Since it’s Saturday and I’m very busy with work matters, I thought I’d feature the next gallery from the wonderful Gerald Reece collection, kindly supplied by the great local historian himself, and beautifuly scanned by the wonderful David Evans for blog readers to enjoy.
This montage features images mostly from 1986 of the removal of the South Staffordshire Railway line through Brownhills (the old Walsall – Lichfield line that ran under the Miner Island) which is now being beautifully reclaimed as a cycling and walking route by Brian Stringer and his pals at Back the Track, who I know will love these photos.
There are also images of the construction of Brownhills Bridge, when it was doubled and turned into an island, which would, I think, be 1985, as well as some of the Anglesey Branch aqueduct and Anglesey Sidings, by the Charringtons Oil Terminal (now Quattro Plant).
One bridge that interests me here is the one that existed behind Taylor’s Cafe and led into the Pelsall Road meadow, where the Watermead Estate is today. The bridge is long gone but its abutments can still be seen on the old line and now form part of a private garden.
I thank Gerald and David for yet another remarkable set – it really is most excellent and for me personally has stirred many memories, as they always do. Gerald, you are a very wonderful and generous gentleman.
What do you recall from this gallery? If you have any thoughts or questions, please do share them – comment here, find me on social media or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.
The donor of these remarkable images, Gerald Reece is of course a talented and superlative local historian, indeed now resident in Devon, who wrote the seminal work ‘Brownhills – A walk into history’ upon which this blog stands.
