epw005402 ENGLAND (1921). The Chapel of the Redeemer and the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Hagley Road, Birmingham, 1921

THIS 'FIVES' COURT NO LONGER EXISTS. DEMOLISHED TO PROVIDE EXTRA CAR PARKING SPACES.

SPIRE OF ST THOMAS'S CHURCH, BATH ROW......STARTED IN 1826, CONSECRATED IN 1829....DIRECT HIT BY WWII BOMB LEAVING ONLY THE TOWER AND WEST FRONT STANDING......THIS IS THE LAST REMAINING EVIDENCE OF THE 'BIRMINGHAM BLITZ' DAMAGE...NOW FORMS THE BASIS OF THE 'PEACE GARDEN' MEMORIAL.

EDGBASTON ASSEMBLY ROOMS....FRANCIS ROAD....(LONG GONE)

KING EDWARD VI GRAMMAR SCHOOL..(BOYS)...(LONG DEMOLISHED WHEN THE UNDERPASS WAS CONSTRUCTED, THE BUILDINGS WERE BEING OCCUPIED BY 'GEORGE DIXON GRAMMAR SCHOOL')..KING EDWARDS FIVE WAYS (KEFW)MOVED TO A NEW SITE AT BARTLEY GREEN IN 1958.

CHAPEL OF THE REDEEMER.....No longer exists.....Now occupied by flats.

HIGHFIELD ROAD......THERE IS A BLUE PLAQUE ON No 4 (THE HIGHFIELD NURSERY & PRESCHOOL) STATING THAT JRR TOLKIEN USED TO LIVE THERE ALONG WITH HIS BROTHER, AFTER THEIR MOTHER HAD DIED OF TYPE 1 DIABETES. THEY USED TO WORSHIP AT THE ORATORY AND JRR TOLKIEN ATTENDED ST PHILIPS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 1902-3 (1900-2 AND 1903-11 ATTENDED KING EDWARD VI SCHOOL,(PRESUMABLY THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, FIVE WAYS)) BUT WORSHIPPED AND WAS AN ALTAR BOY 1902-11....THE LOCAL LANDMARKS OF 'PERROTT'S FOLLY' AND THE 'EDGBASTON WATERWORKS CHIMNEY TOWER' ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN THE INSPIRATION OF 'THE TWIN TOWERS' IN HIS BOOKS.

CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL.....FRANCIS ROAD ...(LONG GONE)

Council House with clock tower (Big Brum)

The Oratory priests' accommodation.....contains preserved room of Cardinal Newman....he inspired Edward Elgar and his 'Dream of Gerontius' work.

Old St. Philips School building on Plough and Harrow Road. (Unoccupied but still standing)

Birmingham Childrens' Hospital when it was on Ladywood Rd.

'Fives' court. ('Fives' similar to 'Squash' but no rackets, just use palms of hand)

Plough and Harrow Hotel.

Building in front of Oratory...(cloister behind) was St Philips GS Assembly Hall upper storey, Gymnasium lower storey. Gym was original school classrooms. Could be partitioned with curtain screens.

Old Frontage of St Philips Grammar School....(demolished late 60s/early 70s)..(Became St Philips 6th Form College....then Seminary College)

site of Hagley Road Masonic Hall.....Now closed and property sold.

now site of 'Hagley Court'

Tramcar

Monument Road

Five Ways

St Philip's Grammar School boys at breaktime

Wyndham Road

Stirling Road

St. Chads Hospital.

Chamberlain Gardens (it was renamed after Neville Chamberlain) On the corner of Monument Road and Ladywood Road

The Oratory RC Church, Hagley Road

I think this must be The Ivy Bush pub?

Hagley Road

Birmingham city centre