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Aston Cross

What was the name of the pub in post 148 ( scary, just looked at the time and it's the same as the clock in the photo.)
 
Post #156. I bought this 20" x 16" print some years ago, it is framed and hangs in my living room, the shop with the white blind is (or was) Bird's men's tailors where I had my first suit, the 39 'bus coming down Park Road had just replaced the 3x tram, just 'off picture' to the right was my library, I was an avid reader then and still am. Also off pic was the BMB (Birmingham Municipal Bank) where I opened my first bank account when I started work in 1944 aged 14 (I felt so grown up). All in all this print as many happy memories for me, I also love the way he has caught the reflections after the rain
 
I have seen that before, here I am almost certain. I have to agree that it is a very interesting painting full of vitality and most creative particularity, as mentioned above, the reflections.
 
Well worth a repeat, Eric, and I can't say I have come across it in recent years. It's one of those paintings that grabs you!

Maurice
 
Yes agree, well worth a repeat. To me, it's not only a great image, but it includes so many different forms of transport. Viv.
 
[QUOTE="Astonian, post: 600247, member: 127"n That would be the old guy selling is last remaining mails each used to stand outside the golden cross pub and when he got down to about a dozen he would cross over and stand by the billiard hall and the litle shop next door to catch loads of people coming off the number eight bus stop which was a hell of alot of people coming off they was workers my old man used to get off there when he worked in hockly there used to be a metal sign there and it would be where they can get the saturday buses to villa park

Hi All,
I can add a little to Alan (Astonians) account of the newspaper sellers crossing over the road to sell the last if his supply,. Alan was not quite right in that the news vendor was, in fact, selling the early editions of the Mail outside the Golden Cross, He had sold most of these by about 5:3pm so a van made a further delivery to him. Coming from town it stopped on the opposite side of the road, put the papers on the pavement, pipped his horn to let the seller know he had made the delivery then drove off. On one occasion after a moment or two the seller crossed the road but, lo and behold there was no parcel of newspapers. However the good PC D49 (myself) was close by and, after being appraised of the facts, set off in search of this dastardly criminal (it might even have been an armed gang, for all I knew.) I soon saw a man walking along with a newspaper in his hand. He told me he had purchased it from a young boy on the next corner. I attended immediately and found this youngster who, in fact, was well known to all atAston Police station. The powers that be decided that they might well receive criticism if they charged a juvenile who insisted that he had merely found the newspapers which he had thought had been thrown away. He was cautioned and I newer received the medal or visit to Buckingham Palace that I thought I deserved.
Old Boy
 
Obviously painted from a photo, I wonder were he obtained such a photo ? I still admire his skill as a painter regardless. The No. 2 tram coming from Erdington, the 78 on its way to Short Heath and the distant tram could be a 79 from Pype Hayes. Eric
 
Oddly there’s no image on this thread of the earlier clock/tower/cabmans shelter. It looks like a substantial structure, but it seems to have eventually deteriorated so much it had to be demolished and replaced. This image must be pre-1891
- before the Tower was demolished. Apparently this one replaced a much earlier (medieval?) one. Viv.

71526B76-A561-489F-9033-C996B16499F0.jpeg
 
Vivienne14 said:
Oddly there’s no image on this thread of the earlier clock/tower/cabmans shelter. It looks like a substantial structure, but it seems to have eventually deteriorated so much it had to be demolished and replaced. This image must be pre-1891
- before the Tower was demolished. Apparently this one replaced a much earlier (medieval?) one. Viv.

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Thanks Viv I love this as it shows more clearly my grt grandad's shop at the side of the bus 1868 - 1884. Can I please share it?
 
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sylviasayers said:
Astonian is the Gents Outfitters you are thinking about BIRDS it was a couple of shops before Aston Cross Library on the Lichfield Road.

I think the pub on the corner of Tower Road/Park Road maybe the Royal Exchange but I do tend to get a blank on that pub although I must have passed it 100s of times.
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The pub was the royal exchange my dad was the landlord there from about 1970 until 1977 has anyone got on photos of the pub.
 
Zoo said:
The pub was the royal exchange my dad was the landlord there from about 1970 until 1977 has anyone got on photos of the pub.
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I Remember this pub very well. Had many a swift half or two after getting off the no 8 bus on my way to watch the Villa in the dark (for Villa) days of late 60s early seventies. Can still smell the mixture of aromas from Ansells brewery and the HP sauce factory as I got off the bus from Small Heath where I lived behind enemy lines,
 
In 2019 post #109 a question was raised about the elaborate building behind the Royal George Inn, I don't think we had a definitive answer although looking at the proximity of the HP tower in the B&W picture of Park Road I imagine that perhaps it was part of the vinegar factory.
The edge of it is just visible, RHS on the picture of the aston cross clock although it looks as though the windows have been bricked up at this stage.
Can anybody throw any light on this?
 

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