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Then & Now

oldMohawk said:
A 'then and now' with a 'bit of a story' ... :)
In 1951 there was a used car site on the corner of Rea St and Digbeth opposite the Big Bull's Head pub which was on the corner of Milk Street. The site had a small aeroplane for sale as shown in the photo.
View attachment 172036
The Wagtail aircraft was built in the 1930s by Fred Taylor in the front bedroom of his Erdington council house. It's size and design were arranged so that Fred could get it down the staircase to take it to Dunton Farm, Curdworth for assembly and flying. It was never registered and Fred never had a pilot's licence. There is a full account (on the bracey_online site below) of the history of this aircraft with photos in a slide show and 40 minute audio file recorded by Leonard Bracey who sometimes flew the aircraft. It even made a flight one day to Elmdon much to the surprise of officials who demanded a 12/6d landing fee.
http://www.bracey-online.com/StoryOfWagtail.php the slide show might not work on some devices ... it works on iPads
Briefly ... Fred decided to emigrate to Australia and sold the aircraft to Mr.W.F.Matty (owner of the car site) and he sold it to Mr.Gilroy-Bevan who got in the aircraft to give the engine a run. The engine suddenly started and with the aircraft not secured it crashed into a brick wall. He climbed out of the wreckage and told them to burn it.
The Big Bull's Head pub is still there in the more regulated times of today ...
View attachment 172037
Fred actually built another aircraft in Australia but authorities there were stricter having none of it, see a newspaper report.
View attachment 172038
Click to expand...
oldMohawk, so glad to see the Big Bulls Head pub and building are still there. It is so nice to see a building like that compared to the concrete and glass monstrosities
 
In Nursery Road at the corner with Anglesey Street in 1953, and Persil washes whiter but Tide washes cleanest.
Astoness said:
2 pig bins in front of the walls advert where i used to live dated 1953
Click to expand...
Nursery Road-Anglesley Street-Hockley 5-11-1953.jpg

The same corner now ... the bins have gone but there's a planter in the road ...
Edit correction ... it's a nice corner but it is not the one in the old pic. See posts #1865 and #1868 for explantion.
NurseryAngelsey.jpg
 
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brummy-lad said:
And look at the amount of litter compared to the 1953 image.
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I notice there are nearby fast-food shops along Nursery Rd but I do remember some litter in streets when I was young.
It reminds me of a visit to Japan in 1973 when we were waiting for a train on a not very busy Hamamatsu station. A smoker in our group dropped a cigarette-end and stubbed it out with his shoe. All the nearby Japanese stopped talking and stared at the cigarette-end until an official came with dustpan and brush to remove it. Max embarrassment for us and since then I've always been careful not to drop litter ... :grinning:
 
oldMohawk said:
Arial photo of Nursery Road Lozells copy.jpg
Click to expand...
Hi oldMohawk, love that first photo however, I thought that the 'now' photo didn't quite match (the road has an incline which the 'then' photo doesn't have. I think the original is on the corner of Nursery Rd but the opposite corner and you can just see the back of the billboards on the ariel photo. As you know, Anglesey St crossed Nursery Rd back then.
P.S I think I've messed up the layout of this post. Sorry.

oldMohawk said:
View attachment 172427

The same corner now ... the bins have gone but there's a planter in the road ...
View attachment 172428
Click to expand...
 
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Banjo said:
Hi oldMohawk, love that first photo however, I thought that the 'now' photo didn't quite match (the road has an incline which the 'then' photo doesn't have. I think the original is on the corner of Nursery Rd but the opposite corner and you can just see the back of the billboards on the ariel photo. As you know, Anglesey St crossed Nursery Rd back then.
P.S I think I've messed up the layout of this post. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Hi Banjo, I agree with you. Anglesey St now ends at Nursery Rd so these days there is no corner.
Pic 1 showing ca1914 map and satellite view. The red cross marks the corner.
Pic1_Map_ca1914.jpg

Pic 2 shows aerial view dated 1950. No hoardings visible but they have three years to put them up. It appears that the corner house had been demolished ... the rendering visible in Lyn's pic shows this.
Pic2_AngleseySt_1950.jpg

Pic 3 shows Google's corresponding view dated 2022. The line of old Angelsey St marked.
Pic3_AngleseySt_2022.jpg

Pic 4 shows no corner. The old corner position (approx) marked.
Pic4_2022viewNoCorner.jpg
I think I have it correct this time ... but I'm wondering why Anglesey is a street and Nursery a road ?
 
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oldMohawk said:
I notice there are nearby fast-food shops along Nursery Rd but I do remember some litter in streets when I was young.
It reminds me of a visit to Japan in 1973 when we were waiting for a train on a not very busy Hamamatsu station. A smoker in our group dropped a cigarette-end and stubbed it out with his shoe. All the nearby Japanese stopped talking and stared at the cigarette-end until an official came with dustpan and brush to remove it. Max embarrassment for us and since then I've always been careful not to drop litter ... :grinning:
Click to expand...
oldMohawk, I was in Japan at about the same time and witnessed the same activity, eyes and dustpan!
 
I often saw this area in early childhood and also would have seen it in the year this photo was taken.
Kingstanding Rd 1966.jpeg

Today ... lots more cars ... more street furniture ... the trees are leafier ... but most buildings seen in the old photo are still there.
Kingstanding Rd May 22.jpg

Earlier in the thread see across the road from the above view

Then & Now

I thought that was a seed merchant, garden and pet shop. The give away was the charity 'dog' outside. I since noticed the corn and seed store sign at eaves level. Interesting to note that not only did this shop have as much outside the shop as inside, so does the present day florist. What was...
birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
they sell it the green stuff i used it in my ford mexico:grinning:
www.duckhams.com

Duckhams Classic Q 20W-50 - Duckhams

Duckhams Classic [Q] 20W-50 - the original green multigrade motor oil - is widely recommended in many original owners' handbooks and is suitable for use in older, higher mileage petrol and non-turbocharged diesel classic car engines where SAE 20W-50 oil of performance level API SJ/CE is specified.
www.duckhams.com www.duckhams.com
1667566139340.png
 
mw0njm. said:
they sell it the green stuff i used it in my ford mexico:grinning:
www.duckhams.com

Duckhams Classic Q 20W-50 - Duckhams

Duckhams Classic [Q] 20W-50 - the original green multigrade motor oil - is widely recommended in many original owners' handbooks and is suitable for use in older, higher mileage petrol and non-turbocharged diesel classic car engines where SAE 20W-50 oil of performance level API SJ/CE is specified.
www.duckhams.com www.duckhams.com
View attachment 174557
Click to expand...
20/50 is pretty high viscosity, great for older engines with a little extra bearing clearances!
 
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