A bricked-up time capsule…

Last week here on the blog I had an absolutely terrific response to the photo supplied by Ian Broad of 1982 Shire Oak School leavers outside the Royal Oak pub in Shire Oak – well, spurred on by that, Ian has sent in another wonderful picture of the row of shops that once stood where Wilkinson is today, and where Ian’s family had the shop Tom’s Cabin for many years throughout the 1980s.

Ian wrote:

Hi Bob,

I hope you’re well. Loved the post you did about our 1982 school leaving day.

That post of yours with my Schools out ‘82 pic really started something.

One of my old classmates spotted it and posted a link on FB – loads of old school mates are gradually re connecting on there and there’s even mention of a reunion.

There are well over 100 comments on the Facebook thread.

Love your blog.

I just came across this pic of the High Street, Brownhills. Circa 1978, looking from Ravens Court end towards the Station Hotel.

Marie’s fruit and veg shop is clearly visible, next door is the bricked up newsagents that turned out to be a ‘time capsule’ when we bought it off the council.

There were still magazines and sweets in there as if it was bricked up without being distributed.

I wonder if the shopkeeper died suddenly?

Next to the bricked up frontage is May Browns hairdressers that my dad bought to open as a carpet shop.

After the alley way us Wood Brothers bike shop.

The owner was Roger. I think he was Australian. His son was Max. It’s a bit vague after that, hard to see the detail in the pic.

All the best,
Ian Broad

This will bring back many memories for lots of people, although I suspect the image may predate 1978, and I’d welcome comment on that please.

What particularly interests me are the bricked up shop, and the one to the left of the greengrocers. Do you know what they were?

I know there were several transitory businesses here over the years – I recall a pet shop about here in the late 1970s with tortoises in the window. I also remember being left in one of the shops with a friend of my mother who worked behind the counter. I think it was a grocer, in the early 1970s. The lady was called ‘Doreen’ I think. I know nothing else, but I am wondering if it’s that bricked up shop.

I remember Woods Bike Shop well – the one chap was indeed Australian. They occupied three units in a row, and proto-Bob had his first bike from there one Christmas. I remember being terrified of changing gear. I know the shop was still there in some form until at least 1984.

Toms Cabin occupied the hairdresser and the bricked up shop, clearly, and from the photo below that Ian has supplied before which shows the shop, it seems that the legendary CK Electronics – home of the cheap, refurbished TV and VCR – took on Marie James shop and the one next to it. If I remember correctly, there was then a gap filled by an advertising hoarding to the Natwest Bank which was the start of Ravens Court.

It’s always a pleasure to feature material like this on the blog.

Thanks to Ian for another great memory-jogger, and if you have any memories of this row of shops, or can answer my question, please do comment here or mail me – BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.