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Newtown shopping centre

johnedward

johnedward

master brummie
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF ITS STILL THERE. I USED TO WORK FOR WILLIAMS FURNITURE MANY YEARS AGO AND WE HAD A BRANCH IN THE CENTRE OTHER NAMES COME TO MIND HARDY'S FURNITURE , RUMBLELOWS , BURTONS , THERE WAS BIG SUPERMARKET AND ALSO A BIG OUTDOOR LEISURE AND CAMPING SHOP. A FISH AND CHIP SHOP THE POST OFFICE , SEVERAL BANKS AND TWO PUBS ONE ANSELLS ONE M&B .I THINK THE GRAPES WAS ONE ?? IN THE CENTRE WAS THE MARKET HALL UNDER COVER. IF I AM CORRECT A SECURITY GUARD WAS MURDERED TRYING TO STOP A ROBBERY THERE BUT I MAY BE WRONG. IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL WAS A TALL BLOCK OF FLATS I AM GOING BACK 30 PLUS YEARS SO THINGS MAY NOW BE DIFFERENT NOW.
JOHN
 
hi john just been reading your artical on new town shopping centre . you was right about every think you mentioned all the bussiness,s , i used to live there thirty years ago on the top floor above all the shops the view was fantasic , the block is still there and its called inker man house , when i lived there over thirty years ago it was a very nice and well maintained block , mainly occupied by elderly residence i would imagine it a family block now , the other pub was called the paddock and you went down the steps to enter the market hall as gone , they got rid of most of the shops and made it more open my aunt edith worked at the social and youth club which at the time was there she lived in park rd next to the vine on lich field rd aston when i go to sutton cold field from worcester i somtimes pass that way , best wishes astonian ,;;;;;;
 
I know Inkerman house very well, I'm afraid its changed Astonian.
I worked at the Neighbourhood office right beneath it and we always said if you want a TV in your car instead of a radio just park under Inkerman House.
 
Another shop there John,
was Goulds gents tailor,
I had a couple of drape suits made there
to go with my Brothel creepers ;) ;)
 
I remember the Griffin Pub where you used to go downstairs and Dewhurst Butchers my mate was the Manager :)
 
They had branches of Sainsbury's at one end of the shopping complex, and SF Collin at the other end. In the round market hall you could buy pretty much anything really...... the only named stall I remember was Mr Pants. Halfords had a branch of their chain as did Rumbellows, and George Masons. We used to play on the lifts in the flats..Inkerman Tower but never with TV's Les :2funny:
Sylvia Sayers partner Ray had his hairdressers there too, opposite Sainsbury's. Goulds had moved over too if I remember right from High Street Dennis?

I worked for the day at the greengrocers in the market hall, they treated me like slaving was still legal and paid me very little so I didnt go back I then worked for a while for Collins stacking shelves, helping with deliveries and sweeping up, they paid far better money.
 
Ray, moved his hairdressing shop from the corner of Bracebridge Street to above Dillons, then he moved next door to Sainsburys to what had been Collis Radio & TV Shop, he did very well there for a time with both Ladies and Gents Hairdressing in the same premises, then moved into what had been the National Westminster Bank on the front.

I remember all the shops mentioned, but I'm afraid it started to deteriorate when the centre was sold on to a variety of landlords who never spent any money on maintenance, the old Aston residents who moved in when the flats and houses were built moved on, and with the closure of Lucas's and other industry it became very rundown, there was a lot of vandalism and robberies and was finally closed down for renovation around 1994. Funny I can remember dates from way back but not more recent times. It was rebuilt but from what we have heard it isn't doing too well and still suffers from the yob element.
 
when the centre/ flats were being built I was a painter on the site... Thought someone might like to know that :-\
 
S F Collins brings back memories. Their H.O. was in Gas St and their prices were very cheap. I remember a real go-getter manager called Russ Carlyle who was at a few different branches (I think they had 5 or 6) Anyone recall them
 
Hi yes it was cheap and cheerfull
provisinios travn all over the shop fight your way round the cardboard boxes
then eventualy wairerose moved in and put payed to them but as you say the whole arena went down the plug and the trade died and people
moved on and it became a white elephant i lived on the top floor in the middle of the block
and watched the night time activy with security officers changeling the yobbs
best wishes astonion
 
hi all, im new to the site and i was wondering if anyone had photos of the shopping centre during the 1980's ? i was born in aston and lived in bromfield close just up from the barton arms and used to get dragged along every saturday by my mom. i remember bobbys, walford and cashmore, and a fantastic toy shop called 'just continental '. i know its not that long ago but it is really hard work to try and get photos of this time.( im only 35 but love looking at how brum has changed ). the indoor market and the trusty old walter smith butchers under the car park walkover. thanks for your time.markcon
 
h markon
nice to hear your memos ; i was one of the first residents to move into inkerman house the first block to be built there afew years before you
i lived on the very top floor of the flats and the flat over looked the concourse and the shops and of a night time i used to watch the yobs play up the security officers and they always called the polce and watch the fights and the struggles i lived next to a guy whom was timmins and old guy whom lived on his own ; but i can recall all the shops name and the flat we lived in if you was to look up in the sky at the top of the flats
our flat was slapp bang in the middle i myself would like to think that some one may have a picture of it ;
as i would dearly love to see it also to mention my younger brother lived up on those new houses in what they called barton bank
they are the ones that was facing the main rd where all the shops and the picture house used to stand years ago along with the nat west bank ;
best wishes astonian
 
I worked there in the 70's at a hairdressers above Dillions the paper shop, it was owned by Ray the barber. He then bought a bigger shop just opposite next to the big supermarket. Come on Sylvia get Ray to sort some photo's out. We had some great times there some of the clients were proper characters I can tell you. Great days
 
Hi patty
i remember him as well was the super market fine fare i think it was called
or was it the one facing the wine sellers and i think that was underwoods or barnetts
next to the paper shop under the covered arch where the paper shop was
have a nice day alan ;; astonian
 
Patty. I have loads of photos of Ray's shop which was next door to Sainsburys when it opened, it was later sold on to another Supermarket, was it Collins? anyway they ripped out all the good class fittings and it went downmarket, then it when further downhill, Ray then moved the gents side into the old Nat West Bank on the outside of the centre facing Newtown Row. Unfortunately I don't know how to post photos, I wish I could as I often have photos relevant to other threads.

Just remembered the shop next to Sainsburys was orignally Collis TV, opposite was a launderette, Underwoods Wine Shop, a greengrocers, further up towards the market area was Cyril Lord Carpets, any one remember them? they went bust big time. There was also an Oswald Baileys .
 
I think you are right Mrs. S. Was Collins further up opposite the market area, if I remember correctly there was also a Tesco which I think later became Bobbys.
 
I also remember a Burtons tailor shop and there was another mans clothes shop just up from the chip shop who's name has eluded me....for now.
 
I have just remembered Goulds the tailors which was next door or next but one to Ray's shop, for years Goulds had been on the corner of Newtown Row and Inkerman Street. Other shops I now recall were Poxon or Coxon the butchers, M.E.B. showrooms, a car insurance company, can't recall the name, and up near the Newbury Road entrance was Withers newsagents and tobacconists. These shops were all there when the Centre opened about 1973. so could have closed or changed hands in the later years. The decorating shop was owned by Gordon Slater and his partner John? they used to have a stall in the old market hall next to the Post Office corner of Newtown Row/Asylum Road. I spoke to Gordon only two weeks ago when he came to our Reunion at The Barn.
 
Sylvia I would love to see some of the old photo's, if you wanted you could post me some and I will put them on here for you and post them back. If you want to I can phone you with my address or IM you
 
Hi Patty, I can do that for you if you IM me. I think there are a few of the girls, but will have to check if you are on any of them.
 
Does anyone remember when Arthur Askey opened The Bandwagon? Other shops i remember vaguely were Halfords, Oswald Bailey, Pat,s Cafe, Dewhurst,The Pet Shop ,Fruit A Shoemenders, and when the Precinct first opened their was a shop by Sainsburys that used to sell cooked chickens they were on a rotisserie outside and you could smell them as soon as you entered the Precinct. The Hairdresser,s above Dillons is where i had The feather Cut which i quite liked but had a disasterous perm done in The Market.
 
I wonder if any Summer Laners out there remember retired schoolteacher Mr Byron having the first pitch as you walked into the indoor market?He sold carpet remnants i think.Moss.
 
I have been looking at the photos we have of Newtown Shopping Centre to send to Patty so she could post them here, unfortunately they don't show the centre when it was thriving, nearly all the shops are boarded up and the whole area is decaying, the photos were taken I think for a court case the traders had against the landlords for non-maintenance although the traders were charged quite heavily for the upkeep. I was quite shocked to see them again, I had forgotten how bad it had become. Some of the photos show Foster Bros., Walter Smith Butchers, Shipton Insurance, Swimming Pool, Walford & Cashmore Shoe Shop, Burberrys, Cleanlyne Furnishers, Lord Byrom & Son, The Griffin. So sad and it opened with such hope and enthusiasm.
 
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