ELWOOD HERRING - ARCHIVE PHOTOS OF BIRMINGHAM

to my Home Page

This page is best viewed using Opera - a better browser than Internet Exploder any day! ELWOOD'S PHOTO ALBUM
IMAGES OF BIRMINGHAM (Around Northfield, and the City Centre)

Some pictures of my home town, Birmingham UK.
On the left, photos (mostly) taken by my father Geoffrey Williams in the 70's and 80's.
On the right, my recent photos of the same locations.

Please note I am NOT a professional photographer, and my camera is not an expensive one.
Higher quality versions are available if anyone wants them. Email me at elwoodherring (at) blueyonder.co.uk

For an excellent archive of Birmingham photos, please see this site by D. J. Norton

CITY CENTRE LONGBRIDGE NORTHFIELD

March 1970 - By the River Rea at the bottom of Meadow Brook Road. (Yes, heavy snow in March!) June 2005 - Same place.

March 1970 at the top of Whitehill Lane by Nigel Avenue. June 2005 - Same location, minus snow. Frankley Beeches can be seen in the distance.

March 1970 - The old Manor House on the Bristol Road May 2006 - Same spot.

May 1970 - Bournville Lane near to Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School. I used to sail my toy boats in the little lake just off to the right. May 2006 - Same location.

December 1971 - The lake at Cannon Hill Park. May 2006

July 1984 - By the river Rea again. I was always hanging around here when I was young. May 2006 - Same spot.

March 1970 - The Horsefair Mosaics at the Holloway Circus underpass. May 2006.

Oct 1972 - Birmingham city from Queensway, looking over New Street Station (Taken by Peter Hetherington) May 2006. View now impossible as the multi-storey car park (where I was standing) has been demolished. That seems to happen a lot.

July 1984 - On the pedestrian bridge over the Queensway May 2006. This view also now impossible as the footbridge has gone. At some time between the two shots the lamp posts all must have decided to cross the road en masse.

October 1972 - the brand new St. Chad's underpass with its lovely wall mosaics, and the old abandoned Snow Hill station in the background May 2006, just weeks before demolition (If I'd known I'd have taken more pics!) By this time Snow Hill Station had had a major refurbishment after years of neglect.

October 1972 - St. Chad's underpass again May 2006. The whole area is now just a huge ugly road junction.

July 1984 May 2006

July 1984. Tributes here to both John F. Kennedy and Isambard Kingdom Brunel - a strange combination. May 2006. I had been studying in the Central Library but the clock there hadn't been adjusted to British Summer Time, hence these photos were taken by the light of the setting sun.

Oct 1972 - St. Chad's underpass showing the JFK memorial mosaic May 2006, taken in the light of the setting sun. I may well have been the last person to photograph here.

1955 - Looking down Spiceland Road. This photo was taken before I was born. The road was still being built. You can see the street lights were just being installed at the time. 2005 - The same view 50 years later. The house where I grew up now belongs to somebody else.

1959 - My dad on his motorcycle riding up Spiceland Road 2005 - The same view 46 years later. My dad died in 2004, and the house was sold shortly afterwards.

More pictures: CITY CENTRE LONGBRIDGE NORTHFIELD


March 1970 - By the River Rea at the bottom of Meadow Brook Road. (Yes, heavy snow in March!)	June 2005 - Same place.


March 1970 at the top of Whitehill Lane by Nigel Avenue.	June 2005 - Same location, minus snow. Frankley Beeches can be seen in the distance.


March 1970 - The old Manor House on the Bristol Road	May 2006 - Same spot.


May 1970 - Bournville Lane near to Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School. I used to sail my toy boats in the little lake just off to the right.	May 2006 - Same location.


July 1984 - By the river Rea again. I was always hanging around here when I was young.	May 2006 - Same spot.


March 1970 - The Horsefair Mosaics at the Holloway Circus underpass.	May 2006.


Oct 1972 - Birmingham city from Queensway, looking over New Street Station (Taken by Peter Hetherington)	May 2006. View now impossible as the multi-storey car park (where I was standing) has been demolished. That seems to happen a lot.


July 1984 - On the pedestrian bridge over the Queensway	May 2006. This view also now impossible as the footbridge has gone. At some time between the two shots the lamp posts all must have decided to cross the road en masse.


October 1972 - the brand new St. Chad's underpass with its lovely wall mosaics, and the old abandoned Snow Hill station in the background	May 2006, just weeks before demolition (If I'd known I'd have taken more pics!) By this time Snow Hill Station had had a major refurbishment after years of neglect.


October 1972 - St. Chad's underpass again	May 2006. The whole area is now just a huge ugly road junction.


July 1984. Tributes here to both John F. Kennedy and Isambard Kingdom Brunel - a strange combination.	May 2006. I had been studying in the Central Library but the clock there hadn't been adjusted to British Summer Time, hence these photos were taken by the light of the setting sun.


Oct 1972 - St. Chad's underpass showing the JFK memorial mosaic	May 2006, taken in the light of the setting sun. I may well have been the last person to photograph here.


1955 - Looking down Spiceland Road. This photo was taken before I was born. The road was still being built. You can see the street lights were just being installed at the time.	2005 - The same view 50 years later. The house where I grew up now belongs to somebody else.


1959 - My dad on his motorcycle riding up Spiceland Road	2005 - The same view 46 years later. My dad died in 2004, and the house was sold shortly afterwards.