Hi viv
On the subject of newburys carpets large store which was really a large windows store (Loads of windows huge in height as well)
Which was on the Lichfield road and around the corner into Catherine street where there front door entrance was ,
Quite rightly vivas you have said prior to newburys carpets there was a huge display of house hold soft furnishing but they was not
The run of the mill house hold commoners for the likes of the population of Astonians
There furnishing was a giant furnishing of very high taste top of the range fixtures and fitting for the very rich people of very high earners
And you could say millionaires prices your house had to be a very large size to fit there fitting in
In fact I can say us kids along the road and the surrounding street Portland street /Catherine street Wainwright street and virtually
All streets of Aston you would have never got them fitted in your house and wealthy peoples big earners to have an house to put them in
As kids and older people use to only have a quick look in thou,s window bays because the things was Astonishing to glare at
But saying that people only looked as they was walking past and walking along the Lichfield red going to and from the Aston Cross Direction
And yes the repaired vaccs and carpet cleaners was area yards back just around by the horse trough that was in the middle of the junction of Portland street and wainwright street and facing the pub
Regarding the gap just before newburys came there was a shop ,and in fact there was a series of shops first there was area little houses from Portland street
Then then was a series of about ten shops or just less this is before the fifties and it was in the early fiftey that the show ROM of furnishers moved out
And Newbury came hence the gap just right next door to newburys
As you look at that picture across the road on Lichfield road you see a blank piece of land they was the old terraces and courts of the back to backs
And that was like that before the new extinction of the building you see just right of the picture that was An sells new boilers systems
And behind it when you walked around the corner to upper Portland street and faceting mattys radio shop was there back entrance
For such loading of the old lorrys and the horse and carts for delivery but when you walked into that yard they built a new gate office
For which laic further up the yard and as I said it was where they kept there coal slag and it was that where they housed there big
Over head crane and it was a Pitt for the coal very fine coal and the Pitt was about about 100 feet deep and it had a iron ladder steps up the wall to climb down and climb up and out when we was kids of eight years old my mate Colin and myself used to dare each other to jump over aboard
By standing on the edge of the Pitt and jump down into it we did but we was daft kids even thou we was scared one by one we did jump and dropped down into it
It was a long way down and no/one could see you down there we would be up to our waist with this stuff but skuttked to the ladder and got up
There was never one around at that times I remember them building that frontage also from the Aston cross front entrance and the demos
All along the ,Lichfield road knocking down the courts and the little shops right on the front of the cross and building it brick by brick from there to upper Portland street I also grew up and got my first job at Buttons in Portland street and the Brants Had there Tea rooms in Portland street
And many more and its c,ear as Hester day to me Aston Through out and the rebuilding and modernising Aston
Way back in the early fortys us kids often spoke about Lichfield roads Future with a motor way coming through in our future time of life
On the land of Cromwell square which was next to Thompson if you travel along there today that plot of land as not been built upon yet
There is hoarding our slum of one up and down s we was all brought up in family names I will not name as it takes to long
But there was a gang of us and we had the biggest yard to cut the story short one day way back in the early fifths
There was about six of us and as we knew one day in the future as we got old men we decide to dig a big hole deep in the corner
Of the yard and we hurried a time capsil and glass jar with a variety of thing for the future generation to find
So one day when ever they come to educate the land or a bye pas some one will find these things
Well viv I had better get of the line so to speak before I get a roasting from the powers to be best wishes Viv , Alan,,,Astonian,,,,,