Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 4

On my strolls along the Pershore Road, or Stirchley High Street as it is more colloquially known, I'm reminded as to why is such a wonderful place and why, 37 years after I first moved here, it is finally starting to fulfil it's potential as an up-and-coming suburb!

One of the first to show the potential of Stirchley was Stirchley Wines & Spirits.

Stirchley Wines & Spirits - 31st March 2020

Stirchley Wines & Spirits - 11th January 2013

Unfortunately, in these difficult times, the off licence has decided to stay closed on safety grounds even thogh they are allowed to open. Hopefully they will return once the crisis is over and continue to provide such a wide range of drinks.

Further down this row of shops you can just see the blue awning of Stirchley's finest (and longest lasting) greengrocer, Wards.

Wards Potato - 31st March 2020

Wards Potato - 11th January 2013

 This is a proper 'old school' greengrocers which has not changed (apart from a lick of paint) in the years I've been living here. It is my go-to place for Maris Piper potatoes which make far superior chips compared to supermarket Maris Pipers!

Halfway between Wards and Stirchley Wines, on the other side of the road, stands my doctor's surgery next door to the pharmacy.

Ash Tree Pharmacy + Medical Centre - 31st March 2020

Ash Tree Pharmacy + Medical Centre - 11th January 2013

Very little external change over the years, but the Ashtree Medical Practice has now merged with one in Kings Norton which does give more options for appointments. Ash Tree Pharmacy is not actually linked to the Medical Centre, but is my go-to place form y regular pills and potions. As I took this picture I was curious about the people standing in the alleyway. At first I thought that they were having a fag, but upon reading the note on the pharmacy door, I now know that they were in the queue for the side door as that's the only way in during the crisis!

Heading back towards town and on the other side of the road we find more shops.

Myrtle Villas - 5th April 2020

Myrtle Villas - 11th January 2013

This image nicely depicts the turnover of shop ownership here in Stirchley (and many other parts of the country). Interestingly, what was Joshuaa Shaun is now Iron Oxide (a specialist, bespoke lighting manufacturer) and what was Bits & Pieces is now Joshuaa Shaun hairdressing. I have no idea what Shop! is! Just out of picture (on the left) Vac Clinic is still going (pandemic pending) and is another Stirchley stalwart.

Finally for today, a shop that I've never set foot in, but one that I do hope survives this current crisis - P Browell, Tobacconist.

P Browell, Tobacconist - 31st March 2020

P Browell, Tobacconist - 11th January 2013

Established in 1924, whenever I've looked through the window it looks like a proper old school tobacconist and it would be sad for such an historic shop to disappear.

So, there you have it, another stroll through Stirchley in search of the quirky and unique.

Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 3

Still taking my exercise locally, albeit not every day, and I'm still discovering things that have changed in the past seven years that I hadn't noticed from the comfort of my car (nor in the dark staggering from pub to bar to restaurant!)

This is the welcome you get to Stirchley as you come from Birmingham City Centre, although there is another, older Stirchley sign a few hundred yards closer to town!

'Welcome to Stirchley Village' - 31st March 2020

'Welcome to Stirchley Village' - 13th January 2013

Not a lot has really changed with this view; the 'Welcome' sign has faded, there's a new bus shelter and the buses are in a new livery, but in The Time of Coronavirus there's no-one at the bus stop and it drives on by.

Moving further into the village we come to a row of shops, Stirchley's very own mini-park and what has to be the world's most ridiculously short 20mph zone!

Stirchley Mini Park - 27th March 2020

Stirchley Mini Park - 13th January 2013

In the intervening years, both Printigo and Venture Bikes have moved out, but Santi Pizza & Grill House has moved into the formerly vacant premises inbetween. Also along this row is the Rainbow Garden Cantonese Takeaway which is my go-to for Chicken & Mushroom Curry! Strangely, during the 'lockdown' the pizza place is open, but the Chinese is closed.

That row of shops is 70 yards long (well, 70 of my paces) with a right angle bend at the far end where it joins the Pershore Road. The powers that be deemed it necessary to instal 20mph signs at the start of this stretch of road! I'm not sure if any vehicle could attain more that 20mph and safely negotiate either right angle bend!

To the right of these shops is the Perfection Snooker Lounge.

Perfection Snooker - 27th March 2020

Perfection Snooker - 14th January 2013

 Sadly it is closed for the duration of the current crisis, but will hopefully reopen once restrictions have lifted. It looks like the signage hasn't been changed in the past 7 years. However, the front area underwent considerable work when local flood defences were enhanced a few years ago. That whole area was dug up producing a massive hole as part of the project to reduce flooding in that area. The final appearance is more appealing than previously, but there's no room for cars.

A little further along the Pershore Road and we encounter the vastly differing fortunes of two rival Balti Restaurants.

Balti Bazaar - 27th March 2020

Balti Bazaar - 13th January 2013

Before I'd taken these pictures, if you'd asked me, I'd have said that Balti Bazaar was completely unchanged in the past 7 years...and then I noticed the lack of chimneys and the new roof!

I don't remember exactly when Balti Bazaar opened in Stirchley, but I'd guess at the early 1990's. In all that time I've eaten there once (in the very early days), but as it wasn't quite as good as Yasser's across the road I never returned.

Yasser's opened in 1987 and for well over 20 years was my go-to Balti restaurant...anywhere! Towards the end, the quality drifted as the old guard left and the next generation took over. Then, over the last five years (or so) it has been renamed and relaunched so often that I can't remember most of the new names. It's current guise is Tiffin Lounge.

Tiffin Lounge - 31st March 2020

Yasser Tandoori - 13th January 2013

I've never been into Tiffin Lounge and probably never will. Possibly the final, but certainly the most ignominious, chapter in this tale occurred only a few days ago with a serious fire in the cannabis farm that the premises had, allegedly, become! What the future holds for the site is unknown, but I suspect that the current owners are in deep do-do!

Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 1

Yesterday I ventured out for the first time in a few days and I thought that I might as well take my camera with me and take some photos as I got my 'exercise'! (As an aside - is the Great British weather mocking us? When we were free to roam anywhere it was continually pissing down and everywhere was flooded...now we're under 'house arrest' it gloriously mocks us with unbroken sunshine and warmth!)

Back in 2013, at the beginning of Photo Digital Art, I wandered around my home suburb of Stirchley with the express aim of - "If I can make Stirchley look good, I can make anywhere look good!" I think I managed that (although I'll let you be the judges of that!) and so here begins my follow up to "Paean to Stirchley" (Part 1 and Part 2).

Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 1 (and I don't yet know how many parts there will be!) begins at my favourite place in Stirchley...the cafe!

Shuttered up with no chance of reopening for the foreseeable future - I now have to make my own breakfast! (At least I've managed to obtain plenty of bacon...so far!)

Moving on to a sight which must be very worrying for the owners. The Three Horseshoes pub had been in (terminal?) decline for many years, when it suddenly closed and became a hive of activity. A complete refurbishment and transformation into The Bournbrook Inn was almost finished, the opening was imminent...and then coronavirus happened!

I'm not sure where the 'Established 1836' comes from, so I may need to do a bit more research!

Moving along the Pershore Road and past the British Oak we come to this little selection of shops/businesses.

Caspian used to be my go-to pizza place, but there's now so much more choice in Stirchley. If I hadn't done this picture I wouldn't have noticed that Elite Letting Solutions has been replaced with Yoga Borne! But my main worry is Phull Watch Co. I am a regular visitor - once every five years - when I need a new battery in my watch! It is a proper 'old school' watch/clock shop and the turban wearing Mr Phull is always on hand to efficiently replace the battery in my watch. I don't know how many years he's been there, but I do hope he returns when this is all over!

A little further along the Pershore Road, and on the other side, we reach Loaf; Stirchley's very own bakery and cookery school.

Stirchley Stores is no more, but Loaf has expanded to fill the void. Akash and Midland Computer are still going...hopefully! The masked couple (sign of the times!) buying bread from the 'outdoor' are people I occasionally see in the café and we had a brief chat (staying 2 metres apart!). Then Tony moved his van out of the way for my final picture of this little tour.

Although the shop is closed for the duration, it is protected by King Kong who appeared five years ago and is now one of the landmarks of the city!

I'll follow up with more images and observations from Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus in the coming days/weeks.

#007 British Oak, Stirchley : 1995 to 2011

This pub really should be my local as it is the closest to me and is one of the best pubs in Birmingham, but I'm only an infrequent visitor.

My first visit to the British Oak was back in 1983 when I first moved to Stirchley and, for a while, it was my local. In those days, when you walked in the right hand door there was a small lounge ahead (through some more doors) and a small room to the left (through another door also). This room felt like the front room of someone's house, but with a hatch to the bar and was my preferred part of the pub.

The small back lounge was also welcoming, but often too full to get a seat. Further on was a function room that was generally not in use, except when booked for meetings, etc.


If you entered through the middle doors there was a large bar which I hardly ever ventured into. From 1988 to 1991 I lived in Australia and when I came back, the British Oak had gone downhill and was nowhere near as popular as before. The first picture I took of the pub was in 1995, below.

At this time it was still a Mitchells & Butlers establishment, but it was still going downhill! Moving on to 2003 and the decline is not so evident from the outside (apart from the wonky 'H' on the sign!).

The only other noticeable difference is that there is only one bus stop now - another sign of the times! It was round about this time that it was taken over by new owners (but they might just be tenants!) who started to invest a lot of money into the business.

Now it is 2011 and from the outside, little has changed apart from the removal of Mitchells & Butlers from the pub. Inside it is both transformed and largely the same as in 1983! The small lounge and little room on the right hand side are still there as is the large bar at the front...but now the rear function room is open as a restaurant area (often has private parties on a Saturday) and to the left of the bar is another small room similar to the one on the right. The décor is tasteful and the menu looks good. There is also a good selection of beers, including real ales and it is listed on the Birmingham CAMRA website. I popped in on Saturday night for a pint whilst waiting for my takeaway curry and it was busy as usual.

Hopefully, once Stirchley has been redeveloped with the building of a new Tesco next door, the British Oak will become more widely known as a great pub! It even hosts a comedy club, The Laughing Sole.

#001 Three Horseshoes, Stirchley : 1986 to 2011

This is how the Three Horseshoes looked in 1986 when it was a Davenports pub. In those days it was a 'proper' pub with many rooms and it felt like a local. Notice also TWO red phone boxes outside! If you want to see an older picture visit this website.One year later and it looks much the same, but the sign has changed above the old 'out door'. Still a proper pub!

Fast forward to 1995 and the pub is now in the hands of Greenall Whitley, but still a welcoming local.

Now it is 2002 and the old Three Horseshoes is no more! Completely refurbished by Scottish Courage (I think!) and turned into a one room mega pub that doubled as a nightclub at weekends...until trouble outside got too much and it's licence was curtailed.

Finally we come to the present day. I haven't been inside the Three Horseshoes for quite a while now, despite the fact that it is the closest pub to me (equal with the British Oak - see later entry) because, quite frankly, it is no longer my sort of pub. In the daytime it is ok, but at night it is loud and brash...and I'm too old for that sort of environment.

I'm not sure exactly who the current owners are.