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Then & Now

This junction of Allesley Road and Aston Road disappeared under Dartmouth Circus at the start of the 70's
 

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Pedrocut
My version of the Mermaid view is a little further back on this thread, these two are updates of the Spread Eagle on Warwick at Victoria Rd and Moseley Village.
 

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some really great photo's, you can see the changes through about 120 years, the modern ones still seem soul less to me. Paul
 
Pedrocut

That's six sets of images that I have only seen a couple of before, I hope you don't mind if I copy the ones I don't have.
 
Pedrocut

That's six sets of images that I have only seen a couple of before, I hope you don't mind if I copy the ones I don't have.

By all means, they are not mine. I would like to think that as these pictures appeared in the papers they would be in the public domain!
 
A couple of establishments on Gospel Lane, Acocks Green both gone today. One is an apartment block and the other a Co op Supermarket and apartments.
 

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This has to be one of the most changed rural views of Birmingham in the last hundred years, it's just before the bridge over the river Rea on Longbridge Lane looking toward Bristol Rd.
 

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Three photos of the College Rd at the junction with Moor Lane and Crossways Lane. When I was a young apprentice at a company in Witton, I use to cycle to work over this junction once in the morning, then back home and to work in the lunch hour and then home in the evening, 12 miles per day ... I was fit then !
Pic 1 possibly 1920s
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Pic 2 possibly 1930s, the Poplar tree in Pic 1 has gone to make way for the dual carriageway.
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Pic 3 today, most of the houses in the earlier pics are still there and more trees.
Coll3.JPG
 
Three photos of the College Rd at the junction with Moor Lane and Crossways Lane. When I was a young apprentice at a company in Witton, I use to cycle to work over this junction once in the morning, then back home and to work in the lunch hour and then home in the evening, 12 miles per day ... I was fit then !
Pic 1 possibly 1920s
View attachment 110444
Pic 2 possibly 1930s, the Poplar tree in Pic 1 has gone to make way for the dual carriageway.
View attachment 110445
Pic 3 today, most of the houses in the earlier pics are still there and more trees.
View attachment 110446
 

Did you go along the canal or Moor Lane? In the days before mountain bikes I used to get no end of punctures using the towpaths!
 
Did you go along the canal or Moor Lane? In the days before mountain bikes I used to get no end of punctures using the towpaths!
Mostly Moor Lane but sometimes going home at the end of work along the canal towpath. One evening with a workmate following me I heard a loud splash ... he had fallen into the canal.
 
Put a few photos taken about 12 years ago of the Tame Valley Canal between Brookvale Road and College Road.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/145391494@N03/albums/72157674016469614
Thanks Pedrocut ... I'm a bit off topic, but I looked at your photo of the Harbour Inn at Arley and it brought back memories of playing in it's garden during my first ever holiday which I posted about here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...ere-was-your-first-holiday.25590/#post-230680
oldmohawk
 
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The changing face of The Angel Hotel throughout it's life located on the corner of Ladypool Road and Stratford Road Sparkbrook it was for a while the local for some of my family.
 

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A couple of Cinemas on the Stratford Road in the Hall Green locality, both now replaced by Supermarkets. The Rialto that once stood on the corner of Green Bank Avenue and the Robin Hood that once stood at the junction of Ingestre Road.
 

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Phil,

Thank you for that. The cinemas of my childhood, particularly the Rialto, and many's a time I've stood outside when an 'A' film was showing, asking the adults "Will you take us in please, mister?". We struck lucky quite often!

Both lovely buildings and the wretched supermarkets didn't attempt a conversion on either one, just knocked them down and offered a couple of their ugly blockhouse buildings instead, take it or leave it. I hate supermarkets!

Maurice
 
The Rialto was very close to where I lived and I used to go walk past it when I went to York Road School. They had an organist there for many years and his name was Harold Shepherd. Remember seeing all the well-known post-war films at the Rialto such as The Cruel Sea, The Wooden Horse, The Dambusters, Reach for the Sky etc. My favourite film seen there was Genevieve, which I still watch regularly today. There were a few shops between the Rialto and Cubley Road including Willmotts (the sports outfitters), a photography shop and an ironmongers. Dave.
 
Maurice

This should please you, the Plaza at Stockland Green it went from a cinema to a supermarket and then back to the entertainment industry as a Bingo Hall, well at least its still standing.

Just look at that queue outside when it was a cinema, I can remember when every cinema had queues outside like that especially at weekends.
 

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Phil,

Stockland Green is one of those areas I've never visited. But, as you say, at least it is still standing. Not a patch on the Rialto or the Robin Hood though!

Maurice
 
Absolutely agree with Maurice and Dave.

Beautiful buildings, great films. I remember them all. Would often visit the Robin Hood and the Rialto, and the crowds, as per Phil's lovely photograph.

They may destroy lovely buildings, but they cannot destroy lovely memories.

Eddie
 
Maurice

This should please you, the Plaza at Stockland Green it went from a cinema to a supermarket and then back to the entertainment industry as a Bingo Hall, well at least its still standing.

Just look at that queue outside when it was a cinema, I can remember when every cinema had queues outside like that especially at weekends.

i was parked outside that cinema yesterday...nice building ..i have played bingo in there a few times..

lyn
 
Another positive thought about Stockland Green - they have re-built the Co-op next door and it opened for business last year.
 
A couple of images of Bordesley Green, one is the police station & fire station now a hostel & commercial premises the other the junction of Bordesley Green & Bordesley Green Road which can only be described today as a mess.
 

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Phil,

I remember many years ago when the Planning Dept used to do their job and would issue orders to clear up these untidy sites, but that doesn't seem to happen now, unless you pile heaps of rubbish on your front garden and enough aggravated neighbours pile on the pressure after ten years for them to do something about it. At least the previous building had some artistic merit. Perhaps the local residents don't care?

Maurice
 
I know we have covered the Swan Hotel before, but this covers it in more detail, also we have the addition of the now defunct of the Swan Market on the other side of Coventry Road.
 

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