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Birchfield Road Perry Barr

Eric Gibson said:
The car bottom left in the picture appears to be a Ford Mk1 either Cortina or more likely Zephyr, they weren't launched until 1951 so it has to be after that, my first thoughts when the picture was posted was mid 50s.

Ps. the car next to it is a Ford 100E Anglia/Prefect, the were launched in 1953.
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Although the pic in #484 is not too clear there appear to be no tram lines on the road surface so it is after 1949 when trams were discontinued. Post#438 shows the tram tracks being removed in 1954, so if removal of the tracks at the terminus occurred at the same time, the date of the pic could be later than 1954. It looks like Eric's suggestion of mid 1950s is correct.
With regard to zebra crossings, the 1959 pic in #419 shows no zebra markings probably because back then they did not use them on crossings near traffic lights.
 

Thanks for your post, Willey. I do recall the name Southall from All Souls, but can't be certain if that was Sylvia's surname. I believe she took one of the Sunday Schools for older kids.

G
 
Di.Poppitt said:
Post 458 shows the number 3 tram, the 3x ran from Witton into town. If trams travelled along Aston Lane maybe 3 was on its way to Villa Park?
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Route 3 was abandoned at the outbreak of WW2 leaving the 3X to serve Witton. According to information I have the 3 was a circular route travelling via Six Ways and Aston cross to and from the city . The Perry Barr 6 route was able to cover the part not served by the 3X and of course there were buses. Both 3X and 6 routes were abandoned at the end of 1949 but the tracks were still there for a while.
Car 367 (as pictured in post 458) was withdrawn from service, as was most of the survivors of that class, at the end of 1950.
I posted elsewhere (on the other thread dealing with this area of the city) that I believed this was a special service for tram enthusiasts: I still am of that opinion, however, I now believe that the special was a re-run, in part or in full, of the former 3 route.
Purely supposition of course, but as plausible as anything else I guess. ;)
 
Vivienne14 said:
Thanks Lyn. That's good of you. Maybe one for a winter visit! Viv.
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Astoness said:
hi di..here is a map showing where villas ground used to be...not quite in wellhead lane di but just to the left of birchfield road with wellington road running alongside of it...what fascinates me about this map is that it shows a roman kiln..a fountain..antwerp house and anglesley house..just as an update birmingham city university (opened 1971) which was on the site of birchfield road school has now closed and i have heard will be demolished also the underpass ajacent to it has now been filled in..the area back then must have been quite lovely but if you remember how it looked in your day dont go back there it will reduce you to tears...just hang onto your memories..they wont change

lyn

View attachment 107461
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Hi Lyn. I went in search of the Roman kiln a couple of years ago and spoke to the owner of Hirons, his family have run the place for years. He told me there have been a few people over the years looking for the kiln but nothing remains of it.
I've also been searching for photos of the Villa ground without any luck, apparently there aren't any which is difficult to believe as they played there for 21 years until 1897 and won several cups and league titles while playing there. I did go to the central library to look through the Sir Benjamin Stone photographic collection, again drawing a blank
 
Walsallie said:
Does anyone remember the shop just before the railway bridge, opposite Dodds ironmongers where it supplied hot Vimto in thick glasses with a straw. ver so dingy inside ?
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Hi Walsallie, I've just been to visit my older brother and he told me that the hot Vimto cafe was called the Mikado and was run by a Mrs Fieldhouse
 
fiftiesboy said:
Hi Walsallie, I've just been to visit my older brother and he told me that the hot Vimto cafe was called the Mikado and was run by a Mrs Fieldhouse
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I spoke to my mother last night and she remembers Mrs Fieldhouse very well as she used to come into the shop where my mother worked to buy her underwear!
She also remembers Mr Fieldhouse, a tall man who was in the shop sometimes but didn't do very much as he was an invalid.
I think it's what I remember as a sweet shop but my mother said they sold all sorts of bits and pieces as well - can't specifically remember the hot Vimto but seems very likely.
She also agreed with what I remembered, that there wasn't much light in there and she thought there was two steps to go down when you entered the shop.

She was also trying to remember what was in that block of shops and thinks there may have been a ladies dress shop and a florist?
 
fiftiesboy said:
Hi Lyn. I went in search of the Roman kiln a couple of years ago and spoke to the owner of Hirons, his family have run the place for years. He told me there have been a few people over the years looking for the kiln but nothing remains of it.
I've also been searching for photos of the Villa ground without any luck, apparently there aren't any which is difficult to believe as they played there for 21 years until 1897 and won several cups and league titles while playing there. I did go to the central library to look through the Sir Benjamin Stone photographic collection, again drawing a blank
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hi fiftiesboy thanks for the info about the roman kiln...i think deep down i guessed there would not be anything left of it but when i can i will pop down and double check...its a shame there are no photos of the villa ground unless of course the library may have some or possibly aston villa in their archives..

lyn
 
Hi fifties boy

This is the only photo I have of the Villa Ground. I am also putting a photo of our shop opposite the Church and Onion Fair ground. I might find something else later but in a rush at the moment. So good to read other memories of theVimto shop thanks all.Will try another day as it says my file does not have the right extensions whatever that means
 
A quiet day on Birchfield Road and a group of children wait by the tram stop with two young girls walking along the footpath. Two elaborate light coloured houses in the view and that half timbered shop on the corner of Heathfield Road. The top of that street light on the right qualifies for a link from the 'Street Furniture' thread to this pic.
BirchfieldRd.jpg
 
A No 6 tram on Birchfield Road Perry Barr near the bus garage apparently waiting to travel on to the terminus which was in the centre of the road opposite the Crown and Cushion pub. Only one tram at a time could be stopped at the terminus and it looks as if all the passengers have got off rather than waiting.
Image1.jpg
 
Another No 6 tram waiting it's turn to get to the terminus by the Crown and Cushion pub. Everyone appears to have got off the tram apart from one women who might be the conductress and presumably the driver might be somewhere in the tram having a sit down. The Municipal Bank can be seen on the corner of the Broadway.
2No6tram.JPG
 
oldMohawk, Your posting No.509 shows G.H. Watts toyshop in the background - that was an important shop in our childhood during the war years when toys and books were in short supply. We could never pass their window without stopping to peer in and marvel at the display of scarce goods. The picture has brought back many happy memories of what once was a very pleasant area to live in. Regards. willey
 
Hi Willey ... I also remember that toyshop. Birchfield Rd was my main route into town, to the ice rink, to work, and to school. I saw a lot of the road and in my very young days travelled on the old trams ... and remember the sounds of the motors, the bells, the ticket collector's 'ding' when they punched the tickets.
oldmohawk ...:)
 
Apologies if this has already posted but I found a good set of photos of Birchfield just before work on the underpass started from a private collection in the Library Archives It includes photographs of the blocks of shops between the Station and the Crown & Cushion - one I had forgotten was Rose's Shoe Repairs!

1531-0.jpg


1535-0.jpg


I had forgotten about the bungalow type building next to the old Station entrance - was it a private house does anyone know?

Link of all the photos here https://www.search.birminghamimages...geIndex=2&SearchType=2&ThemeID=623#searcharea
 
I made a suggestion in my Post 501 in this thread that the tram in the picture, car No. 367, was in fact doing a special run and not a normal service car. I have since found out from my archives that was in fact the case.
 
Some missing Photobucket pics from posts#1, 4, 22, 23, 24, 79, 195, 375 have been recovered.
Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#1
1-BirchfieldRd.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#4
4-library.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#22
22-xmas2011013.jpg

22-xmas2011018.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#23
23-birchfieldroadwithcinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#24
24-07-birchfield_cinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#79
79-Odeon-Cinema-Perry-Barr-2.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#195
195-img767.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#375
375-crownandcushperrybarr_zpse59699d3.jpg


Some Photobucket pics are permanently missing because PB albums have been deleted.
 
oldMohawk said:
Some missing Photobucket pics from posts#1, 4, 22, 23, 24, 79, 195, 375 have been recovered.
Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#1
1-BirchfieldRd.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#4
4-library.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#22
22-xmas2011013.jpg

22-xmas2011018.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#23
23-birchfieldroadwithcinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#24
24-07-birchfield_cinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#79
79-Odeon-Cinema-Perry-Barr-2.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#195
195-img767.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#375
375-crownandcushperrybarr_zpse59699d3.jpg


Some Photobucket pics are permanently missing because PB albums have been deleted.
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Can one of the bus experts explain why 3820 is showing service extra was it not a locally garaged bus?
Bob
 
All the lost Photobucket images originally posted by Astoness and helpfully retrieved by Oldmohawk in post #519 have now been copied into their original posts. Thanks Oldmohawk. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
All the lost Photobucket images originally posted by Astoness and helpfully retrieved by Oldmohawk in post #519 have now been copied into their original posts. Thanks Oldmohawk. Viv.
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many thanks viv and OM...nice to have them back where they belong:)

lyn
 
Thanks Alan. At first wondered if it was the Queen but think I'm mixing that up with one of the central Birmingham underpasses. Mind you, HM could have had a full-time job ribbon cutting in Birmingham given the rate of road openings in the 1960s. Viv.
 
She was probably advised to give it all a wide berth. I would have. Birmingham seems to have become the leader of developments since the 1960's.
Given the bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games I hope the city fathers make every effort to rid the city of tall cranes and road re-construction.
 
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