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Thanks. I was moved to tears by some as they bought back memories of shopping with my Mom & Dad. Again, it begs the question, "Why did we let ourselves be conned into accepting the loss of so much that was good in the name of Corporate Wealth acquisition hiding under the disguise of progress ?"

Yes Anne .... I agree.

Anne ... Note "" around word ! I couldn't take Crossroads seriously, I still can't with these other 'soaps' , especially The Archers, whose writers used storylines from this and surrounding Villages back in the 80s. They, (esp Eastenders and Coronation St), are calculated to MAKE people watch...

Thanks for the Information, I'll try to visit Dollman St in June. However, there was, I remember, a picture in the Motorcycle Press in the early 70s of these 'basements' full of machines, and an accompanying article.

Mention has been made of "Stored articles". I know that back in the 1960's the old Science Museum had over 100 old Motorcycles, each a model made between 1890 and 1920 in B'ham, rotting away in a basement somewhere. Likewise many old cars and things like Buttons & locks. I don't know what...

12 out of 14, mostly guesses tho' ............. A lot of Crossroads external filming was done around here. We were just 10 minutes from Penns Hall Hotel (Crossroads External opening shots). Our Church, shop, post office, lanes, fields all featured. I was on duty for 12 hours one day when they...

The Ariel in York Rd was, as has been said, one of the oldest manufacturer's of Motorcycles in B';ham. There were two reasons for it's demise. First, like Velocette in Hall Green with the LE, they went up a blind alley with the Leader & Arrow machines, incorrectly reading the market. Second...

I've said in another area that I consider the 'Think Tank' a complete ripoff. The loss of so much of historic B'ham to create the site, and the huge waste of space inside are a terrible indictment on those who allowed it to happen. As a child I often went to the Science Museum, it was an...

Can't speak of Mods......... I was a 'Rocker/Greaser', but the violence at Margate, etc., was Media inspired. In the Sutton and surrounding areas, very little friction occurred between the two groups as they kept to their own areas, (normally). However the post '70 emergence of the...

Some years ago, when I was in the 'Real' Ambulance Service,(before Privatisation), we took Mr Carroll's Mom into Hospital. We often drove past the Car Lot and saw him outside. I worked with a well known Ierishman from Kings Heath, JJ Connelly.

John TUBB came from the Erdington side of Kingstanding. (Short Heath ?) He married my mother's cousin Rita WHEALE. They lived in Erdington during the 60's & 70's, moving to Southampton in the 80's. John was a Bookie in Erdington, Rita worked in Boots, both the old & new shop. John has recently...

Same Neighbour, (Mick Willis - former Bargee in B'ham), same time, we had a 6 month old Ginger Tom Kitten ... every morning about 8am, he'd return across the fields with something. Mick would watch from the bedroom window to see what it was. Crow, Pigeon, Squirrel, Mole, Dog Bone, Sunday's...

I had a cat who, at 7am, would reach up an knock the letterbox flap in the front door. If not opened after 5 mins, he'd walk around the dividing wall to next door and knock their letterbox flap, and immediately return to my door. For many mornings my nextdoor neighbour would go to the door...

I was at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in the 60's ... (complete mistake I passed my 11+, or more likely someone else with my name did !). I was the big country lad in hobnail boots who no-one messed with, including Teachers. I did several things to make my classmates laugh. One of the best was...

The Mansells still live in Water Orton, and there are Mansells in Minworth, both, oddly , connected with Motorcycles. Roger Mansell has just retired from his Motorcycle business, off the Green in Minworth, this week.

After the death of my maternal grandfather in 1960, my grandmother came to live with us. My mother took out 3 '1d' policies with the Pru, Her, Dad and Nan. One, my Father's is still running. The other's we cashed in on their deaths. Designed to pay for a Funeral in 1960's Britain, they were...

I worked with many ex-Steam era Drivers and Second Men in the 70's. They reckoned to judge speed by 'feel' and eye. using the Signal wire poles as calibration marks. Remember, these were men who had started at 14 as Cleaners and risen through the ranks to passed Driver, any good film will show...

Katie - this is where my Dad used to park the car, then we'd walk up onto the Parade. A long vanished part of my childhood.

I was about to be born in the Nursing home some 400 yards from the Station, and my Parents were going there when it happened. My Dad, a RN Fleet Air Arm Air Sea Rescue Pilot then, offered to help, but he says there were lots of people there. He did see bodies on the platform though.

Are you confusing this with DAWSONS MOTORCYCLE WORKS ? This was founded in the Black Country by Leslie "Smokey" Dawson, a reknowned speedway rider. He used Villiers 2 stroke engines in robust square section steel tube frames with the 'Earls' type forks, (where a short swinging arm held the...