Recent content by Mark Tooze

These are both of Barr St I think.

The taller building is the Gem Building. I knew it well as it used to be the home of M.Y. Darts and I used to work there at weekends when I was much much younger - sweeping up, dying feathers for dart flights and even turning a few darts on the lathes. All of these buildings still exist by the way.

This MAY be Six Ways Aston but I am not 100% sure.......

Got these 2 wartime images - don't know if of any help?

Yes - but please dont worry - they are fatty lumps. She did have one benign tumor behind her ear - that was removed 3 weeks ago. She has had these lumps for a while - they do not bother her and because of her age (14) the vet advises against removing them. She just gets on with things!

Took our dogs for a walk on the Streetley side of the park on Saturday and found an amazing range of fungi growing - they were literally everywhere! Luckily the dogs totally ignored them, even though the one is licking her chops.....

Remember to look for the "Harvest Supermoon" tonight if the clouds allow it. The first of three consecutive supermoons of 2025 will appear in our skies on Tuesday night. The full Harvest Moon rises in the UK at around 18:20 BST on 7 October. It will be the largest and brightest full Moon of the...

It was the most used local library in Birmingham too - but was in the wrong place allegedly......... nearly all the shops in the old Sainsbury Centre are now closed or moved (Hays Travel and Greggs have moved over the road); only a barbers, photographers and charity shop left and they wont last...

Few more vintage Airfix kits from the stash in the loft:-

Its a big bugger this one......

Recently acquired some vintage Airfix kits from the 60's and 70's - shown here in what I think is chronological order:- The girder bridge kit is famous for appearing (in one form or another) in just about every show Gerry Anderson ever made:- Luckily most of the kits above are still...

Again these are not the same building. The bottom picture is the actual Fort Dunlop. The top one is the Commercial Office block which was at the other end of the site - the trams are on Holly Lane. Buildings were similar, but commercial offices were smaller and housed (amongst other things) the...

Yes - it is open some Wendesday and Friday afternoons apart from the annual open day. You have to book in advance. Full details at https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/museum-collection-centre.

Hi Morturn - it is a nice lens. Picked up second hand for £130 which was a real snip. I really wanted the f1.2, but to afford that I would probably have to have mortgaged my left leg and right earhole....

Popped in for a flying visit (I only had an hour) on Saturday. Attendance again very low (no doubt down to the £12 entry fee....) but full credit to the wonderful staff who went out of their way to make everyone welcome. As I have posted loads of photos from the centre before here are just a few...