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Frederick Restall Ltd.

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master brummie
In 1974 Frederick Restall Ltd. (previously trading as Hilton & Restall c.1879) celebrated their 110th anniversary, this company listed as 'house furnishers' was situated in various premises on Great Hampton Street (although prior to this could be found on Gt. Charles Street), in the Kelly's directories:
1884 to 1892 No. 28
1895 to 1899 Nos. 28 & 29
1900 to 1908 Nos. 28 to 30
1912 to 1932 Nos. 28 to 31
1936 to 1967/1968 Nos. 27 to 33
In 1977 the shops were required for a factory extension.

So from humble beginnings in 1884 (or before?) with 1 shop, they gradually expanded along Great Hampton Row until they occupied 7 shops.
 

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john thats a great shot we can even make out the frederick restall name on the building and nice to see the lucas factory as well..i was saying on the ghost signs thread that i now remember restalls from when i worked in the jewellery quarter early 70s and to own a piece of their furniture with the restall label on it you were the bees knees...thanks john

lyn
 
Hey, I am trying to find some photos of the facade of Frederick Restall on Grt Hampton St, I've been through all the threads I can find related to the building, is this the only picture we have?
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. There are numerous newspaper articles showing production, showrooms etc. but not one article showing the frontage but there again I would imagine it was quite difficult to get a good picture of the vast frontage from along a narrow street.
 
Hi thank you! Ah that is a shame, I suppose that is true, would have loved to have seen the old shop front as its getting redeveloped now
 
have you checked out the great hampton street thread there maybe older photos on there but cant be certain
 
Hi

Regarding Great Hampton Street... I'm not quite sure how the numbering system works as I have 2 lots of people living at 2 of 117 Great Hampton Street and yet they are not on the same schedule. Could 117 Great Hampton Street be a block of tenements?

Regards
Alison
 
AMW said:
Hi

Regarding Great Hampton Street... I'm not quite sure how the numbering system works as I have 2 lots of people living at 2 of 117 Great Hampton Street and yet they are not on the same schedule. Could 117 Great Hampton Street be a block of tenements?

Regards
Alison
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What do you mean by the same schedule?
 
Not sure what you mean by 2 of 117. There were back houses/court behind 117 but it wouldn't have been big enough to hold 2 families. No. 117 itself looks to be quite large.

As well as Great Hampton St there was also Great Hampton Row and Hampton St
 
From what I can see all the numbers tally.

John Cleaver married Elizabeth Callow. Her mother was Catherine so probably the same address.

I don't have access to the 1921 census to see anything else. Though related would different 'households' at the same address be listed separately on the 1921 census unlike previously? I think I read that individuals had the opportunity to fill out their own details.

I also see that the 2 children with Catherine are listed as boarders though they appear to be her grandchildren.
 
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Wow you are right about the grandchildren...took me a while to sort it out. It would make sense then that the electoral register shows Callow and Cleaver living at the same address on the electoral register but as far as the census goes they would have 2 different forms to complete.
 
mel.oci said:
Hey, I am trying to find some photos of the facade of Frederick Restall on Grt Hampton St, I've been through all the threads I can find related to the building, is this the only picture we have?
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Hi, I search out and archive old film (I can be found on YT channel "maxustaxus"). I have recently found a short clip of 16mm film from the 1930s of the F Restall shop front in what I think is Great Hamptom St. The film pans from one end to the other over perhaps 10-15seconds, and hence gets it all in. Is this footage of some use...perhaps a short YT video setting out the location, current works and this historical footage might be in order. Just a thought. Please find attached a low res pic of a frame of the film roughly displayed on a film editor.
 

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Ozzie W said:
Hi, I search out and archive old film (I can be found on YT channel "maxustaxus"). I have recently found a short clip of 16mm film from the 1930s of the F Restall shop front in what I think is Great Hamptom St. The film pans from one end to the other over perhaps 10-15seconds, and hence gets it all in. Is this footage of some use...perhaps a short YT video setting out the location, current works and this historical footage might be in order. Just a thought. Please find attached a low res pic of a frame of the film roughly displayed on a film editor.
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hi and welcome...would it be possible to see the footage please..although from that still it does look like it could be gt hampton st

lyn
 
I think we had a Restall sofa. It was Scandanavian style with wooden arms and orange upholstery. This would have been 1960s. But I don't think it was bought from Great Hampton Street. Did they supply to other furniture shops or through catalogues like John Moores or Grattans ?
 
Astoness said:
hi and welcome...would it be possible to see the footage please..although from that still it does look like it could be gt hampton st

lyn
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Hi, thank you for the welcome. Yes it will be possible...but I fear that just at the moment I have not digitised the footage. When I have done this I will pop back with a link. Though as I say, the footage merely pans the frontage. I expect this was probably the owner or a relation, as the rest of this amatuer film is of their holiday in Newquay...and this was the last few feet and they were probably using up a bit of the film not spent during the holiday.
 
Ozzie W said:
Hi, thank you for the welcome. Yes it will be possible...but I fear that just at the moment I have not digitised the footage. When I have done this I will pop back with a link. Though as I say, the footage merely pans the frontage. I expect this was probably the owner or a relation, as the rest of this amatuer film is of their holiday in Newquay...and this was the last few feet and they were probably using up a bit of the film not spent during the holiday.
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ok ozzie thanks...my thought was if the footage showed the names of the shops either side we could look them up in kellys directory to hopefully confirm the location...

lyn
 
A snippet of early history, was a partner W H Hilto, also in GHSt, also once located in Great Charles Street.

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Source : BIFMO Furniture History
 
In 2019 there were plans to develop the site. Probably put on hold during Covid. The plans included keeping the facades, but some demolition was planned too. Some demolition has taken place next door to the building.



www.birminghammail.co.uk

New plans for Jewellery Quarter apartment complex

Developer Blackswan lodges proposals for its third separate project in Great Hampton Street
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
 

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If it goes ahead, the front facades might remain and the shop fronts restored. Source below : Birmingham Live

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The Blue Nile Restaurant site is not the former Restall site. It was next door. There are similarities, but the Restall building has now been demolished. See the Streetview (2012) below, before demolition. It looks like an entrance was created in more recent times at the third window along from the left. This was probably the original entrance in Ozzie's old photo in post #17 but had been reopened in more modern times after Restall had left the site. The B&W photo also shows the building to the immediate left was once a two storey building.
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