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Recent content by ariel badger

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    cato street

    Thanks mate, people think I am making it up but that was the reality of the Monkey House, cooking stew or mussels op the fires, overflowing toilets and buying prescription drugs from OAPs. The only bans I can remember was to a group of travelers who were only banned from drinking inside after a...
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    Street furniture

    I like that in both pictures there are cars parked on the pavement, a grand Small Heath tradition.
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    Street furniture

    Still a dangerous junction as everyone jumps the lights on red but the object has gone.
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    cato street

    I can confirm that is the Monkey from the twin front doors, note the space where the brewery sign used to be but I also note that the glass still seems to be in the windows so this puts the picture to be pre 78 when I first went there.
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    cato street

    I think it was allowed to be there because it kept a lot of nuisance villains in the same place and off the streets. All the time we used the place we never saw a copper look in despite the amount of crime centered on the place. One day a man who was known to me as a career burglar parked a set...
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    cato street

    It was open in July 1981 when I moved out to Zimbabwe but was closed in 1985 when I got back. At the time I knew it all the other buildings in the area where down so it stood alone. Its fate must have been set hence the state of the place, drug dealing was rife, as was prostitution and...
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    Motorcycle - How To Find My Old One

    The best way of trying to find an old bike is either via the relevant owners club or the VMCC.
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    cato street

    Sorry to resurrect the thread but I was driving up Cato st today and thought about the Monkey House. I used to be an occasional visitor in the early 80s and can honestly say that it was the roughest pub I have ever been in.There were only two rooms and neither had any beer pumps, instead there...
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    Lucas Parties & Pantomimes

    I used to go to the parties at Foremans Road in the 60s and they had some top acts on for the kids. I met Lenny The Lion with Terry Hall there and they gave me a pack of Trebor mints. My mother may still have a photo.
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    Library Of Birmingham 2013

    I love it as a building still but still have severe doubts as a library. From the last place where the public can lay a hand on a book you go up 90 stairs to the not so secret garden then up another 45 stairs to the Shakespeare Memorial Library where you can look at books but not use them. I...
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    Lucas Great King Street demolition

    Well Corbett and Frank Kermode egged me on to doing it but the blame was all mine. I was with GKS from 1974 until 1981 when I took redundancy and moved out to live in Zimbabwe.
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    Library Of Birmingham 2013

    I have spoken to the staff their and they seem very happy with the first two weeks, Ok they know that there are problems with the lifts and some of the shelving but they have had over 150,000 visitors so far and all the cafes, souvenir shops and galleries have coped well expect that some time...
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    Library Of Birmingham 2013

    The public are not allowed in those areas.
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    Library Of Birmingham 2013

    I see the building as a magnificent homage to the printed word but not a library. Floors are not listed by subject rather they are presented as abstract states such a "Study Zone" and "Relaxation Area", the rotunda thing looks superb but most of it is accessible only library staff ( these are...
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    Lucas Engineering School Great Hampton Street

    I started my apprenticeship at GHS in 73 and have fond memories of Pete Ruby, Ted Treviethic and Mr Davies. I have less fond memories of doing 5BX on the roof. I think they took on about 60 apprentices in 73 and we were all white and all male, Lucas was not a progressive company.
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