Jean Smith [Lyndon];69808 said:I remember the old Perry Barr Shopping center. There was a tall building with an Indian restaurant on the top floor. When I felt flush I would take my my mom for a meal there. There was a furniture shop called Williams's it was always in advertisements on TV. My mom was born over the road in one of the old back to back houses in Franchise Street. I have many photo's of her little house and garden. At the end of the yard was a wash house with a mangle and washboard. Jean.
Hello Nick and welcomeGreat to see the pics of "The Precinct" I lived behind it in Teddington Grove and watched it go up and get knocked down. My mum Mary Hale worked for many years at Bayliss the wallpaper shop visible behind the workman's tent in the third picture. Sadly she was knocked down and killed by a lorry in 1990 whilst crossing the road opposite the precinct as the replacement shopping centre was being constructed. For my part I worked at Fine Fare supermarkets as a Saturday boy for 2 shillings and sixpence (12 and a 1/2 pence) an hour in the early 60's before moving around the corner to Red Squirrel supermarkets which was posher(it had a coffee bar on the second floor and was I believe owned by Littlewoods)!) but for the same wages. I recall that time every year when I unpack the Christmas decorations which are still housed in a Fine Fare wine box! Later I moved to Perry Barr library where I earned £2 a day for 8 hours on Saturday and thought I'd become a millionaire.
View attachment 74192
Who remembers Margot Bryant??? She played Minnie Caldwell in Coronation Street and here she is opening the new shopping precinct at Perry Barr in 1964