Old street pics..

[izzy eckerslike]

Fantastic photo's, I've said it before but these photo's show a lost world where you could walk around and find local shops for everything you wanted, a cafe a short walk from anywhere. Lots of interesting family owned shops, antiques and junk shops everywhere and now gone for ever and sadly we will never see the like again.
This is the world I saw and still remember vividly when starting work for shopfitters in 1961 so travelled all over B,ham and the black country.
We refurbished every single Dewhurst's and other well known butchers shops, Withers and Finlay's Tobacconists and countless shops and offices right in the town centre such as Zissman's, George Hull, Lloyds bank and many more.
Happy days but to see the concrete mess that replaced it all is nothing short of criminal and the planners are still at it even now wanting to get rid of the market.

 

[Astoness]

could not agree with you more izzy...i cant remember the last time i went into the city centre...sadly it holds very little historical interest for me now..another reason why i have spent the last 15 years amassing thousands of old photos before demo..the written word is fine but to my mind its the photos that tell the real story

lyn

 

[Dionysius//88]

Ah memories of Saturday Morning at the Villa Cross Cinema in the 1950s. "We come along on Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile. We come along on Saturday morning, knowing it is well worth while..." (shouted rather than sung) Roy Rogers; Flash Gordon; When it was your birthday you got in free and went up on the stage, infront of the screen, for a gift. Some of my mates had three or four birthdays a year!!! (Not me, of course.) I remember the talks between the films and one lady trying to tell us all about 'germs', with giant cardboard cut-out drawings of germs, and having great difficulty being heard over the noise of hundreds of kids. But you could hear a pin drop when the serial film was on!

I saw Davy Crockett on here in the year dot.

 

[Dionysius//88]

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I am reliably informed that this is a photo of the tram tracks being removed on Bristol Street.

Stitcher I've just noticed this pic I would have said it was clearing the ground to make way for the housing which would include Rickman Drive early to mid 60's

 

[Dionysius//88]

I think its a later photo too. The JCB is too modern. With the Cinephone on the right the digger is off-road anyway, preparing the way for the "new" Bristol Street Motors later become Monaco House and the Volvo dealership. Would put it early 1970s?

I reckon it's early to mid 60's making room for the housing that would include Rickman Drive , I moved away around 69. My mate moved into Rickman Drive around 66/67

 

[Dionysius//88]

ive left this one till last as it has to be a rare shot taken of the back of key hill hockley dated..1967..for some strange reason this one really does it for me...

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Lyn it's great to see all the perimeter fencing securing everything >

 

[Dionysius//88]

this is the one i was talking about....just a solitary figure walking down an entry maybe coming home from the pub..looks like a ciggie box thrown on the floor..cant explain why this one fascinates me either...

entry leading to granville st...ladywood..

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Lynn when this entry was still standing , the Evening Mail ran a story saying if there was a fire in the houses in the yard, the entry contravenes the fire regulations for escape .

 

[Dionysius//88]

its great to see this thread picking up now..thanks to everyone for posting their old street pics...

residents of granville st (off broad st) after a campain to get them re housed has proved successful..oct 1965


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rear of st martins st ...edgbaston dated 1965

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birchfield road...perry barr dated..1967

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Lyn that Granville Street pic has that eerie looking entry that took your attention behind the washing line. Believe it or not there was only four houses in that entry where some of thse people came from was just for the camera I think there were only about 10 lived up that entry

 

[Dionysius//88]

hi viv..yes you are right it is the library..if you hover over phils pic it gives us the location and i also had no idea there was a library on constitution hill..wonder where abouts it was...looked to be a nice building..the hen and chickens pic 3 is still standing and open i believe..

lyn

Best pint of Brew X1 in there , I could have drank that all afternoon without a tea break

 

[Country Road]

Ah memories of Saturday Morning at the Villa Cross Cinema in the 1950s. "We come along on Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile. We come along on Saturday morning, knowing it is well worth while..." (shouted rather than sung) Roy Rogers; Flash Gordon; When it was your birthday you got in free and went up on the stage, infront of the screen, for a gift. Some of my mates had three or four birthdays a year!!! (Not me, of course.) I remember the talks between the films and one lady trying to tell us all about 'germs', with giant cardboard cut-out drawings of germs, and having great difficulty being heard over the noise of hundreds of kids. But you could hear a pin drop when the serial film was on!

Astoness, just another quote from Joni Mitchell. You take paradise and put up a parking lot.

Similar memories different cinema, ours was the Bristol cinema off Lee Bank Bristol rd Edgbaston, my brother and I every Saturday morning, we are the Oveltinies little girls and boys, Flash Gorden, a Cartoon good atmosphere, on the way back we bought a frozen jubbely and meandered back home. Found in Google a picture of the Bristol cinema, looking at now it was pretty impressive, at least buildings had character back then, instead of a square box, good memories the Saturday matinee.

 

[paul stacey]

All kids in the 50's, had this magical experience, every Saturday Morning, for 6d, another world, mine was the "Royalty " Harborne!! later the "Oak Cinema," selly Oak!!

 

[izzy eckerslike]

All kids in the 50's, had this magical experience, every Saturday Morning, for 6d, another world, mine was the "Royalty " Harborne!! later the "Oak Cinema," selly Oak!!

For me it was either walking to the WOB in Weoley Castle where I lived in the 1950's or getting the 22 bus to Selly 'Oak' cinema and walking back afterwards, someone used to walk along the waiting line handing us a picture card

 

[paul stacey]

Hi izzy, I remember the WOB, in Barns Hill, well mate, it had a faulty, rear door, where you could sneak in when you were under age for a film showing, saw Dracula, and Sat Night Sunday Morning, that way, but when about 6 or 7 lads, tried it once,got caught, they repaired it, about 1960/ 61 time!!

 

[Richard Dye]

Hi izzy, I remember the WOB, in Barns Hill, well mate, it had a faulty, rear door, where you could sneak in when you were under age for a film showing, saw Dracula, and Sat Night Sunday Morning, that way, but when about 6 or 7 lads, tried it once,got caught, they repaired it, about 1960/ 61 time!!

And those were the good old days (at least it seemed), sneaking in without paying regardless of the picture!

 

[izzy eckerslike]

Hi izzy, I remember the WOB, in Barns Hill, well mate, it had a faulty, rear door, where you could sneak in when you were under age for a film showing, saw Dracula, and Sat Night Sunday Morning, that way, but when about 6 or 7 lads, tried it once, got caught, they repaired it, about 1960/ 61 time!!

Yes, I did the same, aged just 11 we were told by older kids to say we were 16 and worked at the BSA and even with our squeeky voices they still let us in
Us kids got up to all sorts of tricks back then, climbing over the gate at the Raven pub and getting an arm full of empty bottles and taking them back into the outdoor to get the money nearly got caught as they had begun marking the bottles and we did a runner and never went near for months

 

[Dionysius//88]

The 'Blitz' had not started when at least two of these photos were taken, so I've put them here.

Margaret St in the months before WW2 a fairly cheerful looking crowd filling sandbags and placing them untidily against the walls of the Education office.


Still Margaret St in the opposite direction. The trams had to squeeze past the busy scene. Would those sandbags protect the building?


Perhaps a little later the sandbags look more uniform in size and placement, but what about the upper windows? Note the 'Keep Left' bollards had light shields fitted.

I wonder if those young men standing in the doorway were school leavers , I seem tp remember going there in August meny years ago to collect my cards so I could start work ?

 

[Dionysius//88]

hi maggs...thing is as kids we usually stuck to the picture houses near to where we lived...by the time i was old enough to go up town by myself a lot of them had gone or if not i was then into going to the pub lol...here are a few more from me..

westley road..acocks green..dated 1975

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not exactly a street but a nice one..
christchurch passage with new st in view..dated 1970..not long after this pic was taken the buildings on the right were demolished..

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cattell road/coventry road...dated 1973

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hockley hill...dated 1960..love this one as it shows both the trees pub and the duke of york...sadly both now gone..ive walked past them both many many times on my way to work in vyse st..

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albert road..stechford....dated 1975

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The good old Duke of York When I was in the Winson Green & District Darts League we played there and won .

 

[Cliff gebhard]

gooch st highgate dated 1967

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rear of st martins st edgbaston dated 1967

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stechford road yardley dated 1928

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shaftsmoor lane dated 1962

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Great photos

 

[lmr3103]

hi maggs...thing is as kids we usually stuck to the picture houses near to where we lived...by the time i was old enough to go up town by myself a lot of them had gone or if not i was then into going to the pub lol...here are a few more from me..

westley road..acocks green..dated 1975

View attachment 117626

not exactly a street but a nice one..
christchurch passage with new st in view..dated 1970..not long after this pic was taken the buildings on the right were demolished..

View attachment 117627

cattell road/coventry road...dated 1973

View attachment 117628

hockley hill...dated 1960..love this one as it shows both the trees pub and the duke of york...sadly both now gone..ive walked past them both many many times on my way to work in vyse st..

View attachment 117629

albert road..stechford....dated 1975

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I do remember that horse trough on the Cov Road very well, but what pub was it in front of?

 

[Dionysius//88]

I remember than bridge being built, and I am sorry to hear it's gone now, No1 of #561, I used to meet my first real girlfriend on the corner, where the road goes towards Bornville, aged about 13 we then go to the Oak cinema. This is a great thread for me thanks for posting phil.
pa

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Just found another one of Monument Road baths, a place I frequented a lot.

Used to spend hell of a lot of time during the Summer holidays here as a kid , after drying either a cup of hot chocolate or hot oxo and a packet of cheese biscuits

 

[Country Road]

I do remember that horse trough on the Cov Road very well, but what pub was it in front of?

hi maggs...thing is as kids we usually stuck to the picture houses near to where we lived...by the time i was old enough to go up town by myself a lot of them had gone or if not i was then into going to the pub lol...here are a few more from me..

westley road..acocks green..dated 1975

View attachment 117626

not exactly a street but a nice one..
christchurch passage with new st in view..dated 1970..not long after this pic was taken the buildings on the right were demolished..

View attachment 117627

cattell road/coventry road...dated 1973

View attachment 117628

hockley hill...dated 1960..love this one as it shows both the trees pub and the duke of york...sadly both now gone..ive walked past them both many many times on my way to work in vyse st..

View attachment 117629

albert road..stechford....dated 1975

View attachment 117630

hi maggs...thing is as kids we usually stuck to the picture houses near to where we lived...by the time i was old enough to go up town by myself a lot of them had gone or if not i was then into going to the pub lol...here are a few more from me..

westley road..acocks green..dated 1975

View attachment 117626

not exactly a street but a nice one..
christchurch passage with new st in view..dated 1970..not long after this pic was taken the buildings on the right were demolished..

View attachment 117627

cattell road/coventry road...dated 1973

View attachment 117628

hockley hill...dated 1960..love this one as it shows both the trees pub and the duke of york...sadly both now gone..ive walked past them both many many times on my way to work in vyse st..

View attachment 117629

albert road..stechford....dated 1975

View attachment 117630

Great pictures, walked down Christchurch Passage many times working close by.

hi maggs...thing is as kids we usually stuck to the picture houses near to where we lived...by the time i was old enough to go up town by myself a lot of them had gone or if not i was then into going to the pub lol...here are a few more from me..

westley road..acocks green..dated 1975

View attachment 117626

not exactly a street but a nice one..
christchurch passage with new st in view..dated 1970..not long after this pic was taken the buildings on the right were demolished..

View attachment 117627

cattell road/coventry road...dated 1973

View attachment 117628

hockley hill...dated 1960..love this one as it shows both the trees pub and the duke of york...sadly both now gone..ive walked past them both many many times on my way to work in vyse st..

View attachment 117629

albert road..stechford....dated 1975

View attachment 117630

Brilliant photos thank you, Westley Rd very recognisable today from the picture.

 

[paul stacey]

Those horse troughs were everywhere as a kid, together with standing water drinking fountains with copper jugs, chained to the stand, as copper cannot hold germs, long lost common placed items, from a distant childhood !!!!!

 

[mikejee]

Nowadays proper pubs (not bars) sometimes have drinking receptacles eithe rinsid eor outside for dogs, My neighbour, who has a dog, has one outside her house for her and her pet's friends who might be passing

 

[Dionysius//88]

Yes, but Oh those poor elephants. Thank heavens this doesn't happen anymore.

Maggs when I look back nowadays I think yes they were wrong Circuses , then on the other hand I think thank you Chipperfields etc for bringing me elephants lions and tigers if it wasn't for you this kid from the backstreets would never have seen such wonders of the world

 

[Lady Penelope]

Nowadays proper pubs (not bars) sometimes have drinking receptacles eithe rinsid eor outside for dogs, My neighbour, who has a dog, has one outside her house for her and her pet's friends who might be passing

We were in Lichfield on Wednesday and passed a bistro with a lovely large receptacle outside for dogs. Unfortunately the young man behind trod on the edge of the bowl and somehow flipped it all over the young lady he was walking with. Luckily it was a hot day!

 

[Dionysius//88]

folk regularly and Nowadays proper pubs (not bars) sometimes have drinking receptacles eithe rinsid eor outside for dogs, My neighbour, who has a dog, has one outside her house for her and her pet's friends who might be passing

I go to Norfolk regularly and the shops not oly the pubs have dishes outside for dogs

 

[Dionysius//88]

The Bell was my local off and on for 21 years I could alternate between here and The Harvester needless to say which was my favourite , The Bell had a great atmosphere

 

[Dionysius//88]

What I am going to try here is to trace the old No 56 bus route from outside Henry's store in Union Street to the terminus at the Clock Garage Castle Bromwich. I do know that this might not be the original route, but it is the one I remember and made many times.

We start as I said outside Henry's store in Union St (1). We then make a little journey along Corporation St and down Bull St to Dale End (2) passing the length of Dale End we come to the Shah Jahan at the junction of Coleshill St and Stafford St (3). Passing by the Gaiety Cinema (4) on Coleshill St we come to Prospect Row (5).

Thus ending out first leg of the journey

Please excuse me if the photos don't always appear in the right sequence, but they seem to load themselves in a different order to what I place them in. You will have to run your mouse over them or open them to see the numbers.

Yes it was a journey I first set upon in 1966 as my apprenticeship took me to the new Castle Bromwich Rubbish Tip on the Chester Rd , this was of course going to be a big change from the last two years of my apprenticeship at the Birmingham Post & Mail.

 

[Dionysius//88]

Continuing on now to Digbeth past the Rea Street junction (1) and the Civic Hall on the right (2) once a function hall and wrestling and boxing venue, now a night club. Passing on the other side of the road the new Midland Red depot under construction (3) Now looking back from where we have just come from at Mill Lane (4). Now we are passing Smithfield with Morgans Sausages and the Police Station opposite (5)

I had to go to Digbeth Civic Hall as an apprentice to join the Electrical Trades Union

 

[Dionysius//88]

Lightswood Park Hagley Road 1930
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My one outstanding memory about Lightwoods Park although I'd visited there several times . was the time after a school cricket match . On the way out of the park I came accross a frog at the base of the drinking fountain there , so after showing all the friends my new acquisition i put him into my blazer pocket . After getting home I took him out of the pocket and he really looked dead so without further ado I brought him up to as near to my lips as I could then cupped it's head and blew and what do you know life appeared as lively as anything . I placed it down on the floor as the floor was solid concrete slabs and would you believe it within minutes it had disappeared