I lived in Selly Oak from 1966 until 1978 and I remember Ray's quite clearly. It was just below the Library on the town side of the railway bridge and the alleyway seen to the left of the photograph is still there. This alley let up toa series of workshops and lock-ups situated under the arches of the railway viaduct and backing up to the the Birmingham and Worcester canal. My Dad used to park his lorry there overnight as in those days commercial vehicles had to have their parking lights on if they were parked on the road.

II remember the Mynah bird at the garage and I also remember that the garage also doubled as a pet shop. Indeed, in the late sixties, the pet shop was the major business (I bought my first pet mouse from there). The way the petrol was dispensed was by a swivelling boom, just visible behind the tree, that swung out over the footpath to the road. There is a garage that still has this arrangement in Barnards Castle, Co Durham.

 Later in the seventies it became a motorcycle dealer called Moto Contintental who specialised in MZ's and Jawa's.

 Also in Selly Oak, further down nearer to the University, was Patrick Motors workshops and Coach Building works. These were situated behind the houses opposite Harrow Road and up until a couple of years ago it was still possible to make out " Patrick Motors" on the brickwork of the large hangar like shed just visible from the Bristol Road.

Robert Luck.

Ray's Garage, Selly Oak 

I'm a long way away from Selly Oak now.......but I recall Ray's Garage...down below the Selly Oak Library........I recall once going in there for Esso Blue Paraffin in later years like the late 1960's.....and being asked what I want by what appeared to an automatically operated voice machine..........so I thought !!!!  I won't go into too much detail.......but it was a pet Minah bird they kept in a cage........I understand a number of people were caught by this bird.......but don't know how many actually admitted to the fact.

 

Mike Flanagan,

West Sussex.......ex Brummie of course!