So, keen interest in the archive we’ve found courtesy of Kate Cardigan from Lichfield Lore – and here are some more remarkable sample images, also demonstrating the creative approach to location and description.
All will be revealed soon. Comments welcome!
The old church of St. John remains were once in very good condition, Shenstone, 1960s. Source to be credited later.
Aldridge, 1962. Source to be credited later.
The interior of Great Barr Hall, 1978. Source to be credited later.
The Bear and the Ragged Staff, High Street, Walsall (sic) 1965. Source to be credited later.
This is called ‘8 and 9 Station Road, Pelsall’ and dated 1964. It was filed under Aldridge. Source to be credited later.
Aldridge 1962. Source to be credited later.
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Hi Bob
thanks for these photos. The Pelsall photo is the former(first?) Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, which, I think was replaced by another double deck chapel in Chapel Street, and it, too has been replaced.
The Primitive Chapel was in Paradise Lane ..and was a much more modest little chapel.
Love those cars
kind regards
David
Interesting photo’s, the Aldridge shots look like the high street. My grandparents were just around the corner in Portland road at the time of these photo’s, running the Conservative Club.
Aldridge photos are of the highstreet- one taken facing away from the church(note the car), other facing the church(rear of car).
Hi Bob,
The Bear and Ragged Staff, High Street, Walsall. One of my earliest watering-places in the 1950’s, and uniquely, holding a six-day licence, being closed on Sundays. Bit of a dive, really. Saturday night, the licencee, Arthur Horner, played the piano in the Smoke Room, ‘ Nellie Dean’ and all the old singalong favourites . Never missed a Saturday night. Got addicted to Highgate Mild. Happy memories.
Next Xmas Quiz…
Why are there, what looks like, three Morris Minor vans in the picture?
Set us free why don’t you Bob
You just keep us hangin’ on
Hi Bob
all the cars and vans were made in the Midlands ,with the exception of the Ford Escort van.
I wonder if readers can identify them , especially the big car in Aldridge High Street photos.
cheers
David
Hubby’s best guess for the car is a Riley Pathfinder or a Riley 2.6
My word, Bob, the Pelsall photograph brought back memories. The Central Hall was where we seven-year-olds from the school in Chapel Street were taught in the 1950s; initially by a very elderly lady, Miss Lloyd, and, when she retired, by Mrs Davis (whose husband, “Happy” Davis had taught my father in Walsall Wood). At playtime we used to spill out onto the Common.
There were also Gilbert and Sullivan productions in the hall. I clearly remember “The Pirates of Penzance” and “The Mikado” with two ladies providing the accompaniment on pianos, and some very fine voices, including those of John Williams and Norman Pinches.
Norman used to run a Methodist youth club there: a nursery for muscular Christianity where we read some Bible passages then put on oversized boxing gloves and belted the living daylights out of each other.
One thing that caught my eye was the street lamp on the right: its triangular base and inverted cone that gave out a greenish glow must have been the Highways Department’s attempt to embrace the space age.
The grocery store on the far right was known as Heggs’s in the 1950s. There is also a bus stop where you could get a bus to Aldridge and Kingstanding; there might even have been one direct to central Birmingham.
Yes it’s definitely the High Street in Aldridge, we used to buy our records from Range Records (I think) but might be getting mixed up with Brownhills there. Aldridge was a beautiful little village and had the best ever cake shop Astons or Astins where you could but the most beautiful strawberry flans in the summer, it really was beautiful, shame they abominated it.
IIRC Range Records was Brownhills. The one I remember in Aldridge was Kings Castle, which, I think, was here.
The Big car in Aldridge high street looks like a Wolseley 6/90 ? I seem to remember the small emblem/ badge on the grill was illuminated ? I think they were also popular with the police.
I think that the car in the High Street of Alridge dated 1962 is possibly a Alvis maded in Coventry if is it was a beautiful car and I do believe Mr Bullock of the building firm on Northgate had one Iknow this is so because I was taken to Alton Towers pre funfair by the Aldridge rotary/round table as I was in Aldridge Court childrens home at the time the photo was taken
I think the Walsall pic is miscaptioned, if my memory serves me aright. The buildings on the left are clearly below the junction with George St, the bay window being that of what is now the Black Country Arms, with the Guidhall visible further up the hill. If I remember correctly, the Bear & Ragged Staff stood further up, between Goodall St and Rushall St,
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