I think it’s about time for another excellent, memory-jogging gallery from the wonderful Gerald Reece collection – this one mostly of the end of the Station Hotel which I think would have been around 1988-90, when it was being replaced by a new Aldi supermarket.
These remarkable images have been very generously supplied by the great local historian himself, and beautifuly scanned by the wonderful David Evans for blog readers to enjoy.
I must admit may memory of Brownhills High Street at this time is very sketchy, as I was spending more time in Walsall and Birmingham at the time. The Station Hotel had been derelict from the mid 80s – I had thought it went at the time of construction of the island, but it seems to have lasted much longer.
The construction of the Aldi which was ongoing in 1991 was not itself without controversy as this report from the April edition of the Brownhills Gazette of that year shows:
I’m particularly interested in the low building with the blue doors – what was that? Old stables? Some of the shop names will bring memories flooding back. Also, possibly the only photos I’ve ever seen of the Station Hotel cellars!
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.
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I vaguely recall a performance by my band the Ceilidh, who Gerry mentions in his book, being interrupted by a power cut in the Station Hotel in the late 60s.
I believe the building with the blue doors to be stables and understand that my great grandmother Julia Johnson would have used them for stabling many years ago when she traded from the shop adjoining the Station Hotel. Most likely other traders would have done so at the time.
Well I remember my brother buying me my first gerbil from the birdcage and he lived 3 years and my mum bought 3 large tortoise that they used to sell that sat in the window of the shop,think they were £5 each at the time…sadly sold them on with my other two.Bet there still plodding on out there somewhere I think this was 1980/82.
brownhills aint what it used to be —
I loved the disco’s in the 70’s at the Station, lots of happy memories.
A Fabulous group of images thank’s for sharing
I remember the station hotel early 60s Ron Smith kept it then, had some great nights at the station, me and the messis then to the top club and down the Taven a great era to have lived in, not the same anymore SAD.