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A trip on the #74

 So, I am on my way to visit West Bromwich - and Google has me on the most dangerous bus in the West Midlands

 

West Bromwich - home to "The Baggies" - is where several of my ancestors lived and worked.  Lets see if we can locate some, locations

 

 

25 High Street

 

25 and 23 High Street - the screening trees have gone and the bus stop moved away (folks used to toss chip papers and coke bottles into the front garden.  This is where my Grandparents had a downstairs flat (25), my cousins lived (23) and my Uncle operated a dental surgery.  It is still a dentists but looking a little run down.

Also the site of my earliest dateable memory - Summer 1964.  Parents had gone to Wales for a short break, leaving me with my grandmother.  I caught measles - you don't want to catch measles.  Folks have no knowledge of how bad it was.  Being one of only two documentary memories I have from my third year - get your kids vaccinated.

Moor Street 1901/1911

1901 and 1911 census and Great grandad Johnson had a shop at #88 (1) "General Dealer", and possibly stables.  Also at one time sold lamp oil from a horse and cart.

There is a story of my Grandmother getting into trouble on time too many (this last being falling into the horse trough).  Her mother took her across the road to the school (2) "You can look after her" (she was 3). 

As motor cars replaced horses and electricty replaced oil lamps a move into the automotive trade - The ACME GARAGE (3) (between #53 and #55) - where "motor spirit" could be had by the gallon tin.  It was Acme Autos in 2008.  The current owner runs a motor repair business, having bought the site and converted it back to a garage from an empty lockup.  Sadly no records, photos or documents survived.

The tramway along Moor Street was also a victim of "big auto" but now the Midlands Metro tram runs along the redundant railway cutting

#53 is the only surviving house on Moor Street. I'm told it was a dental surgery.

The school and engineering works have gone - replaced by the West Bromwich Police Head Quarters.

The shop is now the car park for West Bromwich Pharmacy

 

 

The (former) Acme Garage

Another view of the Acme Garage

 

StreetView from 2008

Looking across Moor Street - Number 88 was where the building on the right now stands.  The 'gap' is Smith Street

#88 stood where the carpark now is.

Police station now stands on the site of the school

1921 55 Oxford Road

The Johnsons located a few hundred metres north - to Oxford Road. The houses on the south side survive, while I was told the north had been wasteland for years before redevelopment a couple of years ago.  Google maps appears to still show the original house numbers.  Looking at the surrounding streets this was a more upmarket location than Moor Street - though the houses look a little small for a family with servants.

Location of Number 55

35 Oak Lane - opposite 55 Oxford Road

Location of numbers 45 to 63 Oxford Road

 

The Dart Spring

This is where Grandad Evans worked (as well as at Thomas Avery)

 

 

The North Works is now a housing development, the South a run down hotel and part of the Sandwell College campus

 

 

Dart Spring - North Works

Dart Spring - South Works

 

Bull Street

George Linnaeus Johnson born 16th April 1877.  There is not much of Bull Street left - south of the Hight Street it is carparks and tower blocks.  North - new development and then a short length of older buildings

 

 

-END-

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