Eugene, Your photo of the arch under Lewis's store brings back memories of my first view of the Birmingham gun quarter.
In the late 1940's I arrived from my home in leafy Warwickshire with my mother in Birmingham, the purpose of which was a visit to the Lewis's department store. The route was country bus to Erdington and thence by trolley car to Birmingham City center[ironically passing by Greener's home, The Cedars!], The trolley car stopped in Steel House Lane right in front of the shop of G. Bate Gun maker. In the shop window a variety guns were on display. noticeable was a pair of guns with cross over stocks. This puzzled me because at that time I had only seen grandpas Woodward hammer gun and various air rifles. Mother explained that the guns were made for a man that had lost the sight of an eye! Down the street I could see other gun shops; C Smith and Lincoln Jefferies; a name that I had seen on an air rifle. At that point I was hurried off to Lewis's. By now I new that I must return to Steel House lane and the Gun quarter. This was The first of hundreds of visits to the gun quarter made during my life time both in student days and as a collector/historian.
