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Just Outside Birmingham by Post Card.

Arkrite said:
old Mohawk , I recall the Trolleys ,Walsall Corporation, came in from the Bloxwich direction and U- turned to the right outside St Paul's Church to stand at the passenger pick up on that side. Midland Red had the stand nearest Henry's.In between the Walsall Corp diesel buses picked up. Add to that another bus station at the other end of the Bridge. Seventh Heaven for a young bus spotter.OH Happy days.

I have an idea that one of the trams did for my Great Grandad, he was deaf and never heard it coming.... regards arkrite.
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Sorry to see a Walsall tram saw off your Great Grandad Arkrite, for you and old Mohawk here is a Walsall tram that Kaiser Bill did for!. A nearby bomb dropped from a Zeppelin has taken out most of the window glass.
 

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Over to the Cotswolds for an old view of Painswick Church where legend has it that there are 99 yew trees in the churchyard because any attempt to grow 100 results in the newly planted tree dying or if it survives one of the original trees dies. When my kids were young we stopped off there for them to count the yew trees - and there were 99.
 

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That's something that I didn't know Mike. I visited the church many years ago when we used to drive to the area to go for Sunday lunch near to the folly close by. Can't remember the name of the place we used to go to. It's beautiful around that area. Thanks for posting that story.
 
Just remembered the name of the hotel. It was The Rising Sun, Cleeve Hill. Most amazing views from the dining room.
 
It's Walsall again with another tram for Arkrite and for our cinema buffs the Imperial is showing 'The Samaritan' and also 'Sidewalks of New York' so that should date the view nicely. Wonder if Reades Express Powders advertised on the tram did the same job as Beechams Powders.
 
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motorman-mike said:
Sorry to see a Walsall tram saw off your Great Grandad Arkrite, for you and old Mohawk here is a Walsall tram that Kaiser Bill did for!. A nearby bomb dropped from a Zeppelin has taken out most of the window glass.
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On re-reading this thread a thought came to me .Could this tram damaged by a Zepelin be the one in which Walsall's Lady Mayoress was killed ? The poor lady I understand was decapitated probably by the lack of safety glass.
 
Sounds a bit grim Arkrite but I hadn't heard of that before.
While still in Walsall, here is a busy c.1930's scene outside Lloyd's Bank.
I remember taking a party and going round the Highgate Brewery in Walsall a few years ago and free beer at the end of the tour. Because I was the coach driver I had to stay off it but they gave me a dozen bottles of Mild to take home. Very nice it was too. Is it still brewed?
 

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oldMohawk said:
I'm trying to think what the 'Keys' shop sold. Looking at the road opposite in the photo, Walsall later built a 'Bus Station' which looks like something out of 'Star-Trek'.
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Walsall today and oldMohawks 'Star -Trek' Bus Station - yuk!
 

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The Highgate Brewery is still going . I think there are plans to redevelop the Bus Station which has never popular with its users..drivers or passengers. In Worcester we have a subterranean cavern of a bus station that stinks of deisel fumes.
I lived in the Walsall area until the early 1960's and the old bus station was my favourite place. Watching the comings and goings probably gave me my love of travel and new places.
 
motorman-mike said:
Walsall today and oldMohawks 'Star -Trek' Bus Station - yuk!
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Great isn't it .... I think it won a 'Design Award'. Notice the holes in the roof to let the rain through. I seem to remember reading that the concrete roof dropped 3" when they removed the building supports. Also I think some buses have to make 'U turns' to enter it.
 
With the opening of the M5, originally only as far as Strensham Services, Birmingham-on-Sea (Weston-Super-Mare) became a bit closer in travelling time and then 'just outside Birmingham' when the M5 extended on to Exeter. In the 1960's we were still having to use the A38 to get through Bristol on to the A370 to reach Weston. Here is Bristol at that time showing the then new Haymarket Shopping area. The biig round fronted store is Lewis's and there is a Birmingham connection to this view. Look at the advert on the bus.
 

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Hi, Mike - Had a good look for the bus but can't see it. With regard to the Walsall bus station, they also have a new art gallery, which looks a bit like a Grain Silo.....
 
And soon Walsall will have a spanking new Tesco superstore ( surprise, surprise ) on the site of what I know as the old Technical College, close to the bus station.
 
oldMohawk said:
Hi, Mike - Had a good look for the bus but can't see it. With regard to the Walsall bus station, they also have a new art gallery, which looks a bit like a Grain Silo.....
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The bus is to the right of the Lewis's building and carries the advert 'M & B It's Marvellous Beer' so Bristol must have had some M & B pubs amongst the local Georges' Beers pubs.
Mike
 
Heading for Brum is the 74 bus amongst other interesting vehicles seen in 1960's Dartmouth Square, West Bromwich
 

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This bus loading at the Welcombe Hotel, Stratford on Avon, and again at Stratford station, is a unique road-rail vehicle which ran on the Stratford to Bletchley branch line, offering a faster connection to London by connecting express train. The road wheels could be lifted, allowing the rail wheels down once over the track. The experiment lasted but a few months in 1932, although similar vehicles (both bus and lorry bodied) also ran in Holland.
 

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Here is one for GGJean, her favourite chip shop is by the Midland Red bus in this 1960's view of Bewdley. (Still there today as well, she was in there recently!)
 
Thanks Mike and yes it is. There's a new shop just above it [not that it is a favourite of mine] TIPPLERS. Not as good as Aldi's. Jean.
 
Funny thing Jean, last time we went over to Bewdley that TIPPLERS had some Cyprus wine we enjoy on holiday in Cyprus. Never seen it over here so dived in for a bottle or two. Couldn't believe they were charging the equivalent of 5 times more a bottle than what we paid in Cyprus so we made do with just one bottle! I know there is probably import duty but that was O.T.T.
Mike
 
Bit off topic sorry but they are more expensive there than some other local stores. I will see if i have a postcard of Stourport?. Sure I have somewhere. Jean.
 
Back on thread and back on track in Edwardian Warwick where we have seen the Eastgate from the other side but rarely from this side.
 

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In Worcestershire, how about the days when churns of locally produced milk were delivered by tram from Kinver to Stourport for dairies there. Here we see the churns waiting to be picked up.
 

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In the City of Worcester itself here is the High Street seen in about the late 1940's.
 

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Hello Mike, I have to tell you mike that I find your pictures absolutely fascinating. That last one for instance brings back great memories of my dad taking me fishing in the river at Worcester. Even if I have no memories connected to some of them they are all of such great quality.
 
Know what you mean Trevor and thanks. Have you seen the lorries over on the Maudsley thread? Good stuff there as well.
Mike
 
Yes I did scrutinise that page. My sore throat seems to have gone away now and no other signs of anything so tell me which evening suits you.
 
hi motorman
great shot of bewdley high street, it seems outrageous now but I used to cycle from Bartley Green to bewdley to go fishing by the bridge, near there used to be a small cafe
could not do it now. one thing about your photo is how english the scene looks to, to-day
regards
paul
 
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