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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...

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oldMohawk said:
A street scene in the decade of my youth so that's why I like it. It's Dale End from High Street in 1955 with people wandering across the road, cars edging through them, life seemed a bit slower then although it was a time when Britain designed and made fast jet aircraft and flew them at air displays. Parking was easy but it was 9 years before I bought my first car and that RAF office on the right reminds me that I was one year away from RAF National Service. Petrol was 4s 6p (22.5p) a gallon and the PM of the day said 'we had never had it so good' ... but an historic inflation calculator puts that equivalent to £5.51 a gallon today so not so different from today's price if I've got my litres and gallons correct ...
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I can remember this scene from the late 50s. My mom would take me into "town" shopping and in the afternoon (before the rush hour) we'd go to the News Theatre (on the right of the photo) for the cartoons. I worked on petrol pumps in the late 60s in Acocks Green & Olton and petrol then was about 4s/11d a gallon so the price hadn't changed much in ten years. Just think - a hundred miles of motoring for a quid (at 25mpg)! "Give us a pounds worth mate!"
Am I right in thinking that the Beehive was just down the street to the right? Carrs Lane? Shops had character then!
 
brummie nick said:
I think the street you can see is Albert St, Carrs lane was the other side of the News Theatre out of site on the picture.
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Agree that the cars turning left towards us are coming out of Albert Street, just beyond the News Theatre. We used to catch the number 37 bus from Albert Street to take us back to Hall Green. Dave.
 
farmerdave said:
Agree that the cars turning left towards us are coming out of Albert Street, just beyond the News Theatre. We used to catch the number 37 bus from Albert Street to take us back to Hall Green. Dave.
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The occasional car also came out of New Meeting Street, onto the top of Albert Street. In the late forties New Meeting Street, which was a very narrow lane, had two way traffic! Either out onto Albert Street, or at the bottom, onto Moor Street. Quite often it would be complete chaos, with a vehicle, even the odd horse and cart, blocking both ends..
 
That surely, in post 1591, is Dale End with, as has been mentioned, Carrs Lane at the right. Bull Street is to the left. I don't know a lot about present day Birmingham but I do remember the old place.
 
Radiorails said:
That surely, in post 1591, is Dale End with, as has been mentioned, Carrs Lane at the right. Bull Street is to the left. I don't know a lot about present day Birmingham but I do remember the old place.
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Sorry Alan, but I agree with the other posts which say that it is Albert Street to the right. Cars Lane was (and still is) to the right behind the photographer.
 
One of John Ball's photos on the forum shows Albert Street and the 'Wake' shop and RAF sign which can be seen in the other post #1584 photo is shown on the left.
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and another forum photo shows Carrs Lane.
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Radiorails said:
That surely, in post 1591, is Dale End with, as has been mentioned, Carrs Lane at the right. Bull Street is to the left. I don't know a lot about present day Birmingham but I do remember the old place.
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You seem to have made the same mistake as me - it's not Carrs Lane, but Albert Street - 60 years makes memories fade I think. I've checked 1956 Kellys against the three photos and the one with the tram is Carrs Lane.
Maybe someone can confirm if I'm right here but the tram is "coasting" down Carrs Lane as there is no overhead line equipment (OLE). It is on it's way back to the depot and part of the OLE has been removed as part of the closing of tram routes prior to the 1953 shut down. The City Transport wagon parked by the junction was stationed there in case a tram came to a stop and needed towing the rest of the way.
 
Between the 30/50's the tram/bus routes around Albert Street and Carrs Lane were changed a few times. In the 1930's I remember the trams coming UP Albert Street, where they had a long green iron type of covered tram shelter running down the hill, and outside the Beehive Warehouse.

In the late forties, early fifties, the trams were changed for trolley buses using the Coventry Road routes, and. I seem to remember that the lovely old sheltered bus stops had been removed. I think that there were also other normal bus routes that pulled up in Albert Street. The trolley buses, from the Digbeth route, would proceed up towards the Bull Ring, turning right into Moor Street, along Moor Street, turning left into Albert Street. Instead of going DOWN Carrs Lane the regular buses were also driven in the same direction, but turned left, redirected UP Carrs Lane, for the Stratford/Warwick Roads routes. i.e 44 and 37 bus, where they then turned at the top of Carrs Lane, into the High Street, and made their way again, back down the Bull Ring in the Digbeth direction.

Eddie
 
Can I just remind members that students and school children use this forum for their course work and bad language will not be tolerated!!!!

Moderators, thank you for your vigilant actions.
 
I still believe it to be Dale End.

Somewhere on the Forum there is the same picture which does state Dale End. However Albert Street was a narrower street that the one in the picture and has those ornate and covered passenger bus stands which were a legacy from the tram days. I do not see them in the picture!

This is - hopefully a good natured discussion about a scene in most of our memories past. There should not be ' a flame war' - A Hitler managed enough of that in the area we are dicussing. :friendly_wink:
 
A map of the junctions under discussion, this was the layout at the time of the photos.
 

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This is Albert St in 1962 approximately the same time as the previous photos, you can see the junction with New Meeting St and if you look closely on the shop frontage by the number 50 bus terminus you will see the Albert Street nameplate.
 

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Radiorails said:
I still believe it to be Dale End.

Somewhere on the Forum there is the same picture which does state Dale End. However Albert Street was a narrower street that the one in the picture and has those ornate and covered passenger bus stands which were a legacy from the tram days. I do not see them in the picture!

This is - hopefully a good natured discussion about a scene in most of our memories past. There should not be ' a flame war' - A Hitler managed enough of that in the area we are dicussing.
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Hi Radiorails. I think we all agree that we are looking at Dale End. However, there was a question in #1591 as to whether the street just beyond the News Theatre, on the right, was Carrs Lane. It was generally thought that this street was Albert Street and that Carrs Lane was behind the photographer. The previous post that you are referring to, showing the same picture, was in thread "Old Street Pics" #210. It does say Dale End but I think we all agree on that. Hope that this has been helpful. Best wishes. Dave.
 
HI MOH
Yet another mem, you have given me ,yes the old roller rink come ice skating
I Lived around the back of that building on kingedward rd and i was courting a young lady by he name of maureen
and yoou look down the side of the rink building wich was goodman street the fire doors and side exit from the rink was there
was there sid entrance and my snogging but my problem was i had to beat our old friend mossy whom more often would get there before me
with his girl friend whom was a real cracker indeed mossy is was a very good friend of end as well
It also ajoins wilmott enginering company which was also in camden street next to the grotto pub camden street
thanks again for such memoris Alan, ASTONIAN,,
 
Hi dave ,
from the corner of the picture with the raf bulding above emediately down of the right that was albert street
and as you say going just beyond the thearter was carrs lane you imagine walking backwards toward marks and sparks
from the thearter that was the original carrs lane became a mens clothing shop and years later it became a young fashion
mans fashion shop with latest dezigns and it was called nelsons and the owner became a lord mayor of birmingham
alan,, astonian,,
 
It seems to me - but then history is a very emotive subject - that streets had great character in the past, especially notable in the 'photos posted here. I must try to look at the modern view of the same area for comparison: assuming that it has not been totally altered.

Thanks to all for their input. I did not see the 'pulled' post but am pleased it was quickly removed.
 
At 82 years of age, I only remember the Birmingham of the 30/40's & 50's, having left the city in 1957. On a recent return, I recognized hardly anything around the city centre, just the odd building here and there. Yet, especially in the late forties and early fifties, the city centre is as clear in my mind today as it was then.

Living off the Stratford Road my journey into the city, especially around Digbeth, was one of buses jockeying for manoeuvre, up the cobbled stoned hill to the Bull Ring, and turning into Moor Street, where I worked in a music store, next to the GWR Moor Street railway station.

My social life was very much the city centre. Dance halls, jazz clubs, cinemas, theatre, and eventually playing at the old Grand Casino Ballroom. Catching the southbound buses from different city stops. Outside Greys, Colmore Row/Victoria Square, Carrs Lane, and the late night 'specials' from Colmore Row, where they left, on the hour, to all parts of the city, returning from their outward journey, on the half hour.


From Moor Street, I would often walk up Albert Street at lunchtime, or even pop into Woolworths, in the Bull Ring.


My point here is that is that it is fascinating to read postings debating where Albert Street, or Carrs Lane was situated, and how quickly things are forgotten. I ponder in my mind "It is only 60 years ago, surely they remember?", but of course folk do forget, especially if they have lived with the changes, or are too young to remember.

One of the joys of being old, and 'living in a time warp'!

Eddie
 
I'm sorry to read that my post in 1592 correcting the name of the street should lead to the closing of the topic due to bad language. Glad it was quickly sorted.
 
The 'they' in this photo were not caught in this old street pic. There are two bicycles propped up against the pavement in the photo of Slade Road. But where are the cyclists? Remember when you used to prop the bike against the kerb like that? Don't see that anymore. Viv.
 

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Vivienne14 said:
The 'they' in this photo were not caught in this old street pic. There are two bicycles propped up against the pavement in the photo of Slade Road. But where are the cyclists? Remember when you used to prop the bike against the kerb like that? Don't see that anymore. Viv.
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If you propped a bike up like that now it would be flattened or knicked. Oh how times have changed!!!
 
Vivienne14 said:
The 'they' in this photo were not caught in this old street pic. There are two bicycles propped up against the pavement in the photo of Slade Road. But where are the cyclists? Remember when you used to prop the bike against the kerb like that? Don't see that anymore. Viv.
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I have noticed before (maybe mentioned it) that old photos of Erdington show a somewhat 'upmarket' district and maybe they could safely leave bikes propped on kerbs while popping into shops. A sign of those times !!
 
Someone in this pic is looking at the camera, but I find the pic interesting because of the doors which have replaced the upstairs window of Midland Sidecars. Unless there is a large space with access behind the shop, the premises seem somewhat unsuitable for selling sidecars. Did they store them upstairs and if you had ordered one did you have to watch has they lowered it from those doors ... :)
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And did you have to have an MOT for a motorcycle? I think the 3 triangles is the sign for MOT above the shop entrance. Viv.
 
I'm not sure about MOT's for motorcycles, I was driving my first car by the date of the pic which can be seen with a click on it. Regarding unattended items in streets, there is a bike, a child in a pushchair, and maybe another toddler, outside the cafe, and I feel that none of them belong to the two women looking as if they are about to go in the cafe.
Some say ... every picture tells a story ....:)
 
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