Did you know that Shirley has one of the oldest legal firms in the country? Or that the zombie film – ‘The Girl with All the Gifts’ - was filmed in Shirley?
Thanks to the work of Shirley’s Ambassadors’ group of local businesses, local residents and historians Ann and Malcolm Turner and the council’s business support team, there is now a 40-minute heritage trail in Shirley for everyone to enjoy.
Cllr Karen Grinsell, Deputy Leader of Solihull Council and Lead Member for Partnerships and Wellbeing, said: “The new heritage trail is a great way to find out about Shirley’s rich history. We’ve created the trail to support local businesses as they recover from the pandemic. I hope it will encourage more people to visit Shirley and enjoy our cafes and restaurants after completing the trail.
“This has been a very interesting project but it’s not the end. We would really like local people to send us their historical photos of Shirley so that we can expand our local knowledge and give people even more reasons to visit Shirley.”
Alongside the heritage trail, around 40 businesses and establishments that have been open for more than 20 years will be displaying special stickers in their windows. These include Remy Hair Art, Shirley Carpet Centre and Sydney Mitchell Solicitors – founded in 1763.
The Shirley Heritage Trails can be downloaded from the Visit Shirley pages on the Visit Solihull website at - https://visitsolihull.co.uk/towns-villages/shirley/ There are also free printed trails available at Shirley Library and The Shirley Institute.
Residents with local historical photos of Shirley are invited to email up to five photos to business@solihull.gov.uk by Friday 5 August. These don’t need to be professionally scanned. In the first instance they can be photographed using a smart phone and then attached to an email. The photos will be archived at Solihull Library and a selection will be displayed during Heritage Week, 9 – 18 September. All photos must be submitted by the owners because of copyright rules.
Shirley businesses wishing to join Shirley Ambassadors can contact - business@solihull.gov.uk