EAW001244 ENGLAND (1946). A cityscape over Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook including Stratford Road, Balsall Heath, from the south-east, 1946

Arter Street

Balsall Heath Road

WE USED TO PLAY ON THIS 'BOMB SITE' IN THE LATE 50's

CHESTERTON ROAD

Carlton Terrace 3 x terraced houses rear of The Sportsman - toilets and brewhouse at the end of terrace

RAILWAY VIADUCT OF GWR...BUILT BUT NEVER USED...MOST OF IT STILL STANDING. BUILT BECAUSE OF RAILWAY RIVALRY AND ALSO BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT TRACK GUAGES, SO BY THE TIME IT WAS CONSTRUCTED THE TRACK WAS NATIONALLY DOMINATED BY STEPHENSON'S NARROWER GUAGE INSTEAD OF BRUNEL'S WIDER (AND SOME CLAIM FAR BETTER)GUAGE...SO NO TRACKS , OF ANY GUAGE, WERE LAID ON IT.

THE WALDORF' CINEMA, WALFORD ROAD.

CONWAY PRIMARY SCHOOL

KING EDWARD VI GRAMMAR SCHOOL, CAMP HILL

HIGHGATE ROAD....THIS ROAD AS SHOWN USED TO JOIN THE STRATFORD ROAD.....A NEW ROAD WAS CUT TO JOIN DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH WALFORD ROAD. THIS ALLOWED THE No8 BUS TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT ONTO WALFORD ROAD INSTEAD OF HAVING TO TURN LEFT,THEN RIGHT AND THEN LEFT AGAIN.(That portion of STONEY LANE became a cul-de-sac.

'THE BELGRAVE' PUBLIC HOUSE ...built by William Charley in 1878....GONE..!!

ST PAUL'S CHURCH....(Stood on the junction of Moseley Rd and St Pauls Rd......demolished January 1980)

ROWTON HOUSE....NOW 'THE PARAGON HOTEL'.

OMBERSLEY ROAD

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF SPARKBROOK, LADYPOOL ROAD.

'ANGEL INN' PUB

BELGRAVE ROAD

OLD FIRE STATION, MOSELEY ROAD,....(The tower has been diminished in height and now has communication aerials attached.)

SUFFOLK STREET.

INDOOR WHOLESALE MARKETS.

THE BIRMINGHAM EXCHANGE, STEPHENSON ST. (Demolished early 1960's)

SITE THAT BECAME KNOWN AS 'THE BIG TOP' CORNER OF NEW ST AND HIGH ST. (Demolished by WWII bombs, and was used by a circus's main tent....hence name. Redeveloped during latter half of 1950's.)

LINE OF BCT DOUBLE DECKER BUSES.......But why are they parked there????

STONEY LANE

BCT OMNIBUS...No8 INNER CIRCLE ROUTE. (Later this one would be known as No8A...denoting the direction i.e. 'anticlockwise'. Obviously the opposite direction was No8C )

SPARKHILL METHODIST CHURCH.....NOW REPLACED WITH MODERN BUILDING.

FIVE WAYS STATION

EDGBASTON RESERVOIR

BRITANNIC ASSURANCE OFFICES.

'THE CROWN INN' DERITEND.

LEWIS'S DEPARTMENT STORE

STRATFORD PLACE

MRS PARRY USED TO LIVE HERE UPTO 1958.

CORNER GROCERY STORES.....RUN BY MRS SHIPMAN IN 1958..not sure how long before or after.

LADYPOOL ROAD

MOSELEY ROAD

THE BRISTOL CINEMA

SINGER'S HILL SYNAGOGUE

THE BIRMINGHAM TECHNICAL SCHOOL, SUFFOLK STREET

THE CARLTON CINEMA

TAUNTON ROAD

WESTWOODS 'nuf-sed' GREENGROCERS.... THE SLOGAN WAS PAINTED ON THE FIRST FLOOR SHOP CORNER. AGAIN IT WAS AN OPEN-FRONTED SHOP, WITH THE PRODUCE STACKED ON COUNTERS WITH HIGH PARTITIONS SEPARATING THE GOODS. ALL CUSTOMERS WERE SERVED BY HELPFUL STAFF. (See also the pin for WESTWOODS FISHMONGERS.)

LOCATION OF 'WESTWOODS 'nuf-sed' FISHMONGERS.' THIS SHOP HAD NO WINDOWS OR NORMAL SHOP FRONTS, THE MERCHANDISE WAS LAID ON SLAB COUNTERS SIMILAR TO A MARKET STALL. The two interior walls were covered with shiny white ceramic tiles , each had a feature of ceramic picture tiles illustrating the produce) (see the pin on the other corner, WESTWOODS greengrocers.)

GOODS ENTRANCE FOR WOOLWOTHS.

WOOLWORTHS STORE

SPARKHILL SECONDARY SCHOOL....BECAME AN ADULY EDUCATION CENTRE....(note the flat roof...used for football, tennis etc....THE 'PLAYGROUND'

NEWTON RD

REMAINS OF ST THOMAS'S CHURCH, BATH ROW...APPARENTLY THE ONLY REMAINING WWII BOMB DAMAGED BUILDING SURVIVING IN THE CITY...... THIS IS ALSO NOW THE LOCATION OF THE 'PEACE GARDEN', AND THE COLONADE FROM BROAD STREET,(REMOVED WHEN THE ICC WAS BUILT)

BIRMINGHAM ACCIDENT HOSPITAL......NOW LOCATED IN THE GENERAL HOSPITAL SITE IN STEELHOUSE LANE.

QUEENS HOSPITAL...BATH ROW.

DAVENPORTS BREWERY

GAS STREET CANAL BASIN

BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL HOUSE AND VICTORIA SQUARE.

BORDESLEY STATION

BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL

NEW STREET STATION

OLD MARKET HALL.....NOTE THE LACK OF ROOF.....LOST TO BOMB DAMAGE WWII.

BASKERVILLE HOUSE

CENTRAL FIRE STATION

HIGHGATE PARK

DIGBETH POLICE STATION

MOOR STREET STATION

FARM PARK

CHRIST CHURCH VICARAGE

CHRIST CHURCH.....NOW LOCATION OF 'SPARKBROOK COMMUNITY & HEALTH CENTRE'

LOCATION OF WHERE 'CAMP HILL FLYOVER' WAS CONSTRUCTED OVER 1 WEEKEND. (SUPPOSEDLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION WHICH LASTED LONGER THAN PLANNED. IT WAS A METAL FLYOVER CARRYING ONE FILE OF TRAFFIC OUT OF THE CITY TO CAMP HILL.) (Fantastic view from the front seats upstairs on the double-decker bus)

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH

LOCATION OF PSF FACTORY...(PRESSED STEEL FISHER....CLOSED WHEN THE ROAD WAS WIDENED..I think?...THE ROAD OPPOSITE IS THE START OF THE COVENTRY ROAD.)

GOODS YARD, CAMP HILL....NOW A RETAIL PARK.

ALFRED BIRD & SONS,...CUSTARD FACTORY

BIRMINGHAM CITY TRANSPORT BUS DEPOT.

ST JOHN'S CHURCH

LOCATION OF 'OFF-LICENCE' WITH YARD BEHIND. ( YOU COULD GO WITH YOUR OWN BOTTLE OR JUG AND THEY WOULD PUT THE MEASURE IN IT FOR YOU FROM THE HAND DRAWN BEER PUMPS AND USING A LARGE COPPER FUNNEL..... used to be sent as 8/9 year old and be served..!!!)

WARWICK ROAD

CHURCH OF ST MARTIN IN THE BULL RING.....(ORIGINALLY ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS)

WALFORD ROAD

ST AGATHA'S CHURCH & SCHOOL

'THE MERMAID' PUB

STRATFORD ROAD

'THE PICCADILLY' CINEMA

33 Main Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham