oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
In those days, when we could open train doors ourselves, some of us jumped off moving trains but that's in the National Service thread. Looking back, I suppose it was all a bit dangerous ...
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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...
- Thread starter oldMohawk
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Bob Davis
Bob Davis
With open platforms on buses we could jump off between stops just like this pair could have done back in 1946 ...
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My young employee who sits looking over my shoulder as I speed through various sets of postings on the forum, was horrified to discover that the bus was actually moving and that the driver (I had to explain about conductors) had not stopped the bus and made them sit down until he had pulled in at the stop. Here in the West Country as Ray will know we all have to stay seated until the bus stops. What also amused him was that they were only holding on with just one hand. He asked about Health and Safety and I said 'in those days?'. I should think from the picture and the bus seems to have the all over dark roof that this was just prewar or very early after the end of WW2. I then showed him a picture of people leaving a bus as it rounded the corner at Hill Street with them just 'dropping off' and other Malcolm Keeler and David Harvey pictures that also show people, usually men, preparing to leave the bus while it is still moving, you can always tell by the double grip rear panel and centre pole. There is somewhere in the forum a picture posted by 'Stitcher' or similar of just the front of a tram with the motorman standing as he drives the tram, he questioned the standing for a four or five hour shift and I said five and half to six days a week eight to nine hour shift and I explained that this was the way it was and there never appeared to be any union problems, but I did suggest that when the last tram ran and most of the motormen moved over to buses they must have been pleased to be able to sit down. If there are any old tram staff reading , am I right in thinking that some drivers fitted a canvas half door at the driving end during very wet and windy weather. I used to use the 78 to go to my grandmothers and seem remember in the winter of '47 (I could tell 'ee tales of how cold twas then boy (please add your own Devonshire dialect to my still apparent on the phone Birmingham accent)), seeing at least one tram with such an item or was I imaging it. One final question I worked at Dunlop and used to catch the tram to the city. Did the tram cease to run before the rest of the trams on the 2/78/79 route, or did it just finish the day before? We always enjoyed the front balconies, except on wet days when we went up town on a Friday evening, first stop The Cabin.
Old Boy
master brummie
Hi Bob,
For a time I lived at Pype Hayes. I cannot remember exactly when but the 79 tram finished well before the No2 which was the last in Birmingham. I
also worked at Dunlop for a very short time. It was in an office but I cannot remember which one. My brother Arthur Beresford also worked there in some sort of clerical job but he had to take his turn on nights.
Chris Beresford (Old Boy)
For a time I lived at Pype Hayes. I cannot remember exactly when but the 79 tram finished well before the No2 which was the last in Birmingham. I
also worked at Dunlop for a very short time. It was in an office but I cannot remember which one. My brother Arthur Beresford also worked there in some sort of clerical job but he had to take his turn on nights.
Chris Beresford (Old Boy)
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Eric Gibson
master brummie
Probably long before your time at Dunlop but I believe my uncle James Biddle died suddenly at Fort Dunlop. not sure if it was a works accident or natural causes. It would have been around 1946/47 by my reckoning.
Old Boy
master brummie
Hi Eric,
12 months before my time but I was only there a few weeks anyway. It was a time when you could pick and choose your occupation providing you were of sound mind and in good health.
Chris Beresford
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
used to do that on the no 8 bus jim....shudder now to think of it..these days i dont even run for a bus lol
lyn
devonjim
master brummie
Sounds as if you still have a choice, I just can't run, for a bus or anything else!
john knight
signman
The man is just standing in the entrance to a garden.
farmerdave
master brummie
Is this referring back to #1887, the apparently one-legged man standing next to a wall? Dave.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I sign of those times when a Police Constable walking his beat had stopped for a chat with a local who might have just come out of Archie Vincent's betting office in Bracebridge Street. No 'hi-vis' jacket on the constable and they don't seem concerned that there is a bloke with a camera pointed at them on the other side of the road.
Pic is from here
Pic is from here
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
The sign Licenced Betting Office shows the picture was taken after the Betting Act of 1960. The chap talking to the policeman has probably come out for a breath of fresh air, it could get very foggy in the small bookies!I sign of those times when a Police Constable walking his beat had stopped for a chat with a local who might have just come out of Archie Vincent's betting office in Bracebridge Street. No 'hi-vis' jacket on the constable and they don't seem concerned that there is a bloke with a camera pointed at them on the other side of the road.
Pic is from here
On the Forum is mentioned the days before the Act. One bookie that comes to mind is Charlie Woodward in Manor Road, Witton. They had a little box behind the fence with a chap standing by and the bets were wrapped up and placed in the box.
What a difference these days. Clear windows where you can see the punters drinking their coffee in a smokeless environment. Great screens offering non-stop opportunities, and in the lull in live action you can even enjoy a "virtual" race.
Smudger
master brummie
The good old days, or more like the bad old filthy days. We don`t know how lucky we are today!!
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I suppose with probably just one water tap in the court and only tin baths in the kitchens, cleanliness was not easy in those days. A group of kids in No 2 Court Camden Grove off Camden Street ... at least they all have shoes ....
Radiorails
master brummie
The children, whilst having what appears to be dirty clothing - though probably suitable for the streets, pavements and walls of the area - do not appear to be starved. In fact they look well fed even if bemused by the photographer. It also seems that mother, in a doorway, is keeping a watchful eye on the events. 
The prior post, 1935, is an exceptionally grim one. Maybe it was in the late 1920's after the general strike or following depression.
The prior post, 1935, is an exceptionally grim one. Maybe it was in the late 1920's after the general strike or following depression.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
By No 12 Court, Brearley Street a quite smartly dressed girl with a baby in a pram stood and watched the photographer as also did the woman shop keeper.
A notice in the shop window possibly reads 'The Blind Self Aid Tea Company'.
The street scene.
She then walked along Brearley Street to Numbers 42 and 44 and again stood and watched the photographer.
The girl and a quite well dressed baby.
The street scene.
images from Shoothill collection
A notice in the shop window possibly reads 'The Blind Self Aid Tea Company'.
The street scene.
She then walked along Brearley Street to Numbers 42 and 44 and again stood and watched the photographer.
The girl and a quite well dressed baby.
The street scene.
images from Shoothill collection
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oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Thanks for that info Pedrocut. It seems similar to some of the 'franchise' schemes which can be seen advertised these days. It says no capital required but packets of tea would need to be given to agents and one wonders how it worked. Obviously the shop in the photo was taking part in the enterprise and maybe they gave goods out to locals to go round selling.
Eric Gibson
master brummie
My friend, now in here 80s tells me that when she was a child they had a blind lady as a lodger, she used to go with her around the district here in the Forest of Dean selling packets of tea
A Sparks
master brummie
Interesting - Bevis Marks is the home of the Jewish Sephardi community in Spitalfields, London and has 'the oldest and most splendid Synagogue in Great Britain'
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
That's interesting as it appears that Bevis Marks Synagogue, though not strictly in the East End, was the main centre for the Jewish immigrants featured in part three of Victorian Slums.
pjmburns
master brummie
Found this in a booklet published in 1922 gives a bit more insight into how it worked. No actual prices given though. It was started in 1908 by Alfred Carr (himself blind) - it was a commercial undertaking not a charity. In 1930 88 blind people were employed as sellers.
Attachments
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Lady Penelope
master brummie
The boy on the left appears to have shoes which are much too large. I expect he was just glad to have some shoes regardless of the fit.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
This lad has followed the photographer from Court 19 to Court 15 in Brearley Street, maybe he wanted to be a photographer.
He is back in Court 19 seen from the opposite end compared to the photo in post#1946 he stands slightly apart from the group. The photographer seemed to be getting some flare in images and must have been using long exposure time because a women to the right appears to have walked out of view.
images from Shoothill collection
He is back in Court 19 seen from the opposite end compared to the photo in post#1946 he stands slightly apart from the group. The photographer seemed to be getting some flare in images and must have been using long exposure time because a women to the right appears to have walked out of view.
images from Shoothill collection
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
On Saturday 2nd November 1940 a crowd stood at the junction of Birchfield Rd and Mansfield Rd looking at craters caused by high explosive bombs dropped during an air-raid the previous night. The two people I like in the pic is the shopkeeper and a customer in front of the apparently undamaged shop. The hairdressing shop on the corner was not so lucky.
image from Library of Birmingham
image from Library of Birmingham
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
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