenting ...:)
 
Browsing this thread looking at people, I decided to add some colour to the 1930s newspaper pic from post#3. I now see that the man walking with the lady was wearing dark glasses. The 'marching man' still looks odd. I've never seen anyone walking like that in other old street pics. The 1920s 'two-way' system had become 'one-way' and the Bluecoats School roof tiles have been removed.
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Love the colouring OM.

I think the male with the lady in the red coat is a schoolboy. Isn't there another image of these two (or very similar) but near the Bluecoat school/Kardomah/Great Western Arcade side of Colmore Row ? Seem to remember a boy and his mum image there too - or maybe it's a different date. Viv.
 
I love this 1930s photo, its sunny with blossom on the trees, nice bus shelters. That bowler hatted man marching towards Snow Hill Station, he's in a hurry, maybe he's late back from lunch. Is that a teenage schoolboy arm-in-arm with his mum, probably hoping his school mates did not see the photo !
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Hi Viv, I had originally thought he was a schoolboy as you can see from my earlier post above, but now I'm not so sure. The original pic was scanned from a newspaper so resolution is low. Maybe the paper intended to show the conversion of the old Bluecoat school into offices. Other things are the 'errand boy' standing on his pedals picking up speed, and with the recently introduced 'one way' traffic rules they have painted 'look left' on the road for pedestrians.
 
For my fourpennorth I think he's a schoolboy with his mom as he has a cap with a badge on. I think the man crossing the road is walking 'purposefully' either because he's trying to get across before the cars run him over or because he's late back from lunch. No, can't be lunch as the shadows are too long. It must be this time of year as the blossom is out.
 
oM, looking at the shadows of your afternoon picture, I've been trying to work out whether that tells us what time of day the Post#2448 was taken. Was it early morning? Or have I, once again, lost my sense of direction?
 
Hi Lady P,
When you look closely at the 'schoolboy's' cap, the badge is possibly something behind him and his hat could actually be a large flat cap overhanging the sides of his head .. but who knows ...
The shadows suggest that the sun is behind St Philips so it is mid-day and the man could the manager of the Grand Hotel hurrying back from somewhere or could just be hurrying out of the way of oncoming cars ... ;)
I remember from the 1950s that people visiting Birmingham often complained about the one-way system in the city centre !
 
Hi oM, I though you didn't get shadows at noon when the sun is overhead. It's twenty to eleven so I shall try to remember to step outside and try it - probably out the back so that the neighbours don't see me!
 
One thing is more certain, even if the time is not and that is it is springtime with the beautiful blossom on the trees. There are trees there at the present time but I don't think they are flowering cherry type trees.
Two guesses now: it is 2 pm. BST and the guy striding out across the road may be hurrying to Snow Hill station for a train. ;)
 
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Browsing this thread looking at people, I decided to add some colour to the 1930s newspaper pic from post#3. I now see that the man walking with the lady was wearing dark glasses. The 'marching man' still looks odd. I've never seen anyone walking like that in other old street pics. The 1920s 'two-way' system had become 'one-way' and the Bluecoats School roof tiles have been removed.
View attachment 124669
The lad on the bike may be on his way to make a delivery or on his way back to George Mason`s to pick up his next delivery.
 
Colmore Row runs South West so the sun is South East which means that it is before noon. There are still shadows at noon in this country as are we are north of the Tropic of Cancer which is the most northerly the sun comes to the earth. I think the Blue Coat school moved out of the city centre in 1930 and the one way system was introduced in 1933. The Corporation bus looks post-war to me but I am not sure of that.
 
Yes! I realised that we still get shadows at mid-day. Still learning!

Anyone remarked on that smashing lamp with the No Entry sign on. Very elegant.
 
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