OLD BIRMINGHAM PHOTOS FROM STEVEBHx

[Susan shaw]

Finally Burtons again 1971, note that the air vents have Burtons on them and the fine selection of clothes in the window. A close look shows the sign of the Arden Hotel, an old lady wrapped up against the weather and a little Ford View attachment 153698

 

[Vivienne14]

The Burton’s shop was not typical of their earlier shops. The earlier shops were purpose built in Art Deco style, had billiards rooms above and had plaques set into the frontage (below the windows) naming family members. But the premises in #449 is a Victorian building with several previous tenants.

Viv.

 

[Susan shaw]

Great photo. Love the Ford Anglia. Ha ha

 

[A Sparks]

Heading down towards New Street again in 1971, we have Roberts and Skincraft - knee length boots and shorts.

View attachment 153696

I had my ears pierced at Roberts, 1965 I think it was, 25/- including the gold stud earrings.

To edit: I've just remembered it was that jewellery shop but it was called Goldsteins at the time!

 

[Brookfields Lad]

Well this was taken just before it all changed around here, Lancaster Street 1968. Building on the left was a warehouse, now the council offices - spent many years working here. A close look needs to be made of all the different cars and vans, the Mace delivery lorry advertising Golden Stream Tea and the wooden barriers and gas lamps, can you imagine two way traffic these days.
View attachment 153654

Ford Corsair parked on the front of 'Brown, Hopwood and Gilbert'.

 

[sospiri]

Susan,

In response to your question in post #448, In 2000, C&A announced its intention to withdraw from the British market, where it had been operating since 1922, and the last UK retail stores closed in 2001. Primark bought 11 of the C&A stores. And this was years before the Brexit referendum, but they were facing severe competition from chains like H & M, Zara, etc.

Maurice

 

[Johnfromstaffs]

The car outside Princess Chambers is a 1966 Austin Westminster A110 Mk2, in what looks like basic trim.
The MDT registration is from the County Borough of Doncaster, it may be a police special, (or ex-police) due to the scarcity of chrome strips and wheel trims.

 

[SteveBhx]

The car outside Princess Chambers is a 1966 Austin Westminster A110 Mk2, in what looks like basic trim.

How did you know I was talking about you , how about a selection of car parks from 1974?

 

[Susan shaw]

Susan,

In response to your question in post #448, In 2000, C&A announced its intention to withdraw from the British market, where it had been operating since 1922, and the last UK retail stores closed in 2001. Primark bought 11 of the C&A stores. And this was years before the Brexit referendum, but they were facing severe competition from chains like H & M, Zara, etc.

Maurice

Hi Maurice, Thank you for the informative reply. You could buy nice things from C&A. I Remember my new red coat with the fur trim one Christmas. My sister had one the same, she hated it. Regards Sue

 

[Brookfields Lad]

The car outside Princess Chambers is a 1966 Austin Westminster A110 Mk2, in what looks like basic trim.

I had an Austin Westminster as well as it's equivalent, the Wolseley 6/110. A friend had the 'VandenPlas.' We all aspired to but never did to owning the 4litre 'R'. We thought we were the bees knees lording it about in our old rust buckets.

 

[Johnfromstaffs]

Can’t guarantee accuracy on the car parks, but I’ll have a go.

 

[Alf Rogers]

Finally Burtons again 1971, note that the air vents have Burtons on them and the fine selection of clothes in the window. A close look shows the sign of the Arden Hotel, an old lady wrapped up against the weather and a little Ford View attachment 153698

The mannequin on the far right in the window display looks just like Jason King/ Peter Wyngarde!

 

[pjmburns]

So today I thought I would do the other side of the Corporation Street c/o New Street, this is C&A in 1971 in the process of enlarging and modernising as the poster says. Like the half timbered mini. View attachment 153694

 

[pjmburns]

Heading down towards New Street again in 1971, we have Roberts and Skincraft - knee length boots and shorts.

View attachment 153696

 

[pjmburns]

Ciro of Bond Street and J Marks Furriers, and the entrance to Princes Chambers, note the ornamental entrance and I imagine gold lettering on the windows on the first floor. Went in there once there was the old - to me, iron work lift that you opened and closed the doors yourself and could see out of.

View attachment 153697

 

[pjmburns]

Finally Burtons again 1971, note that the air vents have Burtons on them and the fine selection of clothes in the window. A close look shows the sign of the Arden Hotel, an old lady wrapped up against the weather and a little Ford View attachment 153698

 

[pjmburns]

Same location but looking up the road, nothing much to see apart from the van and the Ford Cortina, Vauxhall Victor etc.View attachment 153695

I haven't posted a "now" shot as the building on Streetview are either obscured by a metro tram or on older shots by buses.

 

[Eric Gibson]

I ran a series of Austin Westminsters and Wolseley 6/110s, first was a black over red two-tone then a beige then a white one that got me stopped several times by the cops 'just for a chat, we had these in the force.' followed that with a two-tone rose taupe and beige Wolseley and finally a blue Austin 3 litre.

 

[Susan shaw]

I haven't posted a "now" shot as the building on Streetview are either obscured by a metro tram or on older shots by buses.

Thanks for pics Janice. So missing Birmingham. Haven’t been ‘uptown’ for months.. .. Although, after living in Staffordshire for fifty years uptown has very, vey slowly changed to ‘into town’. Kind regards, Sue

 

[StevenMc]

I ran a series of Austin Westminsters and Wolseley 6/110s, first was a black over red two-tone then a beige then a white one that got me stopped several times by the cops 'just for a chat, we had these in the force.' followed that with a two-tone rose taupe and beige Wolseley and finally a blue Austin 3 litre.

Same location but looking up the road, nothing much to see apart from the van and the Ford Cortina, Vauxhall Victor etc.View attachment 153695

What's amazing is that parking was possible in Central Birmingham in the early 1970s.

I also remember seeing a video on YouTube about the opening of the Bull Ring in the early 1960s in which someone would park your car for you. A very different age in which so much of the old city was swept away.

Incidentally, seeing the A40 van reminds me that we had one just like that. No windows in the back made long journeys a strange experience for kids as could see where you were going and where you'd been!

 

[Astoness]

The mannequin on the far right in the window display looks just like Jason King/ Peter Wyngarde!

yes alf you are right...

 

[mikejee]

I also remember seeing a video on YouTube about the opening of the Bull Ring in the early 1960s in which someone would park your car for you. A very different age in which so much of the old city was swept away.

Steve.
If you go to post 383 on https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/is-this-your-motor.47674/page-15#post-705324 you can see that from my experience this was not necessarily a good idea

 

[SteveBhx]

Police Station - 1162 Bristol Road South Longbridge, one for the car guys and gals, Police car, car transporter then work your way down the cars on the other side of the road - have a good evening.

 

[mikejee]

Steve,
If that photo was taken after august 1968 , then I might have been in my flatwhich was in the house to the left of the statiion (you can just see part of the front gate). One of the CID once showed me how to break into my car with a thin piece of metal down the side of the window when Iocked myself out of it with the engine running in the snow !

 

[pjmburns]

Thanks for pics Janice. So missing Birmingham. Haven’t been ‘uptown’ for months.. .. Although, after living in Staffordshire for fifty years uptown has very, vey slowly changed to ‘into town’. Kind regards, Sue

The pics are down to Steve - all I do is find the site on google streetview.

 

[Astoness]

Steve,
If that photo was taken after august 1968 , then I might have been in my flatwhich was in the house to the left of the statiion (you can just see part of the front gate). One of the CID once showed me how to break into my car with a thin piece of metal down the side of the window when Iocked myself out of it with the engine running in the snow !

ooh so close to getting you caught on camera mike

 

[Johnfromstaffs]

The police car is quite clearly an A60 Cambridge from 1966, and the car further down the road is an A50 Cambridge, 1954 -56. As far as I can see, every single car on the other side is British built, that state of affairs was not to last much longer, even in Longbridge.

 

[SteveBhx]

This is Pershore Road in 1972 - sorry I cannot help with the corner of road. Bit of something for everyone, shops with ornamental coping and chimney cowls, ghost sign of a Tailor on the front, telephone pole with spike on the top, Bedford Van in front of the hardware store and another Ford Cortina behind it. If you look closely on the extreme right there is a small child sat on the pavement ( behind the lady with the shopping bab)

 

[SteveBhx]

120 Medlicote Road 1974, a tired corner shop but with nice corner sign and Pyrex advert in the window. Like the proches over the houses. Ornamental brickwork around the eaves and a dog sat on the pavement.

 

[SteveBhx]

E.G Spindler it says over the door, 30 Mansel Road in 1973, with a few tweeks the picture is timeless, Hovis advert in the window Walls ice cream and birds eye also make up the adverts - there is a tea one but cannot make it out.