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I don't care so much about the 56 bus, but I still miss the 10 tram. Peter

Glaciermint, every time I revisit Brum I'm put off by the number of trees you see everywhere, not that I dislike trees (quite the reverse), but they really have taken over compared with fifty-odd years ago, when I lived there. As a kid I found the outer suburbs where I lived boring, mainly...

I went past the Angel about a month ago and it was still standing, boarded up - a sorry sight. It is not only a landmark, it's quite a historic place and has a rich history. How long till the vandals 'accidentally' knock it down or set fire to it? Then the developers can take over, as in so many...

Saturday Bridge was built 20 years after Friday Bridge, but it took another 55 years until Sunday Bridge was built. Friday Bridge was at the top of Summer Row, only 200 yards from Great Charles Street, and Saturday Bridge further down the hill - the one which is still standing. You can see the...

Mike, that is a lovely view of a tram in Weston. I was always crazy about trams (born in Villa Road in 1933, perhaps it's understandable) and I have the vaguest recollection of seeing them in Weston on a family trip in about 1937. Next year we were there again, but all that was left, as I...

Glaciermint, it's a strange thing, but there are no pubs or outdoors listed in the Kelly's Directory, 1913 for Smith Street, Hockley, but there were two street corner pubs listed under the crossing streets - Harford Street: No 38 was at the west corner of Smith Street, called the St George's...

I think it is Kingstanding Circle, from the far end of Kingstanding Road looking south into the sun. Peter

That's good news for me. Can't wait. Peter

I slept there for three nights about 15 years ago after it had become the Chamberlain Hotel, chargng about £23 per night for single B&B - cheapish and not far from the old Coach Station. Quite a good standard and reasonable value, at the time, I thought. Peter

I do believe the coach you can just see in the very middle of the second picture in Motorman's excellent selection is a Midland Red centre-entrance touring coach, one of the batch of 25 built in 1939, reg no FHA 401-425. They were very handsome vehicles. I never saw one during the war until I...

I think I've seen that picture before. Wasn't it Little Bow Street, just to the right of Bristol Street Schools? I can remember going to choir rehearsals at the school in the later 1950s, at the time that the Yeung Shing Chinese restaurant started business opposite. The picture shows how...

Yes, a very telling picture which makes me sad, especially to see the historical shell of the market hall, still standing. I was working for the City Architect's Department shortly before that picture was taken, and I feel quite ashamed to have been involved in that terrible Inner Ring Road...

That's a good one. My first thought was Maypole, but it's somewhere dead level with a fairly important main road and no buildings, taken about 1930, I suppose. Is it at Browne's Green on the Hamstead Road? Peter

Roads to Birmingham By Peter Walker Part 4: The growth of motor traffic and new roads A reluctant revolution By the 1890s motor vehicle had established itself as a reliable mode of transport, as the viability of the internal combustion engine was increasingly demonstrated, particularly in...

Roads to Birmingham By Peter Walker Part 3: In place of horses Early experiments in mechanical traction It is hard today to realise how dependent early Victorian society was on horse-power for its dynamic growth. But horses had their limitations, and inventors soon made experiments with steam...

Roads to Birmingham By Peter Walker Part 2: Georgian and Victorian times The turnpikes The first private toll road was established by act of parliament in 1663 in Hertfordshire, and the first Trust was set up in 1707 on the London - Coventry - Chester road. They became known as turnpike trusts...

Roads to Birmingham By Peter Walker Part 1: Before the 17th century The early roads Not being an ancient town, and located at the meeting of three counties (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire), Birmingham grew up after a crude pattern of cross-country routes already existed. The...