The 1956 Kelly's shows two recruiting offices in James Watt Street - the Army place at No 14, on the north side of the street, just below Dalton Street, and the Navy place over the Crown pub on the other side of the street at the corner of Corporation Street. The recent colour photos are of the later Yates pub which seemed to be closed down in recent months. I nearly went in last year, but went to the Crown opposite which was not so noisy.
In 1956 the site of the recent Yates building was the Court Restaurant on the ground floor, with Salvation Army offices over. The Court was there in 1904, so it must have been a fairly solid establishment, possibly using the name as a cover for the pub which is what I seem to recall it as. This might have been to mollify their neighbours and possibly landlords, the Salvation Army, who used the accomodation upstairs for their purposes. By 1973 there was a firm, Associated Chemists (Birmingham) Ltd on the corner, next to the Dragon restaurant. I don't know when Yates took the property over, and it got a licence again.
I remember the old Yates Wine Lodge (aka Central Restaurant) at 15 Corporation Street, which ran through to 8 Cannon Street, but we're getting far off topic now. . . .
Peter