Saturday means it’s time for yet more images from the huge Gerald Reece collection – so kindly donated for use on the blog by the great man himself. Today, I have a selection of random images not big enough to fit in galleries of their own.
Today, the star of the show is something I thought I’d never, ever see: A photo of Brownhills bandstand that stood in Holland Park, facing the Annexe and Police Station, just by the toilet block. I think it was demolished in the 1990s. Gerald’s photo is late 80s from the graffiti to the right, and has been freshly painted by the looks of things.
I wonder what the stall was? Looks like it might have been local history. Possibly during a carnival. Anyone any idea on this?
In the gallery below we have other images of Brownhills Market on a very snowy day (again, probably 1980s) and images of the construction of the new pedestrian bridge at Pier Street – a subject also covered in this gallery byy old friend of the blog Facade66.
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 thank Gerald and David for yet another remarkable set – you are a very wonderful and generous gentlemen.
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.
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.
RSS - Posts
HI Bob
Sir Gerald has recently brought me a mountain of unpublished materials for me to work through. It will take quite a while, but I think we are in for some amazing articles in due course.
kind regards
David
p.s. I wonder if we can identify the bandstand graffiti artist? ……
Pier Street Bridge
The usual meeting of the members of Brownhills Urban District Council was held on Wednesday evening in the Public Building……..the Streets and Sanitary Committee recommended that the Clerk write to Lord Bradford’s agent with a view of obtaining a contribution from him towards the cost of raising and repairing Pier Street bridge. With regard to the ( last ) item, the Chairman, Mr George Hodgkins, J.P., said the work had got to be done by private subscriptions, and as Lord Bradford would benefit mostly it was decided to write and ask him to contribute with the Council
Lichfield Mercury, 17 March 1911
Brownhills Council Items
King George V Fields Foundation have expressed regret they cannot consider the Council’s
application for a grant for a proposed bandstand and enclosure in Holland Park, Brownhills.
Tool sheds are to be purchased for all parks in Brownhills district
Lichfield mercury 22 April 1938
They have the new bandstand – but no band
Brownhills – The Urban Council here have built a £900 “ultra modern” bandstand in Holland Park but cannot find a band. They planned to open the Bandstand on August Bank Holiday
Brownhills has no town band and the Council will have to advertise again for one.
Last night the chairman, Mr G A Jones said “ We were too late and they were all booked up.It would be rather a fiasco if we officially opened it without one.”
But a council official said “It is not a bandstand anyway. We have called it a rostrum. It can be used for choirs or for meetings and we have been trying to find a more suitable name for it.”
Birmingham Daily Gazette, 24 July 1954
The idea that circulated before the bandstand/rostrum was suit was that it would be a Swimming Pool.
I remember the bridge at the end of Pier Street being a wooden construction, in the late1940s early 1950s but on occasions it was difficult to use it because a substantial amount of the wooden decking was missing.
The green bridge replaced a previous metal bridge. About 1980?
I posted an article of my memories of my childhood iin Brownhills a while back. Living in Pier Street. This week an old friend visited Brownhills and forwarded some photos he had taken of Pier Street/Silver Street and of course the canal and the “bridge”. What a transformation. I remember the old bridge very well. Walking over it there were gaps between the wooden planks. My two elder brothers with their friends used to swim in the canal and would dive from the bridge, how they didnot break their necks I do not know. If a barge went by they would all go to the bank side. I had to go further and look on Google maps and how they have extended Silver Street. I only have one brother living now and he is 93 and living in America so it gave me great pleasure to forward all these photos on to him, as we often talk about our childhood. Sure enough he rang me straight away and off we went reminiscing. Brownhills will always have a great place in our hearts.
Regard Bette Hampton (nee Spedding)
Spedding, a well remembered Central School name, does he remember gaffer Wright, Joe Stocky, Dan Marcu, Sam Seedhouse, Bill Hazzard, the big slide, the torture tree and his first pair of flannel long leg trousers.
Just phoned our Matt (Spedding) and he said yes he remembers them – all teachers. Told me a story of Mr. Stockley and some rubber bands. And he remembers Joe Stockley’s words to this day. By the way “Spedding a well remembered name could be good or bad!!!!!! I wonder.
Bette Hampton (nee Spedding)
Hi aer reg. I have just posted a reply to your email re Spedding comment but I dont know if I have lost it so I shall repeat some of it. I have phoned our Matt (Spedding) and he does remember those names – teachers. He does remember one occasion with Joe Stockley to do/ with rubber bands
Spedding a well remembered Central School name – what can that mean!!!!!!
Regards Bette Hampton (nee Spedding)
hi bette i am 91 and your comment started me thinkiing of school days at central names etc and when is saw speding it rang a bell of lads of the old school days and how life has changed
Thank you for replying. Our Matt is the same as soon as I gave him the names you supplied he went straight back to School. He said he was friends with Mr. Marklew’s son. He told me that Mr. Stockley gave a number of boys (him included) the cane on their hands every day for two weeks because no one would own up to flicking rubber bands behind his back Mr/ Stockley had calculated which area the bands had come from. Could not do that today. He has loved all the photos I have found . Unfortunately he knows he will not return again to see how the area has changed , so if you have any you can share. especially of the Central School it would be greatly appreciated. You are that little bit younger than him but older than my other two brothers Tom and Joe who both died two years ago.
Regards Bette