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Birchfield Road Perry Barr

oldMohawk said:
The only image I know of which shows the shoe shop on the corner in Birchfield Road. I do not know the date but notice the pedestrian crossings are not zebra crossings and the cars would also probably help to date it. The image is not very clear but the name on the shop appears to be 'Englands'.
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There were a few replies about this photograph but I did not see mention that the Englands shop was a shoe shop.
 
oldMohawk said:
A sunny day in Birchfield Rd between Trinity Rd and Six Ways. A No 6 tram with no adverts on it and a Midland Red FEDD following it in the distance.
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The date was queried here but I did not see a definite date given.
The tramcar, 10, was destroyed in an air raid during the earlier part of WW2 i.e. before the end of 1941. This Midland Red bus is also in pre-war colours.
 
My post#482 was to show that the shop on the corner of Aston Lane and Birchfield Road was England's as photo confirmation of the info in the post quoted below. England's was definitely a shoe shop.
mikejee said:
In 1955 n0 335-7 Birchfield Road (corner of aston Lane & Birchfield Road) was England's smart shoes Ltd.
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A photo showing the previously mentioned George Dodd's hardware shop on the left. During the time I actually used the shop it never had wire grills over the windows. The photo is from the Keith Berry photo archive and had a date 1970s on it.
37PerryBarr3.jpg
 
Astoness said:
cracking shot of birchfield road..looking towards aston lane..can make out the old crown and cushion on the left..the birchfield cinema on the right and the library next to it..the church you can see in aston lane is still there and so are the houses to the left of it but the houses to the right of the church have now gone.


Image below retrieved by Oldmohawk
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I'm sure I can remember an indoor market hall somewhere near the Bus garage, this would have been late fifties as my Mother used to take us there and buy some beer shampoo in the little barrel shaped bottles.
 
Great photos, taking me way, way back. Was the toy shop - can't remember the name now - next door to the restaurant? I remember Dodds Ironmongers very well - they were always helpful, and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

I heard recently that there are discussions regarding the dismantling of the Flyover - has anyone else heard anything regarding?

G
 
The bus, in post #574, is of interest. In 1949 (assuming the date to be correct) it is still in wartime livery - dark roof and rear windows. Birmingham was usually on the ball where liveries were concerned and I suggest that most daily operational pre-war buses would have had the new style khaki applied. It appears, although looking somewhat jaded, to be a 1937 - 39 Daimler product.
It is a SPECIAL and I suggest a spare vehicle, maybe used as a snowplough or other non passenger service vehicle. There are posters in the windows and I wonder if, given the 1949 date, it is being used to educate passengers about the forthcoming closure of the tram route 6 at the end of December, 1949. This tram route was not replaced by a new bus service but incorporated into the existing 33 bus route.
 
Big Gee said:
Great photos, taking me way, way back. Was the toy shop - can't remember the name now - next door to the restaurant? I remember Dodds Ironmongers very well - they were always helpful, and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

I heard recently that there are discussions regarding the dismantling of the Flyover - has anyone else heard anything regarding?

G
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Big Gee said:
Great photos, taking me way, way back. Was the toy shop - can't remember the name now - next door to the restaurant? I remember Dodds Ironmongers very well - they were always helpful, and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

I heard recently that there are discussions regarding the dismantling of the Flyover - has anyone else heard anything regarding?

G
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Was there a Dodds Iron mongers in Sutton? I have a vague memory of my Dad having a job at Dodds in the 60s
 
carolina said:
This is 1962 Birchfield Underpass

Birchfield_Underpass_March_1962.jpg
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The reason why I love this site so much is that you can just browse and find amazing photos like these :D:D
 
glad you are finding the forum interesting ade...although it is a lot of hard work by the team behind the scenes to run a steady ship..keep things friendly and keep threads tidy we think its worth it

lyn :)
 
Astoness said:
glad you are finding the forum interesting ade...although it is a lot of hard work by the team behind the scenes to run a steady ship..keep things friendly and keep threads tidy we aim to please

lyn :)
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I think that people on here are amazing, spending hours of there own time sharing stories, memories and photos it's a pleasure to be part of and a privilege to contribute
 
thanks again ade without our good members sharing we would not have forum...its all down to team effort...enjoy

lyn
 
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My M/in Law lived in Calder Tower on the 13 th floor from 1959-67 and we got married across the road in the Church in 1963
 
mikejee said:
Viv
If the bus was specially for the council officials, then they must have brought their kids, as there seem to be chilfdren looking out of the front left on the top deck
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The service extra were put into service during peak hours to cope with workers leaving work at
 
Astoness said:
cracking shot of birchfield road..looking towards aston lane..can make out the old crown and cushion on the left..the birchfield cinema on the right and the library next to it..the church you can see in aston lane is still there and so are the houses to the left of it but the houses to the right of the church have now gone.


Image below retrieved by Oldmohawk
View attachment 115909
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GREAT picture.....I worked at Bakers on the left while in school and was a Technical Apprentice at Brooke Tool Automation after school just down the road (out of the picture) on the right.
Thank you!
 
Point of interest or sadness the Birchfield underpass is being demolished to make way for the Commonwealth games which I believe is in 2022. Perry Barr railway station is supposedly being ungraded to international standard. The site were the City of Birmingham University was housed has been completely demolished and also the ground opposite has been cleared.
They are building the Commonwealth village there.
Have been trying to remember what the polytechnic name was on that site before becoming a University.
 
It was, of course, the Birchfield Road Schools before they were demolished and the College was built.
I can't remember what it was originally called - North Birmingham Polytechnic maybe? It then became part of the University of Central England (now called Birmingham City University).
 
I was there in 1992 when it was called Birmingham Polytechnic. While I was there it then became the University of Central England.

The original Birmingham Polytechnic was on the campus of Aston University Gosta Green. I had a spell there too.
 
The university of Central England for quite a few years had nursing training on site.
I am not sure if it was their headquarters, but I do remember some Nurse Tutor visiting a student nurse on the unit I worked on, and I vaguely remembered that he was from the UCE.I'm being vague tutors rarely visited the coal face lol
 
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