Today, join me as I take a historical stroll up the Pelsall Road from the old council house. I have memories of many features of this busy thoroughfare from when I was younger – the Kingdom Hall, Taylors Cafe, The Potters Clay works. It seems as if, at one point, this was the prosperous end of town, around which the early growth of Brownhills spawned, rather than the older Ogley Hay. I well remember the old railway bridge, before the island was built, and the traffic lights that controlled the junction, seemingly taking forever to change.
All the photos in this feature are scanned from books written by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington. I strongly advise readers to grab a copy if they ever get chance. They’re like gold dust, and with good reason. As ever, I thank Clarice and Geoff for their sterling work.
I never realised that the old Central Boy's School - or the annex as my generation knew it - was built in separate chunks. When I was a kid in the 1970's, I seem to remember the railway yard - complete with small brick hut - was a woodyard or something like that.Taken from 'Memories of Old Brownhills' by Clarice Mayo & Geoff Harrington.
I can just about remember some of the terraces here being demolisedhed in the seventies, but some of the old houses remain. Taken from 'Memories of Old Brownhills' by Clarice Mayo & Geoff Harrington.
This scene has changed totally - except for the Swan, which, as a number of readers have pointed out, is boarded up again. Taken from 'Memories of Old Brownhills' by Clarice Mayo & Geoff Harrington.
I had to think about this one. Today, there is postwar housing on the left, and a thicket hedge on the right, round a small paddock also bordered by the canal, just visible heading in from centre right. Taken from 'Memories of Brownhills Past' by Clarice Mayo & Geoff Harrington.
I'm aware that Pelari's ice cream was an institution for a long period in Brownhills. The name did not die, however, as today a hairdressers opposite Silver Court is called Pelari Hair. I wonder if there's a family connection? Taken from 'Memories of Old Brownhills' by Clarice Mayo & Geoff Harrington.
I don't know anything about the Yew Tree Inn and can't seem to find a picture anywhere. It seems to have been demolised to build the Edward Rose factory - which in turn has been cleared for the new council depot. Everything must pass. Taken from 'Memories of Old Brownhills' by Clarice Mayo & Geoff Harrington.
