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High Street Erdington

Yes, looks like the Swan Inn on the left, that lamp was quite iconic. The Abbey steeple in the distance. Looks like just before the wall around the village green was built, but the monument commemorating of the jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 is there with its lamppost. I did not know it had a lamp on it.
 
The original site of Erdington Green was laid out in 1887 in the north-east corner of the junction of Mason Road and Orphanage Road. In 1906 Erdington Library was built on the Green, making it a small triangle at the junction of the High Street and Orphanage Road.

Most images we see of Erdington Green seem to be of the smaller 'Village Green' area.

I notice the low level building marked with a red dot in Pedro's photo was, at some point, replaced with the much larger building in the second photo, it being still there today. The building to the left (blue dot) is stil there, but has been modified.
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Co-op branch #10 built in 1936 and a comparison with the modern view. The Co-op (a Superstore) was still on the site in 2022 but all the 1930s character and symmetry has gone following, presumably, demolition of #10 store.

Also a comparison of some of the buildings before the 1930s Co-op was built. Doubtless when the 1930s Co-op was built, I expect it met with opposition and fear of it ruining the village.

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Post 340 (above) is a beautiful design that would appeal to most folk having the appearance of a building that most people would want to go to - i.e. it is reminiscent, at the time, of a cinema. It does not resemble the present day "souless but functional cheap skate structures" found in a lot of our high streets of today.
 
The 1950s map indicates that it would have been no 5 Orphanage Road

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In the 1932-39 Kellys no 5 was Edward Tirebuck, beer retailer. I be;ieve the library was built in the 1920s. It is not recorded in Kellys in 1921
 
Donated by Carnegie, but then pulled down for the profit of the council. As is much of Victorian and other donated contributions to the community.
 
I have used Erdington, Sutton, Streetly and the Central libraries. They are a great way for everyone to be able to read such a wide range of books, without buying them, particularly for those without the means to fund such frequent purchases at the time of borrowing. The libraries also have books that are out of print, along with other resources and books that you would have struggled to get from anywhere else.

I always think back to a weighty text book on American history that I took out every month for two years, when I was doing my A Level History at school, it was a tremendous help to me and would have cost about £40 new I believe, which was well beyond my means. My apologies to anyone, who would have taken it out during that period, had I not monopolised use of it. ;)
 
John points out that many out of print books were available. Seeing the lack of interest in the city's history of the authorities, I fear that, where libraries do remain, concentration will be on fiction and populist scandal and sport . Older publications are likely to be discarded. Rubbish such as "I was Prince Andrew's toygirl" and "Ghost horror stories" (fictional examples ) will thrive.
 
If they do discard them Mike, I do hope they will give those that might appreciate them, the opportunity to give them a good home. That said, they really shouldn't be just be discarding them in any case, they are not their own to decide to be rid of, they belong to the Council Tax/Ratepayers of the city, whose money funded their purchase in the first place.
 
Afraid I am a bit cynical about that. This is because my local library authority (Reading ) are in the process of building a small extension to the main council building (about half the size of the present central library), which a new central library is shortly occupy. This will, it seems, have many community facilities (ie computers and play spaces,) with not much mention of books. A local forum member who works at the library tells of palletting up loads of books to be sent to paper recyclers, with no attempt to pass them on to those who might appreciate them.
 
mikejee said:
Afraid I am a bit cynical about that. This is because my local library authority (Reading ) are in the process of building a small extension to the main council building (about half the size of the present central library), which a new central library is shortly occupy. This will, it seems, have many community facilities (ie computers and play spaces,) with not much mention of books. A local forum member who works at the library tells of palletting up loads of books to be sent to paper recyclers, with no attempt to pass them on to those who might appreciate them.
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mike maybe they could ship them over to birmingham library who not so long ago were asking people to donate books.. :rolleyes:

lyn
 
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