Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 13th September, 2020)

Nice photo Mick. Tell me is the taller building the old Beeches place

Yes it is Derek.

Never been to Albert's but heard some good reports. It appears to be popular, going by the photo.

The Beeches was owned by the Almond family who also owned J.B. Almond's brewery and the Wheatsheaf pub which were on the site of what is now Aldi.
In WW1 the Beeches became a small hospital for wounded soldier's coming back from the front.
Plenty of history in that old building.

It looks very nice, my granddaughter celebrated her birthday there last year. The place had only just opened.

Of James Birkett Almond , it could fairly be said that the boy did well .
As a lad he lived in a modest terrace house opposite the Shamrock pub . When the Beeches became a hospital (as Tommy points out ) the family had moved to Standish Hall .
He left over 13 million pounds in his will . The small stream in the village , originally Kirk brook , became Almond Brook in his name. But my favourite fact about him was his phone number at the Beeches . Standish 1 .
Not bad for a lad from Engine Row .

In the late 1960s Almonds Bitter had a reputation for either being superb or not good at all. The received wisdom was the it for better the nearer you were to the brewery. We had some good times at the Boars Head Inn which was always worth a visit given its history and layout.

Poet - many apologies I was trying to comment to you about Almonds Bitter not replace you !!

Very interesting Poet about the brook being renamed after JB, have you ever looked for the source of Almond Brook.

A good theory Carolaen , however the bitter in the Wheatsheaf was notoriously bad in the days when Dick ran it . Much is down to the landlord I think . I liked that dark back room in the Boars Head with the wooden seats and serving hatch . I don't think it had altered since the coaching days.
Mick , the search for the source of Almond Brook is a task worthy of John Hanning Speke . I've always assumed it was Robin Hill but l'm not certain . I would be interested to learn if you know.

Poet I remember the almond brook running down the side of old pepper lane and under the end of brook field and them turning at the end into shevington moor.
But all that went when they built the crow orchard dual carriageway, when it was all piped underground.
If you go down pepper lane you will see a house named brook house and the almond brook comes out of the ground in the field at the back of this house.
Calico brook is another brook that just comes up at the head of calico wood, which is in between the M6 and Lyndon ave

Cheers Mick, I'll have a look.