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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...

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They are very orderly pigs of varying ages Astonian. Used to being driven not like the terrified creatures of today. There used to be an abbatoir in Cov just outside the city centre in Spon End. Animals hit the news headlines often when they made a last bid for freedom, I remember them cornering a pig once in the 70's and a bullock jumped over the bonnet of a panda car, (another blast from the past) and smashed the car. I remember seeing 2 ponies being led in to some derelict houses in Hillfields in the old weaving quarter. I bet they were goig for illegal slaughter. That was in the 60's.
 
Thats a weird cat stat oldMohawk - Perhaps the risk of getting a cat in a pic is low because theyre not prowling around much in the day ?
In the pic .. is tiddles facing the wall thinking ... what'd I come up here for ? ... its like a senior moment I think.
Maybe he is thinking "Is this my best profile?"
 
Thanks for that Richie - I liked the bloke hoping the wheelbarrow would stop the bull ! Looking at it a second time some nice old cars and streets scenes ...:encouragement:
 
A peaceful scene only disturbed by the digging in the road in front of Acocks Green station c1900, probably water works seeing that hydrant on the pavement.
The lady on the left with the pram seems to have stopped and the girl in the road seems to be expecting something to happen - a jet of water about to shoot upwards maybe !
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A peaceful scene only disturbed by the digging in the road in front of Acocks Green station c1900, probably water works seeing that hydrant on the pavement.
The lady on the left with the pram seems to have stopped and the girl in the road seems to be expecting something to happen - a jet of water about to shoot upwards maybe !
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The above image is in a post here on the forum

Maybe the pram has activated the Dead Man's Handle (those of us older truck and bus drivers will know).

Perhaps the girl has just realised that she's foot-plunged herself into horse poo?

(Moderator, please eradicate the post if too juvenile).
 
You're ok Richie, we had prevously discussed the problem about trailing long dresses in posts #134 and #135. It was something they had to take care about in those days, no doubt they all managed !!
 
... like the thinking there ... the bloke must have "foot plunged" too.
As he's craftily rubbing it off while pretending to peer over the bridge.
 
BTW - thats a great street scene that one. Seems quaint now with so few people around. Reminds me of Sundays when young - to be honest I found them boring then - but would see them now as idylic now.
 
Hi Stephen - It does seem strange those Sundays long ago when no major shops opened. I can even vaguely remember 'early closing' on Wednesday afternoons. I know shops where I used to live closed, but I can't seem to remember whether the large shops in the city centre had Wednesday early closing. I was looking at today's view of Acocks Green Station on Google Streetview here and the roof looks exactly the same.
 
Another view of Acocks Green station in 1910. Some 'classy' people must have lived in Acocks Green, just look at that carriage.
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I must have gone under that bridge many times in the 1960s. I wonder if that mounted policeman is chasing that lorry which appears to have a not very secure load of barrels !!
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I've commented before about the Birmingham 'style of leaning' seen in the old street pics and I've just found another in front of the statue - he's got the style - leans same way, legs crossed ...
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On another thread Mohawk, members were asked for the name of the horse and trap featured. Anyone here an idea of the carriage featured. The name Brougham springs to mind but wide of the mark maybe
I was one of those who were asking. A Landau? I rode in something like it but maybe the sides were higher. They used to run them from Torquay to Cockington Forge. I was allowed to sit up with the driver. I thought I was on top of the world. He didn't seem to do anything to make the horse go.
I think we were too heavy a load though when going round the ring of Kerry in the 70's. He packed 7 of us in to the 2 wheeled wagonette but I and the others were all slim then. He was a stocky bloke though. Kitty The horse, well pony, stumbled a few times coming back, we had to get out on the steep hills and he anchored the carraige on the top of hills and then she had to gallop coming down. We had the wagon ride all round the Ring of Kerry, a return ticket on what they called the Radio Train from Dublin to Kerry, a silver service dinner and high tea all served to us in the railway carrigiage and all for £9! Nice to see these pictures. Nico.
 
A question asked about Half Day Closing. Yes the shops in the city centre closed on Wednesday afternoons except Rackhams who closed Saturday afternoons. This was a legal requirement until the 1960s. This was to give shop staff time off. Each town decided which day should be early closing with Wednesdays the most popular. When the rule was relaxed shops had to show that the staff had time off on a rota. I remember that Harods in London continued with the Saturday half day closing long after the Oxford Street shops opened on Saturdays. Some shop assistants in Sheffield formed a football club which played its matches on Wednesday afternoons. I think that club still exists!
 
I was one of those who were asking. A Landau? I rode in something like it but maybe the sides were higher. They used to run them from Torquay to Cockington Forge. I was allowed to sit up with the driver. I thought I was on top of the world. He didn't seem to do anything to make the horse go.
I think we were too heavy a load though when going round the ring of Kerry in the 70's. He packed 7 of us in to the 2 wheeled wagonette but I and the others were all slim then. He was a stocky bloke though. Kitty The horse, well pony, stumbled a few times coming back, we had to get out on the steep hills and he anchored the carraige on the top of hills and then she had to gallop coming down. We had the wagon ride all round the Ring of Kerry, a return ticket on what they called the Radio Train from Dublin to Kerry, a silver service dinner and high tea all served to us in the railway carrigiage and all for £9! Nice to see these pictures. Nico.
Is this what you rode in, Nico? : jaunting car.jpg - an Irish Jaunting Car
 
A question asked about Half Day Closing. Yes the shops in the city centre closed on Wednesday afternoons except Rackhams who closed Saturday afternoons.
I remember in the early 1970s starting a plumbing job one Sunday morning and was progressing well until I found out one of my new pipe fittings was the wrong size. No shops open on Sundays so no water until Monday when I had to have time off from work to get the correct fitting and get the water back on.
 
Exceptions to the Wednesday rule were butchers, who closed on Mondays and barbers who closed on Thursdays.
 
Is this what you rode in, Nico? : View attachment 89215 - an Irish
Jaunting Car
No Oisin it was full up. My mate went in one before once. His rug blew off he said they always put a rug over your knees as you face outwards. I have a photo of him next to a yellow jaunting car in Avoca (the one who fell in the mud Carolina).We had bell bottoms and long hair then. I know the song Eileen O'Grady whch goes with it. No we had the wagonette and Padgo? Pajo? pulled the jaunting car. Hows that for a memory.
 
Exceptions to the Wednesday rule were butchers, who closed on Mondays and barbers who closed on Thursdays.
Everywhere shut early on a Thursday in Cov. Only some paper shops opened on a Sunday afternoon. I used to go for things mum had ran out of and a box of Neopolitan icecream wrapped in newspaper. Then we had Asian owned shops later who were allowed to open on Sundays.
 
I've commented before about the Birmingham 'style of leaning' seen in the old street pics and I've just found another in front of the statue - he's got the style - leans same way, legs crossed ...
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The little pics below, link to the other pics of the 'leaners' - click on them to see ....





ps. I've just noticed that there are two of them in the above pic !

Gee thanks Mohawk! Now I've got "I'm leaning on the lamp-post at the corner of the street in case a certain little lady goes by" in my head! Hope you have too! :tongue: LOL Love this thread, Mainly because I'm a nosey person!
 
Hi Barb - I'm glad someone else gets songs stuck or caught in their head. It sometimes happens to me, the song seems to come in my head as I get up in the morning and hangs around all day, I might not hum it but I think it !!!
I had 'Oh Well' from Fleetwood Mac stuck in my head the other day, guitar riff and the short lyric - I suppose it reminds me of 1969 when I first saw it on TV.
Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yq-Fw7C26Y I've just watched it and it will probably be caught in my head today...
oldmohawk
 
I had Les Filles de Cadix yesterday. Sometimes it's a nursery rhyme or just part of a song over and over. I ight nit even know the song. I hum a bit of a heavy rock song that I don't know. I was at the optician yesterday and she was humming Deck The Halls! Sing in my head when swimming then forget how many lengths I need to do or if I am painting. Stopped me getting sea sick once.
 
Remember the TV programme Ballykissangel. That was filmed in Avoca.
I never watched it. Dad liked something else on the other side. When we had 2 or 3 sides! I knew it was on though. My photo is at the Meeting of The Waters. I liked the Sinners with Milo O'Shea set in Dublin it was different every week, Strumpet City, The Irish RM and Me Mammy.
 
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