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Hello Maureen! I remember your name. I was at Aggies from 1968 to 1975 when I left to go to art school. Yes, I drew horses. (Thank you so much for the compliment). Barbara was the cartoonist. I remember the names of Imelda Donnelly and Catherine Burke. Yes, Helen’s father had pancreatic cancer...

I was in Albert Street today and, thanks to some recent Dale End demolition, was able to see the rear view of the Powell’s building in all its glory. The forest growing on the roof is quite impressive, and the open window in the rear roof will be great for letting in the rain and the pigeons. A...

What a beautiful drawing, and what a find!

Ooh, thank you. It’s too late for me today, but the first of July has been added to my hectic* social calendar. * not very .

There’s only Boots and M&S remaining. Too sad for words.

We are losing so much.

The outer part of the building played a role in the first series of Line of Duty. It was the police headquarters.

I fear that the Rackhams / House of Fraser shop is doomed. I passed through it last month and was dismayed to see that it was a clearance outlet of sorts. The cosmetics hall was empty, and the shop floor was strewn with trestle tables covered with reduced goods.

Sorry, I can’t help with photographs. It may be possible to contact the Penfold family directly. I think they lived in Sutton Coldfield. John Penfold was a young adult in the seventies.

My mum got me a summer job at Penfolds. She used to work afternoons on the new-fangled solid centred golfballs, a much cheaper product than traditional balls. I was at art school at the time and needed the money! I earned £40.00 per week, full time for a few weeks in the summer of 1977 or 1978...

The jaundiced side of me read that as being “substantial removal of original features”.

Thank you for that, Janice. The interior looks to be in a sorry state, but, you know, I would love to go in and have a look around!

I think it’s grade II listed. I hope the developers get a move on though, as there are young trees growing in the guttering.

I saw yesterday that planning permission was being sought to convert the building into shops and flats.

Hi Maisie, Thank you for taking it so well! :) Eileen

Hi Tim, I’m sorry to have taken so long to reply, but I don’t visit this forum as often as I should. Thank you so much for the invitation to come and visit my old school. I shall definitely take you up on your kind offer, and will be in touch on the school’s email! kind regards, Eileen

I have only just found this thread. How lovely! I was at Aggies from 1968 (form 1B, Mrs Boaz) until 1975. The only name I recognise, sorry to say, although we were in different year groups, is Maisie McElroy. I always loved that name, so much so that I use it as a nom de plume on Pinterest...

Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through the Rhodes photographs. As they now reflect a bygone era, I am saddened that there is no room in today’s society for such delightful specialist shops. I would be happy to shop in one today! I particularly remember the china shop in the Great...

You may be interested to know that the first tv series of Line of Duty used the Central Fire Station’s engine house for several scenes. I recognised it instantly, having worked there in the late 1980s.

I also liked the Kentish Cobnut trees which used to surround the Iron man statue, and used to collect the clusters of these sweet nuts every autumn.