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Birchfield Road Perry Barr

Big Gee said:
Lyn, I remember that Indian restaurant quiet well but not its name! It was a regular place for a Saturday eat-out for me and friends back in the 1960's. Perry Barr Precinct was all right when it first opened, but in a quite short space of time companies started moving out, premises were boarded up and it became something of a haven for druggies. Shame, but the way of the world unfortunately.

G
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hi G i cant recall the name either and i went there enough times:rolleyes:
 
,The original businesses of Lynton Sq/Perry Barr Shopping Centre in 1963. No Indian restaurant at this point in time. Must have moved in later. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
viv the indian restaurant was not in the shopping complex it was in the tower you can see in post 541
 
i have heard on the grapvine that there is to be yet another revamp of one stop but dont know how true this is yet

lyn
 
Looking at Vivienne's list of businesses in Lynton Square, I think quite a few of them were short-lived. I worked for Handsworth Sports at their Soho Road shop 1968 - 1969 and sometimes had to go to the Lynton Square branch. I remember that there were several premises already closed and boarded up, only 5 or 6 years after Lynton Square originally opened. But the Indian restaurant kept going!

G
 
Yes I remember the tower Lyn. A little unusual in the suburbs to have an Indian restaurant in an office block. The tower was built as an office block. The details for the office tower don't mention there being accommodation for a restaurant. The restaurant must have applied to change the office accommodation status on the second floor as well as make all the necessary adaptations.

I wonder if the development was a bit of a white elephant from the start (as Big Gee suggests) and there was a move to 'fill up' the new development - thus allowing a restaurant in an office block. Viv.
 
yes viv it was unusual ..there was also a little cafe come take away where we used to buy our lunches from when i worked in one of the offices...this was in the early 70s though

lyn
 
Now I think about it, a school-friend of mine worked in the tower block, in an insurance office if I recall correctly. He wasn't there long after he left school in 1963, same time as me - his employer moved elsewhere.

Also, when I got married in 1971, Mac Fisheries was by then in Birchfield Road on the corner with Bragg Road - lovely shop, too. (Unless of course they had two shops in the area...)

G
 
A friend of mine, from Kerala South Western India, reminded me that India is a large country and the food is quite different from one region to another. Indian food, for much of the UK he said, was generally for Western palates and the name Indian, as far as food, was concerned was rather like all vacuum cleaners being called 'hoovers'. Many so called Indian restaurants are actually Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Afghan. This is not surprising really because at some time in the past India comprised not only the area now known as India but Pakistan, Bangladesh and parts of Afghanistan.
Unsurprisingly he cooks most of his own food. Very nice, but I do have to steer clear of some highly spiced, throat burning dishes. :eek:
 
oldMohawk said:
The only image I know of which shows the shoe shop on the corner in Birchfield Road. I do not know the date but notice the pedestrian crossings are not zebra crossings and the cars would also probably help to date it. The image is not very clear but the name on the shop appears to be 'Englands'.
View attachment 109939
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There were a few replies about this photograph but I did not see mention that the Englands shop was a shoe shop.
 
oldMohawk said:
A sunny day in Birchfield Rd between Trinity Rd and Six Ways. A No 6 tram with no adverts on it and a Midland Red FEDD following it in the distance.
View attachment 109628
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The date was queried here but I did not see a definite date given.
The tramcar, 10, was destroyed in an air raid during the earlier part of WW2 i.e. before the end of 1941. This Midland Red bus is also in pre-war colours.
 
My post#482 was to show that the shop on the corner of Aston Lane and Birchfield Road was England's as photo confirmation of the info in the post quoted below. England's was definitely a shoe shop.
mikejee said:
In 1955 n0 335-7 Birchfield Road (corner of aston Lane & Birchfield Road) was England's smart shoes Ltd.
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A photo showing the previously mentioned George Dodd's hardware shop on the left. During the time I actually used the shop it never had wire grills over the windows. The photo is from the Keith Berry photo archive and had a date 1970s on it.
37PerryBarr3.jpg
 
Astoness said:
cracking shot of birchfield road..looking towards aston lane..can make out the old crown and cushion on the left..the birchfield cinema on the right and the library next to it..the church you can see in aston lane is still there and so are the houses to the left of it but the houses to the right of the church have now gone.


Image below retrieved by Oldmohawk
View attachment 115909
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I'm sure I can remember an indoor market hall somewhere near the Bus garage, this would have been late fifties as my Mother used to take us there and buy some beer shampoo in the little barrel shaped bottles.
 
Great photos, taking me way, way back. Was the toy shop - can't remember the name now - next door to the restaurant? I remember Dodds Ironmongers very well - they were always helpful, and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

I heard recently that there are discussions regarding the dismantling of the Flyover - has anyone else heard anything regarding?

G
 
The bus, in post #574, is of interest. In 1949 (assuming the date to be correct) it is still in wartime livery - dark roof and rear windows. Birmingham was usually on the ball where liveries were concerned and I suggest that most daily operational pre-war buses would have had the new style khaki applied. It appears, although looking somewhat jaded, to be a 1937 - 39 Daimler product.
It is a SPECIAL and I suggest a spare vehicle, maybe used as a snowplough or other non passenger service vehicle. There are posters in the windows and I wonder if, given the 1949 date, it is being used to educate passengers about the forthcoming closure of the tram route 6 at the end of December, 1949. This tram route was not replaced by a new bus service but incorporated into the existing 33 bus route.
 
Big Gee said:
Great photos, taking me way, way back. Was the toy shop - can't remember the name now - next door to the restaurant? I remember Dodds Ironmongers very well - they were always helpful, and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

I heard recently that there are discussions regarding the dismantling of the Flyover - has anyone else heard anything regarding?

G
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Big Gee said:
Great photos, taking me way, way back. Was the toy shop - can't remember the name now - next door to the restaurant? I remember Dodds Ironmongers very well - they were always helpful, and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

I heard recently that there are discussions regarding the dismantling of the Flyover - has anyone else heard anything regarding?

G
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Was there a Dodds Iron mongers in Sutton? I have a vague memory of my Dad having a job at Dodds in the 60s
 
carolina said:
This is 1962 Birchfield Underpass

Birchfield_Underpass_March_1962.jpg
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The reason why I love this site so much is that you can just browse and find amazing photos like these :D:D
 
glad you are finding the forum interesting ade...although it is a lot of hard work by the team behind the scenes to run a steady ship..keep things friendly and keep threads tidy we think its worth it

lyn :)
 
Astoness said:
glad you are finding the forum interesting ade...although it is a lot of hard work by the team behind the scenes to run a steady ship..keep things friendly and keep threads tidy we aim to please

lyn :)
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I think that people on here are amazing, spending hours of there own time sharing stories, memories and photos it's a pleasure to be part of and a privilege to contribute
 
thanks again ade without our good members sharing we would not have forum...its all down to team effort...enjoy

lyn
 
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