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Summer Lane

This copper plaque (presumably stamped by H. B. Sale) shows how to get to their Progress Works on Summer Lane. It says it's a 10 minute walk or a 3 minute train ride from Snow Hill. This must have hung at Snow Hill Station or thereabouts.
 

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I was in Summer Lane yesterday and took these photos.
Afraid the building is in sorry condition, would love to go in and up to the top, but apparently extensive work and money are needed to stablise and maintain the building.
The sign looks like the main structure of the 'A' has gone at some point.The top is filled with some sort of growth,but couldn't see any evidence of pigeons.
Excuse quality of first two photos, large magnification used.
Also reminds me of the flatiron building in New York.


One you allow vegetation to start growing on your building it can sound the death knell of the building, it gets between the courses and forces the brickwork apart. Sometimes on buildings with climbing ivy it is only the ivy holding it together because the ivy root (tentacles) has pushed all the mortar out.
 
One you allow vegetation to start growing on your building it can sound the death knell of the building, it gets between the courses and forces the brickwork apart. Sometimes on buildings with climbing ivy it is only the ivy holding it together because the ivy root (tentacles) has pushed all the mortar out.

thanks phil i have heard this before so i think we have to fear for the building now...given its location i cant really see what it could be used for...i have a feeling its no longer a restaurant but could be wrong and dont forget only up the road there is the lord clifden which is going great guns and the newly refurbed church tavern which is also doing well i believe

lyn
 
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Hope you do not mind me butting in but I used to own the newsagent shop opposite the sale factory in the 70s. David sale was one of the directors and frank ( can t remember surname )run the place.
frank then opened a medal shop in constitution hill.
many happy years there
 
hi col please butt in as much as you like we love to hear any memories of summer lane....i take it you have seen the photo of what i think must be your old shop....this is a long thread so you may have missed it

lyn
 
I think so. I took over the place in 1973 and was there till 1982.
there was a cafe next door and then a bakers. In between was a Woodyard owned by 2 brothers named Jones as I recall.
There yard must of been one of the old back to back yards.
Col
 
col just in case was this your shop...i used to go in it more or less up to when it was demolished which was not that many years back...if you click on the photo a couple of times it will enlarge

lyn
 

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Hi lyn
thats the one. I sold it to a guy named Clive who owned it until it was demolished.
i did live above the place for a few years. Very interesting building there was a cellar full of old chemist bottles and assorted stuff. A lady who lived in henrietta street told me it used to be an apothecary come chemist on the name of bishop. My ex still has a few of the bottles and a full otter of beer from the 50s I think.
col
 
hi col how wonderful its a shame you didnt keep all of the old chemists bottles but at least you still have a few..the full otter of beer sounds interesting although i dont think i would like to drink it now lol...if you have any old photos of the lane we would love to see them..strangly enough i have an address for an old rellie of mine who lived above a chemists shop in summer lane..no number given but it could well have been this one...do you remember the salutation pub just on the corner?

all the best

lyn
 
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Hi lyn
dont think I have any photos. The pub I think had gone when I got there but the bus garage was there but demolished a little while later. I remember being overrun with mice when they did it.
col
 
I called the HB Sale building the "Flatiron" until I got to find out more about it. It is probably a beautiful building in the wrong place!
The plants around the top are probably buddleia, the curse of old buildings, especially on railway structures where it can be difficult to get at. There was a similar growth near the top of the tower of the Central Hall in Corporation Street. This article about buddleia is interesting. https://bbc.in/1n5inRV
 
thanks col..its great to talk to folk who once lived on the lane....not sure if you have found them yet but i have posted a photo of every pub that was on summer lane in the 60s....you will find them under the pubs of summer lane thread...any problems finding it just let me know

lyn
 
See the palm trees swaying way down Summer Lane.
Every Saturday night there's a jubilation you can see them dancing in the Salutation'
There ain't no Snow on Snow Hill and there's no need to catch a train.
Every Saturday night if the weather is right,it's Summer in Summer lane.....My mom learn't it from the bloke who wrote it,In Brearly St.
There are more verses but I don't remember them.
 
As some photos were sadly lost from this thread, I thought it'd be useful to see if we could find some of those lost images and add any others of interest. Also, early on in the thread, Astoness noted a general shortage of Summer Lane images. So maybe it's a good time to try to address these two problems. Here's a lovely image from the Shoothill collection showing the corner of Summer Lane. Not sure which corner (?) but what an interesting house. A million miles away from the images I've seen of the back-to-back houses which were earmarked for demolition along Summer Lane . There's a hotel next door (right) and a sign on the chimney stack announcing 'Beds'. I wonder if this had any connection with the Settlement building identified earlier in the thread? Viv.
 

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Viv
Have copy which says it is no 381 summer lane, built 1789. That makes it the corner with hospital St
 
According to 1940 Kelly's the house at 381 Summer Lane was owned by William Stober a physician and surgeon. The building next door is the Model Lodging House. I can't look later online.


Janice
 
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