When Hockley was in the old Manor of Birmingham it was the largest district with clearly defined boundaries. Today the boundaries around this inner city district, part of the massive conurbation Birmingham became, are indistinct to many who lived or live within. The world renowned Jewellery Quarter and St Pauls Church have long been established in Hockley and still provide a major contribution to the workforce and the district's history. The Joseph Lucas company once employed thousands of ...

In and Around Ladywood Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Ladywood and the surrounding aread, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the auth...

Winson Green and Brookfields Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of part of Birmingham. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Winson Green and Brookfields, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of the Midlands throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author'...

The fascinating history of Winson Green to Brookfields is perfectly illustrated through archive and contemporary pictures. With carefully selected photographs, the author has clearly portrayed the effect that industrialisation has had on the area. Not only is this an informative book for those interested in the area, but it also provides a nostalgic look into the past for residents. This is an exciting examination of Winson Green to Brookfields, the famous streets and faces, and what they ...

No district of Birmingham has had so many name changes and major redevelopments as Lee Bank. Once known as Holloway Head then Bath Row the previous Lee Bank area is now part of a new district called Attwood Green after Thomas Attwood Birmingham's first MP. Lee Bank once housed thousands of families living in a congestion of substandard Victorian working-class back-to-back and terraced houses together with industries, local public houses and shops. Between 1950 and 1970 Lee Bank underwent m...

In and Around Aston Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Aston, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every ...

Although Birmingham has been a city from the time when Queen Victoria granted city status in 1889 most citizens (Brummies) still refer to Birmingham as a town. When visiting Birmingham city centre from the suburbs the journey is generally known as 'going up town' never down or across, always up. Various attractions have drawn people to Birmingham over the centuries however the most consistent has been to the area of St Martin's Church that includes, following its establishment in 1166 by P...

By the turn of the twentieth century Small Heath and Sparkbrook, two adjacent inner city districts of Birmingham, had been transformed from a rural environment to an urban one. Two vibrant shopping areas had evolved surrounded by Victorian properties of working class back-to-backs and middle class terrace housing on the Coventry Road, Small Heath and Stratford Road, Sparkbrook. Birmingham City FC dominates the city end of Small Heath whereas Small Heath Park at the other end also attracts ...

Digbeth, Birmingham's oldest street has descended downhill from St Martin Church to the River Rea since 1166 when Birmingham's market opened. At the Rea crossing Deritend joins Digbeth to form a southerly route in and out of Birmingham with Highgate located to the West. Each district has varying historical assertions that contribute towards Birmingham's growth from a small village into the large metropolis we know today. The Victorian railway viaduct survives, still dominating one side of ...

Modern Ladywood, with its high-and low-rise housing, dual carriageways, open green spaces and trees on nearly every street corner, bears no resemblance to the old Ladywood many generations experienced. Working-class, back-to-back courtyards with terraced houses fronting them were erected alongside factories from the 1840s. They were built on either side of a canal and railway that cut through the middle of Ladywood. Following Ladywood’s redevelopment in the 1960s, only the canal, railway a...

The railway network within Birmingham has long been important for the movement of passengers and freight to serve the centre and its suburbs, and as the road network around Birmingham has become more congested, the railways in the city have, once more, taken on an important role. As the network declined in the twentieth century, trains were regarded as shabby and also suffered from poor punctuality and stations became unkempt and many had no staff, although the majority of the network rema...

Battersea has grown to be a fashionable and vibrant district of south-west London. Referred to as Patricesy in the Domesday Book, Battersea was historically best known for market gardening, providing fruit, vegetables and flowers for the City of London. However, the area moved from rural to urban with the coming of the railways, industry and large-scale housing from the 1840s, provoking a population growth from 4,000 to 120,000 by the beginning of the twentieth century. Glimpses of the pas...