This is an amazing thread on Smethwick, which was started by "Smethwick Striver" back in 2010 and the last post a only few weeks ago.
I came to this wonderful country from Kenya in 1966 and the first thing that really mesmerised me was the colour and height of the Spire at St Pauls Church. It seemed then a mysterious building. I finally managed to find a photograph on the web as it was then, see attached. I went to George Betts Junior School (not knowing a single word of english!) and then Smethwick Hall Boys School (Head master B F Jones- not forgotten his mantra " Respect and be Respected" ), Warley College of Technology at Crocketts Lane (now demolished). Smethwick has a rich industrial heritage, for example when I was visiting a Lighthouse on the Isle of White and realised the Optics came from Chance Glass Bros. More recently whilst surfing also discovered that armoured fighting vehicles (Stalin) were built in Smethwick for the Red army.
With the COVID 19 epidemic and lockdown its given me some time to reflect. This all started I was trying to find old photographs of Railway Side. The terraced houses on Railway side were demolished and replaced modern housing estate which is now called " Adams Close."
I came to this wonderful country from Kenya in 1966 and the first thing that really mesmerised me was the colour and height of the Spire at St Pauls Church. It seemed then a mysterious building. I finally managed to find a photograph on the web as it was then, see attached. I went to George Betts Junior School (not knowing a single word of english!) and then Smethwick Hall Boys School (Head master B F Jones- not forgotten his mantra " Respect and be Respected" ), Warley College of Technology at Crocketts Lane (now demolished). Smethwick has a rich industrial heritage, for example when I was visiting a Lighthouse on the Isle of White and realised the Optics came from Chance Glass Bros. More recently whilst surfing also discovered that armoured fighting vehicles (Stalin) were built in Smethwick for the Red army.
When the Black Country built tanks for Stalin
Pictures from the special day when the Soviet ambassador came to thank Black Country workers in person
www.birminghammail.co.uk
With the COVID 19 epidemic and lockdown its given me some time to reflect. This all started I was trying to find old photographs of Railway Side. The terraced houses on Railway side were demolished and replaced modern housing estate which is now called " Adams Close."