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OLD AND NEW PHOTOGRAPHS

Our next picture is taken in Summerhill Road, once a FIAT dealership, this now boarded up property was apparently a Cinema in the 1950's. Everything boarded up and Fly posted in 1992

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This takes me back to my days in St John's Ambulance Brigade , when this used to be the good old ice rink early 60's , I was supposed to be a first aider me and another aider used to walk around the internal perimeter here on hand for any accidents that may happen . A couple of adult aiders were back in the first aid room , it was strange to me the public had utmost confidence in us and I was in a right state for fear any accident did happen I think I would have passed out .
 
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We are back in the city again September 1957 and this is the corner of John Bright Street Navigation Street, imagine having a corner like this these days - giant Guinness advert - large Senior Service Cigarette advert, and Chetwyns " Mans Shop" - Oh the complaints there would be !!!

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Yes Chetwyns later to become Drumland in the lateish 60's , if you follow the Chetwyn building around to the right where the black building stops a doorway was there and that was the entry to the Whisky A Go Go . One Saturday night the band Cream played there they unloaded all their gear outside in the street themselves .
 
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The next picture is rather vague -old houses in Lee bank 1960, few silly thoughts, love the wooden fencing ( pailings- is that the name?). The Inner Circle bus stop - by request - of course. A rather battered rubbish bin - heavy metal thing and the first house across the road with the bay window, net curtains and right onto the pavement.

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Steve the bins had to be metal as they used to get hot ashes put into them after the house fires had burned down
 
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Next up we have High Street Digbeth taken in 1930's, love chaos of Trams, trolley busses and other vehicles and if you look carefully you can see a cyclist crossing them all !!.

I have noticed that the building on the left has " SPQR" on the front - only recently having watch a Henry Coles program did I know it meant Small Profit Quick Return, but now I know it has much old origins.

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I would have taken that SPQR as a nod to the Romans Steve as they used to have that on the standards and flags haha
 
Big thanks to Radiorails for the "correct" bus information I have gone through and edited my entries where necessary!

Shown in the good old days before pedestrianisation was even thought of No 6 turns into Victoria Square, this was when there were roads to the left of the council house as we look, joining the traffic which had come down Colmore Row and was turning into New Street.
The council house looking very grimy - which everywhere did at that time.
Few things I have noticed - drop windows upstairs, destination board at the rear of the upstairs deck and the blocked window at the rear where the steps go upstairs.

EDIT: From Radiorails - AEC Regent which was new in December 1930. It has a new appearance. It was an AEC before Daimler became the BCT preference. the style of the bus, by English Electric, had the sobriquet 'piano front'.

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I've been on the No 6 a few times going to school and back over a four year period in the 60's
 
apologies for the poor quality - No. 96 heading up Summer Row, fine selection of vehicles in the background, another Atlantean, , spotters guide - Atlanteans have two grills in the front , two large headlights and a single smaller light pavement side - also if its heading to Lodge Road shouldn't that be "From City"?


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Half the time the drivers left it till the last minute to change the number , another bus I spent a lot of time on . In pic 1789 there's a woman looks what was to be my future mother in law
 
This photograph came up in my FB feed, it's Jasper Carrot and Bev Bevan holding a photograph of Birmingham showing the building which was originally in the space behind them.
It looks familiar but I can't just place where in the city centre it is, maybe just off Smallbrook Ringway - does anyone know?!
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A Sparks is it down the back of Edgbaston St by the Midland Red Bus Depot ?
 
I would have taken that SPQR as a nod to the Romans Steve as they used to have that on the standards and flags haha
This takes me back to first form and the only thing I can remember from those days. Not sure I'm spelling it right but I think it was Senatus Populus Que Romanus. Not sure about the 'Que'. Meaning Roman Senate and People.
 
Definitely Broad Street my mates dad had a part time job there cleaning the cars

Yes, for absolute-sure!

I worked between two BCC offices for a few years in the 60s, one in Bush House and the other in Baskerville House, often spending half a day in one and the other half in the other just to keep the work in both of them moving forward rather than having one or the other always lagging behind needing me to catch up.

So I walked up and down there between them pretty much daily, sometimes more than once, and remember very well Reeve and Stedeford being on the corner of Oozells/Broad St. which it shared with the Presbyterian Church, the next being the Cumberland/Broad St corner shared by Bush House and A1 Tyres ...

... who on that side, bless their little transistor-radio-blaring tyre fitters' cotton socks, cranked them up to 11 so that the latest pop hits would be heard over the constant air-gunning-off of the wheels of a seemingly endless stream of cars needing new tyres fitted in the Oozells St bays that were fully open to that side of Bush House. There wuz noise complaints from 'upstairs', there wuz apologies. Muffled music lasted about 20 minutes then crept up again, or flipped straight to max when it was either the Beatles or the Stones!

And personally I didn't mind the music through the day, the zip-zip of the airguns solo being far more intrusive. Plus, those guys were always good for a natter and also happy to do a neighbourly good deal on replacement tyres when needed :).

And in those days I ran a Mini (didn't everyone?) and also kept on with a d-i-y build of an Ashley 'special', then later sold that plus the Mini to buy a hot Spitfire with a whole lot of uprating already done, and to which I added a few further refinements. And THAT one simply ate its fat tyres! But A1 guys came through for me a couple of times with quality rated sets that I'd never otherwise have gone for. Good lads!!
 
Next we have another beer seller - not a pub (?) no location or year but plenty of clues in the picture for you sleuths. Centre building has a wide spread of leaded windows and nice pedements around the side door. Traditional window display to the provisions shop to the left, and a Players cigarette sign on the front - imagine!!. I also find it interesting how the chimney seems to climb independently on the left with another in the middle of the building.

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Working closely with a forum member , working from the name in the shop window who happens to be Mr Albert Worley 137 Bloomsbury Street, the licenced premises proprieter is Mr's Alice Hart wine & spirit merchant !39 &141 Bloomsbury Street Aston
 
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