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Lichfield Road Aston

Tramcar route 5 ran from Villa Road through Lozells and Victoria Roads too Gravelly Hill. It ceased at the end of September 1950 replaced by buses (40A route). There was a 68 which commenced around 1920 I read, which went onwards to Erdington but was, apparently Sundays only and abandoned in 1923 Likewise the 81 went on to Pype Hayes, Sundays only, from 1928 being abandoned in 1930.
The 68 and 81 seem to be short lived services and one wonders why the demand was there initially for the Corporation to provide these Sunday services and what happened for them to loose popularity. Those knowing the history of the area might have knowledge about events taking place there - what was happening in Erdington in the early 20's on Sunday? or what was happening in Pype Hayes at the end of that decade?
Another proposition is that as the city expanded with new housing estates bus services were provided and that in itself detracted from use of trams. The limitations of tram operation - could only go where rails existed - had become quite apparent and I believe the turning point away from trams was in the late 1920's. Similarly whilst there good advantages with the new trolley buses their inflexibility on a city wide basis meant that they never expanded their routes to other parts of the city other than extensions to the Coventry Road services.
 
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Note: This post and numbers #112 - #127 posts were re-located to this thread from the Birchfield Road Perry Barr thread, as the image has subsequently been identified as Lichfield Road.

This image is labelled as Birchfield Road in the 1950s. But I'm not exactly sure whereabouts on Birchfield Road it is. Nice sports car behind the trams. Viv.

View attachment 112938
This is one of the pictures I've been looking for years, I lived just three doors away from this junction.
The picture is the junction of Lichfield Road, Church Lane, Victoria Road and Sandy Lane, on the right 79 tram is outside Doctor Goulds Surgery on the corner of Sandy Lane on the other side of Sandy Lane is The Vine Pub.
On the left hand side is the corner of Church Lane and Lichfield Road and was the bomb site one of the shops was our fish and chips the Germans bombed.
on the other side of Church Lane was houses that was bombed and also in Victoria Road next to the Salvation Army Hall.
In the picture corner of Church Lane was a second hand car sales on the bomb site.
The no. 5 Lozells tram ran up Victoria Road, I rember one night getting on the no 5 tram just entered Victoria Road and there was sparks every where the over head pick had come off the lights in the tram went out and must have blown a safety devise we had to wait for the power to be restored.
Great picture brings back a lot of memories of my wartime childhood.
Thank you for the picture it would be lovely if I could get a picture of the same corner before the bombing
 
In one of my books on the Birmingham transport system there is a large railway bridge, referred to as Aston Bridge, over Lichfield Road. I was, it seems, at one end of Aston railway station.
Now this was Ansell's home territory but there was, certainly in 1953, a very large and obvious M&B (good honest beer) ;)advertisement upon it.
This was, I am sure, a deliberate side swipe at a competitor which surely was thought to be a great idea by the M&B folk.
Further reading shows that the bridge was replaced earlier this century by a new one. The arrival of the new bridge can be seen in earlier posts in this thread.
 
Hi ellbrown, it is a sad picture isn't it? According to my Bartholemew's Atlas, 1933, Lichfield Road only went as far as Aston X and then up to Aston Brook Street it was Aston Road North and then Aston Road - I can't remember which road runs to the side of the Vine but I think it's on what was Aston Road. Hope that makes sense.
 
yes quite correct Lynn sandy lane to the left hand side of it and park street to the right and my auntie edith and cousins the marsden family lived ten doors from the pub on the park street and i was born and raised abot six hundred yards from the pub on lichfield road and uncle frank marsden from wigan worked at Ansels as a drayman for many many years and along from the vine pub about 80 yards was our grand fathers shop the coffee shop where all the familys from our terrace celebrated the queens coronation inside there it was a large shop with two floors with the top one at the back of the shop with two billiard tables and later in years he sold it to the lady s parents whom called her self flower girl years ago on this forum whom lived local to the shop they lived in a bunch of house with there front gardens on the front of lichfield road just along from the vine pub my mother went barby when her father came across and said he sold it to a member of the family he only soldit and the other coffee shops because her mother was the business lady and her finance and when she died he had acces to do so and he had a lady companion so sooner she was burried and i will not name her because she is known to certain members personaly on this forum and they spent all his money and my mother went balistic at him best wishes to all Astonian,,
 
Hi ellbrown, it is a sad picture isn't it? According to my Bartholemew's Atlas, 1933, Lichfield Road only went as far as Aston X and then up to Aston Brook Street it was Aston Road North and then Aston Road - I can't remember which road runs to the side of the Vine but I think it's on what was Aston Road. Hope that makes sense.

As of 2017 Lichfield Road runs parallel with the Aston Expressway.

This below is from Google Maps.

Lichfield Rd.jpg
 
Since the 'weed and wardrobe' episode I believe it was owned by the same person who owned The Hairy Lemon chain. I seem to remember there was some trouble and it closed down as happened with the one in High Street, Erdington, formerly The Roebuck.
 
Thanks Lyn, I'll study that later. So glad Aston Road North is still there - I have a picture I want to post of a shop on that road but I'm having trouble - not unusual! Will try re-scanning it. Should it go somewhere else as it's not Lichfield Road?
 
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