It looks like there are some treats in store for the Walsall Wood contingent as the wonderfully generous Tony Portman has allowed the young David Evans access to his private photo album which contains some remarkable, previously unseen material.

Tony, you’ll remember has previously donated wonderful images of Walsall Wood Secondary School and the Boy’s Brigade, and is a wonderful old freeing of the blog and true Walsall Wood stalwart.

These images show what we consider was probably a hamlet of its own – Sunnyside. This community, centred around the Five Ways Junction on Salters Road has been an area of quarrying for years, but used to look very different to how it does today.

David Evans said:

Hi Bob

Thanks to Tony Portman I cant share these remarkable images of life in Sunnyside, we think possibly from the 20s or 30s.

A track led from Vigo Road to the cluster of cottages that were Sunnyside. Another track led from opposite where the fire station is today to Sunnyside, too.

The reference to Cresswell  double fronted cottage is  an important one as this cottage  was probably the last of the settlement cottages to be demolished.

That cottage was behind the car body workshops corner of what is now Taylors yard.

I think the bungalow now stands on the site of the original cottage.

a huge thanks to Tony Portman..again!

David

There is more to come from Tony and David, and as ever I’m hugely grateful to both gentlemen for their sterling efforts to share an preserve our local history.

These images are obviously discussion points and if you have anything to add, please feel free to do so – either do so by commenting on this post, tugging my coat on social media or mailing me on BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks!