Details on Alston Street to follow.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

Erected in 1857, the What Cheer Inn stood on the corner of Johnstone Street. It is sometimes difficult to see why such housing had to be demolished - the buildings look as though they were built reasonably well. It was a damp gloomy day when this photograph was taken in December 1958. There is a well dressed man standing in the doorway of the pub and a shiny car parked outside - perhaps this is the proprietor of H & F Parkes bookmaker's shop to the right of the pub in Alston Street. Other traders in the street in the late 1950's included the shopkeepers Cyril Press, Edith Field and William Coley. Operated by Mitchell's and Butler's, the What Cheer Inn had lovely etched glass windows, carved pilasters and glazed tiling at floor level. Victor Townsend was the licensee at this time. The pub closed 12 months later on December 27th 1959.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

“Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example,
 there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.”
Dave Barry
Pub Quotations

History and Information on the Public Houses of Birmingham with Licensees and Newspaper Articles PLUS Genealogy Connections