Aston - Miscellaneous Pictures

[Michael_Ingram]

Some of these may have been posted before. They are in no order; here are the first.
Elkington School 1956. Some of our members must be here. lets have there names please.

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Lichfield Road with Bourne Road off to the right; 1954

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Another of Lichfield Road

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Lovers Walk, Aston. This was off Lichfield Road just by Aston Station, along side the railway and leading to Aston hall Road. I think the railway and station have taken up its space now

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Here is part of Aston hall Road. Anyone own up to being the window cleaner?

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Clifton Road. This ran parallel to Victoria Road and was off Potters Hill. There is still a bit of it left off Upper Sutton Street. The old houses are gone though.

 

[Lloyd]

The view of the BRS depot has a clear shot of a street lighting column, used in Aston and Handsworth Boroughs and Made by MacKenzie and Co, of (if I recall correctly) Kilmarnock.
Originally these supported carbon-arc lights, with automatic arc-striking and carbon rod replacement mechanisms, giving at source a very intense light rather similar to arc welding. The lamps could be lowered by hand, a small winch in the base had a wire which ran up the column, and attached to the lamp via 3 small pulleys (arrowed red) for street-level maintenance and carbon rod stock refilling.
The smaller brackets halfway up held filament bulb lights to illuminate the pavement at times when the main light wasn't on: the large ones weren't left burning all night.
One of the last ones from Handsworth was taken to the Tramway Museum at Crich many years ago, and restored to carbon-arc working. It isn't on display there now, I don't know what happened to it.

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Amazing Lloyd

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Aston Street near Gosta Green by the Central Fire Station, now buried under the University. Probably shows the corner of Moland Street

 

[Lloyd]

Nechells 7 route trolleybus wires nearest the buildings, and isn't that the Sack of Potatoes pub behind the copper?

 

[Brenda Barr Phillips]

Loved the pictures of Aston, thats how l like to remember it, now its all but gone l used to walk Lichfield Road every week day on my way to work at, J Wrights Thimblemill Lane, but Lovers Walk is priceless thats where my father,Wilfred Barr started his life 1-27-05 and l think there was always a Barr family living there right up to it clearance, the Barrs were always bootmakers and repaires ....anyone out there who remembers them??......once again thank you for the memories ...Brenda

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Lichfield Road looking towards the station, with the bridge across the road, (Lovers Walk would be on the right just past there). What is Aston Hall Road, at the front on the right would have been Waterworks Street which was bombed during the war. My Uncle Alf and Aunt Jean were living there at the time and then were put up by my Gran in Bevington Road before the moved to Kingstanding.
St Peter and Pauls can be seen in the distance.
My Gran had previously lived in the house in Waterworks Street.
Here is a photo on her wedding day, second time round, in the back garden at Waterworks Street. My step grandfather here is Daniel Ridding.
Also here is a photo I took on my phone a couple of years ago. Almost from the same spot as the first photo but looking in the other direction

 

[ASTONITE]

Another of Lichfield Road

I LIVED NOT FAR FROM HERE MANY MOONS AGO, I REMEMBER THE CONTINENTAL TRAVEL SERVICE IN THE PICTURE (ALTHOUGH I CANT THINK OF ANYONE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO GO) AND NOT FAR FROM THERE WAS A SHED TYPE SHOP THAT SOLD SWEETS, BUT FOR THE LIFE OF ME CANT REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT.

 

[ASTONITE]

Lichfield Road looking towards the station, with the bridge across the road, (Lovers Walk would be on the right just past there). What is Aston Hall Road, at the front on the right would have been Waterworks Street which was bombed during the war. My Uncle Alf and Aunt Jean were living there at the time and then were put up by my Gran in Bevington Road before the moved to Kingstanding.
St Peter and Pauls can be seen in the distance.
My Gran had previously lived in the house in Waterworks Street.
Here is a photo on her wedding day, second time round, in the back garden at Waterworks Street. My step grandfather here is Daniel Ridding.
Also here is a photo I took on my phone a couple of years ago. Almost from the same spot as the first photo but looking in the other direction

THAT PICTURE OF ASTON HALL ROAD IS SO EVOCATIVE, I WENT TO ASTON HALL ROAD SCHOOL, AND SPENT MY PENNIES IN THE SWEET SHOP ON THE CORNER,THANKYOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PHOTO!

 

[ASTONITE]

Loved the pictures of Aston, thats how l like to remember it, now its all but gone l used to walk Lichfield Road every week day on my way to work at, J Wrights Thimblemill Lane, but Lovers Walk is priceless thats where my father,Wilfred Barr started his life 1-27-05 and l think there was always a Barr family living there right up to it clearance, the Barrs were always bootmakers and repaires ....anyone out there who remembers them??......once again thank you for the memories ...Brenda

I CAN VAGUELY REMEMBER A DEREK BARR WHO WENT TO ASTON HALL ROAD SCHOOL, HE LIVED IN LOVERS WALK.

 

[Brenda Barr Phillips]

Astonite, if Derek Barr lived in Lovers Walk he must be a family member.....l.m deep into Barr Search right now...thats what l like to call it....and l know l had a relative Arthur Barr who lived in Lovers Walk....l must get back to my searching.....Brenda

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Witton Road. Checking on the 1946 Kelly I would say this bit is between Jardine Road and Nelson Road just by the Villa Ground

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Lichfield Road and the corner of Upper Portland Street, just past Aston Cross

 

[Michael_Ingram]

The corner of Bridge Street West and Great Russell Street

 

[Dave Bath]

Lichfield Road and the corner of Upper Portland Street, just past Aston Cross

A special note here for the attention of ASTONIAN!!!
Isnt the picture showing The Victoria Hotel (The Widows Arms) and isnt that then your entry that you lived up Back of 92 between the pub and Mattys?

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Acording to Kelly's that is the Victoria Hotel, licencee, Saml Bert Hill, 92 is next door off picture - 92 Astons Stores (Aldridge) Ltd, Bakers

 

[Dave Bath]

Hi Mike,
Seems I got the wrong entry (other side of pub) but Astonian should like the picture!

 

[Michael_Ingram]

The Old Aston Cross. The postcard is dated 29 Feb 1904. I think that this clock tower was built in 1854. The present clock tower was erected in 1891 built by George Smith & Co, cast at Sun Foundry, Glasgow. The architect was Arthur Edwards

 

[Peter Walker]

My oh my, Michael, your Aston pictures have stirred some memories.
I was very taken by the pic in your posting No 3, not being able to identify the location, even after Lloyd's very informative contribution in posting No 7. I also looked at the lamp post, and thought first of Handsworth UDC rather than Aston, which I never realised had a few of those lamps.
But I've just cheated and found a pic in Vol 1 of David Harvey's 'A Nostalgic Look at Birmingham trams', in which the bottom picture on page 84, taken from under the railway bridge, shows the same scene from a slightly different angle, and while the trams were still in operation.
British Road Services didn't last much longer after that photo was taken. In the 1956 Kellys it was listed as Alliance Motor transport company Ltd.
As the trams didn't finish until 1953, that dates the picture to 1953 - 56.
And weren't those buildings dreadful! Rather like what has replaced them, I suppose.
Peter

 

[Pomgolian]

Spot on in 'POST #9' Michael, great thread by the way.

"Can I just take the time to ask here...
If posters are posting in connection to a post or picture made by Michael or other posters, rather than re-posting the whole post in "Quotes", could you please just post a small portion. Or better still just refer to the post 'Number #00' as I have done above.
All post have a number at the top of each post on the right hand side, on the thread page, this is POST# 25.
This save myself or other Moderators having to go through and remove unneeded "quotes" in order to help save web-space and often makes for easier reading by other members. thanx for listening ".

Sorry to go off topic on your thread Michael, but it just seemed a great opportunity to make this statement.

Pom

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Aston Cross as we knew it about 1952

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Aston Cross Clock as it is now, well 2000.

 

[Michael_Ingram]

From a less picturesque angle

 

[Patty]

Michael, great photo's took me back. I noticed the bus on the Aston Cross pics, I bet it was the 39, I used that a lot coming from Aston Church stop to HP stop. I used to visit my nan in Tower rd.
I was just wondering if you had any of Litchfield Rd that might have the hairdressers on I used to work at. It was called Mavis's and was about half way. It was the same side as the Domestic, there was a paper shop next door run by mrs cooke I think and the other side was a betting shop called Wilf Gillberts If I remember correct, opposite there was an shop that sold all house hold stuff Beringtons comes to mind,and a butchers and then a shop that repaired jute boxes.
Did you ever go to Yewtree rd Junior school or have a brother that did ?because I used to and there was a Ingram in my class, I'm trying to think what his first name was, I have put a class photo on under Yewtree rd and he is on there. Just a thought

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Sorry, I don't think so Patty and I went to Burbury Street school; I was a Lozells lad. My main memory of Lichfield Road was getting my bike wheel stuck in the tram lines