A great photograph – and that really is Stubbers Green in the background! Image kindly supplied by Linda Mason.

Here’s a great image sent to my by friend of the blog and community activist Linda Mason, who’s still turning out some of the greatest blog posts in Walsall but rarely gets the attention they merit.

Lind sent the above, terrific period image of her mum sat on the wall of Birlec on Westgate in the early 1960s – you’ll recall we’ve featured Birlec before – but she’d really like to know who her mother’s companion (right) is, if anyone can help?

There are some wonderful points made in the accompanying email:

Afternoon Bob,

I wondered if you might be interested in this photograph? I could publish it but I think it’s more in keeping with your blog than mine!

It’s a picture of my Mom and an unknown companion taken I believe when she was pregnant with me towards the end of 1961, sitting on the wall outside Birlec on Westgate. Obviously Mom and companion aren’t that interesting but I was struck by the view looking out towards Walsall Wood etc. All those chimneys! All those fields! It really made me realise just how much has changed just in my lifetime and I thought maybe your readers might be interested too and that it might provoke a little discussion. I know the photograph and the scan of it are not top quality but it’s the best I could do.

It would be nice to know who the companion is but I guess that’s a long shot. Dad can’t help me now because of his sight problems.

Note to others, don’t leave it until it’s too late to start asking questions!

Cheers
Linda

Thanks to Linda for such a generous donation, and if you can help, please do comment or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.

Please do check out Linda’s blog – and she also runs a rather excellent Tumblr photo journal too. Top stuff from one of the strongest voices in the online community.

Like her friend Susan Marie Ward, Linda doesn’t write nearly enough, but each post they produce is intimate, beautifully written, emotionally wrenching and written with care and passion.