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OLD BIRMINGHAM PHOTOS FROM STEVEBHx

That’s interesting the picture is the same as Steve’s but cropped on the right hand side, and out of focus !
I think the one I posted had been taken from the original using a camera and the format prevented the full width being recorded, that could be why it's blurred on the right hand side. I suspect Steve's is the original.
 
I am sure some of you will appreciate this one - I also know the location - Alma Street. A fine window for window shopping at the newsagents - love the Sunday Mercury sign, Post office with the clock in the window. Like the lamp with the square lantern. Round the corner are a couple of vans and a distinctive shop front with the blinds down. Is the lady in the middle in some sort of uniform with the white Cap?

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The OS Map published 1945... Showing the PO.

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Oh - wow - for me that is good - thanks for that. (The only reason I wondered was my husband's aunt had one well into the 1980s). Does that mean the photo could be earlier?
 
| The Underpass tender was approved in Sept 1961 with RM Douglas.

In April 1962 part of Alma Street, between Whitehead Street and Lozells Road, had been closed for 4 months. The shop owners said that what was once a main road had now become a cul-de-sac, and they were loosing business. They were granted a rate reduction for 12 months on the understanding that more business would be attracted in the new estate being built.

So the PO may have survived the actual building of the Underpass ? When did it actually disappear, and did it reappear in another location ?
 
Finally one of the most interesting photos so far I feel, evocative of an age. So where do I start, location - well on the left Regent Place so I am thinking Caroline street (?) then working round, corner shop with its signs, children playing on the Midland Counties milk float, and child with trolley with dog in the road. Something & Lee on the factory at the end but notice all the chimney pots above the factory, telephone poles, gas lamp then all of humanity on the street, moms, dads, children, prams and grans!! Wonderful - never to be seen again .
EDIT: after a big hunt my original location can be discounted - the location of the grocers shop is 107 St Mark's Street (on corner of Regent Place), so the road is St Marks Street Ladywood. thanks to so many people who assisted.

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If I read the plate on the milk float parked behind the 1939 design Ford Prefect as HVP 534 I can offer a more accurate date as being March to July 1948. Birmingham chose to segregate commercial vehicles from private cars when organising registrations and this leads to the occasional anomaly. The 1963 version of the registration, that is, numbers first then letters, started and completed in March of that year.
 
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That’s a Minor, without doubt. All of the clues to tell if it is a Series 2 or a 1000 are invisible, but they sold very few Series 2s as it was a potentially heavy car for the puny and fragile Austin 803cc engine to drag about, especially if full of milk crates or bags of sand! The new in 1956 948cc engine made it into a much better car, and the 1962 1100cc was even better still.

Another detail, different names were used for estate cars, the Austin was called Countryman, the Morris was called Traveller, even in the BMC/Leyland days.
 
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Beg to differ on the 1100 being better John, the crankshaft bearings weren't up to the extra poke and there were many big end failures at first. :(
 
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