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Grand Hotel Colmore Row

The Grand Hotel nearly killed my father. We lived in Quinton and he worked in Aston. So every morning he would get off the No. 9 bus at Chamberlain square and walk down Colmore Row to Steelhouse Lane past the Grand. One morning a piece of stone fell off the roof of Grand and landed just in front of him. It would have caused him a lot of damage if it had hit him!

Regards from Redruth

Arnold
 
I also recall an incident further down where a piece of masonry fell off Snow Hill Station and hit a passer-by. Fortunately, she had her umbrella up that took most of the force of the falling stone.
 
Astoness said:
cant say just how happy i am that this wonderful building that we nearly lost has been bought back to life....hats off to everyone involved it looks stunning....lovely photo of your auntie in 1949 judy :) do you think you may manage to visit the hotel for a look around??

lyn
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I - My mother met my father here in the 1930's- she was a humble chambermaid. kitchen hand/ skivvy - he was a porter. My father, Richard Healy, and his brother Joe came over from Ireland and found work at The Grand. He became a British Citizen and is on the Electoral Reister for The Grand in May 1939 ( misspelled as Healey!!). I have a wonderful photo of the staff from the 30's (mother & father included) in the grand Ball room... she spoke very fondly of the place, In the 1990's WHSmith had the Staff Christmas Meal there every year - it was wonderful!!
 
oh how wonderful maggie a proper love story:heart: without the roles your mom and dad playes the grand would never have functioned...would love to see that photo please it would make a great addition to this thread...thank you ..a visit to the grand has been on my list for ages now so hopefully soon..

lyn
 
Big Gee said:
It was the Buttery Bar, not the Backyard Bar, I was trying to think of! No company I worked for had their do's at The Grand, usually it was The Albany ot the hotel at Birmingham Airport.

I wish I'd seen George Melly at The Grand - absolutely made for each other!
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Wh Smith (Union Passage) always had its Christmas 'Do' there! It was a great night!!
 
Astoness said:
oh how wonderful maggie a proper love story:heart: without the roles your mom and dad playes the grand would never have functioned...would love to see that photo please it would make a great addition to this thread...thank you ..a visit to the grand has been on my list for ages now so hopefully soon..

lyn
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I have been hunting for it (buried in the morass of Family history papers) - and as soon as I find it will post ...
 
The Buttery was created by redesigning the Moorish Lounge in 1959. Not very good images but they give an idea of the change. Source:British Newspaper Archive.

Viv.

3E8EB9A2-F5FB-4086-8719-9864ABF29F6F.jpegE2B42F90-172C-4C82-9875-0FEB8D2766C2.jpeg
 
These photos show some of the work being done to refurb the hotel, a massive undertaking. So good to see the original chandeliers retained in the Grosvenor Suite. The building has so many lovely features, hopefully most of these have been kept in the new refurb.Viv.

F13B8D08-D5FE-43D4-AAEA-F8D34C5BD85E.jpeg508FDBFE-8385-4AB1-93E5-C6A765DF556A.jpeg226BA4E6-0785-4D40-BC65-63D3B526E014.jpeg64694259-B9A4-46FB-8300-6466674164AE.jpegSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
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Beautiful. Especially in the attention to detail so often lost in today’s restorations. Well done, good to see. Viv.
 
thats a smashing photo bob and it is so refreshing to see one of our fine buidings restored so lovely

lyn
 
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