1950's 60s and 70s Erdington

[mw0njm.]

Wilton Road Erdington Birmingham 1950's The old Erdington Police Station on Wilton Road

 

[mw0njm.]

A market in Erdington, all the way back in 1929.

Summer Road, where police block passage to the High Street after a massive fuel leak from a lorry in 1974.

 

[Smudger]

Wilton Road Erdington Birmingham 1950's The old Erdington Police Station on Wilton Road
View attachment 210455

Been in there Pete, tried to get a warm bed when i was homeless { oh the good old days }

 

[John L]

But what happened that all of this apparently gone? Pets photos look like it was a vibrant busy town.

A lot of the bigger retail shops closed down because increased rents and Council Tax charges, made them too costly to continue to run there and a lot moved on to retail parks instead. Online shopping also played a big part and in the case of smaller High Street shops, they faced stiff competition from supermarkets in the retail parks and smaller supermarket owned "mini" supermarkets on their High Street too. What shops are still left on High Streets are now plagued by shoplifters, who take what they want, when they want it and know that the odds of them being apprehended for doing so, are slim to none.

 

[mw0njm.]

Been in there Pete, tried to get a warm bed when i was homeless { oh the good old days }

not so good days Snudger i slept in the Crypt under st chads one night .. as i posted last time i went in that nick was around 5 to eat there biscuits

 

[Time Traveller 66]

We visited yesterday, what bliss ,no motorway, no HS2, lots of birdsong in her garden, and plenty of country walks.
I may even call an estate agent myself,

Sounds lovely go for it and you don't have to travel far for peaceful surroundings.

 

[PaulP]

Just thinking of Erdington again, does anyone recall Elmo supermarket? A brand that came and disappeared without anyone noticing.

I worked there as a "Saturday boy" in the 1960s. I have a particular striking memory of Tom Jones, the Welsh singer, riding up the High St, maybe on the back of a truck, and all us watching from the tea room on the second floor.

 

[Alberta]

An update on my sister leaving Erdington,the local bus driver does not use the bus stops very much he picks up and puts down people at the end of their road. none of that in Erdington and she has pheasants coming to see her in her back garden not a lot of those in erdington either
She is loving it.

 

[John L]

An update on my sister leaving Erdington,the local bus driver does not use the bus stops very much he picks up and puts down people at the end of their road. none of that in Erdington and she has pheasants coming to see her in her back garden not a lot of those in erdington either
She is loving it.

To be fair, I have seen that done recently and driver's stopping between bus stops too, where the WM passenger is a regular and isn't as mobile as he or she once was.