pmc147's picture captioned 'Parkfield Café' brought back a few memories for me. I managed TFS Easy's decorator supplies shop for about 6 months in 1959, then Mr & Mrs Easy retired and sold up to a couple of business men from Worcester. There was another branch in Castle Bromwich or thereabout. One of the window displays, for Dulux paint, had a hand holding a paintbrush that moved up and down in a painting action. The movement was driven by a small motor via a male/female bayonet switcher adaptor. When the display was replaced, I 'borrowed' the switcher for use with my Christmas tree lights - and I still use it today. Blimey, has it really been 50 years? Had a few laughs there, including the old lady who came in and asked for a pint of white Durex!
There was a shed at the back where we cut glass to size and the stench of rotting maggots from the fishing tackle shop next door drifted over the fence into the shed. It was unbearable.
To the right of the picture was the Morris Commercial Club where I spent many a night playing snooker.
Someone mentioned a 'horrible dentist' and I think they could be referring to Frank Rowbottom, but there were a few other dentists there including McCallum and Warwick. They were at the bottom end of Bowyer Road next to the Rock pub.
The Tropmans photo.... on the opposite side to the café on the corner of Clodeshall Road, there was Armstrong's tool shop with timber yard at the back and an extension builders yard across the road next to said café. They were a true family business; Bob Armstrong's missus ran the shop while he and his three sons did the donkey work in the builders' and timber yard.
Someone mentioned Davies' tailors where I had a great suit made and, next door, was Carter's furniture store where I bought a dining table and four chairs plus a writing bureau cum glass cabinet - 15 guineas for the lot!
Further down, opposite the Rock cinema was Rock Photographics where I bought all my photo processing chemicals. It was run by two brothers and they later renamed the shop Hathaway Studios, specialising in photo frames.
Opposite the Capitol cinema was a model aircraft shop where my son would urge me into every time we were in the area. A few doors down was Hawtin's record shop.