Description

When the first inhabitants of Great Bridge established a settlement on the West Bromwich side of the River Tame, near to an ancient crossing into Tipton in about 1550, they could not have foreseen its future prominence as an important centre of commerce in the West Midlands.Who can forget the enormous variety of locally owned shops, each having their own individual character? Memories abound of the Open Market, Peter Bonaccorsi's icecream, 'The Queens' fish and chip shop, dancing at 'The Stampede' and of course the Palace Cinema where you were invited to 'Bring your Alice to our Palace'.Local author and historian Terry Price presents his third pictorial record of Great Bridge and the surrounding areas of Golds Hill, Greets Green, Horseley Heath, Swan Village and Toll End, depicting people, places and social events during the last century. More than 300 photographs, mostly from unpublished private collections, together with the author's informative captions paint a fascinating picture of local life in those far-off halcyon days.