Brownhills Council House in the late 1980s before it was horridly extended to form the Parkview Centre. A stunning image by Peter Booth.
Every so often, a remarkable thing comes out of the blue – and so it is with this stunning gallery of monochrome images of Brownhills, donated to the the blog by reader Peter Booth, who’s been scanning old negatives and came across these fabulous photos he’d taken of Brownhills.
Peter wrote to me a couple of days ago:
Hello Bob
Have been scanning a lot of old negatives recently and have come across a set of Brownhills that I took in about 1986-88. They are black and white and I have cleaned them up a bit on the computer got rid of all the dust specks and they don’t look too bad.
I can’t remember now why I took them – it was either a photographic club project that I was involved with at the time or it could have been for Gerry Reece who was always trying to get myself or his son Gary (who I was friends with) to take as many pictures as we could of Brownhills.
Regards
Peter Booth
Thank you to Peter for donating this images – they are wonderful, evocative, quite unusual and of very high photographic quality. It’s a pleasure to share them here on the blog, and I think they’ll stir up a lot of memories! They must have taken a lot of work to scan and clean – it’s much appreciated.
If readers have anything to add, please do comment here, or mail me: Brownhillsbob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.
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Hi Bob
a huge thanks to Peter, please. What a super start to the week
kind regards
David
Superb,there are some lovely memories of the Town here,well done Peter.
Some cracking photographs there Peter.Brought back some happy memories for me.Also a very long time since Ive heard yours and Garys names, not since the Comp all those years ago.How time flies !!
Some cracking photographs there Peter.Brought back some happy memories for me.Also a very long time since Ive heard yours and Garys name.Not since Brownhills comp !!! all those years ago..
That was at its peak, Brownhills town Shopping centre, it as been downhill ever since such a shame, wonderful photo’s.
That was Brownhills Shopping Centre at its peak been downhill ever since such a shame, wonderful Photo’s
great photographs one in particular grey matter stirer the pearl assurrance i worked there but prior to that as a lad it was known as brewes corner because the bakery shop stood there the bakery itself was in lichfieid road the baker was jack a well known figure he was also the a r p officer during the war his headquarters by the side of the memo his wife ran the cake shop her cakes were 5 star she also had a sister who was a chriopatist what more could one ask for beatiful light pastiery and home baked bread a fresh cream horn and a trip of the light fantastic happy days thanks again god bless
Where was the 180 suite?
That was originally Brownhills Working Men’s Club, or the Top Club. After that it was a pub called The Huntsman and later The Sportsman. It was demolished in the 1980s and replaced by the Smithy’s Forge.
The 180 suite was the name for the function rooms that had for hire.
Cheeers
Bob
My uncle Fred Wilcox ran the top club – What a fantastic photo. Lovely memories
Seeing the old Britannic Assurance office made me chuckle,I worked for that company for 14 years at Cannock office and later head office at Wythall. After the Brownhills office closed as an agency it was used for training for neighbouring offices. The one day they were videoing reps with an actress playing the part of a customer,so locals, who thought the building was empty, witnessed about a dozen blokes in suits,a woman wearing a fur coat,then a couple of blokes with cameras and lighting equipment turn up…..My mate was half way through his sales session when the police raided the premises…you couldn’t make it up!
These pictures are fantastic, you even managed to get our house in one of the pictures when it had white windows. Thank you for sharing your pictures.
Superb photos from Peter, certainly brings back memories of a once heaving and thriving town.
So nice looking back. Thank u. Xx
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