New unseen photos with no locations

[mikejee]

Just a map to show that the houses were still there in c 1952. A very small scale map (10,569:1) labelled 1968 which shows minimal detail seems to indicate that they were still there then, but a map dated 1968-1978 shows them gone. this would fit with it neing those houses.

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks Mike. I have a sneaking suspicion that your third photo of the unusual cottages (one with barge boarding etc) was nearby too. I've marked it on the map. One of the houses has gone compared with your map. But on your map there's a roughly drawn smaller building (is this the outhouse/workshop next to the barge boarded cottage perhaps?). I think the decorative barge boarding would have been on just the last two houses near the Cycle Works because they could be seen from Portland Street along the alleyway. You can see a trackway towards the cottages on the photo too which could be from the alleyway. The Cycle Works would be to the right in the photo. Have no explanation for the design of the buildings. So when you took the photos of the other houses, these cottages must have been behind you. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

This is all hanging together quite well.The one thing I'm surprised about is that only one person suggested Buttons Ltd as the factory . It was after all a very well known Brummie form

 

[gingerjon]

notice the height of the factory building much higher than one in earlier post building and house design for this area not the same, these three are in Catherine street

 

[Vivienne14]

We have Sylviasayers to thank for the naming of the factory as Buttons Ltd. Here's a bit mire info about them. VIV.

 

[Astoness]

john those are great photos of catherine st

thanks for posting them

lyn

 

[oldMohawk]

Interesting looking factory in this 1952 pic although there are objects on top which don't exactly match the original pic. I need to investigate further regarding it's location relative to the houses etc.

 

[mikejee]

Thank you for the photos John. Been trying to make out where exactly they were taken. No 3 , with the three houses must be the ones behind Beatrice terrace (which on another simiiar map of the period are marked as 2/56, 3/56 & 4/56.) I a, still pondering the other two

 

[oldMohawk]

Interesting looking factory in this 1952 pic

The right hand wall of the factory building could be on Portland St and the 3rd pic in post #193 shows a fence and a small brick garden building with sloping roof which looks as if it might be in the pic in post#277

 

[Astoness]

really enjoying this mystery..cant really add much to it but its worth bearing in mind that not all houses were of the same design especially those built early to middle 1800s..the street i lived in had many different shapes and sizes..

 

[oldMohawk]

It looks like the building is still there minus the chimney-like stumps on the roof.

 

[mikejee]

And it is the same position as the button works on Portland St.

 

[Astonian]

Yes mike
I am also surprised only one person whom stepped up to the red line to state it was Buttons Limited
I myself lived around the corner less than three hundred yards from buttons limited in the early years myself and my younger brother
And myself and Mr French the fruit and veg owner around on Lichfield road also whom was close friends of ours worked with us
And Albert Gough whom lost one eye at buttons owing to acid going into his eye
Through the opening of a terrace in Portland street facing Buttons took you to houses that was backed on to Catherine street
And our relation was the Jones of Catherine street and the southern family,
May I say its my opinion the reason for one person is because a lot of people have moved to another site or dropped off this forum
Especially the old Aston folk as this as changed dramitcaly over the years I have been on here a lot of the old local inhabitants
Especially of Aston , Lichfield road wainwright street and surrounding streets which are plenty of was never on this forum
To begin with, and sadly what few there was had sadly passed away from this life which was a great loss to this forum,,,,Astonian,,,,,

 

[Astonian]

When you turned into Portland street from wainwright street and started to walk down the street and you crossed over to the other side of the street
There was a walk way which you could either walk down or drive down it was quite a wide exit for both personal/or car drivers to go up and down on the front
Of Portland street there was a batch of houses facing Buttons and the side of the houses there was the drive way which ran along side the back gardens
Of these houses and at the very bottom of that drive way which was a long way down
You would be confronted with houses which had very long gardens and these was the back houses which was the back wall of
Houses of Catherine street you would walk through the garden gate and up there garden path to get to the door of the dwelling
And these housed part family's one pariclar was A girl called Emma whom I got to know and her neibours was big family's
When you reached the bottom of that drive the first batch of houses was the back of a factory which was the first 100 Yards as you turned into Catherine Street
From the Lichfield road
When at the bottom of the drive in Portland street you would be walking along the bottoms of the gardens of those houses down the drive
Which is the back to back houses of Catherine street
Like ours around the corner up the courts and terraces back to back only our houses up our terrace Cromwell Square
Was the living rooms of Thompsons the pork butchers and slaughter house behind the wall the pigs would be sqealing
These was from the begging of the Thompsons business we was at the worst end of the wall and so was the marshalls brants and ourselves
Which got all the pest control problems from Thompsons slaughter
And incidentlt back on lower Portland street facing Buttons was a tea rooms owned by the branstons our next door neibour
And her daughter Queenie god bless her if she should be around today they was the posh kid of the terrace had every think
On the subject of this drive way I believe it was created by knocking down a batch of houses possible by the war years or compulsery purchase
To a couple of business that was built at the top end of Portland street which came to the Lichfield road corner was a a bend of a corner
Coming around to the junction of an island which I'd on your map pointing wainwright street Portland street and on that island was an old horse watering trough
For the trade men's horses passing and for stopping outside the coffee shop which was right next to it
And day and night it was was always the An sells draymen monopolising the trough with four or five horses around it
Astonian,,,,,

 

[oldMohawk]

Hi Alan - interesting to read your local knowledge about the area. In fact looking back through the thread the answers were there from local knowledge ...

In post#119 right place but the pub name led us astray ....

the name of pub is THE CASTLE, church rd and maybe Alfred st, Aston.

In post#161 we really should have paid attention to this ....

My brother who lived in the Beales Street area thinks it the Crown on Church Road or Lane,

In post#255 I would not have found it without this information ....

Re Mike's post 193, it looks like a row of back houses in Catherine Street, off Lichfield Road, Aston, and the large factory could be Buttons.

In a 2010 streetview, https://goo.gl/maps/qsRhA a wander up and down the street shows nice windows on the front and side but the more utilitarian windows on the back. There is a smart looking reception but I can't read the brass plate. Gates and a turnstile at the far end of the street !

All good fun and interesting .... when's the next pic appearing ? .....

 

[Astoness]

morning phil...yes i think we have done all we can on this one of mikes...it has been on for 6 days now so time for my next one which i will post later on when i have sorted one out...

lyn

 

[Astoness]

here is my next one folks...dont think this will go as fast as my others...could be a pub in the distance..

 

[Vivienne14]

Maybe a wholesale market to the right? Has a couple of vans parked alongside. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

I think it's the view taken from alongside Smithfield Market on Moat Row looking towards the modern building, Smithfield House, Digbeth. Smithfield House image is below. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

It is Sherlock st east (see map with arrow approx where photo was taken from).The meat market is to the right and then Drovers Arms at the far end of the street. I think that is the side of smithfield house, but from a different street to what Viv suggests.

Here is a photo I took which shows the market from the opposite direction. It will appear on 69-73 thread with 2 others.

 

[Vivienne14]

Meant to say Moat Lane Mike. Never knew the roads tend to get Row and Lane mixed up. Viv.

 

[oldMohawk]

My iPad chimed at 15.30 hours, email alert, Lyn must have put her pic on! I had a quick look and noticed those distinctive white decors each side of the doorways and windows on a pub in the distance. Drovers Arms I thought, but I had chores to do so checking on the street had to wait. Next time I looked, all sorted, maps on, extra pic, and location found. Well done all ....

 

[Viewfinder]

Brilliant work, Viv and Mike. We seem to have been fixated by the Drovers Arms recently!

 

[mikejee]

Here are two which show the same group of buildings, but one includes a characteristic chimney. Unless soemone from round there remembers it then it will be unlikely to be identified - but then I've thought that before. It has been suggested that they are in either Rosalie or Clissold streets. They were taken immediately before some around the junction of Icknield st and Lodge Road

 

[Vivienne14]

There's a modern building behind the central chimney stack. Could it be traced using that? And the row of houses is in a relatively high position, maybe on top of a slight hill. For example this is on Rosebury Street, slightly raised up and you can see high rise buildings in the distance. Viv.

 

[oldMohawk]

There's a modern building behind the central chimney stack. Could it be traced using that? Viv.

I've been looking on GE at the tower blocks near the area mentioned and there appear to be only two. One in a discontinued part of Lodge Road and another near Ford St.

 

[Vivienne14]

Or maybe at the top of Camden Street somewhere along Clissold Street. Camden Street seems to reach a high point at the junction with Clissold St. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

thanks everyone...didnt think that would go so quick..

lyn

 

[oldMohawk]

The tower block showing over the roof has a vertical feature which only shows on the south and north faces of the tower blocks a view of one tower block here https://goo.gl/maps/OZ1Ln

 

[Astoness]

looks like a block of flats behind the houses...there are some flats in heaton st which is more or less at the junction with lodge road and icknield st..

oops sorry phil i missed your last post..