Corner of Middlemore Road and West Heath Road Northfield

            A.T. Rollings (Arthur Thomas) has the shop at 2 Middlemore Road, he is listed as a Grocer/Post Office, in Kelly's directory. Mr Rollings and the shop lad are pretending to inspect their window display which consists of a colourful display of stacked tins. Their other window advertises the shop status as "Middlemore Road Post Office", set into the wall is a post box with a fine enamel plate. Cadburys have installed large enamel signs advertising their chocolate and cocoa products, Lipton's tea, Fry's chocolate and Chiver's Jellies advertisements can be seen. 
As we move along West Heath Road we pass a hardware store and come to E. Loxley, 5 West Heath Road, listed in Kelly's as "Monumental Mason" his board prefers "Sculptor" but it also states he is a funeral furnisher. On his board he also states that he has links with Ambler Bros and A.M. Wheatley & Sons, these are both well known local funeral directors and both company's are active today, E Loxley, however is not.  Flowing behind the the mason's yard is the River Rea, it is more obvious in the 1910 picture than it is today.
The road is Macadamised, in which single-sized crushed stone layers of smell angular stones are placed in shallow lifts and thoroughly compacted. The result was a hard surface but in summer it was very dusty, later tar became part of the mix, a system we use today. In 1909 pavements were a place to walk, today they are an extension of the road in order that the uncaring can park their precious vehicles inches from where they want to be.
The scene today is one of tawdry, cheap shops, the post office has a much used  ATM, and the premises extended to  almost touch the house next door, all the windows have been replaced with UVPC but, to be fair the style has been retained, sadly the splendid chimney pots probably adorn a garden somewhere now. 
Although the road junction may not look busy it is teaming with traffic, it just happened that the grey car got stuck trying to get into station Road and blocked a stream of approaching vehicles. Behind the photographers is the tall embankment with Northfield railway station at the top. Close to the camera on the right the early picture has a hedge suggesting a house, today it is a petrol station adding the sour odour of petrol to the ever-present stink of exhaust fumes.
Unknown photographer Circa 1910
Copyright Geoff Dowling
   

Taken in: UK / England / Northfield (show map)

Taken on: January 1, 1910

Tags:

Middlemore Road

West Heath Road

A.T. Rollings

E Loxley

River Rea « less

Sets appears in: • Past & Present • Birmingham and the West Mids.

Groups appears in: • Suburban Birmingham • Birmingham then and now (U.K) more » • Birmingham Photography Group • ALRIGHT? ~ BRUM & THE MIDLANDS « less

Stats: 2,462 views / 13 comments

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