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Then & Now

Phil said:
Our next little walkabout takes us for a quick jaunt around Hall Green, In this collection we have the junction of Lakey Lane and School Rd, Pradise Lane, Sarehole Mill, the junction of Stratford Rd and Cateswell Rd, the junction of Wake Green Rd and Gracewell Rd.
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Many people will remember the dances held at Cateswell house,in the 1950s
 
There is a dedicated thread for Smith's Imperial Coaches, Birmingham

Smith's Coaches Stratford Road

Hello John70, Yes I knew Bob very well, we were there quite some time together, he used to do most of the gilding on the Marks and Spencers wooden letters. Some time later he started up on his own, as I did. He only lived across the road from the works, which was in Skelcher Road. Regards John.
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Four once Acocks Green public houses that have either been converted to Supermarkets or demolished and replaced with supermarkets.
1. The Red Lion Warwick Road now a Morrisons
2. The Dolphin Warwick Road now an Aldi and a Farm Foods
3. The Fox Hollies Fox Hollies Road now a Lidl
4. The Gospel Oak Gospel Lane now a Co-op

Acocks Green Warwick Road Red Lion.jpgAcocks Green Warwick Road Dolphin.jpgAcocks Green Fox Hollies Road Fox Hollies.jpgAcocks Green Gospel Lane Gospel Oak.jpg
 
Richard,

I entirely agree with you - it was the only Brum I knew, having left in 1961 when they were busily smashing it to bits to build ringways and, etc. My visits back didn't start until 1988, were few and far between, so the only bit of the new that I got to know was the old brutalist library!

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
Richard,

I entirely agree with you - it was the only Brum I knew, having left in 1961 when they were busily smashing it to bits to build ringways and, etc. My visits back didn't start until 1988, were few and far between, so the only bit of the new that I got to know was the old brutalist library!

Maurice :cool:
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Maurice, I left in 1962 its also what I knew...….....

We are planning to visit later in the fall, my wife (American) has never been to Brum so I am hoping to show her some history which I am very proud of and still follow. Hopefully we get there before its all gone!
 
sospiri said:
Richard,

I entirely agree with you - it was the only Brum I knew, having left in 1961 when they were busily smashing it to bits to build ringways and, etc. My visits back didn't start until 1988, were few and far between, so the only bit of the new that I got to know was the old brutalist library!

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...
Maurice
Like you and Richard, I left in late 1961, early 1962, so remember the demolition and change that was going on then, but on return visits never had time to catch up with what had happened.
Bob
 
Turned me against the Bham Council when they knocked down the lovely old buildings in Corporation St, and built that Concrete Monstrosity. RACKHAMS
 
Here we have an image of the Triangle Cinema at the junction of Conybere Street and Gooch Street taken according to the tag in 1957. The middle image was taken by our own Mikejee in the late 60's to early 70's and the last one showing the site today comes from google earth.

Balsall Heath Gooch Street - Conybere Street the Triangle Cinema.jpg
 
In these photos we can see some of the changes to Stephenson Street from the late 50's. Back then this was the main entrance to New Street Station. The next image shows the beginnings of the development of the new Station and The Pallasades shopping mall. and the last shows the street today.

City Stephenson Street.jpg
 
Phil said:
In these photos we can see some of the changes to Stephenson Street from the late 50's. Back then this was the main entrance to New Street Station. The next image shows the beginnings of the development of the new Station and The Pallasades shopping mall. and the last shows the street today.

View attachment 135238
Click to expand...
Could/should have been much better!
 
The area now known as Centenary Square, once known to most of us as The Hall of Memory Gardens or the Peace Gardens. All the changes detailed in these images have happened within the lifetime of most of the posters on this forum.

Centenary Square.jpg
 
Maria,

Here is the Colonnade at St Thomas's forming part of the Peace garden, in my opinion they should have moved St Thomas's to Centenary Square and grassed the whole area as it once was. All the other junk they have placed there only serves to make the Hall of Memory look out of place, I suppose that will be the next to be moved.

St Thomas Peace Gardens Bath Row.jpg
 
Phil said:
The area now known as Centenary Square, once known to most of us as The Hall of Memory Gardens or the Peace Gardens. All the changes detailed in these images have happened within the lifetime of most of the posters on this forum.
Click to expand...

And of course Centenary Square is being changed again right now as well.

ALL the paving shown in the last photo of your 4 photos above has been replaced, and now all these poles / lights in the photo below have been added.

This work has been going on for about a year (it has overrun) and is still ongoing

It is all part of incorporating the tram network along Broad Street.

Brum 099.jpg

And for those that have not been up there recently below is a photo of the chaos being caused by the tram tracks being laid

Broad St goes off to the right, and you can see the base of Alpha Tower right of centre behind the trees.

Paradise Street goes off to the left, and the photo is looking straight down Suffolk Street Queensway.

The Hall of Memory is just off to my right.

The tram will come in from the left along Paradise Street, across all these roadworks, and then off to the right up Broad Street.

Brum 098.jpg
 
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College Road near the junction with Aldridge Road in 1974. The Boar's Head pub can be seen in the distance on the right and beyond it the M6 motorway, built approximately 3 years before the date of this pic. An entrance to Lucas Sports Ground on the left and to the right the Esso petrol station is giving out 'Quad' stamps probably 'Greenshield'.
CollegeRd1974.jpg

The modern view shows that the petrol station has become a 'Car Valet Centre'. The Boar's Head and of course the M6 are still there but Lucas Sports is long gone.
CollegeRd.jpg
https://goo.gl/maps/7rAMWBccy3owBrR38
 
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