Published: 04/02/2010 00:00
A room with a view — and another mystery street scene
WE MENTIONED on last week that, although we’d had some informative responses to our 908 edition’s mystery photograph, entitled ‘Disorder: The Black Country’, there were more coming in as we went to press.
First this week is Roger Brookes of Sedgley, who agrees with our earlier correspondents that the view is of the Tipton Green area, looking almost directly due north: “The photo must have been taken from the threewinged multi-storey council flats known as Coronation House, whose shadow cast by the afternoon sun looms large in the foreground, shading part of Bell Street. The name of the flats gives a clue to the photograph’s date which I assume to be 1953 coronation year or not long afterwards.
“I would venture a guess perhaps that the photo was snapped by a new occupier keen to capture what must have been at that time a completely novel view of the area as these flats were amongst some of the earliest and tallest post-war buildings to be constructed in the region.
Demolished “Very few of the discernable buildings, if any, now remain with the flats themselves being demolished in 1997, to be replaced with dwellings more suited to the 21st century.
“Adjacent to the timber yard the conglomerate of industrial buildings in the middle distance is the Neptune Works, of which the two tall chimneys formed a part. The site is now occupied by the Neptune Health Park.
“Judging by the direction and their distance away the light coloured buildings just below the skyline on the far left of the picture must be the British Rolling Mills Ltd, Brymill Works, situated on Bloomfield Road. These buildings were probably the last in the picture to demolished, surviving until fairly recent years.
“The only constants in the area today compared with fifty years ago are the Wolverhampton Canal which still snakes its way (just out of view behind the twin chimneys) from Owen Street bridge to its junction with the Birmingham Canal at Factory Road bridge, Hurst Lane, and the route of Sedgley Road West, diagonally dissecting the scene, although now this is now wider and with the sharp bend at the former entrance to the Neptune Works much reduced.” Michael Sampson of Kingswinford called to say that he recognised Wright’s Forge and Bell Street in the foreground, and recalls that his grandmother Sampson had a sweet shop on that street in the nineteen- thirties, at number 45.
Mick Beavon, a former Tipton lad, also recognised Wright’s Forge and William Round’s timber yard.
Sixties Meanwhile Keith Hodgkins, who was first to identify the scene last week, has been back in touch with further material.
Keith writes: “I`ve just found these early 1960s photos of Coronation House. The first one looking at the front of the block from across Coronation Gardens in 1962 shows the old houses of Bell Street on the extreme right, although I think that the houses on your photo are just off this picture to the right.
“The second picture, probably a bit later as little of Bell Street remains, is of the rear of the block, revealing that it had a yshaped plan. Your photo would have been taken from one of the balconies looking down to the left across Bell Street. The partly hidden building on the extreme right is Bell Street Chapel which lasted until 1977.” Amongst other responses was one from Barry Whitehouse, who added: “At the continuation of the houses at bottom right, more to the corner of the road junction out of view, there were about four smart terraced houses, one occupied by a gentleman who used his front room as a hairdresser’s. I can’t remember his name but my father took me there to have my hair cropped.” Ken Rock of Kingswinford saw the picture too, and it immediately put him in mind of a postcard he bought many years ago. He found the relevant item and realised that it showed a different scene, though the unusual angle of view was almost identical. And such a nice scene is it, we thought we’d reproduce it here, considering how well the previous picture went down. The card was postmarked in Darlaston in 1906, and we assume it shows a corner of that town. It was sent as a birthday greeting from ‘Arthur’ to Miss May Phillips of Old Park Road in King’s Hill, Wednesbury. If you recognise anything in this scene, please let us know!