• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

OLD BIRMINGHAM PHOTOS FROM STEVEBHx

#925 is the little row of shops just up from the Golden Hind on Kingstanding Road., near the junction with Greenholm Road. Remember them well. Viv.
I was always fascinated by the display outside when I went past on the bus , is there a little slip road in front of the shops Before it became duelled ?
 
Yes Steve common around Kingstanding. I assume it was to make provision for parking as there so many main roads in the area. But could be wrong.

I added a point to my post #929 Steve about the two hardware shops. Viv.
 
163 - 165 Soho Road - Handsworth Garage, despite the exotic car names on the wall, I cannot see any of them in sight although there are a fine selection of classics on view. Note the Coka Cola sign for the coffee bar and Fish and Chip shop.
I am quite tempted by the prices on offer - the BMW looks quite a steal at £599.00View attachment 155136
This photo is inside the 'Elasona', taken 1960's, shows Poppa (the owner) & his son 'Charlie'
Photo taken from exact spot where I first met my wife, now over 50 years ago.

EPSON018C Elasona Poppa.jpg
 
I have started to scan the shop photos so a few of them and a few of the others!!

This is 214 - 216 Kingstanding Road - 1974, much a photo of times past - your local hardware store - they are still around but battling. Interesting they seem to be two seperate properties both doing the same thing.
View attachment 155129
For some reason the latest streetview is 2015 so I am not sure how up to date this image is.
 

Attachments

  • 214  - 216 Kingstanding Road - 2021.JPG
    214 - 216 Kingstanding Road - 2021.JPG
    61.8 KB · Views: 25
Blast from the past Newtown Shopping Centre in 1969, This is the sign on the lower wall , more of interest is all that is there and is not now. On the right hand side is a shop front, and either side of the Barton Arms are buildings, with a nice selection of cars parked on the side, also note the pram ideal for making a go- cart from the wheels

View attachment 155132
cracking photo steve...my neck o the woods...in shot to the right of the bartons you can just see the aston hipp jutting out..clear view of potters lane to the right of the bartons and to the left the high street..the flats to the left is inkerman house and the white building on the corner is either the paddock pub or the griffin...always get mixed up...

lyn
 
Blast from the past Newtown Shopping Centre in 1969, This is the sign on the lower wall , more of interest is all that is there and is not now. On the right hand side is a shop front, and either side of the Barton Arms are buildings, with a nice selection of cars parked on the side, also note the pram ideal for making a go- cart from the wheels

View attachment 155132
I had trouble with the angle here because of all the road signs plus the changes.
 

Attachments

  • Newtown Shopping Centre -2021.JPG
    Newtown Shopping Centre -2021.JPG
    87.3 KB · Views: 30
cracking photo steve...my neck o the woods...in shot to the right of the bartons you can just see the aston hipp jutting out..clear view of potters lane to the right of the bartons and to the left the high street..the flats to the left is inkerman house and the white building on the corner is either the paddock pub or the griffin...always get mixed up...

lyn
I like this photo too Lyn. I worked at Benton & Stone (Enots) in Aston Brook Street. I think that might be it on the bottom right. My first job, lots of good memories in that area. Sue
 
This is Vesey Street in 1982 although the road sign says Loveday Street probably corner of. Selection of more modern cars than we are used to, and I presume bearing no relation to what is there today - plenty of evidence that building were rapidly disappearing.

View attachment 155134
This is the corner of Loveday Street and Vesey Street - well hardly a corner as one road just runs into the other.
The white building on the left is well known to some forum members - the Bull.
 

Attachments

  • Vesey Street - 2021.JPG
    Vesey Street - 2021.JPG
    109.2 KB · Views: 26
I like this photo too Lyn. I worked at Benton & Stone (Enots) in Aston Brook Street. I think that might be it on the bottom right. My first job, lots of good memories in that area. Sue
its a great photo sue...the times our mom has dragged me shopping up and down newtown row....happy days but oh so lifeless now

lyn
 
This photo is inside the 'Elasona', taken 1960's, shows Poppa (the owner) & his son 'Charlie'
Photo taken from exact spot where I first met my wife, now over 50 years ago.

View attachment 155137

That's great!
My friend and I used to go in there for lunch when we both had Saturday jobs on Soho Road in the mid 60's.
They had a little wall juke box and we used to put the Vanilla Fudge records on.
 
I have started to scan the shop photos so a few of them and a few of the others!!

This is 214 - 216 Kingstanding Road - 1974, much a photo of times past - your local hardware store - they are still around but battling. Interesting they seem to be two seperate properties both doing the same thing.
View attachment 155129
I love these pictures.
Keep 'em coming.
 
32 -34 Lower Essex Street, lovely brick building, metal framed windows and the signage across the front. AC Delco sign on the front and a couple of cars for the spotters out there.

View attachment 155135
A couple of views here. Building still standing 2019 but gone by 2020.
 

Attachments

  • 32-34 Lower Essex Street - 2019.JPG
    32-34 Lower Essex Street - 2019.JPG
    87.6 KB · Views: 21
  • 32-34 Lower Essex Street - 2020.JPG
    32-34 Lower Essex Street - 2020.JPG
    95.2 KB · Views: 21
163 - 165 Soho Road - Handsworth Garage, despite the exotic car names on the wall, I cannot see any of them in sight although there are a fine selection of classics on view. Note the Coka Cola sign for the coffee bar and Fish and Chip shop.
I am quite tempted by the prices on offer - the BMW looks quite a steal at £599.00View attachment 155136
Looks like a 'Lada Riva' parked alongside the BMW.
 
This photo is inside the 'Elasona', taken 1960's, shows Poppa (the owner) & his son 'Charlie'
Photo taken from exact spot where I first met my wife, now over 50 years ago.

View attachment 155137
Wonderful photo. I don’t know the people or the place, but it’s full of character. Note the Rothmans and Consulate (menthol) fags in a dispenser. There’s a nicely handwritten sign of beverages on offer. I think the optics must have been syrup for the flavoured milkshakes. Yum ! Viv.
 
If you mean Rose then she retired in July 2018.
Shame proper character, went in there one Friday night, only a handful of us in there and she was sat with her friend with a box of chocolates between them and we had to give her a shout whenever we needed a refill.
 
163 - 165 Soho Road - Handsworth Garage, despite the exotic car names on the wall, I cannot see any of them in sight although there are a fine selection of classics on view. Note the Coka Cola sign for the coffee bar and Fish and Chip shop.
I am quite tempted by the prices on offer - the BMW looks quite a steal at £599.00View attachment 155136
Garage gone but still fish bar on the far right
 

Attachments

  • 163 - 165 Soho Road - 2021.JPG
    163 - 165 Soho Road - 2021.JPG
    60.8 KB · Views: 27
163 - 165 Soho Road - Handsworth Garage, despite the exotic car names on the wall, I cannot see any of them in sight although there are a fine selection of classics on view. Note the Coka Cola sign for the coffee bar and Fish and Chip shop.
I am quite tempted by the prices on offer - the BMW looks quite a steal at £599.00View attachment 155136
This is a super photo, many thanks SteveBHx for all your photos
This was the best shot I had before -see the Coffee sign

elasona sign.JPG
 
fantastic pub, any idea if the landlady is still there, she was 100 when I used to go there
steve the the bull is where we hold a lot of our forum meet ups and when we are allowed back in there you are most welcome to join us it would be good to meet you in person...the last landlady was rose who had been there for about 23 years she came from the village mail finch road...retired a couple of years ago and i think went back to her native ireland

lyn
 
Yes Steve common around Kingstanding. I assume it was to make provision for parking as there so many main roads in the area. But could be wrong.

I added a point to my post #929 Steve about the two hardware shops. Viv.

If you mean the white car for sale at £725 I think it's a Fiat 126
Was there not some sort of relationship between Fiat and Lada? In the days when Fiat Finance was an offshoot of Forward Trust for whom I worked, I seem to remember Fiiat dealers talking about it and the fact that the Lada was a Russian Fiat.
Bob
 
Was there not some sort of relationship between Fiat and Lada? In the days when Fiat Finance was an offshoot of Forward Trust for whom I worked, I seem to remember Fiiat dealers talking about it and the fact that the Lada was a Russian Fiat.
Bob
The Lada Riva was built in Russia using major components from the Fiat 124.
 
163 - 165 Soho Road - Handsworth Garage, despite the exotic car names on the wall, I cannot see any of them in sight although there are a fine selection of classics on view. Note the Coka Cola sign for the coffee bar and Fish and Chip shop.
I am quite tempted by the prices on offer - the BMW looks quite a steal at £599.00View attachment 155136
Further to my photo of 'Poppa' inside the Elasona (his name was Emilio Angelides)
Not seen in above photo, the left hand side of the garage, was the corner of Marrowfat Lane.

Marrowfat Lane.JPG
 
Further to my photo of 'Poppa' inside the Elasona (his name was Emilio Angelides)
Not seen in above photo, the left hand side of the garage, was the corner of Marrowfat Lane.

View attachment 155172

Fairly new houses in that Lane now per Google street view, presumably there were Victorian ones originally.
I wasn't aware of that little lane before - thanks.
 
Marrowfat Lane?

The place where hollow bones were cracked apart to extract the stuff presumably. It would seem to be another one of those disappeared trades by which the poorest managed to scrape a living, if my speculation is right. A bit whiffy on a warm day?

Maybe not as bad as the tannery, where all sorts of smells were normal. Whenever I’m tidying up the back lawn after the dogs I think about those poor folk who collected dog excrement from the streets to sell to the tanners, it being used in the tanning process. The trade was known as the “pure”, an euphemism if ever there was one.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top