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Bridge Street/holliday Street Old House

Hi to all...
The house that is in this Thread is next door to the "Farriers" who used to shoe Horses for the Police in 1967 when i used to be a Cashier for Birmingham Health Department and delivered the Farriers Wages to him...Used to pass this house every Friday...
Spent many a cold friday morning with him brewing up tea on the Farriers brazier.....Took 2 Seconds to make the Tea...2 spoons of tea, 4 spoons of sugar and the water...On the Brazier and put the bellows into action.....2 seconds and you had boiling hot tea..Add the milk and all was ready.....Tasted of burnt horses hooves but went down beautiful...Used to look forward to my friday pay rounds!!!!!
What memmories.
Brian.
P.S. Public Health Dept used to be in Paradise St in those days and I watched the "New" Library going up whilst I worked....Now gone...Pity....I Prattle on...Too many memmories...
Hope the Info is useful...



Thanks Shyster2008. Can you remember where exactly the farriers was? Were there other buildings near to the terrace of cottages? Or do you mean one of the cottages was the farriers?

Thanks Mike. Of course, you're right, Milk Tray. Don't know where the Black Magic came from. Yes, two walls between the terrace and the Goods Station does seem to separate it. But was that the only access up to the canal nearest the railway yards?

Lyn. We wouldn't let that happen you're too valuable! Viv.
 
I notice it's had a lick of paint in recent times, possibly because of the hotel. They wouldn't want an eyesore on their doorstep. Wonder when it was last used? Viv
I'm now wondering why they didn't paint the back of the house which faces the apartments ?....:friendly_wink:
 
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Just past the Cottages was a Wooden Gate which led into the Yard where the horses were Stabled...This was to the right of the Cottages...
Perhaps some Research into the Birmingham Mounted Police may throw some more light on the subject....
All I can recall is walking down to the Farriers, under the Arch which is in the `Photo...Past the cottages and into the yard....At my age then, a mere 18 year old, all I was looking for was a GREAT cup of tea, a GREAT excuse not to be at work and talking to a GREAT guy who used to shoe the horses for the Birmingham Police Force... (He reminded me of `Pips` experiences in `Great Expectations`"..)...I`ll tell you, not many people had this privilage.
Hope this helps....
P.S. What happened to the Milk Tray???
Brian.
 
I had a look at this 1999 aerial view but the shadows are not favourable. Looks like cars parked in front at the one end.
HouseBridgeSt.JPG
 
Where's Derelict_UK when you want him? Haven't seen him around for ages.

Maurice


hi maurice derelict uk is still a member and pops on from time to time...think he has a young family now so not so much time to spare going round with his camera...

lyn
 
WowBrian, you've earned your box of Milk Tray! Can you remember anything else about the stables in the yard ? Viv.
 
Just past the Cottages was a Wooden Gate which led into the Yard where the horses were Stabled...This was to the right of the Cottages... Perhaps some Research into the Birmingham Mounted Police may throw some more light on the subject....
I've had a 'Google' and one search led me to the Police Horses thread on the forum ... will continue looking ....:encouragement:
 
I had a look at this 1999 aerial view but the shadows are not favourable. Looks like cars parked in front at the one end.
View attachment 89623

The cars might be of those employed in the building. I notice there are marks on the front walls in various places of the terrace which might have been business signs. So maybe it was used as offices in the 1990s. Viv.
 
Hi...
Do not forget that my recollections are from 1967!!!!...Roads change and so do buildings..For example there was no TV studio on the right hand side of Holiday Street in those days and the "Gas Street Basin"...Which was at the end of Holiday Street was not a Tourist Attraction...Holiday Street was just another street....
Google was not around in 1967 so where do you go????? Local Street Maps of the area for that era????
There used to be an HMSO Bookshop on Broad Street...Turn right off Holiday St and it was 1st left.. Not far from the Register Office (Which still survives)...Now gone..But it had all the street maps you needed for the Birmingham Area...
I`m sorry but Google Maps cannot help you for the PAST....Only wish it could...
I`ve not been to the "New" birmingham Library but have memmories of the "Old" one where you can visit the Reference Library....Other Old memmories...
Prattling on again...Sorry...
Brian.
 
Brian, your memories of 1967 are all the more valuable because at that time the massive re-development hadn't taken place around this area. So if anything else occurs to you 'prattle' on. We all do it and something might well ring a bell for others too. Thanks for telling us about your experience of the stables and the man who re-shoed the horses. - and of course the lovely cups of tea. All adds to our picture of the area. Viv.
 
Hi...
I`m sorry but Google Maps cannot help you for the PAST....Only wish it could...
I'm not looking at Google Maps, I'm using Google Search. However, Google Earth shows some quite good aerial pics of Birmingham in 1945 - an example I posted on the forum in another thread here.
 
Hi Viv...
Just about...
Double Stable Gates...3 to 4 Stables off to the left...Excercise Yard at the top of the Yard and the Farriers Quarters on the bottom right...
Farriers Quarters existed of a small area just outside where he used to shoe the horses...Inside was (And do not forget that I was only 18 at the time so I hope I do not exaggerate)
not a very large workshop...To the left , as you went in was the Horseshoe metalwork. ie..To be used to make the shoes...Small area inbetween...Eartheware floor, I remember...To the right was the "Brazier"...About 3ft high and about 2ft x 3ft...Scalding hot with coals all glimmering...beneath was a bellows contraption which was used to blow air into the brazier...My god how hot it got when he pumped them....There was an anvil near the brazier which he used to shape the hot metal to make the shoes and above were the tools he used to file the hooves before fitting the shoes and hammering them on....Fitting was always done in the yard as the smell was...well ..smelly...Especially burning the shoes in...
After fitting, the police rider used to canter around the top of the yard before signing off the "Chitty" to say that all was well...
What amazed me was that every time I saw a horse depart that they always turned left into holiday Street!!!
All I can remember apart from the LOVELY "ESPRESSO" "SMELL OF HORSES HOOVES" TEA !!!!(Perhaps I could Patent IT???)
Brian.
 
this thread has only been going for 5 days and already so many members have joined in to find out some info about this building and add their thoughts and ideas so many thanks to you all for your input..i will be making some enquires at the library soon so hopefully i can add a bit more to this thread....just goes to show that we are never too old to learn about the history of brum and i was thinking that from time to time (especially during the winter months) maybe members could offer up other buildings to investigate but PLEASE do not suggest the post office tower...im not scaling that one to take piccies not even for a box of milk tray.. lol

lyn
 
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Hi Lyn...
Want to talk about the Post Office Tower????
Largest Structure in Birmingham when it was built...
My Ex Fiancees father was the Quantity Surveyor for the development...How about that???
He and myself had to scale the structure, whilst in construction ,to calculate how many tiles it would take to clad the walls up to the top!!! We had to walk up!!!! No lift>>>>
Got the job done, but I agree with you, at my age now, ...Get someone else to go up there !!!
Brian.
P.S.
May I suggest you put something on , on my behalf??? A new "Old" Building for you to Research>>>
I am new to this site so I am not sure how to post a Topic yet so may I suggest you chose the Jacy News Theatre in Dale End in Birmingham???....
Who Remembers this???.....The road was comprised or old Railway sleepers....
Where was it situated???
Might make some interesting replies..
 
Viv
Below is a magnified version of the small scale OS map for 1967. In so far as can be seen from a map with not too much detail , the area seems to be very similar to that on post 52 which I thought was around 1950 (because another similar map from the same source showed the big top still an empty area).

bridge_st_1967.jpg
 
Hi Lyn...
Want to talk about the Post Office Tower????
Largest Structure in Birmingham when it was built...
My Ex Fiancees father was the Quantity Surveyor for the development...How about that???
He and myself had to scale the structure, whilst in construction ,to calculate how many tiles it would take to clad the walls up to the top!!! We had to walk up!!!! No lift>>>>
Got the job done, but I agree with you, at my age now, ...Get someone else to go up there !!!
Brian.
P.S.
May I suggest you put something on , on my behalf??? A new "Old" Building for you to Research>>>
I am new to this site so I am not sure how to post a Topic yet so may I suggest you chose the Jacy News Theatre in Dale End in Birmingham???....
Who Remembers this???.....The road was comprised or old Railway sleepers....
Where was it situated???
Might make some interesting replies..

good choice brian even though i have not heard of the the jacey it would be good learning about it..it could be an idea to start a new section called BUILDINGS UNDER INVESTIGATION and start a new thread for each different building chosen...will have a word with one of the moderators tomorrow

lyn
 
Hi oldMohawk
I`m not very good at Research OK?...Apologies to you OK?...Did not know that you could use Google search and that Information of the type you got was available so I beg your forgiveness.
I`m getting too old to use the technology available...just like to put down on paper what I recall without having to rely on Archives..Not that I disagree with it but memmories mean lots, if you get my meaning...
Kind Regards
Brian.
 
Hi Lyn.
Thanks for that....
I think you may find it very interesting....I remember it well...
I used to go there as a 5 year old!!!!
Not giving anything away but it was the 1st News Theatre to have a Scrolling "Whats on" !!!! at the front of the Theatre....(All in Lights)...
Brian.
 
Hi oldMohawk
I`m not very good at Research OK?...
Hi Brian - No need for apologies. At least you have seen the building when it was being used. I'm not having much success searching for mounted police - keep ending up in Birmingham Alabama - they had more mounted police !
Phil ...
 
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