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OLD BIRMINGHAM PHOTOS FROM STEVEBHx

this is Green Lane in 1974, a rather strange row of ex shops apart from the fish / chicken shop. At first floor we have a selection of pretend bay type windows. Lots of old things - an Ansells Pub, a Corona litter bin and a Lyons Maid sign , not to mention the Ford Cortina.

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136 is listed as a fried fish dealer from at least the 1940s - shops were between Wyndcliff Road and Eversley Road. The shops have long gone and these houses stand roughly in the same spot.
 

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Now we have 883 Washwood Heath Road again from 1974, fine selection of long gone cars - Vauxhall Estate on the left then a Hillman Imp, an MG and a Hillman Hunter. Other things of interest, a phone box !, a post box with a Post Office sign on top and looking at the font is that a Boots Chemist on the right.

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Pillar box still there although looks as if Post Office has gone. No phone box. This view is 2019 - why is there always a bus or lorry in the way?
 

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91 Rookery Road Handsworth taken on a Sunday as we presume the lady is going to church. A proper bike shop and I love the sign outside both on the pavement and on the wall, tyres hanging up and bicycles and tricycles - all you could need. Next door Eadie's Stores with all the cans neatly stacked in the window and some nice sash windows upstairs

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Shops still there but very different type.
 

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steve mike solved it earlier....the pub is the australian bar

lyn
Hi, Steve, thank you for responding to my query on Hurst St. pics, although i have many memories
of working in that area for many years before the 'changes', any pics are always appreciated and welcome from 1959 when i started at Mapstones. So thank you for your pics, and this site, very
informative and welcome. mike
 
Well Merry Christmas to you all, I thought I would let you see these two old photos I have just found, they are City Engineer and Surveyors Department Civic Centre - so yes still the council but they are both late 1950's.
I assume I must have picked them up from the same source as the rest but put then away. ( Perhaps these were from the start of the clearout and I was not confident that I should be doing this !!)

First picture is 158 Belgrave Road 15th December 1959, over 60 years ago, I note from the picture that it is the corner of Gooch Street. Plenty to see, from the size of the prams - no buggys , Barbers Tea sign on the wall and the View Well van . I also like the Kodak signs in the chemist window and although they are black and white we know they are the classic Kodak yellow . I have also noted the size of the arial on the View well chimney!!

Enjoy looking

158 Belgrave Road.jpg
 
Second up is 1A Albert Street - again a corner property and this picture was taken on 29th January 1958. Firstly GE Wake, can you imagine a shop like this in the city centre today - and also to be allowed to park your van outside on the corner !
I love the keep left sign, the Corporation bus and the wonderful cars.
I note the RAF signs above the shop , some sort of RAF club perhaps? I also notice the Foster Brothers shop, a staple for many people and I didn't realise they had been going so long.
If you study the people you notice that it is January but there are two lads with shorts on and one has wellies, and what happened to good old headscarves - plenty here though.

Hope you have enjoyed these two picture - I may have a blast at scanning some negative for Astoness, then work on some black and white slides which are testing as I note some are on the disk of Geoff Thompson scans and some are not so work needed.
If I do not speak before Happy New Year to you all


1A Albert Street.jpg
 
Well Merry Christmas to you all, I thought I would let you see these two old photos I have just found, they are City Engineer and Surveyors Department Civic Centre - so yes still the council but they are both late 1950's.
I assume I must have picked them up from the same source as the rest but put then away. ( Perhaps these were from the start of the clearout and I was not confident that I should be doing this !!)

First picture is 158 Belgrave Road 15th December 1959, over 60 years ago, I note from the picture that it is the corner of Gooch Street. Plenty to see, from the size of the prams - no buggys , Barbers Tea sign on the wall and the View Well van . I also like the Kodak signs in the chemist window and although they are black and white we know they are the classic Kodak yellow . I have also noted the size of the arial on the View well chimney!!

Enjoy looking

View attachment 165403
Harleys shoe repair were as common as Paynes back in the day
 
Second up is 1A Albert Street - again a corner property and this picture was taken on 29th January 1958. Firstly GE Wake, can you imagine a shop like this in the city centre today - and also to be allowed to park your van outside on the corner !
I love the keep left sign, the Corporation bus and the wonderful cars.
I note the RAF signs above the shop , some sort of RAF club perhaps? I also notice the Foster Brothers shop, a staple for many people and I didn't realise they had been going so long.
If you study the people you notice that it is January but there are two lads with shorts on and one has wellies, and what happened to good old headscarves - plenty here though.

Hope you have enjoyed these two picture - I may have a blast at scanning some negative for Astoness, then work on some black and white slides which are testing as I note some are on the disk of Geoff Thompson scans and some are not so work needed.
If I do not speak before Happy New Year to you all


View attachment 165407
You didn't have long trousers until your twelfth birthday!
 
Second up is 1A Albert Street - again a corner property and this picture was taken on 29th January 1958. Firstly GE Wake, can you imagine a shop like this in the city centre today - and also to be allowed to park your van outside on the corner !
I love the keep left sign, the Corporation bus and the wonderful cars.
I note the RAF signs above the shop , some sort of RAF club perhaps? I also notice the Foster Brothers shop, a staple for many people and I didn't realise they had been going so long.
If you study the people you notice that it is January but there are two lads with shorts on and one has wellies, and what happened to good old headscarves - plenty here though.

Hope you have enjoyed these two picture - I may have a blast at scanning some negative for Astoness, then work on some black and white slides which are testing as I note some are on the disk of Geoff Thompson scans and some are not so work needed.
If I do not speak before Happy New Year to you all


View attachment 165407
Interestingly the 1949, 1950 and 1955 Kellys list 1A Albert St as RAF Recruiting depot, presumably via the side door in Albert St. the 1949 and G.E Wake is listed as 1-3 Dale End
 
Second up is 1A Albert Street - again a corner property and this picture was taken on 29th January 1958. Firstly GE Wake, can you imagine a shop like this in the city centre today - and also to be allowed to park your van outside on the corner !
I love the keep left sign, the Corporation bus and the wonderful cars.
I note the RAF signs above the shop , some sort of RAF club perhaps? I also notice the Foster Brothers shop, a staple for many people and I didn't realise they had been going so long.
If you study the people you notice that it is January but there are two lads with shorts on and one has wellies, and what happened to good old headscarves - plenty here though.

Hope you have enjoyed these two picture - I may have a blast at scanning some negative for Astoness, then work on some black and white slides which are testing as I note some are on the disk of Geoff Thompson scans and some are not so work needed.
If I do not speak before Happy New Year to you all


View attachment 165407

Birmingham Gazette, July 1950.

A4EC4715-5D77-452B-B4FE-DC95C3F2E815.jpeg
 
Interesting. Kellys must have been on the ball. The 1949 version lists it as Wimbush (not made clear in my earlier post), and Wakes are there in the 1950 edition, yet they only opened in July and the title page give publication in October
 
Second up is 1A Albert Street - again a corner property and this picture was taken on 29th January 1958. Firstly GE Wake, can you imagine a shop like this in the city centre today - and also to be allowed to park your van outside on the corner !
I love the keep left sign, the Corporation bus and the wonderful cars.
I note the RAF signs above the shop , some sort of RAF club perhaps? I also notice the Foster Brothers shop, a staple for many people and I didn't realise they had been going so long.
If you study the people you notice that it is January but there are two lads with shorts on and one has wellies, and what happened to good old headscarves - plenty here though.

Hope you have enjoyed these two picture - I may have a blast at scanning some negative for Astoness, then work on some black and white slides which are testing as I note some are on the disk of Geoff Thompson scans and some are not so work needed.
If I do not speak before Happy New Year to you all


View attachment 165407
Steve, 1A Albert Street was the RAF Recruiting Office. I went there in 1966 to join up.
 
Steve, 1A Albert Street was the RAF Recruiting Office. I went there in 1966 to join up.
Thanks for the additional details as usual my information is taken from whatever was written on the back of the photo. On closer inspection there are marking for a sign at first floor level, so the 1a is correct in relation to the careers office.
 
this is Green Lane in 1974, a rather strange row of ex shops apart from the fish / chicken shop. At first floor we have a selection of pretend bay type windows. Lots of old things - an Ansells Pub, a Corona litter bin and a Lyons Maid sign , not to mention the Ford Cortina.

View attachment 165028
Lovely photo to find. Granny Ulett used to live round the corner in Wyndcliffe Rd and we lived one street up at Millward Street only a few doors away from my aunt. We left in 1963 when the Council started actively moving families out of the terraces and back to backs to Birmingham’s leafier suburbs (5/55 was our address). Can remember doing errands to this off license and the weekly trips to this chip shop (all fish and chips wrapped in newspaper!). Can’t remember what the closed (once thriving) shops sold but obviously their customer base had been seriously affected by lack of trade by the time this photo was taken. Notice though no graffiti, grills or litter... Glad we left and Thanks to Birmingham City Council for the move.
 
I believe Wing Yip in Birmingham were the first Chinese cash and carry in the UK.
Oh yes, that's right the Chang's had the Wing yip cash and carry too. I remember sometimes he said he had to nip round to the cash and carry, for Slowboat and other restaurants. I had seen the Wing yip supermarket and always thought as a child that the supermarket and the cash and carry were the same. I remember that my friend's Mum had enormous sacks of rice, presumably from the cash and carry for cooking at home. I was always told that the food she cooked at home was authentic whereas some of the dishes in their restaurants were devised for English tastes. Her Mum was a wonderful cook, but completely self taught. Growing up in China they had staff and she never saw a meal cooked, so it was a big shock when they escaped to the UK and she had to learn to cook for the family, but it was always Chinese food.
 
I believe Wing Yip in Birmingham were the first Chinese cash and carry in the UK.
Oh yes, that's right the Chang's had the Wing yip cash and carry too. I remember sometimes he said he had to nip round to the cash and carry, for Slowboat and other restaurants. I had seen the Wing yip supermarket and always thought as a child that the supermarket and the cash and carry were the same. I remember that my friend's Mum had enormous sacks of rice, presumably from the cash and carry for cooking at home. I was always told that the food she cooked at home was authentic whereas some of the dishes in their restaurants were devised for English tastes. Her Mum was a wonderful cook, but completely self taught. Growing up in China they had staff and she never saw a meal cooked, so it was a big shock when they escaped to the UK and she had learn to cook for the family, but it was always Chinese food.
From Wikipedia...
Other notable buildings in Digbeth, include the now-defunct The Clothing Mart operated by George Makepeace at 135-6 Digbeth which was designed by James Patchett of Ombersley. Built in 1913, it is a steel framed structure with a mixture of façade materials. The façade consists of bright red brick and orange terracotta. The building is no longer used by George Makepeace and has changed hands, undergoing a variety of uses. Several aspects of its original architecture have been lost including a first floor iron balcony, above which electric lanterns with hooded lenses from two iron holders that remain. Either side of these were iron and glass lamps resembling Medici goblets. The orange pilasters sit on a key stone and pedimented blocks set with round pink granite stones and the parapet is of green glazed terracotta.[13]
Thanks for posting this ! This is an absolutely stunning photograph and history of the building.I must show my friend ( daughter of the family) that photo of the supermarket. I bet she doesn't have any.Do you know all those years ago I just didn't look at the stunning old architecture. I think we all saw them in childhood as tired dirty old buildings if at all. Now I cherish everyone of them. I am always looking up! My memory of Birmingham is grounded in the 1960's and 1970's. I left home at the end of the 1970's so although I always came back to see my family, my geography of the city centre is always confused by the sight of the new.
I remember my grandfather who was born in 1887 and lived and worked all his life in Handsworth, Aston & Erdington saying he nearly got lost on his way back home when they redeveloped the city centre back in the days of creating the rotunda and all the underpasses etc post 2nd world war I suppose in the 50's and early 60's. I must say I feel the same when I go now. Just little bits help me reconnect my way around.
 
My memory of Birmingham is grounded in the 1960's and 1970's. I left home at the end of the 1970's so although I always came back to see my family, my geography of the city centre is always confused by the sight of the new.
I left Brum at the end of the 60's, and came home from Worcestershire regularly to Shard End, and later Belchers Lane with my girlfriend on the back of my scooter / bike, later first car (Ex Dad). We always joked about it being different every time we came back. I'm not sure if it hadn't changed over the weekend when we went back to Malvern as well.
Andrew.
 
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