Shirley Park over the years off the Stratford Road in Shirley

Down the Shirley High Street which is still called the Stratford Road is Shirley Park. Paths for walking, a playground for kids. An area for dogs to do tricks. There used to be a putting green here years ago, but it's long since gone. Since Parkgate opened, there has been a new entrance and war memorial. Recent developments over the last 5 years have included various sculptures.

There is another Shirley Park further down the Stratford Road near Monkspath and the M42 but that's a golf club. Here we are looking at the main Shirley Park at the heart of the main shopping area in Shirley, behind ALDI (recently rebuilt). The Parkgate retail park opened in 2014 and is also nearby the park. The park is located on the Stratford Road and goes down to Hurdis Road. To the west is Haslucks Green Road and to the east is Grenville Road and Halifax Road. A walk around this park doesn't take too long.

 

2009

These were taken on my then mobile phone camera during May 2009. Lush green trees and green grass.

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The putting green was still there at the time so you could see the flag poles over the other side of bushes.

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I used to go putting here in the 1990s, I did OK, suppose it was fun. But eventually stopped going here.

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Tennis courts on the other side of the now gone putting green.

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Path to the bricked canopy.

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Pinkish reddish flowers hanging from the top of the wooden beams.

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2014

The Parkgate development was completed in 2014, and this included upgrades to Shirley Park. In this August 2014 visit, from the Stratford Road, there was new war memorial plaque on the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1 from Shirley Royal British Legion.

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Brand new entrance gateway from the Stratford Road to the main path into the park.

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There was also three of these new pavement mosaics. In good condition in 2014, in recent years I've noticed that some are missing many of the coloured tiles (hopefully someone will come back and repair them). They have also become quite weathered.

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A curcved path around the park. By 2014 the putting green had long since been removed from the park.

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The entrance gate at Hurdis Road, is the same as at the Stratford Road entrance. Just less busy at this end.

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2015

The next visit during March 2015. The playground, no kids here so got this shot of the slides and other equipment. Looked new.

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A wooden climbing frame (I think).

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Wooden sculpture of a giant tortoise.

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Wooden sculpture of a wildlife totem pole. Including a frog, rabbit and an owl that I can see here.

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Colourful slide for kids to climb up and slide down in the playground.

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Some of the outdoor gym equipment.

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One of the pavement mosaics with a rose in the centre and a maze design.

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This pavement mosaic had butterflies on it.

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This is the area that dog walkers can take their dogs into and let them run around and do tricks like at Crufts. They call it the Dog Agility Area. This is close to Grenville Road and Halifax Road. The tennis courts are nearby here. They were built on the land formerly used by the putting green.

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2018

This was during March 2018. Daffodils near a tree in spring.

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The new war memorial in the park. Not far from Shirley Parkgate and the ASDA supermarket.

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The sun breaking through the clouds over this field.

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Ice cream van - Mr Yummy. Birmingham finest ice cream.

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A walk around the park in December 2018. Looking to the playground, looking empty again.

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The same play equipment from a few years ago, looks to be in good condition.

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Probably a weekday, the kids at school. Otherwise if this was a weekend it would be full of kids.

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Where this slide is, is one of the oldest parts of the playground. I probably went up there as a kid. Not sure if it's the same slide as 25 to 30 years ago, or one installed 5 years ago?

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Squirrel in the park.

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2019

These days I would first pop to Costa Coffee in Shirley for drink before walking around the park. Used to be a Coffee #1 at Parkgate but that closed down and is now a TUI travel shop. This walk in the park during May 2019. Wooden climbing frame and totem pole again.

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The skate park area in the park. Bit hard to find something new to take photos of around here.

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A December 2019 walk around Shirley Park on a Sunday lunchtime. Starting from Parkgate after leaving Costa. Saw this Christmas tree in front of the Rugby goal posts.

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The Rugby goal posts.

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Above the war memorial, saw this Remembrance flag. Just over a month since the last Remembrance commemorations. Lest We Forget. We Will Remember Them.

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Semi circle climbing frame. I think kids have to stand on that snake thing connected by the chains.

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Football goal posts.

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Another view of the outdoor gym equipment. Behind the bushes used to be the putting green, but is just now paths and shrubs to walk around near the tennis courts.

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Welcome to Shirley Park - this noticeboard near the exit at Hurdis Road.

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The rebuilt ALDI supermarket. It was closed for a year during 209, but opened in time for Christmas. Where this path is was close to the site of the former putting green. But is hard to tell the way it is now.

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No rivers, no ponds or lakes. So the only water on the ground is puddles on paths from recent rain.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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