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New unseen photos of brum

My mate and I used the car park opposite just about every week. My mate was a rep for Gloster Aircraft and his usual vehicle was an Austin A40 shooting brake, British Racing Green with a small and tasteful decal of the company. One time we drove into the car park and the new attendant refused entry on the basis that it was a commercial vehicle and therefore not allowed. Despite our protest he was adamant that we had to leave. He didn't last long and we were soon allowed back in.

Before long he had gone and we were allowed back in.
The Arden Hotel was where I attended The Cobbers Club before coming to Oz in 1961
 
Just catching up after a week away Lyn. Many thanks for posting these, they're fascinating.
 
With apologies
Just to prove an old nerd is alive and well in Leamington Spa and that "Big Healeys" are my specialist BORING subject
The car in the photo is definitely an Austin Healey 3000 (post 1959) due to its front disc brakes, curved windscreen and wind up windows. A BN/1 was a 100/4 (4 cylinder 2.4 litre) circa 1954 which was developed to a BN6 (6 cylinder 2.6 litre) 1957/58. In 1959 it became the "3000" BN/7 and BT/7 -2 /4 seats - (6 cylinder 2.9 litre). I think the car in photo is a post 1962 BT/7 or BJ/7.
Thats enough
Gosh! To see such detail you must have much better resolution on your screen. BN1 was certainly 4 cylinder with 3 speed gear box plus overdrive. Struggled to top a ton. Remember being left for dead on the M5 by a Mini Cooper. 001ag.jpg
 
Have just returned after being away a few days. Below is a plan of the area around the Fish Market c 1955 showing the toilets.

map_c_1955_area_around_fish_market.jpg
 
ok folks here we go...

co op from new st across the big top


If you hadn't been able to tell us where this was Lyn, I think I'd have struggled to place it. It looks like Christmas time with all the decorations. When you look closely at the Co-op frontage I think there's an image of a woman (below my yellow dot). Wondering if it's the Madonna? Or was it some other celebration? Viv.
 

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hi viv it is a strange one to try and pinpoint just what the celebrations were..i wonder if its the queen on the building and the celebrations are the coronation.. looking at the dress the year looks about right..
 
glad you like them wendy and charlie..gives us something to talk about thats for sure..

lyn
 
hi viv it is a strange one to try and pinpoint just what the celebrations were..i wonder if its the queen on the building and the celebrations are the coronation.. looking at the dress the year looks about right..
I'm pretty certain it was the coronation and vaguely remember seeing those decorations as I often waited at a bus stop opposite the car park. I had a very close look at the pic and tried something in another thread here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=38017&p=548233#post548233
 
taken from bull st bottom left..road leading to right is high st

Re. post #17. Hadn't noticed at first, but the sign to the left indicates the way to the Top Rank Suite. Must have been very new when this photo was taken. Also look at the little cherub tagging along behind his/her dad. The poor little thing can't ride in the pram cos his dad's conveying a large parcel in it! Love those buildings that were built on a triangular plot, usually with a curved corner. It's similar to the one on Constitution Hill. Think there was also one near Martineau Sq before the 1960s re-development. Viv.
 
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high st aston from no 8 bus..my neck o the woods i love this one...high st running across...izons chemist on the corner of high st and whitehead road...the white building will be known to many as dr masseys surgery on the corner or whitehead road and park lane...

Re. post #19. What on earth are all those traffic lights for? And TWO traffic islands! Not too sure I'd know how to negotiate this stretch of road. But then it doesn't look very busy .... just as well! Viv.
 
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THE NEXT 25..

ok folks here we go with the next lot...

the beginning of the rotunda

Re. post #66. Probably an impressive civil engineering achievement, but I'm not convinced the site would pass the H & S standards of today. That shoring up looks a bit dodgy. And all that stuff left lying around. Well, an accident waiting to happen. Viv.
 
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Concerning the High Street Co-op photo, at first I thought it might be the Festival of Britain in 1951, and I knew it had to be between 1941 when the corner of New Street and High Street was bombed, and when they started to redevelop the Big Top site in 1957 as it later became known . So I kept looking and came up with this, its a photo that confirms it was in 1953 and the image of the lady was indeed HM the Queen.
 

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The photo of the Lewis's building in post #4 is very obviously taken in the Coronation Year and I notice I had commented about the Coronation in post #114 and about seeing that scene of the car park.
 
hi folks i will be starting a new thread up shortly for the unseen photos i have that do not have locations written on the back of them..i have a idea of where one or two are but not confident enough to say for sure...thanks to everyone for posting memories these photos have bought you and to all members who have made great contributions...over 6000 views in just a week..cant be bad...

lyn
 
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