Here’s a treat for folk who remember the 80s and 90s in Brownhills – David Evans met up with the wonderful Gerald Reece on his 80th birthday walk last week and Gerald shared some rather wonderful photos for us to have a gander at.
Just for the hell of it I’m not going to say where they are (although a couple are, well, obvious to regular readers) but every one has brought back memories for me.
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
The above image is interesting: This building is no longer extant but I do recall it being this crazy mixture of colours.
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
I had completely forgotten Watsons Wines: They were a large local off licence chain, but I really don’t recall this shop: I certainly can’t place it in time. Any ideas?
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
Now this is interesting – from a time when shoe repairs were so ubiquitous a town the size of Brownhills could support two cobbler’s shops. Bothe were operated by characters, if I recall correctly.
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
This needs no introduction. What I do recall however, was in the 70s there used to be a large American car often parked under the large window. Does anyone else recall that?
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
This odd pair of shops – in one form or another – survive to this day and have held all kinds of businesses from secondhand shops to console games sales.
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
This is a real blast from the past. I’m sure I remember a wedding cake maker having this tiny shop at some point too.
Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece. Click for a larger version.
This image is brilliant, and captures the greengrocers I only half remembered that used to be Holmes, I think. The archway has now gone and I’m intrigued that back then Brownhills must have been party central as it seems to have been able to support two fancy dress shops…
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.
I thank Gerald and David for this remarkable set – it really is most excellent and for me personally has stirred many memories.
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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The pink building was the shop at the corner of Seeds Lane and Lichfield Road, was a grocers at one time I think and more lately a chippie. The old Railway Tavern in the background.
Watson’s Wines was 1980s?
Kingfisher Tackle was at the bottom of Hednesford Road near Watling Street and was also a fishmongers for a while.
I remember it being a chippy, my dad got attacked outside there for no reason
shop was mrs harvey corner of seeds lane mabel seedhouse lived next door railway tavern mr lister was land lord years ago next door to shoulder of mutton church hill was jimmy johd son grocer taylors cafe pelsall road previosly woodbime terrace potts fish shop corner of watling street and hednesford road yes it was holmes fruit shop this was my old brownhills aint it chamged
forgot to say the round top building in high steet was the maypole grocers
Bradshaw s butchers used to be Tom Starbucks butchers Holmes next door to the left of the big doors was Cyril Kingston’s shoe shop then came bill caters before he moved over the road next it was George Roberts builder and iron mongers
Kingfisher Tackle, used to be the Yamaha motorcycle shop, later on they moved to Brownhillls High st, opposite station Hotel, named: Next Generation motorcycle shop.
I worked for Watson’s Wine’s at lichfied Rd shire oak, they brought Tomlinsons in the eighties they had several shops brownhills included, sadly they were all sold in the nineties
I worked at the Workd Famous 50p shop in the 80’s remember that next to Fozzies clothes shop
I remember the shop on seeds lane was a sweet shop in the 50s for a short while I think
Gerald Reece should recognise the location of the red painted house Mr & Mrs Hancock used to live there. It was the Lane Gerald and I grew up in as next door neighbours.
does any one remeber the cafe on lindon road or have any pics thanks
Hi very good and informative thanks ken