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Somewhere in Saltley

Trying to pin a date. Charles W Selby
1908 directory
1793362051864.png
that turns out to be a "Provident" agent as he is on 1911 census

By 1915 he is listed as a photographer at 434 Alum Rock Road
 
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If it is in the locality of St.Marks church maybe I could manage a guess that location of the church parade would be where the job centre is now. On that side of Washwood Heath Road there have been many new buildings put up in recent years. The parade would have been held in a place that was open ground plus trees and likely close to the church.
Just my conjecture, of course.
 
Well spotted Janice, I was looking for a map yesterday showing the original building but couldn't find one.

I think the job centre is the original building with a change to the roof and double windows added to the centre section.
 

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Another suggestion to add. This building (Highfield School ? ) on Highfield Road also had a spire. If this is today's primary and nursery school, it no longer has a spire. The photo was also taken by C W Selby of Alum Rock Road.

Screenshot_20261031_190918_Chrome.jpg
 
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I agree with Lynn that the house is in the grounds of the house and not on a road. The people are standing on a raised driveway/pathway and it is without any perimeter fencing.

And I'd expect a house of this size to have a name and to be named on maps. There's a plaque/writing/inscription above the house entrance (house name?), but it's impossible to read the name.

There's also a flag - is it attached to the house? That's why I originally suggested perhaps the house was being used for military purposes.

There's a covered table (?) in front of the reverend which suggests to me some sort of ceremony. Some of the people are holding song sheets.
 
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That makes more sense to me.

A few things have been puzzling me since we thought it was Highfield Road -
  • the absence of any large buildings along that road apart from the job centre which seems to have been built far too late for it to be in a photo with the clothing beig worn.
  • why people would be standing alongside a road with people clearly visible on both sides
  • what would a reverend be doing standing by a roadside
 
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