This week's pictures from the past

We're flashing back 28 years, almost to the day, here to January 10, 1982.

This is what Broad Street, Newtown, looked like in that harsh winter of 1981-82. The photo was emailed in by Dick Williams, of Crosslikey, Churchstoke, who tells us: "The people standing on 'the mountain' are my wife, daughter and her two boys. They emigrated to Western Australia 16 years ago, and at this moment are wallowing in 38C."

Meet the quarrymen... Thank you to 81-year-old Mrs E.E. Bates, of Birkdale Residential Home, Oakengates, for the loan of this picture which she tells us shows Johnston Roadstone workers at Leaton Quarry, near Wellington, around 50 years ago. She names them as, from left: Vic Gears (foreman), Bill Bates, Doug Lloyd, Harry Griffiths, Cis Perkins, and Billy Jones.

"Sorry that some are no longer with us. They are not 'dressed to impress' in this picture but were a happy band of hard workers," she adds.

The end of an era. Demolition under way at the old AB Cranes plant in Horsehay in the spring of 1988. The plant, popularly known as the Horsehay Works, was a major employer in the area. It officially closed on March 29, 1985, with the loss of 307 jobs. The site has since been built over with homes and some light industrial units, although the works canteen survives as Horsehay Village Hall.

Who was "Slim"? Shrewsbury transport historian Roy Pilsbury doesn't remember his proper name, but does know that this was his garage just north of Shrewsbury.

"The photo dates from the early 1930s and shows the Chester Road Garage, although it was known as 'Slim's Garage'. Slim was the owner ­ a big fat bloke. Everybody knew him as Slim," said Roy.

The garage was bought by John Dickin around the 1960s. This is one of a number of photos loaned to Roy by Pete Owen of Preston Gubbals Motors, which is on the site now.

You'll never guess what this is ­ or maybe you will. It is a mechanical chimney sweep in action in Shrewsbury.

This is another photo from the Frank Painter collection and Shrewsbury transport historian Roy Pilsbury who emailed it to us says: "It's Frank Painter's chimney business van taken in Cherry Orchard area in 1950. The van is a Guy."

Roy added: "It was a business Frank Painter ran, but he did not run it for long. I think he ran it in partnership with a lady. I'm not sure of her name. The chap with the trilby is Frank Painter. They used to vacuum suck the soot out from inside the house. There was a donkey engine inside the van that operated the vacuum cleaner. At one house it set it on fire and burned the van out."

Can it be true that they had double decker buses in Shrewsbury? Well, yes ­ and here's the proof. It shows a Midland Red double decker in the floods at Abbey Foregate.

Shrewsbury transport historian Roy Pilsbury reckons the date is early to mid 1950s.

"They had a lot of double deckers. They used to go up to Weeping Cross, around the Springfield estate, and come back." He thinks the double deckers were withdrawn in 1968 or 1969 ­ he says it was definitely before 1970.

This picture is from the collection of Harry Turner of Newtown whose late father, also Harry Turner, was resident engineer at the Midland Red bus garage in Shrewsbury. Harry thinks though it is possible that this is a press photograph.

"For a long time they did not have double deckers because they can't go under railway bridges," said Mr Turner.

"Whenever they finished their tour of duty they had to go up Ellesmere Road and down Harlescott Lane to get to the garage to fill up with fuel, and then back again to Abbey Foregate, where they were stationed, because parking at the garage was limited."

This photo is interesting for several reasons. This is the northern approach to the old Free Bridge at Jackfield, seen in June 1988. The bridge is off to the right and was technically closed because of serious problems with its concrete structure. But this was solved by laying a metal Bailey bridge on top, keeping the crossing usable. Note, too, the traffic lights ­ it was single file traffic only, of course (and the photo was taken from a car waiting at the traffic lights). The buildings in the centre of the picture have been demolished, perhaps around 15 to 20 years ago. The Free Bridge was demolished in the early 1990s and replaced by the modern Jackfield Bridge.