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Lorry in Cecil Street

great photo..apart from the interest in the lorry photos of cecil st are very thin on the ground

lyn
 
Many road vehicles, in past times, including cars, were pretty basic. No extras - no all singing and dancing, except those in the luxury price bracket. It was what the working man could afford. They were more easily repaired, often by amateurs.
 
Radiorails said:
Many road vehicles, in past times, including cars, were pretty basic. No extras - no all singing and dancing, except those in the luxury price bracket. It was what the working man could afford. They were more easily repaired, often by amateurs.
Click to expand...
I can remember my accelerator cable snapping when I was in the Stourport area in my Morris Minor rot-box. It was Sunday and no garages were open in those days. So I bought a ball of string from a paper shop, tied one end to the lever on the carburettor, exited the bonnet and ran the string through the quarter-light window. All I had to do was pull the string with one hand and steer with the other. Oh, no hands when changing gear! Got me home OK and I have this little story to tell which I have not recounted since that very week.
 
An unusual building. The two small windows at the side of the house seem to be set between the upper and lower floors. Also the fountain head looks to be higher than the small windows; it must have served a purpose other than rainwater. On the front of the building, on the third floor, there is an usual opening surrounded by what appears to be a wooden frame and checken wire.
I might suggest it was for pigeons, the occupant was possibly a pigeon fancier. :D Well that's my guess. Anyone have other ideas?
 
I would suggest that the two buildings are 31 and 32 Cecil Street. assorted peoiple seem to have lived there in ht e19th century including a woman who has arrested 50mtimes for drunkeness an dreference in the press for sale of a Hucksters shop and a small beerhouse. Not sure if the places referred to were no 32 or whether they were acting as agent.

map 1950s of Cecil Street showing 31,32.jpgBirm mail.9.5.1871.jpg
 
Radiorails said:
An unusual building. The two small windows at the side of the house seem to be set between the upper and lower floors. Also the fountain head looks to be higher than the small windows; it must have served a purpose other than rainwater. On the front of the building, on the third floor, there is an usual opening surrounded by what appears to be a wooden frame and checken wire.
I might suggest it was for pigeons, the occupant was possibly a pigeon fancier. :D Well that's my guess. Anyone have other ideas?
Click to expand...
The fountain head is curious, possible an upstairs sink or wash basin. Looks like a waste pipe going into it. In fact, is that a bend at the front or another fountain head with a bath waste? The windows have a couple of possibilities, a staircase or looking at the sloping grown the house was split level.

I am wondering if this is a back to back, three floors on the front and two on the back. This would underpin the idea of staircase windows.
 
Radiorails said:
An unusual building. The two small windows at the side of the house seem to be set between the upper and lower floors. Also the fountain head looks to be higher than the small windows; it must have served a purpose other than rainwater. On the front of the building, on the third floor, there is an usual opening surrounded by what appears to be a wooden frame and checken wire.
I might suggest it was for pigeons, the occupant was possibly a pigeon fancier. :D Well that's my guess. Anyone have other ideas?
Click to expand...
It does look like back to back property with an enthusiastic gardener living in the front with 2 hanging baskets, various window boxes and a wooden framework on the top floor where I suggest it might be tomato plants growing.
 
The 1890s map shows a complete line of houses but only 2 left on the 1950s map, I thought perhaps they were lost as a result of WWII bombing but could find no records on the BARRA site so presumably they were condemned in the 1950s.
 

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The houses were back to backs, the family standing on the doorstep were indian and the two girls in the doorway
were twins and the first asians I had seen. The house with the pram outside a family called Ford lived there.
The photo would have been taken sometime in the 50s.
 
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