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South Birmingham Shops, Pubs and Garages

fatmark

fatmark

proper brummie kid
Hello all

I'm pleased to say that I've recently been able to add some more pictures to my website after a visitor got in touch and offered me access to his extensive collection of photographs of shops, pubs and garages. They mostly date from the 1950's and 1960's so should bring back some memories. Being a south Birmingham boy (Stirchley from 1969 until 1991!), I've concentrated on the areas I know best. Pictures for Stirchley, Selly Park and Cotteridge online so far with more to come over the next few weeks. I hope you find them of interest:-
https://www.photobydjnorton.com/GTC/SouthBhamBusiness.html

Btw, I'm presenting a slideshow of based on my father's Inner Ring Road pictures at Bromsgrove Library on Sat March 8 at 2:30pm if anyone is interested. More details here:-
https://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co...var.2058318.0.birmingham_past_and_present.php


All the best
Fat Mark
 
Thanks for posting the photos Mark. You are working very hard to bring your Father's camera work to the site. There are very few cars in the photos and
this fact always seems to jump out of those location photos from that era compared to today when the roads and forecourts of houses are jammed with them. Look forward to seeing the rest of the photos on the site later on.
 
South Birmingham Shops, Pubs

Mark another brilliant batch of photographs particually the car sales on the pershore road (old bomb peck) I bought a Ford Anglia from him 1961 fond memories
 
South Birmingham Photos

Great notalgia - thanks, keep up the good work(as my old headmaster used to say !)

Bobn
 
Mark, Just wonderful more of your excellent quality photo's thanks for posting them.
 
thank you fatmark, what a wonderful set of pics, they just about covered most of my childhood memories, i worked in stirchley as a lad at bates & son tap and die makers opposite eccles caravans where my brother worked, lived in northfield and west heath, worked at austin, thanks again keep up the good work. tony
 
Hi fatmark,

Many thanks. I'm enjoying looking through these great photo's. No litter or graffiti! Love the petrol pumps overlooking the pavements....Florence
 
Thanks Mark for the photographs, they bring back so many memories, have put the Bromsgrove date in my diary.
 
Fascinating snaps. Brought back lots of memories.
The thing I noticed most was the lack of yellow lines!
I lived at the corner of Oakfield Road and Pershore Rd in Selly Park, right opposite the Post Office, which was mainly a grocery store. The garage to the city side was run by a mechanic called Hadley (in the 1960's). I think the post office was run by someone called Dennis Van.
 
Blimey! It's funny how these old threads (I first posted back in Feb, hence the mix up over the Bromsgrove date) get resurrected... I'm upset with myself that I still haven't quite finished this section of my site as I need to get Selly Oak sorted. I will do it soon - promise.

I'd like to know if people are interested in the modern views that I like to add (so far only Stirchley and Weoley Castle but I have a set of Harborne ready to go). I love to go and find the sites as they are today but I'm not sure if most people are really bothered - any comments? Tardebigge's point about yellow lines could be extended to signs and barriers as I often find they get in the way of my modern views, as do cars.

The talk at Bromsgove went well and I'd be happy to do one for the forum members.


Fat Mark
 
Thanks Mark, for the photos. I can remember lots of Stirchley, Cotteridge and Selly Park. My Nan - Winefred HOLDER had a grocery shop in St Stephen's Rd until the mid 50's.( Anyone remember it ?) I can remember the rows of jars of sweets, the cans of food, bottles of pop, and I was especially fascinated by the Bacon slicer whizzing back and forth ! It would be lovely to see a photo of the shop, if such a thing existed.
 
I do like modern comparison photographs, Mark, they have the advantage that in a couple of decades time they are just as historic (and you have to go out and record the scene again!).
There was a chap who moved into a house in Yardley in the 20's, and took a photo of the view from his front door. He then went on to take a picture from the same spot every year, and as there was an outer circle bus passing in the first shot, waited for one to come along. There is now this series of about 30 (could be more) photos showing the changing scene from his door, and a record of the buses as they modernised too!
 
Hi Mark, Thanks for the opportunity to view the pictures of Harborne where I went to school in Station Road. Also Queens Park and the shops by the Court Oak pub. I don't think the lads you mention were up to mischief - they were outside the sweet shop, and in those days were more respectful to older folk. I would like to see the new pics you have of Harborne as I haven't been back there for many years.
Anthea
 
Mark you have some very interesting pictures on your site. As has already been said it is good to compare the new to the old, but also to allow those who don't live nearby to see what its like now
Mike
 
Thanks to those who replied to my query re modern views. Just for Anthea, Harborne now has the full set posted online! Don't forget that you may need to refresh your browser to see the update.


Fat Mark
 
Mark, The latest photos of Harborne were a treat to look at because it seems the alterations to the shops and houses have been carried out sympathetically. I was sad to learn that the Duke of York pub had gone to be replaced by apartments. It used to be a landmark. There were quite a few pubs in Harborne villiage - my Dad was familiar with all of them!!!! Thank you Mark.

Anthea.

 
< I hope you find them of interest:-
https://www.photobydjnorton.com/GTC/SouthBhamBusiness.html>

Hi Mark,
Absolutely brilliant. They brought back many memories for me. My first job was in Cotteridge along Middleton Hall Road. I lived in West Heath so the Longbridge and Kings Norton photos brought back memories as did the photos of Northfield and the Spot Garage. There was, or still is, a little pathway at the side of the Spot Garage that led into Torre Avenue where we lived in the 40s/50s. What really got my attention was the photos of California Garage and Rose's Cafe. Would you have any objection to me copying these for our History Group, and if not what 'source' shall we give?
Keep up the good work.
 
Just to update on this request... The pictures are from The Geoff Thompson Archive (a point I've now made more clearly on the pages in question) so I asked Geoff if he was happy for these pictures to be copied. He said "yes" and copies have now been sent to Local History. The source will be 'The Geoff Thompson Archive'.


Fat Mark
 
Fat Mark, thanks for posting the pictures because they bring back such vivid memories. I was born in Acocks Green but we cycled all over the place in those days so I doo remember many of the scenes shown.
Thanks again,happy days.
 
On the photo of the Oak garage it is an Austin 7 as you guessed Mark, great photo,s once again, thankyou.
 
The 'rather grand' car parked outside Jean Muir on Oak Tree Lane is a Sunbeam-Talbot, and the one outside the general store in Hubert Road is a Wolseley. Smashing pictures, real nostalgia for me!
 
Loved the Raddlebarn Road ones and can remember Selly Oak Radio, i went to raddlebarn school as so did my father before me.
 
Hi Fatmark,
Reply regarding photo, Selly Oak village 30/6/57 by DJ Norton. I believe this was taken from Yardley Cementary looking across the island at the junction of Yardley Road and Stockfield Road. The No 11 bus (outer circle) is heading toward the Swan island Yardley. Anyone Agree.
Ivorbri
 
ivorbri said:
Hi Fatmark,
Reply regarding photo, Selly Oak village 30/6/57 by DJ Norton. I believe this was taken from Yardley Cementary looking across the island at the junction of Yardley Road and Stockfield Road. The No 11 bus (outer circle) is heading toward the Swan island Yardley. Anyone Agree.
Ivorbri
Click to expand...

The picture Ivorbri is referring to is this one: https://www.photobydjnorton.com/BirminghamInColour.html#SellyOak
He mailed me with this query and I managed to persuade him that it is Selly Oak as follows:-

Dad was very thorough when it came to cataloguing his pictures and this slide had a number that the index card described as 'Selly Oak Village - 30/6/57' as per the picture caption.

In addition, although you can't see it on the web page, I can assure you that the road sign attached to the railings of the gents says Oak Tree Lane. In addition, the other arms of the sign say Worcester and Bromsgrove.

Finally, check out the two pictures of the same location near the bottom of this recently added page:-
https://photobydjnorton.com/GTC/SellyOak.html

All this still doesn't explain why the arm pointing to City Centre said 3 1/2 miles in 1955 and now says 4 miles!

All the best
Fat Mark
 
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