-
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 -
HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
Gangs of Birmingham
- Thread starter Charlie
- Start date
- Status
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Had the book from Heather as a birthday pressie,,it's brilliant
Just read the book, and agree quite an eye opener! Anyone who thinks it is worse today should read.
All the best Peter
the smiths
master brummie
From the Sloggers to the Peaky Blinders The Gangs of Birmingham by Philip Gooderson.
Just read this book and would like to pass it on, would it be possible to send it to the next meet up if some-one would like it.
Its a brilliant read just could not put it down. Now I must get some jobs done.
Kind Regards Viv..............
Just read this book and would like to pass it on, would it be possible to send it to the next meet up if some-one would like it.
Its a brilliant read just could not put it down. Now I must get some jobs done.
Kind Regards Viv..............
the smiths
master brummie
Hi Carolina, I live in Bromsgrove and don't drive anymore but thankyou for asking..........
HI PETER;
If you think it was bad in those days your cryteria is wrong ;
because the real gangs are about but you do not hear half the carrying on in brum today but beleive me its out there as been for years some really nasty people and regards magieuk from brookie they was the worsed gangs and armed robbers of the day from hockley when she was growing up the family from generations still get tagged and named by people whom know the familys names
i know them but cannot mention names and one of the big robber and murderer
came from the back to back in brookfields and was one of the first person to be sent to dartmoor from brookie and the forger was burried behind the big wall
just before you reach ridge acre rd many years ago obvisously now his grave as been removed but yes he came from brookie and there was afew bare fist fighters
even today with have cage fighting going on but the notoriuos gangs are out there and there is more dangerous women out there as never before
best wishes Astonian;
If you think it was bad in those days your cryteria is wrong ;
because the real gangs are about but you do not hear half the carrying on in brum today but beleive me its out there as been for years some really nasty people and regards magieuk from brookie they was the worsed gangs and armed robbers of the day from hockley when she was growing up the family from generations still get tagged and named by people whom know the familys names
i know them but cannot mention names and one of the big robber and murderer
came from the back to back in brookfields and was one of the first person to be sent to dartmoor from brookie and the forger was burried behind the big wall
just before you reach ridge acre rd many years ago obvisously now his grave as been removed but yes he came from brookie and there was afew bare fist fighters
even today with have cage fighting going on but the notoriuos gangs are out there and there is more dangerous women out there as never before
best wishes Astonian;
Viv most gratefully passed this book to me and it is an eye-opener. When you have upto 1000 people throwing stones and fighting in Birmingham it is indeed very frightening and there werent as many police to control fights as there are now, but there were some very brave ones at the time - no H&S then! There were racial issues even then, mainly against the irish. Hopefully I will have read it in time for me to bring to the Meet to put in the raffle.
Radiorails
master brummie
I would think, rather like firefighters, that H&S does apply in their places of work (buildings etc) and the equipment they use. But I am sure some exemptions will apply in policing methods.
W
Wendy
Guest
This book will always be special to me as it helped me find my gt grandfathers connection to West Bromwich Albion. A section on early football hooliganism involving snow balls.
hi guys
just going through the threads on here about the gangs of yester years and the police having to tackle the problems
i think they done a great job ; and they still do and they are under pressure and un appreciated by the people of today i think
in the days of peaky blinders my grand father was a servng officier in those days and it was not as half bad as the police have got to deal with today
i also had a cousin whom was a serving police officier in walsall many years back in the sixtys whom got kiled in a police car chase whom they was pursueing
but eventualy they caught the culprits ;
and on that subject ; if anybody recalls the sixtys there was a load of crooks ;and gangs ;
there was at one period during the sixties was named as the pay day gang whom every thursdat and friday would hit and robba security money van with out fail for about 12 months ;every week with out fail they ould hit aq high security van ;and they was known for using the old cortina cars which in its day was a high performance get away car for 12 months every wek they got away with millions but in the end the police started to hit back and eventualy round the gang up and i can tell you they was from the aston and hockley areas of brum where they was all living so in a sence they was like the peaky blinders ; only the name was the cheeky blighter really ;
now the police are dealing with differents crimes and different breed of criminals 9n our society ; and we should commend our police forces across the board
best wishes to every one and i wish you all a merry christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year and remember security is the word protect your home and valuables
at all times ; Astonian;
just going through the threads on here about the gangs of yester years and the police having to tackle the problems
i think they done a great job ; and they still do and they are under pressure and un appreciated by the people of today i think
in the days of peaky blinders my grand father was a servng officier in those days and it was not as half bad as the police have got to deal with today
i also had a cousin whom was a serving police officier in walsall many years back in the sixtys whom got kiled in a police car chase whom they was pursueing
but eventualy they caught the culprits ;
and on that subject ; if anybody recalls the sixtys there was a load of crooks ;and gangs ;
there was at one period during the sixties was named as the pay day gang whom every thursdat and friday would hit and robba security money van with out fail for about 12 months ;every week with out fail they ould hit aq high security van ;and they was known for using the old cortina cars which in its day was a high performance get away car for 12 months every wek they got away with millions but in the end the police started to hit back and eventualy round the gang up and i can tell you they was from the aston and hockley areas of brum where they was all living so in a sence they was like the peaky blinders ; only the name was the cheeky blighter really ;
now the police are dealing with differents crimes and different breed of criminals 9n our society ; and we should commend our police forces across the board
best wishes to every one and i wish you all a merry christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year and remember security is the word protect your home and valuables
at all times ; Astonian;
Paul Walton
master brummie
A story recounted, by my grandmother, around the Sunday dinner table many years ago spoke of one of her antecedents being a bobby in Victorian times, she had a spike from his helmet tucked away in a draw. Anyway back to the plot, his beat was in the Digbeth/Deritend area of town a tad rough in those days. The area back then had two distinctive ethnic groups the Italians and the Irish, there was no love lost between the two communities and one Saturday night he and other constables were called on to break up a confrontation between the two at a pub. The end result was that he was so badly injured in the melee that he was invalided out of the police, no there were bad times for the police even back then it is a myth that things were more law abiding way back when.
hi paul
my story reflects of a story about the days gone bye when my grand parents ran the coffee shop and a bed and breakfast at number 1 new cannal steet
right next door to the hide and skins yard in digbeth in the thirtys and typoo tea factory opersite the dog pub
a fella walked into the shop and digbeth was bad in those days for the police and joe public and digbeth station along the road and a friend of theres was horrace he was the gaoler there and he told my family a host of carrying ons that went on
my grand mother was working in the shop when one day a guy came in to the shop and demanded money my mother was only a young girl at the time but this guy came in
and demanded money from her but because of the persistents of such characters in them days she alway kept a cosh under the counter plus an open pot of pepper
ready for such incidences as i recall the counter was a little high so you could not see excatly what you are doing but emediatelt she grabbed the peper pot
and threw the pepper into his face and then also grabbed her cosh the guy ran out of the shop screaming and never came back ever again to be seen
she also carried the pot of pepper in her hand back as she experience a bag snatch whilst they was on holiday in black pool with wee george wood and sandy powell
she reached for her pepper pot and he got it off he went so you say there was unsavoure characters around in those days the police used have to tackle
as you may have heard or read of some parts that my family was that part of the society in one or more shape or forms
and as growing up in aston as a whipper snapper my mother used to tell us about our father whom ran the golden cross and the surrounding pubs hat some satur nights and friday nights was fight night and he would stop fights by what ever means and he would see one or wanother about to throw a glass he would tak it off them or if there was a fight mom would say on sunday morning your dad knocked out a couple of teddy boys and piled them in the corner and wait for the black mira to come and take them to steel house lane as because they knew whom my dad was and what he was capable off would walk in when its all been sorted they would say thanks bill and dragged them into the van;so he really saved them the trouble of fighting the gangs but some times the police would have had to do it themselves best wishes Astonian;;
my story reflects of a story about the days gone bye when my grand parents ran the coffee shop and a bed and breakfast at number 1 new cannal steet
right next door to the hide and skins yard in digbeth in the thirtys and typoo tea factory opersite the dog pub
a fella walked into the shop and digbeth was bad in those days for the police and joe public and digbeth station along the road and a friend of theres was horrace he was the gaoler there and he told my family a host of carrying ons that went on
my grand mother was working in the shop when one day a guy came in to the shop and demanded money my mother was only a young girl at the time but this guy came in
and demanded money from her but because of the persistents of such characters in them days she alway kept a cosh under the counter plus an open pot of pepper
ready for such incidences as i recall the counter was a little high so you could not see excatly what you are doing but emediatelt she grabbed the peper pot
and threw the pepper into his face and then also grabbed her cosh the guy ran out of the shop screaming and never came back ever again to be seen
she also carried the pot of pepper in her hand back as she experience a bag snatch whilst they was on holiday in black pool with wee george wood and sandy powell
she reached for her pepper pot and he got it off he went so you say there was unsavoure characters around in those days the police used have to tackle
as you may have heard or read of some parts that my family was that part of the society in one or more shape or forms
and as growing up in aston as a whipper snapper my mother used to tell us about our father whom ran the golden cross and the surrounding pubs hat some satur nights and friday nights was fight night and he would stop fights by what ever means and he would see one or wanother about to throw a glass he would tak it off them or if there was a fight mom would say on sunday morning your dad knocked out a couple of teddy boys and piled them in the corner and wait for the black mira to come and take them to steel house lane as because they knew whom my dad was and what he was capable off would walk in when its all been sorted they would say thanks bill and dragged them into the van;so he really saved them the trouble of fighting the gangs but some times the police would have had to do it themselves best wishes Astonian;;
Hi guys
I know the threads of peaky blinders as finished hear on the forum but I thought I would like to say about the choosing of the prospect males
That was mentioniond the other week for the film actors of the younger generation in digbeth and how they chose the kids for the. Ext episode
And the auditions choice was chosen for the next parts to come
My grandson Thomas went down to that audition in digbeth the other week and he came back disappointed because they WOrked the audition was
They all had to form a single file and go into this room and was met by a couple of people and all they had to do was walk through a room and shake a persons
Hand whom was doing the interviews and say there name at the same time of shaking hands and carry on through
Tom said they picked all the rough looking kids for the parts of the younger generation whom spoke with the gravile tone in there voice our. Tom is a posh sort of kid
Speaks with gram our so unless you had the brummie accent as well you never got chosen my daughter said they will be looking for the older guys in the autumn
And said you should go down when it comes around I thought I would just let people know how it went for the brummie kids to get the part
So our. Brummie accents can stand you in good stead after all best wishes astonian
I know the threads of peaky blinders as finished hear on the forum but I thought I would like to say about the choosing of the prospect males
That was mentioniond the other week for the film actors of the younger generation in digbeth and how they chose the kids for the. Ext episode
And the auditions choice was chosen for the next parts to come
My grandson Thomas went down to that audition in digbeth the other week and he came back disappointed because they WOrked the audition was
They all had to form a single file and go into this room and was met by a couple of people and all they had to do was walk through a room and shake a persons
Hand whom was doing the interviews and say there name at the same time of shaking hands and carry on through
Tom said they picked all the rough looking kids for the parts of the younger generation whom spoke with the gravile tone in there voice our. Tom is a posh sort of kid
Speaks with gram our so unless you had the brummie accent as well you never got chosen my daughter said they will be looking for the older guys in the autumn
And said you should go down when it comes around I thought I would just let people know how it went for the brummie kids to get the part
So our. Brummie accents can stand you in good stead after all best wishes astonian
Is it still possible to post here? My grandmother used to tell me about the Peaky Blinders as she lived beside the canal at Lock House, Bowyer Street, Bordesley from 1888 until 1914, when she was married and moved to Yardley. Lock House was a tied cottage owned by canal carriers, Fellows, Morton and Clayton.
My great grandfather, Arthur Bracebridge, was the lock keeper and linesman from 1888 until he died aged 58 in 1918. He came from Barford, joined the Army at age 18 and spent six years in Calcutta. On his return he became the village Bobby in Newbold, Rugby, but was fired for feeding his pigs in the Queen's uniform. He then became the Bowyer Street Lock Keeper. With his wife, Fanny, he raised four children there: Ethel, Nellie, George and Beatrice.
When Arthur was away one night attending to his line of the canal, Peaky Blinders came to the house with the intention of having their wicked way with his wife, Fanny. Apparently, Fanny was not a woman to take it lying down. She made the children squat behind a wall, fired both barrels of a shotgun through a window and then set the dog on them.
One thing that bothers me is that my grandmother and many other people have said that the Peaky Blinders had razors in the peaks of their caps but Professor Chinn says it is unlikely that they did. His evidence seems to be that the story first appeared in a book written in 1977. My grandmother could not have got the story from that book as she died in 1974.
Another story she told was that the Watch Committee appointed an Irish chief constable who brought six-foot Irishmen to clean up the gangs. She said constables walked their beat in twos and carried an arm and a leg each of an arrested man and bounced his face on the pavement on the way to the police station. She said the chief constable's name was Rafferty but I have read and heard nothing to confirm this.
I would be interested to learn more, if any member has any information on these topics.
My great grandfather, Arthur Bracebridge, was the lock keeper and linesman from 1888 until he died aged 58 in 1918. He came from Barford, joined the Army at age 18 and spent six years in Calcutta. On his return he became the village Bobby in Newbold, Rugby, but was fired for feeding his pigs in the Queen's uniform. He then became the Bowyer Street Lock Keeper. With his wife, Fanny, he raised four children there: Ethel, Nellie, George and Beatrice.
When Arthur was away one night attending to his line of the canal, Peaky Blinders came to the house with the intention of having their wicked way with his wife, Fanny. Apparently, Fanny was not a woman to take it lying down. She made the children squat behind a wall, fired both barrels of a shotgun through a window and then set the dog on them.
One thing that bothers me is that my grandmother and many other people have said that the Peaky Blinders had razors in the peaks of their caps but Professor Chinn says it is unlikely that they did. His evidence seems to be that the story first appeared in a book written in 1977. My grandmother could not have got the story from that book as she died in 1974.
Another story she told was that the Watch Committee appointed an Irish chief constable who brought six-foot Irishmen to clean up the gangs. She said constables walked their beat in twos and carried an arm and a leg each of an arrested man and bounced his face on the pavement on the way to the police station. She said the chief constable's name was Rafferty but I have read and heard nothing to confirm this.
I would be interested to learn more, if any member has any information on these topics.
B
BernardR
Guest
Hi Downard - yes you certainly can and should post here it is still the best resource for local history.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
Last edited by a moderator:
Paul Walton
master brummie
Crikey 36 years service as Chief Constable, they only seem to last five minutes nowadays
Hi downward
Just reading your thread and I found it intresting in what you was saying about the peakys the peakys of summer lane copyed the true gangs
Of London era of gang lands in London long before the krays mob formed and grew up
This particular gang of a family grew up in there days of the early years of summer lane when there was summer lane of yester. Years
And believe me they was a rough and took villains born and bred in summer lane of Aston, villains of alsorts burgalars arm robbers
Safe blowers bank robbers also from notorious villains the peaky blinders did wear the razors in there caps way back in there time
And no it was not a myth despite Carl saying it never was believe me or not as I also recall the story's of these guys from various sources
And knowing of such old gangesters of yest years whom of today we call them the god fathers of our time
There is such people alive today whom are still within our society at a very old age whom if you spoke to they would confirm it to you
What that it was a fact no disrespect to Carl as he his very knowledgable from peoples stories and a certain amount of studying
But unless you came from that side of the fence if you get my drift you would know what I mean you would not believe it
Unless you met these old guys but I also got the stories from my parents and grand parents when I was young in and and thast era my great grand father
Tan a coffee shop down that era down on summert lane where he always had a huge joint of meat cooking in the widow of the shop
On summer lane and they knew these bad people and the familys they knew viryualyeverybody around the Aston Area
Espeacialy summer lane because they was involved with the law and my one grand father was a copper as well in the 1800 deadly 1900 s
And of course a guy named horriss whom was the gaoler at steel house lane and of digbeth police station at the times
And senior top bras used to come to there house and party and they would have told stories of the villains
My mother used to listen and hear them so my mother learnt alot of the gangs storys and when I was growing up and the days of the Teddy boys
And nasty they could be and such gang of the king standing teddy boys and gang fights and how they rough with the solid bed
Springs they used to fight other gangs with
On the subject of the chiefs bringing over an Irishman is also true because if you read the very early books of
The forming of the police which I wrote quite area years back they was lazy and some times drunk couldn't be bothered
And the gangs in the 1800 s and the early 1900 s was rife and yes it was true he cleared the streets of Aston
I could give you the names of these well known family's of those days but I am not aloud to do so on here
I could also tell you where to find the odd one or two whom are now aged and sit alone in one or two pubs around brum
Whom would talk about those early days it makes me smile when I she there sdibbling trying to re,enact there parents of there days
And they try and live of the fathers name and one more part of your question you said was it true they walked in twos
Yes that's true but they never carried a leg or arm around with them there truncheons was always ready if not drawn
And yes in those days they was wicked they stood no messing believe and knocked them about a lot in the street or at the station,
It was the practice at most police stations but up until the late fifties it was stopped alledgely
And in thou,s days coppers was big guys
Best wishes Astonian,,,,,,,
Just reading your thread and I found it intresting in what you was saying about the peakys the peakys of summer lane copyed the true gangs
Of London era of gang lands in London long before the krays mob formed and grew up
This particular gang of a family grew up in there days of the early years of summer lane when there was summer lane of yester. Years
And believe me they was a rough and took villains born and bred in summer lane of Aston, villains of alsorts burgalars arm robbers
Safe blowers bank robbers also from notorious villains the peaky blinders did wear the razors in there caps way back in there time
And no it was not a myth despite Carl saying it never was believe me or not as I also recall the story's of these guys from various sources
And knowing of such old gangesters of yest years whom of today we call them the god fathers of our time
There is such people alive today whom are still within our society at a very old age whom if you spoke to they would confirm it to you
What that it was a fact no disrespect to Carl as he his very knowledgable from peoples stories and a certain amount of studying
But unless you came from that side of the fence if you get my drift you would know what I mean you would not believe it
Unless you met these old guys but I also got the stories from my parents and grand parents when I was young in and and thast era my great grand father
Tan a coffee shop down that era down on summert lane where he always had a huge joint of meat cooking in the widow of the shop
On summer lane and they knew these bad people and the familys they knew viryualyeverybody around the Aston Area
Espeacialy summer lane because they was involved with the law and my one grand father was a copper as well in the 1800 deadly 1900 s
And of course a guy named horriss whom was the gaoler at steel house lane and of digbeth police station at the times
And senior top bras used to come to there house and party and they would have told stories of the villains
My mother used to listen and hear them so my mother learnt alot of the gangs storys and when I was growing up and the days of the Teddy boys
And nasty they could be and such gang of the king standing teddy boys and gang fights and how they rough with the solid bed
Springs they used to fight other gangs with
On the subject of the chiefs bringing over an Irishman is also true because if you read the very early books of
The forming of the police which I wrote quite area years back they was lazy and some times drunk couldn't be bothered
And the gangs in the 1800 s and the early 1900 s was rife and yes it was true he cleared the streets of Aston
I could give you the names of these well known family's of those days but I am not aloud to do so on here
I could also tell you where to find the odd one or two whom are now aged and sit alone in one or two pubs around brum
Whom would talk about those early days it makes me smile when I she there sdibbling trying to re,enact there parents of there days
And they try and live of the fathers name and one more part of your question you said was it true they walked in twos
Yes that's true but they never carried a leg or arm around with them there truncheons was always ready if not drawn
And yes in those days they was wicked they stood no messing believe and knocked them about a lot in the street or at the station,
It was the practice at most police stations but up until the late fifties it was stopped alledgely
And in thou,s days coppers was big guys
Best wishes Astonian,,,,,,,
mojorisin21
knowlegable brummie
Astonian, I can assure you, that you do not know the real story, Believe me, you are so far off the mark, It's untrue!
Yes they have.more opportuntuitys now days to progress and plus the divions are being cut and moved around and
Partly its the cuts like most business and the army fresh blood lines needed just like the fire brigade ageisam
At sixty they cannot carry another person up a ladde and out of afire building
Its youth today needed and knew tecnic for fighting the our days of crime new type of crimes now and it involves technology
To fight back gone are the days of speaker blighters my friend best wishes Astonian,,,,,',
Partly its the cuts like most business and the army fresh blood lines needed just like the fire brigade ageisam
At sixty they cannot carry another person up a ladde and out of afire building
Its youth today needed and knew tecnic for fighting the our days of crime new type of crimes now and it involves technology
To fight back gone are the days of speaker blighters my friend best wishes Astonian,,,,,',
- Status
