Stratford Road

[Phil]

I keep calling this cinema the original Piccadilly when it was in fact the Birmingham Picturedrome that replaced the shops at 372, 374 & 376 Stratford Road, and the opening date was Boxing Day December 26th 1911. The Bowens referred to, would have been a boot repairer at number 366.

 

[Bob Davis]

Prior to that it was the Metropolitan Bank of England & Wales as can be seen in this earlier photo which dates to pre 1913/14 as that's when the original Piccadilly cinema replaced those shops.

View attachment 127229

Looking at all those sunblinds, I hate to think how much legislation would have been brought in to ensure that they were not going to give concerns of health and safety etc, etc if they were still popular today. Safety officers would have to carry rulers to measure their distance from the pavement, set squares or protractors to ensure the angle they were at coming from the shop front was the correct angle (Someone somewhere would have invented an alogorithm (whatever that is, I read it in a book last night) to determine angles, height and whether the amount of sunlight present warranted the use of the sunblind....and of course they would have to have been licenced. By the way what is the pole projecting out over the road, it looks like a punt gun.
Bob

 

[Phil]

A couple of early images of Stratford Road, Sparhill one looking toward the city from the Foremans Road junction. The other looking in the same direction from the junction of Clarence Road (I think) showing St Johns school on the left.

 

[Phil]

Standing at the beginning of Hall Green Parade in 1910, looking toward at the junction of Stratford Road & Redding Road.

 

[Radiorails]

Looking at all those sunblinds, I hate to think how much legislation would have been brought in to ensure that they were not going to give concerns of health and safety etc, etc if they were still popular today. Safety officers would have to carry rulers to measure their distance from the pavement, set squares or protractors to ensure the angle they were at coming from the shop front was the correct angle (Someone somewhere would have invented an alogorithm (whatever that is, I read it in a book last night) to determine angles, height and whether the amount of sunlight present warranted the use of the sunblind....and of course they would have to have been licenced. By the way what is the pole projecting out over the road, it looks like a punt gun.
Bob

One assumes summers and maybe some of spring and autumn were quite sunny in those days. Everywhere shops seemed to have those blinds until quite recently.

 

[oldMohawk]

The bridge over the River Cole on a sunny day long ago with Shaftmoor Lane bearing left. A single deck bus follows a tram travelling away from the city centre passing another tram approaching the bridge.

 

[Bob Davis]

These days you can get the X20 to Stratford-upon-Avon via Henley-in-Arden, but I think they will change the route and it will only go as far as Shirley in future (meaning you would have to get the 6 to Birmingham from NXWM).

Where or what is the Maybird centre. Interesting that the bus which I assume is Johnsons has a Scots registration.

 

[oldMohawk]

Reference the image in post#186 here is an earlier view dated 1914. Nice lights on the pillars of the bridge.

 

[Phil]

Another view of the bridge over the River Cole on the Stratford Road, opened in 1914 it is still known by the name " the New Bridge" because I suppose it is the latest of several.

 

[ellbrown]

Where or what is the Maybird centre. Interesting that the bus which I assume is Johnsons has a Scots registration.

It's a retail park on the Birmingham Road in Stratford-upon-Avon. I've been there a few times. They have a Matalan there. Boots etc.

 

[oldMohawk]

In this view dated 2017, the bridge has lost it's lights but I suppose that happened long ago. The College Arms pub was there in 1914 and still there in 2017.

 

[Radiorails]

Another view of the bridge over the River Cole on the Stratford Road, opened in 1914 it is still known by the name " the New Bridge" because I suppose it is the latest of several.

View attachment 127240

The trams were extended, from Sparkbrook, to Fox Hollies Road/Highfield Road in 1914, which would be courtesy of the new bridge. I suspect the original was either too narrow or weak, or both, to take the heavy trams and their tracks. 1928 saw them reach the boundary with Shirley.

 

[sospiri]

Phil,

This area was part of my playground in the 1940s and I'm sure the lights on the bridge towers disappeared for scrap along with the railings around Sparkhill Park fairly early in the war. Some great pictures of the new bridge there. I've been searching for a picture of its predecessor(s) for many years & to no avail. By the 1940s, the water under the bridge was clear with lots of trailing green weed, as the Green Road ford used to be. But the latter has also been subject to construction work with the old wooden footbridge being replaced by a metal one.

Maurice

 

[oldMohawk]

Hi Maurice,

I must admit that my use of Stratford Road was driving down it usually to places like Stratford and going down to London before the M1 was built. So I travelled over the bridge without even noticing it. It seems quite a large bridge for what looks like a small river as shown in post#189.

Phil

 

[Bob Davis]

It's a retail park on the Birmingham Road in Stratford-upon-Avon. I've been there a few times. They have a Matalan there. Boots etc.

View attachment 127241

Thanks
Bob

 

[sospiri]

Phil,

Just behind the photographer in Phil's picture #189 is a weir about 6 feet high and stretching the whole width of the river. Of course, as kids we just called it the waterfall and when the water level was low, as in that pic, we could actually walk across the top of the weir. And a few feet beyond the weir on the south bank was an old willow tree to which one of the older boys had attached a rope and a tyre upon which we used to swing out across the river.

As you've seen on many pictures of the Cole on BHF, it can flood badly after days of heavy rain and in places can get quite deep for a time. But when the level is low, you would be hard pressed to find places where it was two feet deep. Not sure what access is like these days - it's certainly been restricted downstream where it flows through the allotments for a quarter of a mile, most probably to prevent vandalism, by the allotment holders.

Maurice

 

[ellbrown]

Part of the Shire Country Park now. Greet Mill Meadows. The River Cole from Stratford Road in 2009. I've never taken photos of the bridge itself, but then again I travel over it all the time on the bus! Normally the 1 or 6 bus routes.

 

[pjmburns]

Have walked the Cole from the bridge to Sarehole Mill and then on through the Dingles to Trittiford Mill Park. Going the other way have walked as far as Forman's Road. Good path alongside the Cole to the Mill, grass after that.

 

[Radiorails]

My familiarity -- but of a long time ago - was with the headwaters to Trittiford. And when the little, as it is, river Cole became boring there was always the Northern Stratford Canal to go to.

 

[Phil]

Greet Hill, Stratford Road looking up toward Hall Green from hust adjacent to the College Arms. Your guess on the date would be as good as mine and I would say anytime prior to the 1950's.

 

[Phil]

A really terrible early photo (C1875) of the previous Mermaid Hotel at the junction of Stratford Road and Warwick Road.

 

[Radiorails]

There appears to be some 'hangings' in most of the windows (post 200) and a couple of exterior signs (which I cannot identify). It suggests, to me, that it might be Coronation Year, 1953. But as, Phil points out anytime prior to 1950, so it could be Coronation Year 1937!

 

[Phil]

Alan

It could be either but I would plump for the earlier date, it's a pity it's not a better image.

 

[Phil]

This parade of shops were at the bottom of Greets Hill Stratford Road at the junction of Sarehole Road, they still survive today, though I think only one of them is an actual retail shop.

 

[ellbrown]

Modern traffic lights from the College Arms junction from the no 1 bus on Shaftmoor Lane.



Also The College Arms.

 

[oldMohawk]

Stratford Road, Sparkhill, and Castleford Road on the right. Unfortunately no date.

Google's view of it today ...

 

[Radiorails]

The older photo looks like the mid to late 1920's, a pity we can't read the newspaper board (if that is what is is). The Mill (or is it Hill?) School sign might help us.

 

[Phil]

The older photo looks like the mid to late 1920's, a pity we can't read the newspaper board (if that is what is is). The Mill (or is it Hill?) School sign might help us.

I can tell you it was sometime between 1920 & 1930 because in 1920 534 Stratford Road near to the junction of Castleford Road was Miss Ada Ellis Private School and the school was in the Ellis family back before 1900. Sometime between 1920 and 1930 it changed to Woodleys House Furnishers. As they were there until at least WW2 it has to be between 1920/30.

 

[Radiorails]

Probably what started out as a Dame School. May still have been until it closed or moved.

 

[Phil]

The George & Dragon public house stood at the junction of Stratford Road and Blacford Road in Shirley from around 1912 until it was demolished towards the end of the 1980's to mame way for a Calendars Restaurant which after a few short years (nowhere as near as many as The George & Dragons 70 odd) itself gave way to a tile & bathroom showroom. Neither of which in my opinion having anywhere near the architectural merit or gave a worthwile service to the local community.