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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...

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Vivienne14 said:
In fact on closer inspection, is this another fiddled about with bus photo?! Again, people seem to be either getting onto the bus alongside the driver or they're being absorbed into the side of the bus .... See what you think ... Could be wrong .... Viv.

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I don't think this photo has been doctored, I think Astonian's right about the bus has probably broken down and the man you have ringed in your pic is the bus conductor leaning against the side of the bus. Has anyone noticed the unexploded bomb case in the pic ?
 
Interesting name for the shop in Lichfield Rd. I bet they loved going in that shop, but waiting for it to open !
East 3448, telephone numbers where easy to remember back then....
LichfieldRdnexttoAstonStn.jpg
 
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Certainly correct about the phone numbers ours was Birchfield 5200, some numbers you never forget just like your Mothers Coop divi number.
 
HI RICHIE
iF I HAVE READ TH QUESTION CORECTLY YOU ARE ON ABOUT THE 160 BUS AND 180 BUS
WHICH WS THE OLD MIDLANDRED BUS AND THE ROUTE COMING DOWN FROM THE CITY IN CARRS LANE AROUND DOWN THROGH NECHELLS
AND ALUM ROCK ONE TURNED OFF [ 180] AT WASHWOOD HEATH RD THE 160 STRAIGHT UP TO THE ROCK
WHICH TOOK YOU TO OVEGREEN DRIVE KINGHURST WAY BACK THEN AND IT WAS A TERRIBLE SERVICE AND HALF THE TIME IT NEVER SHOWED UP AT KING HURST TERMINUS WHICH WAS THE TER,MINUS TO RELOAD AND BRIG PASSAGERS TO BIRMINGHAM FOR WORK
UNLESS YOU HAD A CAR YOU WAS PREVENTED BY NOT GETTING TO WORK AND LOOSEING PAY
AND THEY NEVER RELIZED I LIVED IN WINGFIELD TOWER ANOTHER OLD MEMBER OF THE FORUM; WAY BACK IN TIME
UT I KNOW MY OLD FRIEND BAZZ DID WE EVEN WORK ALONG SIDE EACH OTHER UNTIL HE TOLD ME ;
BEST WISHES aSTONIAN;
 
oldMohawk said:
Interesting name for the shop in Lichfield Rd. I bet they loved going in that shop, but waiting for it to open !
East 3448, telephone numbers where easy to remember back then....
LichfieldRdnexttoAstonStn.jpg

Above pic linked to this post https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=38980&p=435820#post435820
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Lovely photo. Didn't need any fancy window dressing to bring in the customers, equipment's all just piled up in the left-hand window! I bet those two lads were going in to look at the fish/pets, maybe not even buying. Used to do that quite often (and still do now!), just go at look at the pets. Viv.
 
I think the photo of the no. 29 bus in the High Street is OK. I think that is the driver returning to his cab. Was there a Bundy Clock there perhaps? The ladies looking out of the window, I think is an optical illusion caused by the angle the photo was taken. I think she had her hand on the window sill to lean out further.
 
A dad and his lad looks in the Pet Shop - I wonder if dad is hoping his lad has not seen what looks like an advert for 'Baby Alligators' painted in the window....
ParkLanePetshop.jpg
 
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Ref post #1 'the only man on the forum pushing a pram' , this man might be thinking about it but he is 'hands off' the pram in this nice pic of court 38 Woodcock st nr Gosta green..1930s. It's a very nice pram...
img680.jpg
 
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oldMohawk said:
High Street in 1946, the war is over but quite a few glum faces, but two laughing girls look out of a window, surely they can't be touching the top of the bus. A lady crosses the road arm-in-arm with a man in a foreign looking uniform, maybe a wartime romance, if she's lucky they are off to buy an engagement ring.
fff.jpeg

Above pic linked to post https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8484&p=427195#post427195
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The man in uniform looks like an American serviceman. Were there many Yanks in the Birmingham area in those days ?
 
I am not certain that the bus has broken down. The Kingstanding to City Centre only buses, usually the 29 service which were short working i.e. never running southwards from the City, were mostly run from Kingstanding to the Citry centre with CITY on their destination blinds. They would recommence their return journey to Kingstanding as service 29 and I believe they mostly started from outside the cinema. I guess this is a Saturday judging by the children and lots of people walking on the pavements. From experience of the 29A service stopping at that point, in the years after WW2, I can say there was always a lot of people alighting from the buses to shop in that area and New Street. The previous stopping place was the Bull Ring - less people alighting and the next onwards was in Corporation Street. The next large exit of passengers was at Greys store where of course the two large stores of Greys and Lewis's were. This stop always had many people getting on to go to their northern destinations which probably accounts for the short workings. I hope others can shed more light on this -confirming or amending whichever they feel the case.

Whatever the facts it is very pleasant to see these old 'photos which remind many of us of their youth. :friendly_wink:
 
oldMohawk said:
Hi Stephen - I like that song when Gladys Knight sings it and here's the way we were in the middle of the swinging sixties. A young lad has to wait with his posh scooter while his sister chats to her friend. A youngster licks his ice lolly while he guards his mom's shopping bag.
img118.jpg

Above pic is in post https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=38169&p=420069#post420069
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I'd bet money on the possibility that the group of three children in the centre by the scooter are discussing sweets, ice cream or children's magazines. The reason I say that is because Kirton's newspaper and sweet shop was to the left of that picture. Stood there myself many, many times discussing which 2 oz of sweets I was going to buy from Kirton's; usually it was milk bottles or prawns and my friend used to buy pear drops or pineapple chunks. I spent a lot of time hanging around there because my mum worked at Bywater's, also to the left. I always used to pop into Bywaters on my way home from school. Kirton's must have been a little gold one, as I can't remember where the nearest sweet shop was. The only one I can think of is Woolworth's across the road on Hawthorn Road. All that time ago, and after all those visits to Kirton's I didn't realise until a few months ago (via this forum) that Mr Kirton's was an ex-Villa player. You live and learn.

Looked at this photo many times and the suitcase is intriguing with its labels and tag. Must have belonged to someone (looks like a man in an anorak) arriving or going off somewhere. I think Kirton's might have been coach trip agents ( that's possibly an ad for a coach company on the advertising board) so that could be the reason (maybe a pick-up/dropping off point?). Also just noticed the cigarette or sweet machine on the end of the advertising board, side of the machine is facing us ( think it might say 'Nestle' along its length). So there was always something available when Kirton's was closed on a Sunday.

Viv.
 
Re the first post with the man pushing a pram, I know not many men did that, but I have been brought up with the story that my brother who is 12 years older than me, pushed me in the pram from Aston to Castle Bromwich to see the airplanes, this would be in 1938, he obviously didn't care about being thought a sissy.
 
Firstly what a great idea for a thread. The comentary and imagined stories are wonderful to read. In picture #3 I have wondered what the pavilions were on the right. At first glance I thought they were shelters for busses or trams but they are on the other side of the Church railings. If you look at the old Blue Coat school it has no roof and perhaps it was being demolished at that time.
In picture #4 yes a young woman striding out behind a man and just in front of the oyster bar below Christ Church and I suppose that one could make the distinction back then about a secretary following a boss...not now though. Women fill all kinds of work roles now and times have changed. Yeah I noticed the Bomb with the coin slot in it, by the rudimentary pailings. Remember passing that many times. A great picture of High Street, right down to Dale End, but the Arcades are gone. I can't remember what the Bodega was...a cafetaria? The old busses used to lean a bit but surely you could not touch the roof and one wonders what the girls are looking at.
 
Vivienne14 said:
I'd bet money on the possibility that the group of three children in the centre by the scooter are discussing sweets, ice cream or children's magazines. The reason I say that is because Kirton's newspaper and sweet shop was to the left of that picture. Stood there myself many, many times discussing which 2 oz of sweets I was going to buy from Kirton's; usually it was milk bottles or prawns and my friend used to buy pear drops or pineapple chunks. I spent a lot of time hanging around there because my mum worked at Bywater's, also to the left. I always used to pop into Bywaters on my way home from school. Kirton's must have been a little gold one, as I can't remember where the nearest sweet shop was. The only one I can think of is Woolworth's across the road on Hawthorn Road. All that time ago, and after all those visits to Kirton's I didn't realise until a few months ago (via this forum) that Mr Kirton's was an ex-Villa player. You live and learn.

Looked at this photo many times and the suitcase is intriguing with its labels and tag. Must have belonged to someone (looks like a man in an anorak) arriving or going off somewhere. I think Kirton's might have been coach trip agents ( that's possibly an ad for a coach company on the advertising board) so that could be the reason (maybe a pick-up/dropping off point?). Also just noticed the cigarette or sweet machine on the end of the advertising board, side of the machine is facing us ( think it might say 'Nestle' along its length). So there was always something available when Kirton's was closed on a Sunday.

Viv.
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I'd be very interested to know what happened to the bird that laid that egg, bottom left of the picture !
 
Ha, ha Baz. The egg would probably have rolled down the little slope from the green grocers which was to the left of the picture but out of view. The store stretched around the corner there and had stalls outside. They not only sold veg but sold fish and eggs. Someone probably got home and found they were one short of the full set. Probably made an omelette instead of a cake! Remember when you could buy just one or two eggs? You'd take them home in a paper bag. Viv.
 
Re. post #41 I go along with the bus being broken down. The people, seemingly, coming out the front to me seem to be making their way from the back.

Re. post #1 The first place I pushed a pram/pushchair was in Dublin. Having flown from Brum we were killing time to catch a train to the west by having a look round with one child in the pram. When the other toddler got tired she went into the pushchair I was carrying folded. I hadn't travelled far when a group of young scallies approached and one addressed me by asking in a broad Dublin accent, to the titters of the others, 'Can we have a look at the babby please Mrs?' So that was the first and last time for me! :dispirited:
 
Rupert said:
I have wondered what the pavilions were on the right. At first glance I thought they were shelters for busses or trams but they are on the other side of the Church railings.
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Hi Rupert - Generally when I look at the old forum photos, I admire the view but I have always looked at the people even if they are just walking down the street.
With regard to the Colmore Row picture #3, when I first looked at the shelters I thought they were on the churchyard side of the railings, but closer inspection showed they were on the road side. I have put red circles round the feet of the stanchions resting on the pavement, as shown in the attached image. Another person in the pic is the 'errand boy' with large basket on his bike rushing to do a delivery. He might be the only errand boy I've seen on the forum.

Bus_Shelter.jpg
 
This pic always amuses me. Happy removal men moving Nellie Weir. That tall wardrobe making a perilous descent from the bed room.
NellieWeir.jpg
 
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sistersue61 said:
The man in post 40 could have been running to get the bus at the next stop, as it had stopped at the crossing.
Sue
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I nearly agreed with your answer Sue, but then thought that the entrance door of the bus would be on the wrong side, so if he had been running to a bus-stop he would have run towards the camera...the mystery continues...
 
carolina said:
Old Mohawk, what caption would you put this to this? Anderton Street, Ladywood 1964
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Hi Carolina - Thats a great pic - All I can think of at the moment is 'right you lot pay attention and keep on the footpath'. I'm sure others will think of a better one. I like the lad at the back carrying his younger sister. Old and young children in the same group and there's always some walking in the road.
 
Old Mohawk, how people see different things in photos I never even noticed the young lad carrying his sister.
 
Love these photos and the captions. The children in the courtyard bought a lump to my throat as my mum and her siblings, would have played in a couryard like this, much earlier of course. Thank you for this thread,
Sheri
 
I felt sad when I first saw this forlorn little chap on the forum.....
img603.jpg
 
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