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Old street pics..

The Bell was my local off and on for 21 years I could alternate between here and The Harvester needless to say which was my favourite , The Bell had a great atmosphere
 
Phil said:
What I am going to try here is to trace the old No 56 bus route from outside Henry's store in Union Street to the terminus at the Clock Garage Castle Bromwich. I do know that this might not be the original route, but it is the one I remember and made many times.

We start as I said outside Henry's store in Union St (1). We then make a little journey along Corporation St and down Bull St to Dale End (2) passing the length of Dale End we come to the Shah Jahan at the junction of Coleshill St and Stafford St (3). Passing by the Gaiety Cinema (4) on Coleshill St we come to Prospect Row (5).

Thus ending out first leg of the journey

Please excuse me if the photos don't always appear in the right sequence, but they seem to load themselves in a different order to what I place them in. You will have to run your mouse over them or open them to see the numbers.
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Yes it was a journey I first set upon in 1966 as my apprenticeship took me to the new Castle Bromwich Rubbish Tip on the Chester Rd , this was of course going to be a big change from the last two years of my apprenticeship at the Birmingham Post & Mail.
 
Phil said:
Continuing on now to Digbeth past the Rea Street junction (1) and the Civic Hall on the right (2) once a function hall and wrestling and boxing venue, now a night club. Passing on the other side of the road the new Midland Red depot under construction (3) Now looking back from where we have just come from at Mill Lane (4). Now we are passing Smithfield with Morgans Sausages and the Police Station opposite (5)
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I had to go to Digbeth Civic Hall as an apprentice to join the Electrical Trades Union
 
carolina said:
Lightswood Park Hagley Road 1930
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My one outstanding memory about Lightwoods Park although I'd visited there several times . was the time after a school cricket match . On the way out of the park I came accross a frog at the base of the drinking fountain there , so after showing all the friends my new acquisition i put him into my blazer pocket . After getting home I took him out of the pocket and he really looked dead so without further ado I brought him up to as near to my lips as I could then cupped it's head and blew and what do you know life appeared as lively as anything . I placed it down on the floor as the floor was solid concrete slabs and would you believe it within minutes it had disappeared
 
Astoness said:
weaman st/steelhouse lane 1954

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steelhouse lane aug 1954 with newton st on the left

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fazeley st...1955

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upper dean st/gloucester st..1955

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hurst st showing the hippodrome... 1955

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Newton Street late 50's is where you pcked up your maintainence money as a aprent after separation/divorce . More often than not in moms case pop hadn't paid anything so we came away with nowt /
 
BernardR said:
Hardly a church surely as little remains but I know what you mean. Sadly the drunks took the gardens over some years back. My wife worked nearby and attempted to walk there with a friend but they did not like the atmosphere. Very sad as I recall visiting many years ago and enjoyed walking around.
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Do you know Bernard before the demolition of the area in the 60's I lived down the road from the Peace Garden and we kids used to go climbing there as much as I hate to admit it. I can honestly say hand on heart although times were hard back then , there were never any wino's or drinkers of any sort . Was it a better class of Alcoholic back then, where did we go wrong ?
 
Dionysius//88 said:
Do you know Bernard before the demolition of the area in the 60's I lived down the road from the Peace Garden and we kids used to go climbing there as much as I hate to admit it. I can honestly say hand on heart although times were hard back then , there were never any wino's or drinkers of any sort . Was it a better class of Alcoholic back then, where did we go wrong ?
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Hinds sight is 20/20. However we should learn from the past and I don’t think we are!
 
It was a statue on a pillar that was erected in 1937 for the coronation of George VI. It was not a permanent structure, and for a time was also in Victoria Square
 
Vivienne14 said:
A view most of us will remember, the Arden Hotel, Odeon and Rotunda on New Street. Shows a rather poor loft extension on top of the Arden! Think it's about 1970. Viv.

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Do remember the hotel and of course the Odeon…The only good part of that loft extension is that I was usually walking to the Odeon and never looked up that high. Think the last time I was there was when I was 18/19 and was accompanying a young lady to the Odeon and was otherwise preoccupied :cool:.
 
Astoness said:
highfield place/granville place..anderton st ladywood...dated 1967

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old square bottom right..date 1962

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old square dated 1969...i remember these shops so well...it is said that they were just basically back filled and still remain more or less intact underground..

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rear of milton st newtown dated 1962

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Your pic of the Old Square reminds me of my boyfriend, I was so happy to see him walking past the mural, I ran up to him and jumped into his arms. We were going to get engaged on my birthday 1976, but, unfortunately he died two months before.
 
Hi Everybody,
I'm new to this forum, but after looking at some of the old photos I'm sure somebody can help me in my search for any old photos of "Bowling Green Terrace" Off Coventry Road. Why am I looking for any photos? Some information on myself:
Name: Philip Kenyon
Year of Birth: 1943
Place born: Accrington Lancs.
Now living since 1967 in Switzerland

My Grandfather was Albert Swain
Born in 1881 in Bowling Green Terrace
Left Birmingham around 1905 to work in Accrington

I visited Birmingham some years ago, but to my dismay where Bowling Green Terrace was, there is now a Morrisons super market, hence me asking about any old photos.

Any information/photos would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Philip (Belfield)
 
Belfield said:
Hi Everybody,
I'm new to this forum, but after looking at some of the old photos I'm sure somebody can help me in my search for any old photos of "Bowling Green Terrace" Off Coventry Road. Why am I looking for any photos? Some information on myself:
Name: Philip Kenyon
Year of Birth: 1943
Place born: Accrington Lancs.
Now living since 1967 in Switzerland

My Grandfather was Albert Swain
Born in 1881 in Bowling Green Terrace
Left Birmingham around 1905 to work in Accrington

I visited Birmingham some years ago, but to my dismay where Bowling Green Terrace was, there is now a Morrisons super market, hence me asking about any old photos.

Any information/photos would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Philip (Belfield)
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Hi Philip welcome to the forum. I have attached a map showing the location, as you are probably aware this no longer exists.
You may get better responses if you start a thread as 'Bowling Green Terrace off Coventry Road'.
 

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brummy-lad said:
Hi Philip welcome to the forum. I have attached a map showing the location, as you are probably aware this no longer exists.
You may get better responses if you start a thread as 'Bowling Green Terrace off Coventry Road'.
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Hi John,
Thanks for the very interesting map. It explains one thing, my Grandad always supported Aston Villa, I can hear today saying " come on Villa" whilst listening to a match on the Radio!
Will try your proposal of starting a thread "Bowling Green Terrace".
Cheers
Philip
 

Small Heath Tavern The Wrexham​


Philip, the above thread is regarding the pub that was on the corner of Coventry Road and Bowling Green Road (Terrace?)
I wonder if by finding photos of the pub it would show the road itself?
 
Brian s said:
Hi
The photo from Yardley was interesting little more than country lane. When I moved to Great Barr in 1951 ish the Brooklin farm was still a farm, now the site of the Brooklin Technical College, the Aldridge Rd. and Beacon Rd. were still country lanes for a lot of their length as was the Queslet Rd and Newton Rd. If you went into parts of Birmingham a lot of the roads were still very narrow and cobbled especially round the jewellery quarter and gun quarter. The I think it was The Mineries between the two sections of Lewises had wooden cobbles to reduce the noise from horses hooves and the steel bands fitted to the wheels.

The kings and queens of England did nothing for me in the school history, but social history would have been far more interesting, all we touched was a short section on the Black Country.

My childhood is now a museum display...

Brian
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I am so glad my families talked about their childhoods, not dad sadly much but everyone else did. Nan used to name all the locks down to Bridgnorth, and all her old neighbours. The nice and the not so nice. her house interiors, her wedding night in the depression, wartime memories, food. toutside toilets with three communal holes , the blitz, stigmas, all your photos keep reminded me of my family stories.
 
Hi
Reading the comments on the expressions that don't seem to be in use now made me think about "Just after the war." and the first world war was referred to as the "14-18" war. People knew immediately what you were on about. Talking recently my comment, just after the war promoted a "Which war?" I elaborated 2nd world war, and referring to the 14-18 first world war I was informed it was not in1418. I replied I'm sorry in future I will make allowances for your youthful age.

Another thing how many remeber things like the Pom instant mashed potato, or the dried egg powder, or the Oster Milk baby powder in the big tins? I supose that is what is now called baby formular. My uncle was a long distance lorry driver so a lot of things were strangely available.

Brian
 
lmr3103 said:

Small Heath Tavern The Wrexham​


Philip, the above thread is regarding the pub that was on the corner of Coventry Road and Bowling Green Road (Terrace?)
I wonder if by finding photos of the pub it would show the road itself?
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Hi Lynn,

After searching through all 208 pages of this wonderful thread, I finally found (more or less) what I’ve been searching for! On page 188 there is a street map of the area with Coventry Rd. and Bowling Green Road. The houses are numbered 16, 17, 21 and 22, with the houses 18, 19, 20 not being numbered, but you can see clearly where number 20 (birth place of my Grandfather) was.

Thanks once again to everybody who contributed to my query.

Cheers

Philip
 
Hi Philip

I’m really pleased you found your Grandfather’s birthplace, what a shame (as is normally the way) the house itself has gone.
Last week I visited birmingham to see a relative who is now living in a care home. I realised I was just a road away from where Mom and her family had lived at the start of the War. This house is still there, and it was a funny feeling to think of them all there living their lives. I stood there - discreetly - looking at the house wishing if only I had a time machine to go back to 1939 and be able to see my lovely Mom as a young girl!
 
I there again Lynn,
I can really understand your feelings. My only wish is that I didn't ask my Granddad more about where he came from, what were his childhood memories were. The only thing that I did get from him was that he was born in Birmingham, even his "Brummy accent" didn't register with me at the time when I was growing up!
Cheers & keep well
Philip
 
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