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Corbett Street, SMETHWICK, B66 3AU

Off Windmill Lane. The next road north off this side of Windmill Lane is Ballot Street, giving the appearance of one of the odder themed names for roads.

On Windmill Lane.

A residential cul de sac off Ballot Street.

Believe it or not but they used to hold a Gymkhana on this field until sometime in the 1960's. Here we are in what was one of the most industrialised towns in the UK & you could, on one weekend a year, go and watch 'Show Jumping'. Horses and all that sort of thing. Beat Hickstead anyday cuz it was closer to home.

One of the minarets on Smethwick's new mosque towers over Trafalgar Road. See Image for more details.

This is the front of Smethwick's impressive new mosque, still under construction, on Windmill Lane. The Jamia Masjid Anwar-Ul-Uloom Trust website makes this observation: 'The need of a mosque in Smethwick to represent the Muslims is paramount; around us in Smethwick other faiths have their places of worship in the form of Gurdwaras, Temples, Synagogues and Churches. Seeing this we propose the project of JAMIA MASJID ANWAR UL ULOOM to the public of Smethwick'. The mosque's external architecture is described as 'on a theme of a purpose built Mosque' with four minarets, a dome, window arches and religious calligraphy. The style is in marked contrast with the building opposite, reflected in the window.

A potted, and slightly personalised, history of the building is at Image, but it was originally built in the late 1920s as The Rink Cinema (in honour of a former icerink on the same site). It changed to The Gaumont, and then a Mecca Bingo venue from the mid 1960s, and was Grade II listed https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101384947-mecca-bingo-club-soho-and-victoria-ward#.XRMRuOhKhPY & https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1384947 in 2000. As the image linked above suggests, it's now available for hire, social events, weddings, discos, children's parties etc.

It used to be the biggest cinema (The Gaumont) in Smethwick. It also has the dubious honour of being the first public place I was thrown out of (it wouldn't be the last) - I was 8, yes, that's right - eight. During the 1990's the building was a 'Top Rank' bingo hall. It closed in about 2005. I'm now informed that it is used as a venue for a variety of 'Asian' functions including weddings.

Off Ballot Street, parallel with Windmill Lane.

The litter bin announces 'Smethwick Pride' adding a bright touch to this street of traditional terraced houses. The towers belong to Smethwick's new mosque currently under construction.