Gas Holders in Birmingham

[Covroad]

A picture of the holders in Windsor / Lord Street the, the holders are decommissioned and awaiting demolition. In the foreground you will see where the old 1 storey car park and access ramp have been demolished .

 

[Covroad]

Picture taken at the junction og Rupert St and Avenue Road showing the holder and the distinct ‘Lattice / Honeycomb design around the holder.
The site entrance in the picture adjacent Rupert St sign is now bricked up.

 

[johnny082]

I was just thinking as I was browsing through this thread, I can't remember any gasworks in the Erdington area.
Wondering if anyone knows if it was fed from Saltley/ Aston ?

 

[Covroad]

Hello, in the 1800’s Sutton Coldfield had its own gasworks, but it is most likely Erdington was fed from Saltley / Nechell’s works via the then Birmingham Gas Light Company was purchased by the Corporation of Birmingham in 1875 as part of Joseph Chamberlain plan for one central gas supply company (corporation) Note Chamberlain also bought up local gas works in Staffordshire, and other local areas.

 

[Covroad]

A picture of the original City of Birmingham Gas Department Holyhead Rd 1923

 

[Covroad]

An original gas apprenticeship brochure , look at the van is it a Commer?, or BMC?

 

[Brummie a long time ago]

Dunno about the van, is that you in front of it ?
Andrew.

 

[Covroad]

Dunno about the van, is that you in front of it ?
Andrew.

Lol No definitely not

 

[Covroad]

Lol No definitely not

Here is another old WMGB van (a toy model)

 

[Covroad]

The pictures attached show Windsor Street / Lord Street with its original layout with the gasholders in the top right of the picture. This site during its WMGB days was operationally responsible for gas storage (holders) , gas distribution , stores, administration, and numerous other gas supply and services related activities.
In its day it was a mini town with on site Doctors Surgery, canteen, etc.
The site today is greatly reduced and a lot of the buildings and operational assets demolished / decommissioned a great loss to the historic buildings of Birmingham.

 

[Janet Hunt]

The pictures attached show Windsor Street / Lord Street with its original layout with the gasholders in the top right of the picture. This site during its WMGB days was operationally responsible for gas storage (holders) , gas distribution , stores, administration, and numerous other gas supply and services related activities.
In its day it was a mini town with on site Doctors Surgery, canteen, etc.
The site today is greatly reduced and a lot of the buildings and operational assets demolished / decommissioned a great loss to the historic buildings of Birmingham.

National Grid have a great site(link attached) about the gas works and Windsor street including the History of the gas industry in Birmingham.

Windsor Street Gasholders | National Gas

www.nationalgrid.com

 

[Covroad]

National Grid have a great site(link attached) about the gas works and Windsor street including the History of the gas industry in Birmingham.

Windsor Street Gasholders | National Gas

www.nationalgrid.com

Do you remember Sid?

 

[Janet Hunt]

Do you remember Sid?

Wasn't that an advertising campaign on TV in the mid eighties urging people to "tell Sid" about the chance to buy British Gas shares at "affordable" prices? I remember it....could not afford any though, even at affordable prices, I had 3 young children to support.

 

[oldbrit]

We had them on Moat Lane I remember

 

[Covroad]

Wasn't that an advertising campaign on TV in the mid eighties urging people to "tell Sid" about the chance to buy British Gas shares at "affordable" prices? I remember it....could not afford any though, even at affordable prices, I had 3 young children to support.

Hello,
Yes, it was the mass advertising campaign to purchase shares in BG, Sid was seen (or not) up mountains, on buses, etc.

 

[Terence David Lines]

3

An original gas apprenticeship brochure , look at the van is it a Commer?, or BMC?

Drove a Bullnose Commer at BT. Bloody hard work.

 

[Covroad]

3

Drove a Bullnose Commer at BT. Bloody hard work.

I never drove one of those vans, the ones I saw on site always appeared to be overloaded or were they just untidy?

 

[Covroad]

Front page of. WMGB (British Gas) cookbook with ‘MrTherm‘ the local gas regions had a department called Home Services that supported the Gas Showrooms to promote use of gas appliances.

 

[Covroad]

A report on the demolition of the Lurgi chimney at Coleshill In the mid 80’s , prior to the introduction of natural gas (North Sea) Coleshill Lurgi produced ‘town gas’ fo the majority of the West Midlands .

 

[mw0njm.]

An original gas apprenticeship brochure , look at the van is it a Commer?, or BMC?

its a ford thames 400e 15 cwt van. they used the 307e vans as well

 

[Covroad]

Picture reposted as in June of 2023 , the Lord Street / Windsor Street site as an operational gas site will be no more .
The site will be developed as a potential car park to support the BCC CAZ , or commercial units .

It will be an end of an era for this site, from coal (town gas ) production to Natural Gas storage and distribution , with the associated services , Gas Showrooms, Customer Service, stores , administration, etc.

The amount of employment this site, along with Nechells, Bromford , and all the satellite depots created in Birmingham should never be forgotten .

 

[Covroad]

On gas and it’s long association with Birmingham, the picture attached is a report from the ‘Boost’ the internal WMGB newsletter.
It celebrates the village of Hopwood, (Redditch) being the last area in the West Midlands Region to be converted to Natural Gas.

 

[Covroad]

Not quite Birmingham related , but a ‘Wanted Poster’ from Glasgow re person or persons attempting to blow up a gas holder In 1883 .

 

[Covroad]

An old WMGB service badge

 

[Covroad]

A view of the now demolished gas holders at Windsor Street , all the plant in the foreground (AGI, etc) are also decommissioned and gone.
The remainder of the site will be closed later this year , and years of gas industry history will be gone with the site.

 

[Covroad]

Picture of the area where the holders use to be in Windsor St, a nice sky and view of the Duddeston / Nechells Parkway flats to the RHS

 

[Astoness]

A view of the now demolished gas holders at Windsor Street , all the plant in the foreground (AGI, etc) are also decommissioned and gone.
The remainder of the site will be closed later this year , and years of gas industry history will be gone with the site.

they were such an iconic landmark...they used to scare me when i was a child

 

[oldjoe]

Walking up Avenue Road always seemed so foreboding, even in the daytime, sad it's all gone though.

 

[Covroad]

Gas distribution gang in the 60’s excavating in the footway , no mini excavators in those days just a breaker, shovel, and fork.
Respect to the distribution teams on all utilities to lay and commission new mains and services to properties.
See the flame emblem on the gas van, location I believe is Redditch area.

 

[mw0njm.]

thanks i do remember the red vans with a flame on the side in duddeston rd depot
#70