Where's this? and when?

[Ashley 288]

Sorry not a better picture, but any idea's

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

Any clues or vague ideas?

Is it central-ish Nottingham, or could it be suburbs?

[Ashley 288]

Sorry, no idea, not even sure it is Nottingham but is copy of a photo with title "tried and tested locally" in an advert for Fank Innes Estate Agents, I seem to know it? but the lampost style does not look local?

[littlebro 234]

Sorry, no idea, not even sure it is Nottingham but is copy of a photo with title "tried and tested locally" in an advert for Fank Innes Estate Agents, I seem to know it? but the lampost style does not look local?

I agree, the lamppost does not appear as local style

Looks a little like the original Coronation Street style houses, maybe 'oop north' in Bury?

[katyjay 5,091]

Looks like a factory behind the houses and another at the end of the road, judging by the chimney. That should narrow it down a bit!!!!

[Beefsteak 305]

And at least 4 look like they should've/could've been shops at one time or another.

[bamber 128]

Very iunlikelt it's of a location in Nottingham as not the lamp standards are not only the wrong shape they are the wrong colour. Notingham, except for a time in the 1970s when they were painted black, has always had dark green ones. The one in the picture is a light colour of some description.

[littlebro 234]

Maybe, road off to the left is rising to cross over a canal?

[Ashley 288]

re the shops, I remember when most New Basford streets 1950/60's had corner shops, but most were not in use even then and the windows curtained over to be used as a front room? on the other hand some house tenants/owners turned their terraced front room into a shop, Padgets Grocers on Monsall St was an example, Webb's Electrical on Egypt Rd another and there was one near top of Chard St, in Old Basford "Mr Bell's" near the bottom of Bailey St lasted well into the 1970's if not later, (till houses demolished) think he had started out as allotment gardener selling his vegs etc there but branched out into other foodstuffs and of course fags! he seemed about 100 years old back then so imagine long dead now, Anyone recall Mrs Vickerstaff's (victorian grocers!) corner of Monsall St and North Gate? not sure if built as a shop but if 2 people in it it was full! her shop and houses next to it very similar to the ones in that picture

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

The thing which struck me about the photo is that all the doorsteps look very bright and shiny. Were they made from a different material which is a lighter colour, or is it a trick of the light from the camera, or were the housewives on that street over-efficient in their step-scrubbing?

On the subject of corner shops which aren't, these days Radford and Sneinton are full of buildings like that. Every corner in those places has an ex-shop. Some of them still have the big plate glass window in place with just a net curtain over it and god-knows-who living behind it; others have wooden boards over the space where the window used to be, and the board will be covered in graffiti or "street art".

Has everything gone round full circle. Were corner shops built as corner shops, or were they originally houses which were converted to become a shop? (not a trick question)

[Beefsteak 305]

Our 'Corner shop' (Corner of Garden City and Cavendish Road) was turned back into a house (Complete with new smaller windows) in around 1973 after Fine Fare opened in Carlton Square . It was then turned back into a shop (New big window) in around 1975 and lasted for about 5 more years eventually reverting to a house in around 1980.

There's a 'shop' opposite the entrance to the collage at the bottom of Carlton Road (near The Smiths Arms) that has been back and forwards between house / shop / house / shop on a few occations. I think it's a butty bar now.

[Ashley 288]

Difficult question Cliff Ton, those mid terrace "shops" I knew that had been houses have reverted back! (those still standing) in fact in 2 cases impossible to say which house was the shop despite fact when open there were signs, chewing gum and cigarette machines screwed to wall! most corner shops however though with their big windows stay thus?

Can't remember exactly where but about 20 yrs ago went to some north notts or derbyshire village to service a pub glass washer (a machine, not some bloke or woman!) said pub was literally an end terrace house with 2 same size rooms (bars) downstairs as living room and kitchen of house next door, no idea if that a house originally either. know that cob shop you refe to beefsteak as you say changed a few times, probably best conversions of shops to houses are those on Mansfield Rd, on left going up to forest rd, or at least they were till people moved in.

[katyjay 5,091]

Cliff, I think in the old days the housewives used to 'white' the front steps, and 'black' the fireplace. Sometimes the window sills got the white treatment too. No matter how little money they had, they took care of the front of the house and made sure the nets were clean in the windows.