Trams and Buses - Pershore Road

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Note that many pictures have modern equivalents - move cursor over each picture to check

2921 Nr Sir John's Road - 25/8/52

This picture foxed me at first because it said, "Nr St Lukes Rd", on the back.  Only when I went past Sir John's Road on the bus did I realise the mistake. The house on the far right has long since been demolished and replaced by a petrol station.  The road on the left is Oakfield Road.

2812 Nr Upland Road - 25/8/52

Here we are a bit further away from the city.  It's interesting to note that the 45 bus is still serving the same route today, over 50 years later.

756 Pershore Road - 11/1/52

The big house on the right of this picture with the "British Road Services" sign remained unchanged for many years - I remember it looking like that when I travelled this route regularly about 20 years ago.  Unfortunately the big house and transport depot were an obvious target for property developers and this is now the site of Brookvale Mews.

838 Dogpool Loop - 11/3/52

This picture is taken in an area that was known as Ten Acres and is located between Selly Park and Stirchley.  Pershore Road narrows to one lane in each direction so there is only room for one tram track.  This 'loop' seems to have provided a passing place when trams happened to meet. Note the Midland Red bus (no. 145) behind the tram.  Also note that the large building on the left of the picture was the Dogpool Hotel and is now called the Hibernian.

756 Nr Pavilion - 11/1/52

As Pershore Road widens again we see that there is now room for two tracks again. The milk cart is labelled Handsworth Dairies and it looks like the milkman is waiting for the tram to pass - that's him outside the house on the right hand side. The Pavilion was a cinema at the eastern end of Stirchley.  It is now a bowling alley and gym.

841 British Oak - 11/1/52

Here we are closer to the centre of Stirchley where Pershore Road has a small one-way section.  In to city traffic is carried on Hazelwell Street which is off to the left of the picture. The British Oak pub remains in business and has kept so many of its original features that it is on the CAMRA National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.  Sadly, with so many more cars on the road today, the attractive little garden does not survive having long since been given over to car parking. Note that the tram is passing over a zebra crossing, another feature lost in modern times.

738 and 825 Nr Fordhouse Lane - 11/3/52

Here we are at the other end of Stirchley, almost on the border with Cotteridge.  How long did my father hang around before this photo opportunity arose!?

831 Breedon Hill - 11/1/52

832 Breedon Hill - 11/1/52

I think the bicycle parked up on the left is my father's.  I've seen the same bike on another photo. When taking the modern view I was lucky enough to capture a no. 11 bus in roughly the same position as the tram.

840 Breedon Hill - 11/3/52

Just to the left of the tram you can see what was the top of the Breedon Cross Hotel on the corner of Lifford Lane.  This was a splendid old building!  Unfortunately, it was sadly damaged by fire after the pub closed its doors in the mid 1990's and was eventually demolished to be replaced by flats.

820 Cotteridge - 24/2/52

Here we are in the heart of Cotteridge.  Note the conductress from the tram has the trolley rope in her hand as she prepares for the tram to change direction.  Also, can you see the bobby on his bike on the far right hand side?

738 Cotteridge Terminus - 11/3/52

Looking towards Pershore Road from Watford Road we can see a church tower on the left.  This was demolished some years ago and Kwik Save now inhabits the site.  The driveway to the right of the picture leads to what I remember being a bus depot but the tracks leading that way suggest it was a tram depot before that.

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