Lichfield Road, Walsall Wood. Image generously supplied by Jill Manchester.
And in 2006. Image kindly supplied by Jill Manchester.
A lovely thing reaches me from Jill Manchester of Walsall Wood, who’s sent me some lovely old postcard images of the village – scanned beautifully, I have to say – together with some images matched as closely as possible from the same viewpoint in 2006.
I can say as a person who’s tried to do this on several occasions, it’s much harder to execute well than it looks – and Jill has made a fantastic job of it. My attempts were atrocious, I have to say!
Jill had this to say:
Hello Bob
Having seen photos on your blog that others have sent you, I wonder whether the attached pictures of Walsall Wood might be of interest?
The original pictures are a set of postcards, sadly undated, which were sent to my father, by his younger sister, when he was serving in the Navy during WW11,’to remind him of home’.
I took the second set from as close as I could get to original viewpoints in October 2006. By this time my aunt was quite elderly but talked endlessly of her childhood in Walsall Wood and I had the idea of reminding her of home!
My father was Harry Beardsmore and his sister was Ellen. They also had a younger brother George. They lived in Vigo Road as children, and later in Coronation Road.
If you need any further information I’m happy to help if I can!
Best Regards
Jill ManchesterPS I Still live in Walsall Wood!
Thanks Jill for such a wonderful thing – I’m honoured and proud to be able to run these pictures here, and if you have anything further you’d like to share, or anything you’d like to ask readers you’d be most welcome!
What the images demonstrate very well is just how much distortion there is in old photos. I’m not a camera buff at all, and optics always baffled me, so I don’t know if it’s the photographic technology of the day or the printing process itself – but if one looks at the image of St. John’s Church it really is remarkable. Does anyone have any insight on this, please?
I’m sure readers will have comments to make: and not just the Walsall Wood contingent! Comment here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks
St. John’s Church, Walsall Wood. Image generously supplied by Jill Manchester.
And in 2006. Image kindly supplied by Jill Manchester.
High Street, Walsall Wood. Image generously supplied by Jill Manchester.
And in 2006. Image kindly supplied by Jill Manchester.
Brookland Road, Walsall Wood. Image generously supplied by Jill Manchester.
And in 2006. Image kindly supplied by Jill Manchester.
High Street, Walsall Wood. Image generously supplied by Jill Manchester.
And in 2006. Image kindly supplied by Jill Manchester.
Castle Road, Walsall Wood. Image generously supplied by Jill Manchester.
And in 2006. Image kindly supplied by Jill Manchester.