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Ghost signs of Birmingham

Vivienne14 said:
Hi Phil, thanks for posting a very good picture of the waiting room, which actually looks inviting rather than the forlorn building that it's become today. Think I'm inclined to go along with Moss's photo's on the wording. It certainly looks a good fit with "Erdington Tramways" . And agree with Jennyann, it would also be interesting to find out who now owns the building.

Hi Paul. Glad you've enjoyed all the postings. A tall order, but it would be nice to have as many signs as possible on the forum before they disappear from the effects of the elements (or building development). One aspect that has only just occurred to me is that many of these signs might be preserved underneath later wooden advertising boards. The first photo is one such at 288 Ladypool Road (near the junction with Clifton Road). Don't know what it's referring to, but it has some very crisp lettering only preserved because it's been covered up by a later advertising. The second is on the wall of 218 Heathfield Road, again covered by later boards, but now it's uncovered reveals an optician's services. Nice script. Viv.

View attachment 82547 Ladypool Road
View attachment 82548 Heathfield Road
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Atkinson (Chemists) occupied the commercial frontage of 218 Heathfield Road, and also the cellar for storage. The dispensing chemist was, as I recollect, Mr Roberts. They seemed to sell everything, including methylated spirit for my Mamod steam engine. My family rented the remainder of this once fine Victorian property, resplendent with servants' quarters, fine tiled floors, Minton tiled fireplaces, and ubiquitous green exterior lead painted windows and doors.
I was born in the first floor bedroom above the shop (nearest the sign in the photo) in 1952.
Happy days and great memories!
 
Welcome Olebluenose. It's great to hear from members who knew these places. But the even nicer thing is you've given us some interesting details of the interior of the home (above the shops?). Thanks for telling us about your happy times there. Viv.
 
A tell-tale sign of this premise's former use, but now long gone. This night safe in a wall on Birchfield Road (near the junction with Bragg Road) looks like a Lloyds Bank one, although I can't get a clear enough image of it. There are probably many of these still on walls, like the one further along the road at Barclays Bank. But doubt these are still in use these days. Viv.
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Vivienne14 said:
Welcome Olebluenose. It's great to hear from members who knew these places. But the even nicer thing is you've given us some interesting details of the interior of the home (above the shops?). Thanks for telling us about your happy times there. Viv.
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Thanks for the welcome, Viv. Description? Let me start with a description of outside, downstairs. The residential access was from Heathfield Road via a gated entry between the chemist and next door bakery (Morristons?) which led to a modest walled garden rising up over two levels.

Immediately to the right was the rear exit from the chemist shop, which was generally open in warm/hot weather, and offering me tantalising insights of medicines etc being made up for customer collection. The paving bricks comprised of blue engineering bricks. Exterior features of the house comprised a large coal shed with a water tank above fed from the guttering of the house.

Passing by this shed and around a high wall to preserve modesty was the outside lavatory, which my mother kept spotless by incessant cleaning, mainly with Parazone bleach and a scrubbing brush. The seat was a pine bench, with an aperture corresponding to the dimensions of the ceramic sanitary ware below, which included a ledge to enable you to see what you had passed, before you flushed it away! I remember that years of scrubbing the lavatory seat had made it not only white in colour, but also opened the grain to a point where it was uncomfortable to linger!

The cistern was a high mounted pull chain flush model, which required skill and practice to work correctly. Lavatory paper was Izal, or if needed, newspaper.

Well, more than enough for now. I would be happy to describe the inside of the house if anyone is interested.
Olebluenose KRO
 
farmerdave said:
Definitely from top to bottom: Spalding, Confectionery, Wills, Gold, Flake, Cigarettes. Dave.
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SPALDINGS. As a youngster, I would occasionally walk from the junction of Heathfield Road and Churchill Road up the hill towards St Mary's and then turning left into Hamstead Road to play around the lake in Handsworth Park, whilst keeping an eye out for the "Parkies". The lake would always yield a good haul of "tiddlers". In the autumn, there were always plenty of conkers all around the park. Remember "Sixers"?

Funds permitting, I would go into Spaldings on the way home, where Mrs Spalding, a kindly and elderly lady would sell you a small glass of pop for what I seem to remember was 3d, and which you could drink inside the shop at a small circular table with two chairs. I usually chose dandelion and burdock or Tizer from the selection available.

At the age of eleven, I went to HGS, where I met a lad named Spalding who was the grandson of the lady I had been so well looked after by in the Spaldings shop.

Olebluenose KRO
 
image.jpeg A very confident 'Co-operative' sign on the Soho Road, Handsworth near the junction with Alfred Road. If you look closer at the sign it has 'Society' bottom right, but what is the word top left? 'Midland' or 'Birmingham' ? Viv.
 
Pershore Road, Stirchley - found another one while waiting for the no 45 bus.

FRUITERER AND CONFECTIONER

 
No problem Viv. It is a house at the end of a terraced block now. I think some of the houses in Stirchley were converted from former shops.
 
Good clear sign of this buildings former use. It's the Masonic Hall in High Street Harborne, now the local library. Viv.

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Vivienne14 said:
Good clear sign of this buildings former use. It's the Masonic Hall in High Street Harborne, now the local library. Viv.
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The name Masonic Hall was not formerly visible but was uncovered when some building work was done a few years ago. The window on the extreme right of the ground floor was previously the front door of the building. The work was done very well to disguise the fact that this was an alteration. This why the basement area does not spread across the whole building. The present front door is now in a former shop just off the picture to the right.
 
A very nice 1912 building on Soho Hill, formerly Adie Brothers Electro Plating Manufacturers. Phyllis Nicklin photographed this in the 1960s (collage right pic). Good to see its survived. The building actually looks cleaner than in the 60s. The shadow of the 'Adie' sign fixings are still visible on the side of the building. Viv.

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viv that building..has been used to sell second hand whites and televisions for about 30 years to my knowledge

lyn
 
ell that used to be the coronet camera works..your first pic shows the front of it in summer lane...tried for many years to find a photo of the building when it was coronets

lyn
 
do you mean where the windows are bricked / boarded up? All the windows look new.

The area had some old style road signs, with a black or blue backing.Summer Lane.jpg William St North.jpg
 
yes ell they are just new windows...as i said you can just see the summer lane entrance to the building in your first photo..i would love those old signs:D
 
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