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Convention Centre & Broad Street - historic photos

This is view 25 and only two pictures in this set. This is View 25 picture 1 and was taken in July 1988.

This is another view from Sheepcote Street, taken in the same place as Views 23 and 24 above, but looking even more to the right. It is now looking South East, towards what will become Brindley Place.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View25Map1.JPG

I have to be honest and say this is very similar to View 24 above, I just moved the camera round a little to the right, however it does show more of the Brindley Place site.

You can see the old Crescent Theatre on the far right (before it was moved), the low building with many windows. Just to the left of it is the old school that became the Ikon Gallery.

View 25 Picture 1) View from Sheepcote Street towards Brindley Place
View25Picture1.jpg
 
View 25, Picture 2. Same view as above, but now August 1989, just over a year later.

Again, very similar to View 24 above, I just moved the camera round a little to the right, showing more of the Brindley Place site.

You can now clearly see the Hyatt Hotel being built in the distance.

Because View 24 Pic 2 and View 25 Pic 2 (this view) are from the same spot I have merged them together to give a whole panorama of the Brindley Place site and will post it soon.

View 25 Picture 2) View from Sheepcote Street towards Brindley Place
View25Picture2.jpg
 
This picture below is View 24 Picture 1 and View 25 Picture 1 stitched together. You will probably need to scroll across to see the whole picture.

The two original pictures were posted above, and were both taken in July 1988.

This shows an almost complete panorama of Brindley Place before they started development.

See the description of the Views above for more details of what can be seen in the picture.

Views 24 & 25 Picture 1) View from Sheepcote Street towards Brindley Place
Pan24_25_P1.jpg
 
This picture below is View 24 Picture 2 and View 25 Picture 2 stitched together. You will probably need to scroll across to see the whole picture.

The two original pictures were posted above, and were both taken in August 1989.

This shows an almost complete panorama of Brindley Place before they started development.

See the description of the Views above for more details of what can be seen in the picture.

Views 24 & 25 Picture 2) View from Sheepcote Street towards Brindley Place
Pan24_25_P2.jpg
 
This is View 24 & View 25 Picture 3.

It is roughly the same view as above but taken on 17th April 2010, about 20 years after the photos above.

You may need to scroll across to see the whole picture.

As you can see by the position of the canal, I have had to move to the left to take this picture. If I had taken the picture from the same place I would have had a huge brick wall in the way (see View 23 Picture 2 for an example).

Views 24 & 25 Picture 3) View from Sheepcote Street towards Brindley Place
S_Pan24and25.jpg

You can see in this image below roughly where I was standing and why I can no longer see Brindley Place

The arrow point where I was standing and the direction of the photo.
View 24 Map 1.JPG
 
This is view 26 and only two pictures in this set. This is View 26 picture 1 and was taken in July 1988.

Continuing my walk up Sheepcote Street, from North to South (see views 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25). This picture was taken at the Southern end of Sheepcote Street, near Broad Street.

It was near where I took Views 23, 24 and 25 above of Brindley Place (the wall on the left is where the canal goes under the road), but I am now on the other (Western) side of the street, looking South towards Broad Street.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 26 Map 1.JPG

View 26 Picture 1) View from Sheepcote Street towards Broad Street
View26Picture1.jpg
 
This is View 26 picture 2, and again a fairly up to date picture, the view as it was April 2010.

A huge amount of change. You can see the Crescent Theatre on the left, and the City Inn hotel (now the Hilton Garden Inn) straight in front. Behind these buildings (to the left) is the rest of Brindley Place.

You can see it is the same viewpoint because of the small building on the right, with the windows in the roof and the large chimney. You can also see the driveway in the bottom right of the picture.

You can also see the red post box still in the same place.

View 26 Picture 2) View from Sheepcote Street towards Broad Street
View26Picture2.jpg
 
This is view 27 and only two pictures in this set. This is View 27 picture 1 and was taken in July 1988.

Continuing my walk up Sheepcote Street, from North to South (see views 17 and 20 to 26).

This picture was taken at the Southern end of Sheepcote Street, near Broad Street, but now I have turned round from View 26 above and I am looking North, AWAY from Broad Street. I am standing where Grosvenor Street meets Sheepcote Street.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 27 Map 1.JPG

On the left, behind the red post box, is a wall, and behind this wall the canal runs under the road. The building with the zig-zag roof runs along the side of the canal. You can get a clearer view of these buildings from the bridge in View 23 Picture 1.

View 27 Picture 1) View from Sheepcote Street looking North
View27Picture1.jpg
 
This is View 27 picture 2, this picture was taken on April 17th 2010.

A total change.

Your view is dominated by the Crescent Theatre in the centre. Behind the theatre is the car park in Brindley Place. The flats on the very left disappear behind the theatre and alongside the canal (see View 23 Picture 2 for a better view of the flats alongside the canal).

Again the red post box helps identify the view is correct (and the position of the canal of course!).

View 27 Picture 2) View from Sheepcote Street looking North
View27Picture2.jpg
 
This is view 28 and only two pictures in this set. This is View 28 picture 1 and was taken in July 1988.

Continuing my walk up Sheepcote Street, from North to South (see view 17 and views 20 to 27 inclusive).

This picture was taken at the Southern end of Sheepcote Street, very near to Broad Street, again looking North (away from Broad Street). I have moved about 100 yards NEARER Broad Street than View 27. I am standing where Essington Street meets Sheepcote Street.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 28 Map 1.JPG

The huge blank site in front of me will become Brindley Place. The zig zag buildings on the left are where the canal runs under the road. See View 23 for a closer view of these zig zag buildings.

View 28 Picture 1) View from Sheepcote Street looking North
View28Picture1.jpg
 
This is View 28 picture 2, and was taken on April 17th 2010.

A huge amount of change. You can see the City Inn hotel (now the Hilton Garden Inn) in the foreground, and the Crescent Theatre on the left (mostly hidden by the hotel). Behind these buildings is the rest of Brindley Place.

You can see it is the same viewpoint partly because of the road markings in the bottom left, but also in the far distance on the left (behind the modern flats) you can just see the tall white building which is visible in the 1988 picture above (this building can be seen clearer when you "zoom" into the modern photograph).

View 28 Picture 2) View from Sheepcote Street looking North
View28Picture2.jpg
 
This is View 29 and three pictures in this set. This is View 29 Picture 1.

No date on this picture but I would guess around 1987 or 1988.

I will be honest and say the picture below confused me for a while. I looked at it again and again trying to figure out where it was, and then it came to me in a flash.

Before looking at the next two pictures (to be posted later) see if you can figure out where it is.

View 29 Picture 1) View from ???
View29Picture1.jpg
 
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This is View 29 Picture 3.

This is a picture of the same view as above taken in April 2010.

I am facing South West, looking out of the city, towards Five Ways roundabout.

Brindley Place and the Sea Life centre are on my left, modern flats on the right, the NIA on my far right (out of shot). Behind me is the Malt House pub and the Convention Centre.

In the distance is the brick bridge over the canal which goes under Sheepcote Street (behind the modern metal bridge). You can see the reverse of this view, FROM Sheepcote Street, in View 23 Picture 2.

Once I had figured out where it was it seemed so obvious, but it confused me initially.

View 29 Picture 3) View from bridge towards Sheepcote Street
View29Picture3.jpg

For those still not sure where I am, here is an image from Google Maps with an arrow showing where I was standing and the direction of the photograph.

View 29 Map 1.PNG
 
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This is view 30 and only two pictures in this set. This is View 30 picture 1 and was taken in July 1988.

This picture was taken in King Edwards Road, where the canal goes under the road.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 30 Map 1.JPG

To the left (out of shot) will be built the ICC (International Convention Centre).

Straight ahead, some distance behind these buildings, will be built Brindley Place

To my right (out of shot) will be built the NIA (National Indoor Arena).

In the distance on the right is a canal bridge (black and white). Just below this bridge is a roundabout (the only one on the canal system I believe) called Old Turn Junction. You can see this roundabout in the very first view I posted in this topic.

View 30 Picture 1) View from King Edwards Road looking roughly South
View30Picture1.jpg
 
This is View 30 picture 2 and was taken in March 2010.

The building in the foreground has been renovated (the Malt House pub is behind it).

You can clearly see Brindley Place (and the Sea Life Centre) in the distance.

And although neither can be seen, the ICC is on the left, and the NIA is on the right.

View 30 Picture 2) View from King Edwards Road looking roughly South
View30Picture2.jpg
 
More historic pictures of Brindley Place and Broad Street being redeveloped in the 1980s and 1990s

Getting very near the end now, only 1 more set of photos left to post after this one below.

This is view 31 and only one picture in this set. This is View 31 picture 1 and was taken in December 1989.

This is from Gas Street basin, looking towards Broad St. You can see them renovating the buildings in the foreground, with the Convention Centre in the background, and the Hyatt Hotel on the right.

This is almost the same view as View 13 (in fact I wish I had posted it as View 13 Picture 3, although the view is not exactly the same).

View 31 Picture 1) View from Gas Street basin
View31Picture1.jpg

And here is the up to date view taken from Google maps.

Arrow shows where I was standing and what direction I was facing.

View 31 Map 1.JPG
 
I said in my post above, that I only have one View left to post.

But I have to say the view I have left is probably the most amazing "before" and "after" shot I have posted in this whole thread.

In the view I have left to post, the original photograph was taken in 1986, and when I went back to take the "after" shot a few years ago I could not believe it was the same place.

I will post the last two photos tomorrow.

I have saved that view till last so I can go out on a bang, so sorry to string you along, but I want to end with a "big finish".
 
guilbert53 said:
I said in my post above, that I only have one View left to post.

But I have to say the view I have left is probably the most amazing "before" and "after" shot I have posted in this whole thread.

In the view I have left to post, the original photograph was taken in 1986, and when I went back to take the "after" shot a few years ago I could not believe it was the same place.

I will post the last two photos tomorrow.

I have saved that view till last so I can go out on a bang, so sorry to string you along, but I want to end with a "big finish".
Click to expand...
The drum roll is already playing

Bob
 
This is the last "View" in my series

This is view 32 and only two pictures in this set. This is View 32 picture 1 and was taken in November 1986.

This picture was taken in St Vincent Street , looking South, towards Broad Street. For those that don't know where that is, it is at the "back" of the National Indoor Arena, near the Northern end of Sheepcote Street. The four large buildings in the background are all either on, or very near, Broad Street.

In the foreground is where the canal "splits".

The left hand canal goes under Sheepcote Street (you can just see the bridge), then alongside the NIA, and comes out by the Sea Life Centre and Malt House pub. You can see what the canal looks like the OTHER side of Sheepcote Street in View 20.

The right hand canal is the "loop" that comes out further down Sheepcote Street, by the Crescent Theatre and Brindley Place. It then joins up with the other canal in front of the Sea Life Centre (near the roundabout in the middle of the canal). You can see what this canal looks like the OTHER side of Sheepcote Street in View 23.

View 32 Picture 1) View from St Vincent Street looking South
View32Picture1.jpg
 
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This is the last photo in my series of "views", I hope you have all enjoyed my series of before and after photos.

This is View 32 picture 2 and was taken on April 11th 2010.

Look at picture 1 above, what a transformation !

Now you know why I wondered if it was the same place.

You can tell by the position of the canals, the bridge on the right, and you can just see the top of the two large buildings in the distance on Broad Street.

View 32 Picture 2) View from St Vincent Street looking South
View32Picture2.jpg

Here is a view from Google maps showing where I was standing and the direction of the photo

View 32 map 1.JPG
 
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Another NEW photo to show how much the Broad Street area of Birmingham is changing.

Earlier I posted my View 11 from 1987 or 1988 looking West along Broad Street.

Here it is (you can see the Brasshouse on the right waiting to be developed):
BROAD 1.jpg

But just a week ago I went up there again and took this photo below from roughly the same position. Again you can see the Brasshouse on the right.

But you can now see the HUGE building in the distance being built on Broad Street.

This is called The Bank and is the tallest apartment block in Birmingham
BROAD 2.JPG

For those that are not sure where it is see this small image below.

The red arrow shows where I am standing and which direction I am pointing for the photo (looking West along Broad Street).

The blue arrow shows where the building is, on that small plot in the middle of the road.

It is where Broad St meets Sheepcote Street and Oozels Street. It is right next to the Novotel hotel.
BROAD 3.JPG
 
guilbert53 that was, and remains, a mammoth undertaking .... and, poetically, one that records another one!

The regeneration of the individual canalside areas and the emergence of the greater Brindley Place scheme as they all connected was I think never really appreciated because of the out-of-the-way nature of the location running back from behind the frontages of Broad Street. That very impressive reality however, and the scope of what actually had to be achieved for it all to happen, is magnificently presented in your excellent archive! One mahoosive "Appreciate" for that.

Plus as a bonus, in a couple of the "before" photos I can easily see my old office window in Bush House, a building built to a setback line to accommodate a road widening scheme that never materialised, that in the Summer months particularly led to a running battle with the tyre-fitting place on the opposite corner of Cumberland St that had Radio One on vol 11 for the whole day, and that I thought had neither style nor merit at the time but now when I pass the hotel that replaced it ...

TQ
 
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