Binley Road

Don't let my mother's cousin hear you make comments like that, Slim - her nine year old son died when he fell from a tree in Sheffield in 1964 Some safety regs are really important

Hi all That is so true M.R. Rules that have entered the statute books have done so usually following a chronic failure or tragedy. Yes, it is frustrating that things that we did in the fifties appear to be prohibited, or can only be done when wearing a hard hat or whatever. In 1955 there were around 3 million cars on British roads, whereas today we have over 25 million. Tighter controls are inevitable. It's not just the numbers either. The speed & acceleration bears little comparison to sixty years ago. I hated the day when I had to swop my flat cap for a plastic hard hat, but was very grateful on the day when I fell twelve feet head first into a builders trench & was still able to continue my count that afternoon. Regulations also take into account those who have to pick up the pieces. Our emergency services are at breaking point, so in spite of me laughing at school closures because of a few flakes of snow, the reality is to consider the time consumed by ambulance teams as well as our hospital A&E departments coping with awkward scenarios. We live in faster world.

Elm Bank, Stoke Park. Home of Siegfried Bettmann, Mayor of Coventry and founder of Triumph! My great-aunt was his cook in the 1920-30s. This could become student flats, but sad state just now.

A view from 1931

Farther out, in 1939

The prefabricated building on the RH is St Andrew's Hall where a Sunday School was run for Stoke Church by Mrs Mayes, wife of the coal merchant in Crescent Avenue, Stoke. The houses behind it are in Bromleigh Drive, which had a small parade of shops. Momus Boulevard to left of photo off Binley Road.

I went to pre-school at that Hall when I was four! Had my first crush on a lovely Indian girl - I think her father was a local doctor!

Ah, it took ages to work this out, but Steve and I have finally ascertained that this was taken on the corner of Momus Boulevard and Anthony Way, and the empty space on the right is where the PMR business now stands.... see this Google Map link. At first I'd been convinced that it must have been looking west from Binley Road towards an unfinished Raleigh Road, but the house styles don't match, Phew, got there at last! Your picture, MR, might also answer a conundrum about a photo that I've had for some time (below), because I was never quite certain whereabouts it was taken from. I now have the feeling that the featured tram was in the same spot as in your photo, but looking the other way?

I posted this on the "Then and now" thread: In the first one, tram 70 has just passed Uxbridge Avenue in April 1939 - across Binley Road, the houses on Momus Boulevard are only built as far as Anthony Way. The Triumph Recreation Ground clubhouse can be seen - the grounds, containing a cricket ground, several tennis courts and a bowling green, would soon be built on (there was another sports ground immediately beyond the Triumph, which contained, amongst other facilities, what is now Stoke Bowling Club's green)

Re tram 73, yes it's taken looking t'other way

From Rob's collection: At the Bulls Head I alighted as a 5 year old from the Copsewood 9 bus to town to make short walk to Stoke National School, Child fare in 1943 ½d.

Hi Prof Were the stocks there in 1943?

Yes Mick, they were close to the C & NW cricket ground. Still there I believe.

Wasn't the Binley Road of your era a new road, where they had the means of building a much wider road around 1936 time?

Very much doubt it Kaga, though I was born two years later than the date you mention.