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Big Top 1959

The 3rd photo takes me back. I think that the building next to the Times is where I looked down into the basement at the smoke and water running out of damaged pipes, stepping over the fire hoses across the road. I wonder now, why my Mom and the next door neighbour went shopping from Great Barr with me in tow on the day after a major raid...must have been something special on sale in town !
oldmohawk
 
I had no idea that this part of Birmingham was so badly destroyed during the last war. I'd always assumed it was down to 1960s development. Thanks to Ell and Phil for posting the photos. I now know a lot more about this part of Birmingham. Just out of interest was the circus there for a long time?

The layout/design of the Big Top seems odd to me. Ell's photo of the steps up into Union Street reminded me that C&A had an entrance to the right of those steps, but you had to go down steps again into C& A. (think it later became W.H.Smith). I also remember an entrance in one of the arcades to a club up on the roof of the building. Think it belonged to the Co-op.

I notice Phil's 4th photo has 'Midland Arcade' in the centre of that building. I found these in a search. Lovely! Unfortunately the modern arcades in Ell's photos are not a patch on this.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64196730@N00/3182693520/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64196730@N00/3182694884/
Viv.
 
C & A closed ages ago (think they still exist on the Continent though). Then it became Beatties. Then that closed a few years ago. Now split between different shops such as JJB Sports and Mother Care. Think they made alterations when they split it into three. That back entrance to C & A is no longer and entrance.

A few more shots from Union Passage


Signs of a former Post Office in Union Passage - striped glass window by ell brown, on Flickr


Britannia Hotel from Union Passage - back to Martineau Place by ell brown, on Flickr

Old C & A entrance was on the right (out of shot)


Britannia Hotel from Union Passage by ell brown, on Flickr
 
Still looks a little as I remember it. But as I've found with so many of the modern views, it looks a lot cleaner than I remember, better looked after etc. Does anyone know if any of the Victorian arcade (Midland & City) survived the 2nd WW? Or was it all replaced in the 50s/60s? Viv
 
That's great news. Now I've seen this, I vaguely remember seeing something around there but I think it was all closed off when I last saw it or maybe it just wasn't very well looked after. Either way, I'm glad to see it's got a new lease of life. If this section is the ' City' section of the 'City & Midland' arcade, the Midland section must have been destroyed in the bombing. Thanks.

Just noticed that the external view of the arcade architecture in Ell's last photo in post #22 matches the New Street end of the Midland arcade of Phil's photo Post#16 ( right-hand side of pic). Just a slightly smaller scale. Viv.

Here's an old picture of this section of the arcade. Looks Edwardian, so roughly early 1900s.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64196730@N00/3182692986/
 
Jennyann, l remember "the big top" after the war it always seemed to have a big tent on the corner of new street and corporation street, as you say it was a circus...l always wanted to go there as l'd never been to a circus but there was never any money in those days....l eventually went to my first circus in Texas at the astrodome in houston.....the big top corner seemed to be there for years and l remember the wooden fence it had to and always had ads on it......Brenda
 
I remember going to a display of wwII Items as a kid ,on the big top site just after the war, Two Man Sub ,Spitfire, Shot down ME109, any one else remember this .PLEASE DONOT TELL ME MY MINDS PLAYING ME TRICKS lol:0)
Somewere on this site there are pics of the BIG TOP Were old mohawk says.
I remember going to see that display, but I thought that it was near The Civic Centre by The Hall of Memory, could be mistaken, I was only 5.
 
I remember going to see that display, but I thought that it was near The Civic Centre by The Hall of Memory, could be mistaken, I was only 5.
The Two Man Sub ,Spitfire, Shot down ME109, were on display at different times during WW2 in Victoria Square near The Town Hall to get people to invest in National Savings and make donations to buy a Spitfire the fighter was named "The City of Birmingham". Len.
 
Hello Chris. Thank you for the link to your piece on New Street. It had me thoroughly engrossed. You've skillfully painted such a clear and interesting picture of the area that I was immediately transported to the place. I could also feel the mood of the time too. Although I was born many years after the War, I still recognise from your words a lot of the experience of a trip to 'town'. You've given us a well written record of a very troubled and changing time for the City. Thank you very much for that. Regards Viv.
 
A wonderful story Chris, it was like wandering through my childhood recognising many of the places and scenes you describe. We use to wait at the bus stop in front of the Odeon opposite the Big Top site looking for the Midland Red buses coming round the corner from High Street hoping the next one would be a 188 Beeches, but often they would be 118's to Walsall, or 119's to the Scott Arms, we seemed to be the 'poor relations' on the Beeches Estate, which I think is now known as Perry Beeches. A minor error in your account is calling it 'Frankley Beeches' which I think is on the opposite side of the city.
I remember the cars with gas bags and also buses towing gas generator trailers.
I'm feeling really old...
oldmohawk
 
I remember that there was a Co-op Dept. Store at the Big Top in High Street. It was opposite, or more or less opposite, the old Co-op which was demolished to make way for the Pavillions shopping centre. The one at the Big Top had a dance floor above it 1963/4.

Around the corner was the Odeon and a few doors away was the old Littlewoods shop with wooden floors and opposite that was the posh Marshall and Snelgrove store with a red carpeted staircase towards the back of the shop.

The "new" Littlewoods on High St. closed down and became the site for Boots which is more or less opposite where M&S is now. That Littlewoods and Boots site had previously been the home of "Henry's" store
 
Brenda, I be lieve that particular Co-op was on both sides of the road linked by a passage running under the High Street, a very wide passage with goods on display. Eric
 
I didn't know about the passage but do know that the old shop had those very old fashioned lifts with criss- cross "gateways" instead of solid doors. Grey's had some of those too aswell as the Otis lifts with silver doors aswell as lift attendants.
 
Hi, yes there was a passage linking both sides of the co-op. The one end was by the basement restaurant and the tea bar and the other end went into the kitchen ware department. The passage had glass fronted displays along the sides. The old lifts had lift operaters who sat on a small seat just inside the door and asked you which floor you wanted. My mom worked at the co-op from the age of 14, she had a break during the war and then returned. She was still working there when it closed in 1985.
 
Chris how vividly you describe your memories, I can relate to so much of what you have written, excellent. You asked if we had any corrections, the only obvious one to me is when you describe The Beeches Estate as Frankley Beeches, as I am sure FB is Northfield way. I found the whole article thoroughly absorbing.
 
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