An iconic image, now very clear described as ‘Brownhills Chasetown & Chase Terrace 1st Motor Bus 16/6/1913 Staffs’ – Image from eBay seller tomthelad1940
Check out the ompleted listing for the above postcard on eBay – £42
Hey folks, It’s a nice Saturday, and I’m out and about, so just a quick post here with some images of local postcards for sale on eBay – I’ve included them here as they’re mostly remarkably clear versions of photos we only have previously in fairly low quality.
All of these are or have been for sale on the world’s favourite tat bazaar, eBay, and I include links.
I remain astonished at the prices of some postcards…
Must say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Warreners Arms card before, or the one of the football team.
Anything to add? Please do. Comment here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.
I had no idea this Church Road image card existed in a colorised form, obviously hand-tinted. Described as ‘1905 Church Street Brownhills RP Postcard 9698’ – Image from eBay seller Antique Chapters.
The reverse of the above card is also shown. It’s achingly sad. Image from eBay seller Antique Chapters.
Check out the above postcard on eBay – £20
Described as ‘c.1905 Council House Brownhills Albert Mills Studios RP Postcard 9624’ – Image from eBay seller Antique Chapters.
The reverse of the above card. Anyone good with handwriting can read that, please? Image from eBay seller Antique Chapters.
Check out the above postcard on eBay – £30
Described as ‘c.1915 Warreners Arms High Street Brownhills Ernest Seedhouse RP Postcard 9704’ – Image from eBay seller Antique Chapters.
Check out the above postcard on eBay – £45
Described as ‘1919 – 1920 Football Team Brownhills Athletic FC RP Postcard 9701’ -Image from eBay seller AntiqueChapters.
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hi Bob
Super postcards! the handwriting mentions wretched cycling weather and a dinner at the Station hotel in connection with the Miniature Rifle Club(?)…I wonder if readers have information on this, please..and where was the soccer team photo taken?
Kind regards
David
Sep 1907…first competition in connection with the newly-formed Staffs County Ass of Miniature Rifle Clubs at Lichfield.
June 1908…Brownhills Miniature Rifle Club competition won by Samuel Smith
Walsall Advertiser 14 June 1913…New Motor Service
Monday next a new motor service will run between Brownhills, Chasetown and Chase Terrace, Heath Hayes and Hednesford. The service which the L and N.W. Railway established a short tome ago between Brownhills and Cannock has proved such a success that they have felt it their duty to accede to the request of the many inhabitants of the surrounding district to link together the places mentioned with an up to date and reliable motor service….
Hi Bob
I understand the bus routed over the Brownhills common along a track by the mineral line railway..from Chester Road north to Watling Street, as it was too high to pass under the bridge near Coppice Lane. This presumes a railway level crossing on the Watling Street. Do we have confirmation of this, please?
Was this photograph perhaps taken somewhere near this level crossing?
Kind regards
David
Hi David the bridge on the Chester Rd by Coppice La was high enough to take Double Deckers
Best I could manage…
Dear Florrie
Thanks for your P.C. & for sending me Tom’s I am returning it enclosed, I should expect to hear from him myself next week. It was a good thing you did not come over last Sunday & it was wretched day & cycling would be out of the question but I hope you will be able to come for next week & have a good time of it to make up for waiting. I am going to a dinner at the Station Hotel, tomorrow Thursday night in connection with the Miniature Rifle Club I don’t know how I shall get on.
?????? you are keeping well & will be able to come ?????
Yours truly Ernest.
Trusting you are keeping well…
There is a detailed description of the bus service and the men who crewed it. John Bucknall “The 1913 experimental LNWR bus services of Cannock Chase.” Steam Days April 2013 p213.
The LNWR owned the lines from Walsall to Lichfield (stops at Pelsall and Brownhills) and from Walsall to Rugeley (stops at Wyrley, Cannock and Hednesford.) The Midland came later and built a line from Aldridge (connections to Walsall and Birmingham) to Norton Canes where it joined the Cannock Chase and Wolverhampton Railway (stops at Walsall Wood and Brownhills – Watling Street). It never took up the option of running regular passenger trains to Norton although there were some “specials” for colliery workers’ excursions to the sea-side. It is probable that the LNWR bus service was designed to join its two stations (Hednesford and Brownhills) and thus forestall any further expansion by the Midland. The buses were second-hand from London and had a maximum speed of 12 mph.. The service stopped in 1915 when the War Department commandeered the vehicles for troop transport in Flanders. After the war the running rights were taken over by Walsall Corporation . Bucknall’s article is illustrated by several post card photographs made by a local businessman Mr. Tinsley. There is a very good one of a bus stopping at Brewes corner in Brownhills. Geoffrey Boulton.
Hello Geoffrey
many thanks for your information. Syd Pritchards notes/book, Old Brownhills, has this entry..top of the second page;-
“There was a private road giving access to the (..Watling St; David) station from Chester Road and Watling Street and as the station had its own full time Master there must have been sufficient traffic to justify his presence”
So perhaps there was no need for the bus to use the Chester Road bridge?
my thanks, again, Geoffrey
kind regards
David
Hi Geoffrey
again from Syd Pritchards book..page seven fourth paragraph reads;-
“…L and NW Railway started a bus service to Hednesford in 1913.There were two routes; one via Newtown, Chasetown, Sankey’s corner and Heath Hayes.The other via Chester Road, then along the earlier-mentioned private road part of the Midland station and to Watling St ( the buses were too tall to pass under the Chester Rd bridge). This service was short-lived as, at the outbreak of war in August 1914….. the bus chassis were commandeered by the War Office”
apologies for not noticing this earlier.
kind regards
David
Hi Bob
looking again at the Council House postcard, 1905…do we know when the fire alarm bell was added to the building?
kind regards
David
Hi Bob
and another look at the football team photo. There is so much fascinating detail, especially in the non-players’ apparel.The neckerchiefs, collars, waistcoats, collarpins, the cut of the coats, the lack of turn ups on the trousers, the boots.
Perhaps most surprising is the footballers sticky plaster and bandage to his forehead wound.. When did sticky plasters first appear? during World War One?
kind regards
David
Hello David , the man who is second from the left at the back is my uncle Jack Taylor , I think the photo was taken near the Warreners pub, but I can’t be sure , the Taylors lived in Vicarage Road in the old row , uncle Jack was in the police force, yours Brenda Antill nee Taylor.
hi david re the brownhills clock it was opend november 21 1912 thursday at 2 30 pm i believe it served as a fire alarm there is an old story told that the horse that pulled the fire engine was driven by jack tabberer at the the sound of the bell there was no holding the firy stead as he3 galloped full speed to the council yard god bless
The history of the clock…
https://brownhillsbob.com/2013/01/06/the-biggest-liar-in-town/
Thanks for all your work great to see my surname popping up again
The football photo was taken on the Warreners arms pitch, the house in the background is Wilson’s and Fulleloves, at the bottom of New Rd, Mr Mrs Fulleloves were our Regs grandparents. I also know ages of the folks on the photo.