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'Andy Carrier

A

anna60

knowlegable brummie
The photos of the Bull Ring made me think about the woman or women who used to shout this. I can still hear it.

In the old Bull Ring there was a pet shop my dad used to park me outside while he did the shopping and then we had cockles or winkles from a stall, 3d. if I remember rightly.

Has the new Bull Ring gone now?
 
Anna,

pity but the 'new' Bull Ring is still there, it's the 'old' one that has gone.

I think that a lot of us on BH remember the woman with the brown paper 'andy carriers' and (I believe) paper/string handles. I can hear the cry, the hustle bustle of the women shopping for their families evening meal and smell the old place right now. If it were still there it would now be a world wide, UNESCO protected, tourist attraction!
 
If my memory serves me right, that old women, used to stand by the steps leading up to the fish market, and there was usually someone there selling dancing dolls and the like from a suitcase.
 
Re The `Andy Carrier seller, do you remmber the man selling razor blades his shout was " Alkazar? (spelling) blades, Alkazar blades!!" repeated over and over, i think they cost 3d for a packet of six?.
 
And it makes you wonder.....who's family tree does she belong to ?????? as a kid you never think about things like that...as you age and start tracing your own family back...it makes one wonder about her doesn't it ????
 
Wendy, it's always been one of my favourite places to go when I come to Brum. The people are very friendly and I can't resist the fruit, vegetables,
eggs, etc. The prices are great. I would stagger up the Bullring loaded down.
 
The Bull Ring type in google search Virtual Brum.co.uk all City & outer districts, photos & postcards.
 
Oh do I remember that little lady. Pity we can't get the andy carrier now, much better that plastic.

How about the hot baked spuds in a paper bag you sprinkled salt in.

Part of the old market had its roof off during the war, and you had to go up the steps to it.

Loved going into town on a Saturday, we could walk it from St Martins Flats. Had my cockles with salt and vinegar and walked around with my nan and grandad.

There was the old lady who sold flowers as well, her daughters carried on doing this for year.

Not the same now. Before I retired last year, during my lunch, I walked down there and bought myself some cockles, and walked around, but the atmosphere has gone. Nothing to do with getting older, the characters aren't there any more.

I think the Bull Ring that was built during the 60's with all those underpasses was the demise of the area, and as for now saying Bullring, and not the Bull Ring is dreadful. Only thing I like is the Bull outside the shopping centre, and the walk up towards the Church which suddenly appears.

I don't go to town much now, don't really like it much now. There aren't many real brummies there anymore.

Chris
 
I always remember the andy carrier lady standing in a doorway in Jamaica Row, I think it may have been an entrance to the fruit and veg wholesale market. Of course there were other sellers but, she is the main one I remember.

John

is this the bomb you remember.

CityBullRingMarketHallLordMayorsAppeal.jpg
 
I remember the 'Andy Carrier Lady standing just to the left of the steps to the Market Hall and a few years back I think Carl Chinn interviewed her daughter on his radio programme.

Junie
 
Geting back to "Andy Carrier"

I had a girl friend whose mother used to work for the Birmingham company who made those lovely brown paper carrier bags. She sometimes did work at home--it was amazing to watch-she used a template to fold the paper and as quick as lightning. Anyone remember the company?
 
YES There Was Quite Afew Company,s Around That Used To Do That Giving Out Work To Women For PinMoney There Used To Be A Small Company On Rocky Lane
At Aston Cross It Was Right Out Side The No Eight Bus StopIt Was The Orinal Side Entrance To Jelfs Tea Rooms And There Ware House In The Early 50,s That Some-one Bought It And Set Up The Handy Carrier , My Old Mother Got Some And We All Sat Around A Big Table At 5/92 Lichfield Rd MakingThe Bags Never Eart Much ,Then They Started Doing Chamis Leathers Off Cutts Of Leather And Tie A Bundle To A Peice Of String , There Is A Place Which Today Behind The Scenes Makes These Handy Carriers And Brown Paper Bags They Have Been Doing It For Donkey Years It A Big Old Ware House That Looks Very Dirty From The Out Side And It Yards From The Old High gate Bus Depot On High Gte Rd And Its Run By An Asian Bussiness Man And He Only Employs Asians And You Have To Ring A Back Door Around The Block To Gain Access
Unless Your EXPECTED aND APass You Don,tGet Axcess Security Is Very Tight
Even Delivery Drivers Have To Make Appointments And What The Do They Export All There Bags Abroad Best Wishes ASTONIAN ,;;
 
Thanks for that info Astonian. It doesn't surprise me that this company exports it's paper bag products abroad. There is a big change coming
for bag usage, etc. as many large stores here in Canada are reverting back to paper bags and getting rid of plastic ones. I liked this site for an explanation.

https://anmblog.typepad.com/this_is_money_blog/2006/03/bring_back_brow.html

I remember the "Andy Carrier" lady and bought several bags from her and
was grateful that she was there at that time.
 
in ireland they have been using them for ages again ,so nice and neat and cleaner looking somhow,also when on holiday there we went to the local chippy ,and they put fish and chips in white ones ,with a lining in them .and roll the top over, needless to say they were really nice fish n chips ,and a treat to have wrapped like this. harley
 
Two lovely photographs of our dear old "bull ring" the old lady who sold "handy carrier" was blind in the one eye,quite a charactor it was great to walk all aroundthe old rag market,and the pet shop where I bought some pigeons when I was a kid,crikey where have all the years gone? there was a shop just below "Woolies" whereI bought some ties with painted ladies on, Oh dear me
 
Here they have done away with any sort of bags in the shops, you have to bring your own, to save on rubbish.

Graham.
 
For years in Brum shoppers took their own shopping bags to shops. The only bags the shopkeepers supplied were smaller brown paper bags for things such as grapes, mushrooms and soft fruits. In Canada it was all larger brown paper bags or sacks as they call them in the USA for years and years and then plastic came in and eventually the brown paper varieties disappeared. We used the brown craft paper bags for rubbish but careful not to put anything wet in them for obvious reasons.

Now we have purchased several IKEA blue bags made of nylon. We can sort out our groceries as we collect them from the loading area and, therefore, they can easily be put away in the correct place. I was listening to a programme on the radio about this the other day and people were phoning in agreeing that this change over to eco friendly bags is good and also many of them wanted signs in the parking lot reminding them not to leave their special bags in their cars!!!
 
For years in Brum shoppers took their own shopping bags to shops
Click to expand...

They still do in Aldi where most things are half the price of the main supermarkets
 
Most of us shopped with baskets, we had no fridge so the shopping was brought home daily. Everything was tipped into your basket, there would be a bit of newspaper if the potatos were dirty and another bit to wrap the fish. Oh my gosh wouldnt the 'elf people have a ball today.
 
Alf, you're a good lad. Are your carriers paper or plastic? As I have mentioned
we have the Ikea bags and I have noticed most people at the grocery store bring their own bags or boxes these days at least in the stores where youpack your own groceries, etc.
 
andy i allways will remember the sound of the man calling andy carrier
 
paul stacey said:
hi all
I remember my dad taking me to the bull ring on the Christmas eve each year in the early/mid 50's when the chicken and turkey sellers threw the last ones to the crowd and you paid what you could afford, I remember going with our prize and getting hot chestnuts from outside new st station and then going home to Mom and my sisters on the bus with all the windows frosted up. So exciting and one year we got such a big one we were still having turkey sandwiches in Jan, my dad said it put i'm of turkey for life.
regards
paul stacey
Click to expand...

Yes my dad used to take me on Christmas Eve in the mid 50's don't remember any flying chickens or turkeys, but we always got a bargain. Perhaps you and your Dad had nerves of steel and waited longer than we did for the bargains.

Still miss the sound of 'Andy carrier' when I walk down towards St Martins.
 
My great grandmother was a andy carrier near the market hall on the steps she was a well portioned lady with no teeth I'm doing ancestory on my family I need to find a pic of her she was in a newspaper is was the last person to this job. Her name was Nellie else (nee mcneil )
 
I remember a lady selling carrier bags at that spot. (Didn't it hurt when the string handle cut into your fingers ?).
I could never understand what "Andycarria" meant.
I had a similar problem with the bloke shouting "Spatchermayul"
My Dad had to explain a lot to me when I was little.
 
HI MAYPOLE
The same Lady used to stand between hercules bikes factory gates and the small batch of little houses that was next door to the factory gates
which was next to the aston cross picture house and this was in the fortys and early fifties
and also when the parade of little shops was facing on the opersite side of the road and the courts of houses used to be there along side those shops
right along the lichfeild rd up to old mattys radio and tv shop ;
and long before ansells built the frontage of there brewery all along the lichfield rd to upper portland street after demolishing the entire rd of the lichfield rd
of the parade of little shops and the courts and terrace houses
she would stand there during the week and then in the bull ring steps on a market day ;and then whilst she was not there either at the market hall
along side woolworths next to the market steps or in her spot by hercules bike factory there would be a disabled man ; with one arm
With a tray of englands glory box of matches for a penny standing in her spot
as time went on an old man with a harmonica came and stood there playing tunes for pennies then he started on the pubs at saturday and sunday afternoon
then we got the old man and his little live monkey on top of his grinding organ
There used to be a tram bus stop there for the workers of the hercules factoris and rocky lane workers to get off and on ;
it was a good pitch to do the begging and hawkin
thats part of my memory of the bag lady and her friends of the hard times of yester years after the war ;
have a nice day every body and i hope its stays good for the bank holiday sunday this week best wishes Astonian;;
 
Hiya everyone hope u can help me , my great great grandmother was a andy carrier in the bull ring wondered if anyone can help the last times she was there. Her name was Nellie or nel someone one know here by. She was a flower seller first before she the last andy carrier in the 60's she was in the local paper at the time
thank u if u can help
 
Hi belong
Can you recall where she was last known selling her flowers as I recall an old lady used to live on Stratford road hall green
Whom I met around the time you have mentionioned and I came across her by accident as I was working close by to the house
When she came out and spoke to me and told me her story as being the oldest flower seller and sold for years in the same spot for years
She was an old little lady and I mean old and she came out and told me she had two little kids come to her back door and asked for her help
To come around and help there little friend those kids was about ten years old and like a fool and being old
Went with them to the front of the house on Stratford road and when she got there ,there was no,one there went back to her own house
Only to find they robbed her of her purse
Best wishes astonian,,,,,,,
 
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