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Delving Round Digbeth

fatmark said:
Fascinating trip, Peter. Thanks so much. I have to agree that there is much of interest in this part of town. I've attached some that caught my eye when I was walking around the city taking pictures for my book way back in April 2006.

First one is a very ornate gents (closed of course) where the railway line to Moor Street passes over Allison Street. Second are some nice old houses on Bordesley Steet. Third and final is an old street sign close to the junction of New Canal Street and Curzon Street.

I wonder if they're all still there? Two years is a long time when it comes to redevelopments around the city - especially with EastSide going on!


Fat Mark
Click to expand...

Mark, you may be pleased to know that the Nuneaton sign is still in place, albeit rather more faded than when shown in your photo.

Not surprising, really. It's made from a bit of 18mm plywood screwed to a frame made from cheap slotted steel angle and attached to the post with Jubillee Clips. It's lasting well for a lash-up!

Strangely, I find myself quite fond of it, I always support the underdog!

Ian
 
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These five images are from the Nostalgia page in todays Mercury.
 
I am researching a book involving this area of Birmingham, looking for Orwell Passage, sadly now part of a demolished site.
I also looked for Scotland Passage and unless I missed something, this is long since gone.
The umbrella factory on Allison Street is now residential and rather smart. The row of terraced houses in Bordesley Street is still there as is the shuttered Fox and Grapes, although this may auger well for the future because it has not been demolished. The area around the left side of Digbeth and into Allison Street still shows the boundaries of some of the burg age plots. The railway arches through which Allison Street passes and the associated honey comb of arches that support the viaduct to the left, now used as car parking are truly magnificent.
It was good to see the story of your walk. My son lives in Hackney, meet me there one day and we will have a walk together, but read Iain Sinclair's book first, Hackney, that rose red empire, it inspired me to get into writing and examine not only the history but the social implications as well.
 
I have just found this thread, when I typed Oxford Street into the search engine - moms paternal family lived there - and what a great article to be treasured! I now have a much better idea of where they lived, and have realised that I often parked there when picking up mom and dad from Digbeth.
Sue
 
Thanks to Mikejee I have been able to replace all of Peter Walkers original photos to this thread, thankfully Mike had the forethought to save them all. So I have been able to replace them without the usual "replacement" tag because there is no doubt that they are the originals.
 
How we miss Peter, I have been down memory lane with him again.
If you haven't already, these posts are well worth reading.
 
Great guy, met him often when he came to our pub in Brighton,afraid Digbeth now is one of the few remaining areas of old Brum left.
 
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