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Birchfield Road Perry Barr
- Thread starter debi
- Start date
fiftiesboy
proper brummie kid
I too remember having a hot vimto in that shop. run by an elderly lady
fiftiesboy
proper brummie kid
Before I went to school Mom bought a two wheeled wicker shopping trolley from somewhere at the back of Crown Avenue. I wonder if your Mr. Medlam made it ? I used to ride in it on the daily shopping trip to Perry Barr. Think I had to walk back though
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Thanks, if only next doors four year old had not movedYou can take the predictive txt off in settings but to be honest I usually find it quite useful, it certainly teaches you to check your post before posting or to edit with ease
Bob
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Thanks, I will try itHi Bob, you can't hate an iPad !
What I do is to type it in 'Notes', check it for errors, then copy and paste it in my post.
oldmohawk
Sent from my iPad ...
Bob
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
The only image I know of which shows the shoe shop on the corner in Birchfield Road. I do not know the date but notice the pedestrian crossings are not zebra crossings and the cars would also probably help to date it. The image is not very clear but the name on the shop appears to be 'Englands'.
sylviasayers
master brummie
Hi Walsallie, I remember that little cafe near the railway station, when I was at Aston Commercial we used to go to Holford Drive (I think) for sports and on the way home we used to visit that little cafe for our weekly Vimto. It was very dingy inside but we loved our Vimto. Never heard anyone mention it since.
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Been trying to date this the Zebra crossing was trialled at a 100 sites in 1949 and became statute law in 1951. The car outside the Barclays Bank is a Standard Vanguard Mk1, no rear wheel cover introduced in 1948. All the other cars are1946 onwards, so possibly the picture is 1949. Onwards, can anyone pull up any reg nod?
Bob
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Lloyd's Bank can be seen in the second pic in post#487 behind the bus stop.
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
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?
A Sparks
master brummie
Yes, the Lloyds was my bank too - my parents open a savings account for me as a child - not sure if I've still got it?!
Eric Gibson
Gone but not forgotten
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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oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
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.
Radiorails
master brummie
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.
fiftiesboy
proper brummie kid
Thanks for those bank pictures. Looks like I was getting them mixed up. I hope I paid the mortgage into the correct bank
fiftiesboy
proper brummie kid
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
fiftiesboy
proper brummie kid
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
A Sparks
master brummie
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?
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
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
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
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.
