Lichfield Road, Stafford

Description:This view of Lichfield Road, Stafford, looks south in the direction of Queensville. Many of the buildings on the left of the picture remain (2025) although some have changed use on several occasions.

On the left the Sun Inn public house has a large ‘Sun Smithfield’ sign over the archway which led through to the 'Sun Smithfield' sale-yard, this was originally a fat-stock animal showing and auction site associated with the inn and was still used as such by Geo. Horne & Son of Salter Street in 1957 and by 1964 by Hall & Lloyd for auctions of mainly household and horticultural items. In later years the archway and gateway were changed and the space remodelled to become an extension of the restaurant area of the premises. Adjacent with window sun blinds is Cresta a women’s fashion shop, this was part of the Debenhams store chain. It had been acquired from Doreen Brandon a women's fashion shop in 1960 and is now known as Vivid Ink, a Tattoo shop.

Further along by the double-decker bus is the Stafford Cleaners dry-cleaning premises, now home to an I.T. support business and next door Hindley's bread and cake shop is currently occupied by the Pizza Go Go, take-away shop. In the distance the tall building stood behind Attwood's Garage, this and several of the garage buildings were later demolished to make way for the Queensway gyratory traffic island. However, part of a show-room and some of the workshops remain and have been re-purposed.