• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Flower Sellers

  • Thread starter peter (Pirate) Graham
  • Start date
The photo of the lady selling the flowers in corporation street is my aunt Kathy she was there for as long as i can remember her sister also sold flowers

Note photo was lost. See post #3 below.
I note Peter Graham is now a guest here. I wonder what period of time he refers to? There were two or three lady flower sellers in Corporation Street, opposite what was Martineau Street, not long after WW2 and probably some time after that. Around 1946, maybe 47 I was with my Nanny and her friends who were shopping in Corporation Street. However my interest - most likely in the trams and buses - caused me to lose sight of the others. I never found out which shop - or was it Pattisons - that they had gone into. Realizing I was now 'lost' I went to one of those lady flower sellers and told her my sorry tale. I asked for 2d (old money), as that was the childs bus fare, which would get me to Hall Green and from there I could walk the rest of the way home. When they arrived home I was in big trouble. Severely chastised for being inattentive and causing them so much anguish and also it was mentioned they had visited the Police, to report me missing and that they were searching for me. Actually I have always believed this story of theirs but on reflection, as I type this, I think it was a scare story so that it should not happen again. For instance there was no Police follow up nor did they visit my home in case I had returned. I now believe that they came out of whatever place they were in, started looking for me, made enquiries and were told by the lady flower sellers that one of them had given me 2d and I had gone home. On reflection my impulse was rather hasty, but in a large bustling city a young eight or nine year old possibly found it all rather daunting. If this is so, then I hope they gave the lady the 2d, if not I still owe it to her! As no mention of money was ever made at a later time I have the feeling that my debt was squared. ;)
 
I note Peter Graham is now a guest here. I wonder what period of time he refers to? There were two or three lady flower sellers in Corporation Street, opposite what was Martineau Street, not long after WW2 and probably some time after that. Around 1946, maybe 47 I was with my Nanny and her friends who were shopping in Corporation Street. However my interest - most likely in the trams and buses - caused me to lose sight of the others. I never found out which shop - or was it Pattisons - that they had gone into. Realizing I was now 'lost' I went to one of those lady flower sellers and told her my sorry tale. I asked for 2d (old money), as that was the childs bus fare, which would get me to Hall Green and from there I could walk the rest of the way home. When they arrived home I was in big trouble. Severely chastised for being inattentive and causing them so much anguish and also it was mentioned they had visited the Police, to report me missing and that they were searching for me. Actually I have always believed this story of theirs but on reflection, as I type this, I think it was a scare story so that it should not happen again. For instance there was no Police follow up nor did they visit my home in case I had returned. I now believe that they came out of whatever place they were in, started looking for me, made enquiries and were told by the lady flower sellers that one of them had given me 2d and I had gone home. On reflection my impulse was rather hasty, but in a large bustling city a young eight or nine year old possibly found it all rather daunting. If this is so, then I hope they gave the lady the 2d, if not I still owe it to her! As no mention of money was ever made at a later time I have the feeling that my debt was squared. ;)
Was that Nellie & Kathy Kelly.
 
A lady flower seller in Corporation Street in 1964. It is a frame about 2min 20secs into a video of the city centre taken in 1964. There are brief glimpses of other flower sellers. It was raining.
Flowersell_28Medium29.jpg
 
A lady flower seller in Corporation Street in 1964. It is a frame about 2min 20secs into a video of the city centre taken in 1964. There are brief glimpses of other flower sellers. It was raining.
View attachment 128471
I remember buying my mum 4 large chrysanthemum blooms every month for 10 Bob from the sellers, buying 6 was more than I could afford from my Wages ,but she loved them
 
Mary Sutton & Katie Kelly who I believe were the sisters first mentioned in this thread, they both spent their whole working lives selling flowers in the Bull Ring I believe there was another sister Nellie who died first then Mary went and lastly Katie. Please forgive me if I've got this wrong but I've pieced it together from bits and pieces of information it's possible Mary & Nellie might be the same person. Mary is the black & white photo and Katie is the Colour photo.

City Bull Ring Flower Seller Mary Sutton.jpgCity Bull Ring Kate Kelly 47 years.JPG
 
I certainly remember the lady in the second picture!
I was up in Birmingham visiting my late parents - not so many years ago, less than 10 I think - was amazed to see her still with a pram of flowers in the area between the back of the Rag Market and St Martin's.
 
Mary Sutton & Katie Kelly who I believe were the sisters first mentioned in this thread, they both spent their whole working lives selling flowers in the Bull Ring I believe there was another sister Nellie who died first then Mary went and lastly Katie. Please forgive me if I've got this wrong but I've pieced it together from bits and pieces of information it's possible Mary & Nellie might be the same person. Mary is the black & white photo and Katie is the Colour photo.

View attachment 128472View attachment 128473
3 sister. Mary Kate & Nellie.
 
You know how it is when you remember half a story but I think one of the flower ladies in Corporation St worked with a man who worked for education department, at a store to the north of the city from where equipment eg. camping gear, could be hired for youth organisations.
 
Mary Sutton & Katie Kelly who I believe were the sisters first mentioned in this thread, they both spent their whole working lives selling flowers in the Bull Ring I believe there was another sister Nellie who died first then Mary went and lastly Katie. Please forgive me if I've got this wrong but I've pieced it together from bits and pieces of information it's possible Mary & Nellie might be the same person. Mary is the black & white photo and Katie is the Colour photo.

You are quite correct they were 3 sisters and all died as you suggested.
View attachment 128472View attachment 128473
 
Mary Sutton's son Billy took up the stall on New Street Station. He always gave my mom large bunches of flowers on her way home from work.
 
my sister was a modern day flower seller in the 80s...i used to go with her to the wholesale market and helped on her on her stall in the bull ring market....happy days when our city centre was full of great characters and hustle and bustle...sadly those days are fast diminishing... :( so pleased that i saw these great days for myself

lyn
 
Mary Sutton & Katie Kelly who I believe were the sisters first mentioned in this thread, they both spent their whole working lives selling flowers in the Bull Ring I believe there was another sister Nellie who died first then Mary went and lastly Katie. Please forgive me if I've got this wrong but I've pieced it together from bits and pieces of information it's possible Mary & Nellie might be the same person. Mary is the black & white photo and Katie is the Colour photo.

View attachment 128472View attachment 128473
You are correct with the 3 sisters, Mary,Nellie and Katie.
 
Back
Top