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Old street pics..

Thanks Alan (Astonian) The photo of the Plough and Harrow shows clearly the original building and the later extension. I did wonder when the extension was built.
 
Hi david
Avery old friend of mine worked there for years at the pub end as a bar tender before the hotel extension was added
he then was combind security for the whole complex o the plough and harrow
looking after the high society people whom came and stayed there and dined there
there was alot of show biz celebities used to stay there this is years before the albany hotel was built
also judge Arglie top circuit judge for the crimminal quarter sessions , how he always had a glass of milk every night
He used to tell me about the rich people carrying ons and there peformances
my mate was pat Malletts sadly he died quite afew years back now way back in the late eighties
before he died he left the plough and went to become the gaffer of the bear pub stratford road hall green
then he moved to the fox hollies fox hollie roads hall green after afew years there he left to a london brewery
a short stint there and he died best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,,,
 
david i have seen a photo somewhere on the forum showing the lower level shops..pretty sure one the shops was an oyster bar..will try and hunt it down

lyn
 
yes thats the one mort:)...looks like daves photo shows the shops to the side of the church...the one showing the oyster rooms looks to be more to the front of the church

lyn
 
Weren't there catacombs under Christchurch? If so, does that mean the shops backed onto them? I don't think I would have liked to work there if that's the case.
 
In my book by Joseph McKenna, he says Baskerville was re-interred in those catacombs, after his coffin was found at Easy Hill. There was a total of 139 burials and 106 of them including Baskerville were re-interred at Warstone Lane Cemetery Catacombs. (Last burial 1893).
I always thought it was a strange place to sell oysters!!
rosie.
 
This photo is tagged 'Wychall Lane 1956' with a nice view of a Co-Operative Coal lorry. Looking on Google Earth etc I've not been able to determine the exact location because of the large changes since the 1950s, cannot see any trace of the houses in the pic.. It looks very rural but the large Triplex Glass Factory was not far away.
WychallLane1956.jpg
 
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I think the Co-Op lorry is I believe a coal delivery lorry.
It looks like the van (Austin?) in the background is lettered Birmingham Mail - but I could be wrong. If it is a Mail vehicle then maybe that is the transport the photographer of the pic was using.
The Triplex Glass factory I gather is at Kings Norton.
 
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I remember a similar coal lorry coming to deliver coal to the pre-fab in Court Lane. For some reason I was absolutely fascinated by the coalman as he emptied the sacks of coal into our ex-Anderson shelter coal house. I can still remember the smell. Mom was always telling me to keep out of his way and one day he put his foot on the step to write the pink divi slip and trod on my hand. My nail fell off later and I was very proud to tell everyone that the coalman did it! That picture really brought back memories.
 
My present dog makes little fuss when the coal delivery arrives, unlike the previous one who let us know quite effectively that bags of coal were being emptied into the bunker. :D
 
I'd forgotten about the smell too until you mentioned it Lady P and it just came back instantly! Even when our coal shed was empty (and after we had gas fires installed) it kept that smell. Our delivery lorry was open to the elements and I think had drop down sides. When coal was wet it smelt even more. Used to love to see the coal glossy and wet. Although got a lot of groans from my mum as it was more smokey if damp and took a lot of 'drawing' with the newspaper. Viv.
 
Damp coal also weighed heavier. our Coalman had set of scales on the back of the cart and would weigh the bags before delivery, any shortages were made up from a small loose amount which included bits that fell onto the trucks platform. My Mom and neighboring housewives would check each bag and told the man not to top up with slack.
Despite theses measures our cellar ended up with quite a heap of slack which my brother-in -law eventually made into briquettes using a low percentage of mortar.
Talk about "waste not, want not!
Cheers Tim.
Ps this may explain some of my miserable habits.
 
hi tim i well remember our dad making up slack bricks and i can still smell our cellars even now:rolleyes:
lyn
 
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