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OLD BIRMINGHAM PHOTOS FROM STEVEBHx

Thought I would come out of town a bit Shady Lane Kingstanding in 1980, WH Smiths Do It All, fine selection of UK car manufactures wares - Allegro, Princess and many others. Again we have the cobbled entrance, I believe the building was painted a dark blue.

Shady Lane - 80.jpg
 
The crumpled Saloon is indeed a Mk2 Cortina, the challenge was for the headlamp in the bottom right hand corner, a Mk1 Granny undoubtedly, I had one, but now I’m married to one!
I didn't look close enough.

I had one of those sitting in the back yard behind my workshop, came back from a visit to Brum and found a thief sitting in it trying to remove the radio, trapped him in the car with a pile of scrap tyres and the cops came and dragged him out, they then caught his getaway driver sitting in a stolen Mini in the pub car park opposite.
 
General view of 1 Birdbrook Road in 1980, never know if this is Kingstanding or Perry Beeches or depends on who owns the house . Fashion shop now selling car parts, selection of cars parked down the road and a number of cigarette signs outside what I presume is a newsagents. Is that the rear of a Datsun, all chrome edging.?

1 Birdbrook Road - 80.jpg
 
I am afraid this one had nothing on the photo to say where it is, only a year - 1974, also note I didn't wipe the chinagraph off it marking where the advert was going to go, Sealandair coach, old Tesco lorry and a wide variety of cars,

a9100 - 74.jpg
 
Edgbaston Hotel Hagley Road in 1972, looking like it was designed by committee, one wanted a Bay one didn't one wanted arch over the windows one didn't and as for the attic !!. Nothing more to add.

View attachment 155912
This caused me some confusion. I searched for "Edgbaston Hotel" and got a different address and building. So I resorted to the phone book and Pedrocut's advert which gave me 323 Hagley Road. This now looks like a private house and I think the Hotel has retained the name but moved to 18 Highfield Road. So you have a choice - the original house as it is now or the new hotel.
 

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General view of 1 Birdbrook Road in 1980, never know if this is Kingstanding or Perry Beeches or depends on who owns the house . Fashion shop now selling car parts, selection of cars parked down the road and a number of cigarette signs outside what I presume is a newsagents. Is that the rear of a Datsun, all chrome edging.?

View attachment 155913
I have gone back to 2015 for this shot as you can see on that view that the building which sold auto spares in 1980 was still selling them in 2015 (although I don't know if it was the same people). The view is slightly different as I suspect the original was taken from the middle of the grassed area - which, of course, you can't do on Streetview.
 

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I am afraid this one had nothing on the photo to say where it is, only a year - 1974, also note I didn't wipe the chinagraph off it marking where the advert was going to go, Sealandair coach, old Tesco lorry and a wide variety of cars,

View attachment 155915
This is going to be a long shot and I may even get castigated for my suggestions, (I won't be offended) my thoughts are;
This is Holyhead road, West Brom.
We are looking towards Park lane just past the tall advertising hoarding on the left.
In the distance on the left is Island road.
On the right in the near distance is the Hawthorns (Albion) football ground.
What are your thoughts, am I barking up the wrong tree?
 
Long Acre Service Station in 1972, another damp day in Nechells, Esso service station, quadruple stamps and a free glass, Ansells pub in the distance and the railway over the edge.

View attachment 155911
I am not sure but I think this is the right place. The pub sign visible belongs to The Mitre which is still there today. I am also attaching a map (1970s) which shows a garage and also the Mitre plus the railway lines close by.
 

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Picture in post 1266 - I don't know where on Shady Lane the building was. The phone book , helpfully, just gives the road. I have identified one possible site - marked on a map of the time as a warehouse. It is roughly where Farrow Road is now. Any ideas folks?
 
Ref photo 1266....Shady Lane ...This building was on the right hand side of the road coming from Kings Road, not too far from the junction with Kings Road, I first when there in the early 70's to collect some boarding to board out a company van when working at Gaedor...it was know as Calypso then, I am sure it was renamed again before Do it All took it over, when I lived on the Aldridge Road, I often used it for any bits and pieces I needed at the time ...
 

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This is going to be a long shot and I may even get castigated for my suggestions, (I won't be offended) my thoughts are;
This is Holyhead road, West Brom.
We are looking towards Park lane just past the tall advertising hoarding on the left.
In the distance on the left is Island road.
On the right in the near distance is the Hawthorns (Albion) football ground.
What are your thoughts, am I barking up the wrong tree?
You could be right. I don't know the area but I think, from maps, the photo would be from just past WBA ground. On the right there is a sign "members only" and at about that point was/is the Throstles Club (might explain the coach parked there.
See this 1970s map. Open ground up to Park Lane which fits in with the photo.
1618415869721.png
 
I am afraid this one had nothing on the photo to say where it is, only a year - 1974, also note I didn't wipe the chinagraph off it marking where the advert was going to go, Sealandair coach, old Tesco lorry and a wide variety of cars,

View attachment 155915
A Mk X Jaguar faces the camera, a Reliant Scimitar GTE faces away behind a 1.8 Morris Marina, and the coach is a Plaxton Panorama but no idea whose chassis it sits on. The only slightly unusual car in the car park is a Fiat 124 estate which looks so new that it hasn’t had time to rust away yet.

P.S. A later dig has found that the coach could be a Seddon Pennine/Plaxton Panorama Elite II.

 
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Ref photo 1266....Shady Lane ...This building was on the right hand side of the road coming from Kings Road, not too far from the junction with Kings Road, I first when there in the early 70's to collect some boarding to board out a company van when working at Gaedor...it was know as Calypso then, I am sure it was renamed again before Do it All took it over, when I lived on the Aldridge Road, I often used it for any bits and pieces I needed at the time ...
Calypso - flipping heck thats a blast glad you could direct Janice.
 
A Mk X Jaguar faces the camera, a Reliant Scimitar GTE faces away behind a 1.8 Morris Marina, and the coach is a Plaxton Panorama but no idea whose chassis it sits on. The only slightly unusual car in the car park is a Fiat 124 estate which looks so new that it hasn’t had time to rust away yet.

P.S. A later dig has found that the coach could be a Seddon Pennine/Plaxton Panorama Elite II.


I think your Fiat might be a Lada John, I had a newsagent customer here who ran nothing else for years.
 
I think your Fiat might be a Lada John, I had a newsagent customer here who ran nothing else for years.
It has the Fiat badging on the bottom rh corner of the tailgate I think. I did check.

According to what I have read subsequently, the Fiat 124 was in production from 1966 to 1974, and the Lada commenced in 1974 following the Fiat’s demise. Since it is a 1974 picture I would stick with my Fiat theory.

 
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Ref photo 1266....Shady Lane ...This building was on the right hand side of the road coming from Kings Road, not too far from the junction with Kings Road, I first when there in the early 70's to collect some boarding to board out a company van when working at Gaedor...it was know as Calypso then, I am sure it was renamed again before Do it All took it over, when I lived on the Aldridge Road, I often used it for any bits and pieces I needed at the time ...
Thanks for that. I don't think I would have been too far away as when I checked the 1970s map I had my eye on the buildings on the right coming from Kings Road (marked with red line) - so the works or the warehouse.
1618478852828.png
 
Jan.....Its the one marked up as the Warehouse.....Danish bacon had a warehouse behind it somewhere at one time, don't know if it is still there ...
 
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