• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Corporation Square Market

P

Pete A

New Member
Hello all, long time lurker - first time poster.
My family used to rent a market stall here in the 70s. My dad was a friend of a guy called Mickey or Mick Green, who owned the market. The story goes that my dad saved Mickey from a beating one time…

My dad passed away in the 80s. I had reason to visit the area for the first time in many years recently. It’s now called ‘priory square’ I think - or possibly just the square. All the old market stalls are gone of course…just a big empty space.

Just wondering if anyone knows what happened to the owners - or even the old market manager who was known as ‘Batman’ (no idea what his real name was).

Would have been a good one for Astonian I suspect! RIP.
 
I knew Mick Green as I had a Saturday job at their market shop on the Soho Road in the mid/late 60's - of course he was Mr Green to me then! His partner in the business was Mr Newport (Dave). They also ran the Newsagents and Stationers on the corner of Soho Road and Nineveh Road.
They were both really nice guys with very different personalities. I seem to remember they met while doing National Service in Korea.

After I had left I know they had taken over the running of the market in town you mention and David Wells who was the Soho Road manager went to work there too, this was in the 70's.

I'm afraid I have no idea about what became of Mr Green but I know that Mr Newport passed away some years ago sadly :(
 
Thanks very much for your reply!
Helps to fill in a few gaps.
I expect Mr Green has passed away now too… I hadn’t realised that he might have been of an age to serve in Korea.

David Wells might be the man I knew as ‘Batman’ I guess, as I think the same manager was there from mid 70s to mid 80s at least.

Thanks again.
 
Pete A said:
Thanks very much for your reply!
Helps to fill in a few gaps.
I expect Mr Green has passed away now too… I hadn’t realised that he might have been of an age to serve in Korea.

David Wells might be the man I knew as ‘Batman’ I guess, as I think the same manager was there from mid 70s to mid 80s at least.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Yes, could have been David - although he wasn't that much older than me he was still rather in the 50's era and used to have slicked back hair and wore similar clothes to fit the style!
He was a good salesman though, they used to say he could sell fridges to the Eskimos :laughing:

I do still think about them all sometimes, I have some good memories of working in the shop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top