Description:Nos. 157 and 159A Irving Street, Lee Bank, are seen here in a photograph taken in the early 1960s just before wholesale redevelopment of the area. The name over the door of no. 157, on the left, is William Barker. The firm of Norton & Barker had first appeared at this address in 1921, making rocking-horses. Later, tricycles were added to their output and by 1935 only William Barker's name was listed. By 1939 the firm was William Barker & Sons, who continued to make rocking-horses until after the war. In 1948 they must have decided that rocking-horses had vanished with the cavalry for they were then listed as packing-case manufacturers. Subsequently they rescued themselves from the indignity of making packing-cases by turning to furniture, but in the early 1960s they were squeezed out by advancing redevelopment and found a new home in Camden Drive in the Summer Hill area of the city centre. On the right is Miss Elizabeth Clough's newsagents and the courtyard known as The Limes. It would be satisfying to think that the tree is actually a lime. In spite of the cars there is something curiously timeless about this photograph that makes it hard to believe it was taken as late as the 1960s.