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If one looks at the top of the newsagent's buildings there can be seen the 'Sunday Mercury' banner with the AUTHORISED name of the seller printed on it. Think this was a legal requirement in those days to distinguish licensed sellers of newspapers and tobbaco?
I was interested in the picture on post #108. I remember those shops; I think one was a joke shop. You know, stink bombs and exploding cigarettes, etc.,
Sandrada, I don't think the newsagents next to the Post Office was Mitchells. As far as I know they only had two shops, one next door or very near the Orient cinema, and the other just up from the Globe cinema.
Some of my earliest memories are of my nan's place, 1 back of 42, Alma Street. I can picture it now: the outside loo, the fire/range, the 'kitchen' (really nothing more than a sink with cold water at the top of steps down to the cellar!) We spent a lot of time there as she was infirm and already quite elderly by the time I came along. She must have been in her mid-80s when she died in (I think) 1966. Her name was Ellen Powell. Ring any bells?
regarding your post No 125 the tall chap second from the right is George Crumpton the licensee of the Alma at the time,I spoke to his son Paul the other day and mentioned this photo to him,Paul and I have been friends from the age of eight. Today we met up for lunch at the Black Boy at Knowle and Paul brought along the same photo that you posted.
Lyn's photograph (post No.125) has SO much detail and information, not least because it typifies the rapid (and downward) haste of Birmingham into modern madness. Forumers might like to notice that the film poster on the right of the right-hand ladder is advertising Clint Eastwood in "For a Fistful of Dollars":-
Might we use the film title to illustrate the property developers approach to 'pulling down Brum' that only money talks?
hi, am i on the correct street, i used to live in burners st, with mom, dad and gran ma. going down alma street on the right hand side was there a doctors surgery, i think his name was oneil. please correct me if i am wron. kind reguards sidwho
I was born in a cafe which was owned by my nan her name was leah small my moms name was laura i was born in 1954,e does anyone know of my family or have any photos please.les ballard
hi emanchist ;
i forgot to mention he also ran a booking shop i think it was about number forty seven on alma street around that time
you mentioned ; i do not know what came first the bookies or the cafe ; ;it may have been both together
because because it was there father whom made all the coffee ouse bussiness through out brum ,
along with there transport coffee shops [ bed and beakfast for lorr drivers []
they also had to big wholesale ware houses which supplied most people and shops during the war years ;
one was at tyburn rd and th other at the rear of park lane aston cross ;
as you may recall they had them all around the aston cross , ie aston rd north ; lichfield rd ; alma st ; tyburn rd even in the city centre ; snow hill by the station ;
the great westeren arcade in the time of good old joe lyonsresturants they was next to him
where they had waitresss to serve the posh people with siver ware there grand father bought that from pattersonhughes ; whom previously owed that one
there was a big house the grand father owned with servants up in handsworth
there fore fathers was grand masters of some organised society i beleived they was some sort of masons and they looked after the por as well
there is one hell of alot that the aston and birmingham people never knew about of the jelfs and there family of the five brothers and one sister
from behind the scenes and they was a secret family towards each other they never spoke about there familyduring all the years from 1927 to the fifties ;
they was invollved with the old gpo ; offices and the starting of the council of bush housing department as one of them started within there
along with another guy whom i cannot not mention ; and his wife in tose early years
one of them whom was a son to the senior jelf whom was a big noise within the trade unions and his son whom is still alive in is ninetys
he his george jelf started his political intrest from a book shop in mosely the shop was called scieneneolgy ; and he broght comminum to birmingham ;
and was head of it along with big well known names and stood for council in the early years for small heath for many years ;
I am still trying to get more infor and a picture of the brotherswith some council leaders standing out side ther bana ovens
which was in the old jamica row in the fiftys i hopesomeone can thrw light on this ; throgh out there realm they had thirty tree bussiness;
well emanchist i think i have said to much ; but take care and wish you all the best ; astonian;;
i thank you for the information,i met june and ted about six weeks ago i remember your mom and a young lady called diane,have or do you know how i could get a photo of where i was born,hope your all keeping well and hope to hear from you soon regards les ballard.
diane is my sister but she wasnt born when we left alma street .sorry i dont have any photos i wish i had as i try to explain to my grandchildren about our house in alma street.
Hi Expert Brummie, I can see half of Fawcetts ironmongers just behind the bus in this picture from the top of Alma Street looking into the High Street. It was at number 10 High Street. Is there any chance you have seen a better photo of the shop? Richard Tatt
A pic that was on before but maybe lost. I stood at that bus stop many times and travelled over Six Ways hundreds of times in buses and cars and although I can remember the bank, the library and the pub, I can't remember Hedges Corner at all !
2 more cracking photos of alma street...both dated 1959..alma st school just showing...the building next to it is still there...clifford st running across..dont worry if the photos look funny they are on a high resolution..just click on them 3 times to enlarge...