I’m continuing to share the Gerald Reece photos (and it’s really hard to spin them out but there’s some astounding stuff in the queue, let me assure you!) and today there’s a small gallery of images of local places of worship that Gerald shared with David Evans when they met up at Gerald’s 80th birthday walk a couple of weeks ago.
Thing this is the Gospel Hall, School Avenue, now a private house. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
Some information on the Gospel Hall here.
Silver Street Methodist, still looking quite new in the 1980s. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
You can see more of Silver Street’s construction in this set by Roy Craddock by clicking here.
There’s also a great set of the same construction by Fred Booth – click here.
St. James, as it was best, before the hideous extension. A lovely church really with an interesting, unusual spire. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
The Excelsior, an often overlooked church in Brownhills High Street before renovation. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
Edit thanks to Martin Littler: This is actually The Calvary Pentecostal Church in Brickiln Street. My apologies! I think this was Park View, on the corner of the A5 and Howdles Lane – but welcome correction. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
Lots of Park View memories – click here.
Detail of Mount Zion, that used to stand in the High Street about where Kwik Fit is now. A remarkably dark, Auster building. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
Wider view of Mount Zion: Note the imposing Bellcote. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
St Thomas Mission Church on the Parade was featured last week, but belongs in this set. A lovely church, it was demolished in the early 1970s. Image kindly supplied by Gerald Reece via David Evans.
I’m sure these will kick off discussion, so grab suitably fitting cup of tea in a nice china cup, sit down, and remember when Brownhills had as many religious buildings as pubs!
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.
