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Then & Now

A lot of HS2 in the south is now planned to be put in tunnels or cuttings as a result of concerns of residents. Could this St. Mary's tunnel be an earlier example as it has surely been constructed by 'cut and cover', i.e. a cutting has been made first and then a brick arch tunnel constructed and finally back-filled.
I could imagine that it was the closeness of the church that stopped them going for just a bridge and cutting. (Clearly the Baptists on the other side of the road didn't have the same influence!)
 
Engineer 90 said:
Hi Guys,
do you know what was there before this office block where the O2 academy is?
Thanks
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An aerial view from the south west dated 1935 shows a boys and girls school (marked with yellow dot) on the site bounded by Irving Street, Little Bow Street, and Bristol Street. Holloway Head towards the left of the view. I'm not sure when the school was demolished and if something else was built before the office block was built. There are some images on the BHF showing Little Bow St and Irving St. The 2008 Google Street view shows something called 'Dome II'.
irvingst1935.jpg
map.jpg
 
In the previous post the tram is standing at the terminus of the 37 Cannon Hill route. It is poised to return to Navigation Street on its one way track, one way tracks were a feature of tram routes in the Balsall Heath area. The photo is dated at around 1935 and was taken to illustrate the new roundabout at that crossroads. The Belisha beacons would also have been a recent addition to the scene.
 
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The b&w photo in post 1508 shows a BCT oddity. Bus 2847 JOJ 847 had an accident and was repaired by the Midland Red at their Carlyle works. It returned to service in December 1959 sporting an enclosed read and electric doors, not a feature on BCT rear loading buses. The date has to be post 1969 as it is PTE name and there is a photo on Flicker showing the bus in December 1976.
My post 1261 (and post 1260 photo) of the Birmingham Buses thread has a little more on this vehicle.
 
Radiorails said:
The b&w photo in post 1508 shows a BCT oddity. Bus 2847 JOJ 847 had an accident and was repaired by the Midland Red at their Carlyle works. It returned to service in December 1959 sporting an enclosed read and electric doors, not a feature on BCT rear loading buses. The date has to be post 1969 as it is PTE name and there is a photo on Flicker showing the bus in December 1976.
My post 1261 (and post 1260 photo) of the Birmingham Buses thread has a little more on this vehicle.
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Thanks for the info. on the bus as I had noticed it looked different. The Mini Clubman Estate dates the picture to 1972 I would have thought. My first car was the same model but COH and shared the K suffix.
 
Radiorails said:
The b&w photo in post 1508 shows a BCT oddity. Bus 2847 JOJ 847 had an accident and was repaired by the Midland Red at their Carlyle works. It returned to service in December 1959 sporting an enclosed read and electric doors, not a feature on BCT rear loading buses. The date has to be post 1969 as it is PTE name and there is a photo on Flicker showing the bus in December 1976.
My post 1261 (and post 1260 photo) of the Birmingham Buses thread has a little more on this vehicle.
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Thank you Alan, great observations!
 
I also noticed that the bus in the distance, bearing PTE livery, looks like a former Midland Red vehicle.
The former BCT bus 2847 has a route number of 91. Now the former 29 and 29A was renumbered into the 90/91/92 group in the mid 1960's and underwent further changes with the PTE.
As far as I know none of the Hall Green/Pheasey/Kingstanding services went anywhere near Hagley Road so the 91E route seems unusual in that location. However, the bus seems devoid of passengers so may it is heading to or from a garage or route. At a point, before the extensions beyond the city boundary to Shirley and Monkspath, 91E was used as a southern part of the route number. I maybe wrong here as the PTE has never been an interest so prepared to be corrected.
The car to the right of the Mini looks like an Austin Princess. They were introduced in 1975.
 
oldMohawk said:
Last time I went to the Villa they were playing Grimsby Town. It was a 3-3 draw and George Cummings was in the team.
:grinning:
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12th April 1947. At that time Dad and I went to every home game so I was probably there, down the front (an area which we won't discuss as there may be ladies reading this, but I do remember how many bottles used to roll down the terraces.

Bob
 
Bob Davis said:
12th April 1947. At that time Dad and I went to every home game so I was probably there, down the front (an area which we won't discuss as there may be ladies reading this, but I do remember how many bottles used to roll down the terraces.

Bob
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You're correct about the date. I was halfway up the Witton End terrace and could not see so they picked me up and passed me over the packed crowd to the front.

I know why you don't want to discuss the front ... I was a bit shocked ... :rolleyes:
 
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