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South Birmingham Shops, Pubs and Garages

Hi Mark

Excellent

Just some notes

Sam Carpenter was an early post war millionaire in Birmingham having had a chain of TV shops he sold out to Rumbellows or Robinsons(i think). He later formed Carpenter Heating in Queen Street, Suttn Coldfield around 1967. He stated he was going to be the largest central heating installer in the UK but was closed by 1975! He lived in Chester Road by the Yenton with a much younger wife, Olive Carpenter, who ran a Birmingham modelling agency.

Cranmores on the Hagley Road I think was later taken over by Copes(motorcycles, later cars and later still petrol) who where next door when your pic was taken. A very famous 'first' ocurred here, I wonder if anyone knows what it was???????????

In Silver Street I am pretty sure that is Tommy Godwin standing outside the shop (thanks for the link to my website)


JP
 
I do love that picture of Cranmore Bros. Garage on Hagley Road ( https://www.photobydjnorton.com/GTC/Pictures/467HagleyRoad.jpg ) I must have walked past it hundreds of times as a boy - it's just as I remember it, even down to the attendant holding the rubber hose away from the car by his legs!
As to the 'first' there, not electric petrol pumps, that was All-Electric garage, Harborne (thus the name!), but was it the first in the area to have pumps (hand-cranked) in place of gallon cans of petrol?
Cranmore Bros also had a repair garage and car rental site in Anderson Road, directly behind the Hagley Road site.
 
Re Mileage. I recall as I travelled around with my dad we would often see road signs showing mileages that were at odds with each other. For instance we would be driving towards a named place and suddenly we were further away than the previous sign had indicated.

Whether this occurred within the City boundary I am not sure but someone may recall.
 
What a memory reviver in those photo's, I lived in Weoley castle in 1950's & Faulkes's sweetshop was often visited, I & a couple of other local children got severe food poisoning & I was off school for 3 months & I can't be sure but I think it was traced to dolly mixtures purchased at that shop.
The Spot garage Bristol road, bought my first car there, a black Triumph Herald convertable with twin carbs, I learn't to drive in it! I fitted the walnut dash with every conceivable dial inc an altimeter.
I can still remember it's reg BCH 647B, I loved that car, may it rust in peace unless it's still around & owned by some enthusiast, can anyone trace the reg for me ?
 
Superb photographs, Mark, and do please continue to post the "Then and Now" versions. In a few years time, the "Now" version will become a "Then" version - all part of the changes throughout history, most of them, sad to say, not for the better.

The last picture of the Stirchley page was of particular personal interest as I used to play small group jazz in the Bredon Cross Hotel on Wednesday nights in 1959 or 1960.

Regards,

Maurice
 
I lived in weoley castle during the fifties and sixties I remember the California Garage when they expanded and incorporated Stonehouse Motors just below Rose Cafe as a kid on my milk round we went into Roses for breakfast Seeing these photos bring so much back thanks
 
izzy eckerslike said:
What a memory reviver in those photo's, I lived in Weoley castle in 1950's & Faulkes's sweetshop was often visited, I & a couple of other local children got severe food poisoning & I was off school for 3 months & I can't be sure but I think it was traced to dolly mixtures purchased at that shop.
The Spot garage Bristol road, bought my first car there, a black Triumph Herald convertable with twin carbs, I learn't to drive in it! I fitted the walnut dash with every conceivable dial inc an altimeter.
I can still remember it's reg BCH 647B, I loved that car, may it rust in peace unless it's still around & owned by some enthusiast, can anyone trace the reg for me ?
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Not on the motor insurance database, so unless stored somewhere most likely gone to the rusty graveyard.
 
Mark, I started work as a van driver as soon as possible in the 50s and drove all over the midlands doing small deliveries and collections for a large company. Almost all the photos you post bring back a memory or two. Thanks for taking the time and interest.
 
Re: Cranmore Bros Garage on Hagley Road:

Brilliant phot.

Happened to mention this to next door neighbour (Jean CRANMORE) as it's a fairly unusual name. Discovered that she was the daughgter-in-law of one of the Cranmore brothers. Her late husband John worked in the garage for many yrs until father sold out.

Jean hadn't seen phot before & it brought back many memories.

Amazing how things link up!

Happy New Year to everyone.

Irene & Roy
 
Smallbone & Son started trading 1929, Garages from 1935. Len.
 

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Lencops why is all your attachments are so small, can't really view much detail is there any way you post larger photographs
 
fatmark said:
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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I was born in Yardley 1929 and i can confirm that the photo is not taken from Yardley cementery which is located in Yardley Rd at the junction with Stockfield Rd. Len.
 
Great photo's I would also have found it hard tobelieve that it was Bristol Road Oak Tree Lane but the public loo's verify it.
 
I have come across 'Brighton Cottages' before in old records but as yet haven't been able to identify them. Could they have been the cottages in later years known as Stableford's cottages; these were in Somerford Road on the corner of Stonehouse Lane but slightly up from the canal?
 
possibly? The only thing I have to go on is the following info from the census.- The Brighton Cottages occur on the census (coming from the west on the north side, in the order no 129, then Stonehouse Farm, Stonehouse cottages, Weoley Castle Farm then Brighton cottages.
 
tardebigge said:
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.
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Hi! I went to school (junior school) from 1954-6 at a school I think was called Lyndhurst - more or less on the corner of Oakfield Road and Pershore Road. Entrance was on Oakfield Road. The 'owners'/teachers were a couple called Clark or Clarke, I think brother and sister. Does this ring any bells with anyone? I have a few memories, but it was a long time ago.
 
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