Shelburne Street, Boothen, Stoke-on-Trent

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Date:May 1963

Description:A view up Shelburne Street towards Boothenwood Terrace, from London Road. The houses on the higher ground behind are on Hunters Way in Penkhull. There is one old gas street lamp, on the left, mixed in with modern street lights.
The Wellington Inn is still on the corner, but Day's grocers shop opposite, with its great array of 1960s advertisements, is now a house. The two lorries belong to a local potato merchant (left) and a local fruit merchant (right).

The right hand houses in Sherburne Street have a double line of gold glazed tile bricks running in two line above and below the upstairs windows. This continues round the corner onto the front of the grocery shop. The lines are just visible in the photograph. Each brick has the words "Gold Coin" and an edging of gold leaves. The story is that the man who built the houses had a big win on a horse called Gold Coin at the racecourse at Sideway. He was so pleased with his success that he put the double line of "Gold Coin" bricks on his houses. Moreover, he is reported to have placed a gold sovereign behind one of the bricks, although he never said which one. There is not a shred of evidence for the tale, but it seems a shame to spoil a good story. Remarkably the tiles have survived almost intact.

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Creators: Mr Bert Bentley - Creator

Image courtesy of: Stoke on Trent City Archives.

Donor ref:SD1480/014-10 (204/32974)

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