This week's pictures from the past

These Donnington homes were new when this photo was taken during World War Two. The print has a July 20, 1943, date stamp.

Pre-war Donnington had been little more than a village, but was vastly expanded during wartime with homes for workers serving at the massive Donnington depot.

This view seems to have been taken from the balcony of the Parade shopping centre - itself built as part of the development.

We are looking down Winifred's Drive. Incidentally, does anybody know who Winifred, after whom this drive was presumably named, was?

The other day we used a picture showing office staff at Vincent Greenhous in Shrewsbury in the 1970s.

This is on the same sort of theme, but going back further in time, as these are staff in the general office of the Vincent Greenhous Greyfriars Motor Works, in Shrewsbury, in 1936.

Admire the magnificent phone in the foreground. Was this the manager's desk?

This picture from the Greenhous archive was loaned us by Roy Pilsbury of Shrewsbury.nextpage

As firefighters don't normally go to fires bedecked with medals, we can take it that this view of Presteigne firefighters from yesteryear does not depict them in "action".

The decorated chap on the front seat was obviously someone of superior rank.

The picture, which is thought to date from around the 1920s, was taken outside the former Presteigne fire station, which is now Presteigne library, and is courtesy of The Judge's Lodging and Presteigne Tourist Information Centre.

At first glance these look like a bunch of American servicemen wearing the Parachute Regiment cap badge.

In fact they are Motor Transport drivers at RAF High Ercall in 1956 – and they were a pretty safe bunch to be with.

This photo was e-mailed in to us by Norman Phillips, of Norfolk, the son of Wing Commander Henry Phillips, the commanding officer of 29 Maintenance Unit at High Ercall.

The original caption read: "Wing Commander H.N. Phillips, Officer Commanding No. 29 Maintenance Unit, presented Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents awards on Wednesday after complimenting the driving personnel for their fine record of safe driving during the past year.

"Our photograph taken after the ceremony shows, seated, left to right: E. Matthews, Mr. F.T. Vimpany, S/Ldr King, W/C H.N. Phillips, Mr A.E. Waugh, W. Davies, R. Ashley.

"Standing, left to right, W. Williams (who was Wing Commander Phillips' staff car driver), R.E. Jones, J. Vaughan, D. Williams, J. Smith, J. Tong, W. Roberts, F. Aston, G. Pugh, J. Holding, N. Marsden, J. Davies, G. Evans."nextpage

This is one of the industrial wonders of Shropshire – the Trench inclined plane. We are at the top of the incline, from where tub boats in the foreground were lowered down a slope to a canal at a lower level, without the need for locks.

This picture was lent to us by the North East Telford Studies Group, which holds its annual exhibition on Saturday from 10am to 4pm at Oakengates United Church. It is from the collection of Howard Williams.

The inclined plane, the foot of which was close to the Blue Pig pub, has long gone. It closed in 1921.nextpage

Our thanks to Mr W McKay, of Moston Road, Shrewsbury, for the loan of this postcard showing the Crown Inn, Shifnal.

He says: "I have just come across this old photo. It might be of interest to your older readers.

"Bert Burrows was a very popular landlord of his day some 60 years ago. The pub was very popular in those days. It's in the main street and could still be there – I haven't been back there for many years."

Mr Burrows is no doubt the gentleman in the doorway.

The notice leaning against the doorway on the right says "Dancing Tonight" and then seems to say "Crown Gymnasium". Can it really be true that the pub had a gym?nextpage

"Girls of the cookery class at St George's C of E School in Pontesbury, 1934. From left, back: Kitty Lakelin, Kathleen Evans, Joan Haughton, Freda Overton, Sheila Jones.

"Front row: Sheila Hughes, Miss Whittaker, Edith Humphries." This picture was loaned by Evelyn Corfield, now of Whittington.

She was previously Evelyn Challinor and hails from Pontesbury originally.