Sutton Coldfield - 21st Century

The idea behind this page is I get requests from people who have left Sutton Coldfield for abroad in the main and want to know what x, y, or z now looks like

	Sutton Coldfield has changed more in the past two or three years than in all the time since I arrived here in the early 90s. Development is filling in almost every spare space, between homes, removing homes to build on and people selling small patches of land for apartments. Good Hope Hospital is not immune to the greed of people. They have closed down a busy and well used Social Club to make way for an extra car park. All for 28 cars!
	This is what was a busy Child's Day Nursery, now lost forever to the developer (Churchill) who built "Retirement Apartments". A trend reflected everywhere in Sutton Coldfield for people who can afford ridiculous figures for apartments thrown up in a matter of weeks! If these are examples of Labour's promised "affordable housing" then someone, somewhere, is ripping us off big style.
	Here, in this image below, is another example of how these "Luxury" apartment's are springing up everywhere. In this case a complete row of Victorian houses were torn down in Hollyfield Road to make way for this. It is very obvious to see who is to blame for all this, Birmingham Council, in their quest for more and more revenue, from the good people of Sutton Coldfield. But, nobody can afford them except for the fly boy, whizz kids, both working, BMW driving family of 2! My daughter wants an apartment nearby to where we live but cannot afford their asking prices and she has a VERY good job. My youngest daughter will never be able to afford such accommodation and she is a Head Vet Nurse!
	This is Hollyfield Road. A nice road, busy during the rush hour and at school times but nice - on the surface. Between those houses, where once stood large, spacious back gardens now there are, in some cases, little turnings between homes, where developers have squeezed a driveway in between the houses to make access for the town homes built on someone's back garden! Greed! Grass is giving way to brick and breeze block. Councils allow it because grass does not generate Council Tax!
	Looking over Rectory Park tree's towards Town Centre. I wonder how long it will be before the council decide to do away with the park on the dubious grounds of needed for car parks for hospital, or lack of use by the community? Having a whinge? Yes, of course I am, I am watching what was a lovely area vanishing rapidly under the JCB.
	Inside Rectory Park, on the higher football pitches. Looking north towards Rectory Road
	Sunday morning in April. Opposite the Police & Fire stations. Is that someone nicking the lead??? Bishop Vesey Grammar School and again in July 2011
	From the same spot, outside Fire Station. Sutton Coldfield College is down on the left, opposite the Police Station. Most of the students migrate in from Birmingham.
	Looking in the opposite direction, from opposite the "Community" Fire Service, looking towards Mere Green. The once large hotel, top of the road, right of the image, is now - yes, you've guessed it - "luxury apartments"!!! Seen here on the right in July 2011
	From Left to Right, Police Station and the Magistrates Court
	Tamworth Road, looking east and on the right in July 2011

	Sign of the times for 2009. A major national department store gone to the wall and closed down in the Recession which threatens to ends all recessions? Part of this is now a clothes shop.	Ryland Road on a bleak, damp January morning, traffic still in the "rush" stage, when it can get past the parked cars.
	Ryland Road, no room to pass due to the amount of cars parked where they like. These two, "shall not pass". The car eventually realised he was going nowhere and reversed to allow the bus to pass.	Its amazing what you see when you walk off the beaten track. Here we have a model railway shop which I never even knew existed!! It's in Ryland Road.
	Off Ryland Road, is Ryland Grove. Its looks ideal and peaceful considering its surrounded by a freight railway and major busy roads.	Onto Rectory Road and looking towards Trinity Church
	On Rectory Road, the local Royal British Legion Branch.	...... to the top of Rectory Road and Trinity Church
	Church Cottages opposite Trinity Church	This is a memorial to Nicola Dixon was who murdered here in New Years Eve 1996. This is artwork that she herself did at school. Thanks to Rob Beattie for this information.
	From the Church this footpath leads down towards the town centre	Railed gravestone dating back to early 1800s
	...and, on the rear of the gravestone is this inscription in memory of infant deaths in 1816 and thereabouts.	Church, door and surrounds
	This notice is on the door of the church and is very indicative of the times we now find ourselves living in	Garden gateway at church, looking towards the Three Tuns, Police Station, Sutton College and, eventually, Mere Green
	Trinity Church tower	The Three Tuns is the beige building in the centre left of the image. Reputedly the oldest building remaining in Sutton Coldfield, its an old coaching stop.
	Looking back up the footpath, from the town, towards the church	Skyline showing the top of the Victoria Road Car Park over the Baptist Centre rooftop
	Gate Inn. Was once known as the rather stupid name of "The Case is Altered"! A short lived 'wine bar' - what a joke!	The source of almost all the litter resplendent in Sutton Coldfield town centre - litter generator MacDonalds. This litter can be seen in the image of the footpath leading back up to the church.
	Gracechurch Shopping Centre. Not as pretty as you would imagine considering the landlords are driving small businesses out of the town by exorbitant rents. We had a really nice green grocer here, now had to leave due to expense. Many others have left before, and since.	Another view, near Beatties, in the Gracechurch centre.
	Emirates airline flies above Sutton Park as it leaves Bham airport Feb 2011

Rectory Road - Jan 2011 looking up towards Trinity Church. Sutton Park Station would have been on the right and looking back the opposite way towards Good Hope hospital

British Legion Rectory Road Sutton Coldfield - Jan 2011 In the gateway on the second image is where the Arrow Grooves can be found.

Trinity Church and the Lych Gate

Trinity Hill looking up towards Rectory Road and looking down towards the town centre

Memorial to a New Years Eve murder. Trinity Church Rectory

Church Hill

Church Hill (See also Then & Now) & Church Hill July 2011

Trinity Church Tower

Coleshill Street heading up towards the top of Trinity Hill - July 2011 Coleshill Street. further down you cannot walk on the pavement
because of the idiots who do not live here parking cars ON the pavement.

This runs off the bottom of Trinity Hill, and used to lead directly to Church Hill, but this dirty lane now leads directly into a car park

Next Four - Bishop Vesey Grammar School

Taken on July 21st 2011

Moathouse July 2011

Guildhall then an RC Church and now offices

Wiring is an anti pigeon device! either that or the statue has Sky!

High Street July 2011

Mill Street - Gate Inn on the left July 2011

Police Station & former Magistrates Courts July 2011. I understand that the police have actually been seen in the Station now and then!
All I ever see is 'fake' police - civvies dressed up in uniform and walking the streets

On a very old map of this junction, Railway Road & High Street, there is no street but a tunnel under which steam locomotives would pass

Town Hall, from the Station.

Rectory Road/ Hollyfield Road Crossroads

St Chads on Hollyfield Road

Whitehouse Common

Whitehouse Common leading to Rectory Road lights

Town Centre former schools

That feller on the right had just arrived in the town in his girl's car.
She parked on Coleshill Street on/off the pavement (which blocks all sorts of traffic, which I hate) then she got a bus out of town!!

Lichfield train arriving in Sutton Coldfield. not all that long ago I had reason to travel on the Merseyrail from
Birkenhead to Liverpool, the trains were filthy and an abysmal sight unlike these, clean and healthy!.