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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...

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In a 'britainfromabove' view from 1931 there is a factory with two chimneys in front of the building referred to earlier. Baskerville House had not yet been built.
HallofMem1931.jpg
 
I think the focal length of the lens used in the photograph makes the building appear to be nearer than it was, and that in fact it was on the opposite side of Cambridge st. Certainly the 1938 map seems to show the car park area as clear (though there are some incomplete sections of this map).If this is so then the building is on the corner of the Crescent and Cambridge st, and in 1943 is listed as Sydney Smith, printers
 
Carolina.
If the photo is taken looking away from Broad St, then the old brewery is in the wrong direction
 
He looks as if he seriously wanted to be in this pic and stood very still. The chalked sign on the wall to his right says '61 CRT Bell Barn Rd' and on the wall to his left, someone (maybe him) has chalked 'PARADISE ALLY' ... probably made a Postman smile !
61courtbellbarn.jpg
From Shoothill collection.
 
tim eborn said:
What is that on the other side of the Alley? Is it his briefcase?
Click to expand...
Hi Tim,
It looks like a dustbin to me. Judging by his dress and general appearance I doubt if he knew what a briefcase was. Apologies to any one who might say "Hey. That was my granddad"
Old Boy
 
That was a silly joke on my behalf, thought it was a dustbin but it's only half size. Can't really remember any that size but I still seem to learn something new every day.
Cheers Tim
 
tim eborn said:
That was a silly joke on my behalf, thought it was a dustbin but it's only half size. Can't really remember any that size but I still seem to learn something new every day.
Cheers Tim
Click to expand...
Hi Tim, this is a 'light hearted thread' and there have been many jokes previously in it. It is also gives us a chance to have a second look at old pics and think about them. My theory is that the object is the photographer's equipment box because he must be standing in the road with his tripod and camera etc.
oldmohawk ... :)
 
oldMohawk said:
Hi Tim, this is a 'light hearted thread' and there have been many jokes previously in it. It is also gives us a chance to have a second look at old pics and think about them. My theory is that the object is the photographer's equipment box because he must be standing in the road with his tripod and camera etc.
oldmohawk ... :)
Click to expand...
Hi Mohawk,
Despite my thinking it was a dustbin I now feel that you are absolutely right.
Old Boy
 
Certainly sounds right, forget they had all that gear and now we just have to use our smarty phones.
Maybe there is some good in all this progress.
Cheers Tim
 
It is not often we see a photographer in an old street pic but there is one in this pic with his tripod and large camera in Corporation St opposite Old Square on the 7th July 1897. The decorations were up for a royal visit by Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (formerly Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria) for the opening of Birmingham General Hospital in Steelhouse Lane. The royal visitor presumably travelled by carriage along Corporation St from New St Station. The road looks a bit damp but the sun is shining on the buildings and she can be seen arriving at the hospital in a forum post here.
CorporationSt1897RoyalVisit.jpg
 
I am wondering if Princess Christian of Schleswig Holstein had any particular connection with Birmingham as she also opened the building which is now the Paragon Hotel in Highgate Birmingham formerly Rowton House, a cheap lodging house when built.
 
A trip down memory lane, I remember when Broad Street was the place to go for your new or used car.
Thanks for posting
 
DavidGrain said:
I am wondering if Princess Christian of Schleswig Holstein had any particular connection with Birmingham as she also opened the building which is now the Paragon Hotel in Highgate Birmingham formerly Rowton House, a cheap lodging house when built.
Click to expand...
A google search indicates she was the most active member of the royal family - appearing in public at a time when most members did not. Perhaps she was just the one available.
Janice
 
Looking again at the photo in post#1876, they certainly put out some impressive decorations for the royal visitor, particularly those two large columns which I don't think were permanent fixtures in Corporation Street.
 
Thanks Janice, I know that nowadays the Royal Family split the country up between them so that eg Princess Anne does Scotland and the Duke of Gloucester does the Midlands. I don't know how the rest of the country divides up.
 
jimbo said:
A trip down memory lane, I remember when Broad Street was the place to go for your new or used car.
Thanks for posting
Click to expand...

That's a fair bit after I worked there but the company I worked for, Watsons, was still there, thanks for that it's the first time I've seen a picture of it.

Back in the fifties and early sixties there were fourteen motor showrooms in Broad Street.
 
I had posted this pic of Digbeth Police Station in the 'Clocks' thread but it has gone. I was looking at the clock and admiring the fine building work by T.Elvins & Sons when I noticed a little lad sitting all alone on the street corner kerb. I bet his mom didn't know that he would be caught in one of the old street pics !
Digpolice.jpg
From Shoothill collection.
 
Well Mow,
Yes may be the parent did,not see him ,or may be her, what ever the case may have been
Let's face in those days it was possible to rest your weary bones, as there was less traffic in those days
Well at least I personally think so, but you most certainly cannot do that todayBut standing on the kerb
Today your life is in danger yet alone sitting there and getting run over
I say that ,but when I was a little whipper snapper in 1953 I got run over by one of those old baby Austin,s
Out side the Astoria picture house on Aston cross on a Saturday afternoon
All for the love of whatching Roy rogers film, I was a fanatic about him and trigger
I just came of the Victoria morning Matthew on sat morning and ran down to the Astoria
My aunty Maud was in the pay box in reception and got me in for free
And when I came out with the imagination of crossing the road whilst I pretended that I was riding trigger
And half way across this dinky motor hit me sky high, and in the air I went traveling
Towards the Aston cross itself I ended up out side the bank in the middle of the road
Whilst I had the accident at that time of day my old man was running and serving behind
The Bars of the Golden Cross pub,
There again our little friend may have been awaiting for a friend to come out of the station
After being Nicked !Ha
Have a nice day now, we are popping down to stourport today and tomorrow
For the country and western week end festival its free for all
Brilliant country bands and some are well known and line dancing as well
But I cannot dance I fell down the stairs 2 weeks ago I am crippled
My see our GG Jean Down there as she comes to the Brean, festival
Best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,
 
Astonian said:
Well Mow,
Yes may be the parent did,not see him ,or may be her, what ever the case may have been
Let's face in those days it was possible to rest your weary bones, as there was less traffic in those days
Well at least I personally think so, but you most certainly cannot do that todayBut standing on the kerb
Today your life is in danger yet alone sitting there and getting run over
I say that ,but when I was a little whipper snapper in 1953 I got run over by one of those old baby Austin,s
Out side the Astoria picture house on Aston cross on a Saturday afternoon
All for the love of whatching Roy rogers film, I was a fanatic about him and trigger
I just came of the Victoria morning Matthew on sat morning and ran down to the Astoria
My aunty Maud was in the pay box in reception and got me in for free
And when I came out with the imagination of crossing the road whilst I pretended that I was riding trigger
And half way across this dinky motor hit me sky high, and in the air I went traveling
Towards the Aston cross itself I ended up out side the bank in the middle of the road
Whilst I had the accident at that time of day my old man was running and serving behind
The Bars of the Golden Cross pub,
There again our little friend may have been awaiting for a friend to come out of the station
After being Nicked !Ha
Have a nice day now, we are popping down to stourport today and tomorrow
For the country and western week end festival its free for all
Brilliant country bands and some are well known and line dancing as well
But I cannot dance I fell down the stairs 2 weeks ago I am crippled
My see our GG Jean Down there as she comes to the Brean, festival
Best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,
Click to expand...
Met my wife to be at the Golden Cross pub March 1959, we were at the Jazz club that used to meet upstairs on a Saturday night. Still together and she still does not like jazz!!!
 
This looks odd on Hob Moor Road, Small Heath. The man to the left appears to be suspended on air and has only one leg. In fact he seems to only have part of a body. Trick of the camera? Viv.
image.jpeg
 
Well spotted Viv. I thought at first he might have been sitting astride the wall but the small fences would prevent that ... very odd !
 
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