BP, yes, the latest imagery does show shade.
Did you know that, if you put your cursor over the date box in the bottom left hand corner of Google Earth, then click on it, you can often find imagery from previous years:
You will see a slider appear at the top left, which you can use to select whatever imagery is available for that location in earlier times. For example, this is Bradwell Grove as it was in 2004:
And as it was some 60 years earlier:
Some of the B&W mosaics are from later years than they indicate and often include some clever retouching to obscure sensitive items of the time!