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Icknield Street Alert!

Yes Pedrico, i saw the stopper company, but if you look to the top of the 1890 map that is superimposed, it shows where the "patent stopper works" was, further up. The name "Graham house" sounded , to me, more like a private residence, and i had thought it might be the set-back building with trees in front shown on the c 1889 map in post 329. that is only a supposition though. Unfortunately the house is not numbered (a not uncommon occurrence around then when a building had a name). going along from thepost office (half visible at the very bottom of the map in post 329, it would seem likely that the number of the building would be 102. This could make Graham House the building, though the next number listed to the north is 66, so it could be a range of numbers.
In the 1888 Kellys directory nos 102-103 are listed as Thomas Proud , gas engineer. . In 1871 he had been at 3 Unett St, and from the advert below (birm. Post 13.7.1872) was something to do with the Willenhall gas Co. As his daughter is recoded as being born at the site, it lookd like he lived there also.

I think this is the most likely candidate for the building, though i would like a little more evidence to confirm it. Incidently the building does have a certain similarity to the retort house in gas st, where the first Birminghsm gas works were (see https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Ga...oid=u8Jnye_W2nOzOqIMAyxGWA&cbp=12,172.54,,0,0 )



BP_13_7_1872.jpg


B_P_142C42C1879.jpg
 
Having grown up in the street off Carver St., I do remember this building, but it was on the corner of Icknield St and Warstone Lane and not Carver St. The buildings opposite was Stoddards Pork Butchers, where my dad worked.
 
Thanks Maggs. I did not think that Carver St went up that far and the directories don't give that impression, but many of the maps are either not clear , or, in the case of google maps, show Carver St going up to the corner.
 
Thanks mike - I think its odd there's not many photo's of this corner and building - Where would i go to find such photo's?
 
mikejee said:
Thanks Maggs. I did not think that Carver St went up that far and the directories don't give that impression, but many of the maps are either not clear , or, in the case of google maps, show Carver St going up to the corner.
Click to expand...

neither did i mike but i didnt want to say too much because as you know my thing is taking and collecting old photos..thanks for your imput mike and also maggs i was hoping you would see this thread..

pedrico its of no surprise to me that you are struggling to find a pic of that perticular corner which was only one of many thousands of corners in birmingham....what we have to remember is that back in the 50s and indeed the 60s prior to a lot of slum clearances of ickneild and surrounding streets not many folk could afford a camera and those that could used them mainly to take family photos so we have to rely on the odd professional photographer going round taking them and then publishing them in books...the only thing i can suggest that you do is when the new library opens you go to the archives section and ask them to look in birmingham city councils public works dept section as the council went round most streets prior to demolision taking photographs..you maybe lucky and find one of that corner..hope this is of help to you as i have found many a sought after photo that way but you do have to be lucky as well..

lyn
 
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Astoness said:
neither did i mike but i didnt want to say too much because as you know my thing is taking and collecting old photos..thanks for your imput mike and also maggs i was hoping you would see this thread..

pedrico its of no surprise to me that you are struggling to find a pic of that perticular corner which was only one of many thousands of corners in birmingham....what we have to remember is that back in the 50s and indeed the 60s prior to a lot of slum clearances of ickneild and surrounding streets not many folk could afford a camera and those that could used them mainly to take family photos so we have to rely on the odd professional photographer going round taking them and then publishing them in books...the only thing i can suggest that you do is when the new library opens you go to the archives section and ask them to look in birmingham city councils public works dept section as the council went round most streets prior to demolision taking photographs..you maybe lucky and find one of that corner..hope this is of help to you as i have found many a sought after photo that way but you do have to be lucky as well..

lyn
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Many thanks - i shall await with much an itchy foot - although i will keep digging if anyone wishes to join me. Great to see such knowledge and intrigue still exists. many thanks pete
 
happy to help pete..forgot to add to look through any books that hold images of brum as you never know..you will also need a CARN card to view any photographs the library has so take ID with you..if you do find one taken by the public works dept you should be ok getting permission to either take a pic of it with your camera or for a fee the library will run a copy off for you..if any photos are taken by a member of the public and it is less than 100 years old you will be allowed to look at it but it could be bound by copyrite in which case as ive found out many times you will be refused in taking a pic of it or having a copy done..if i do come across that corner in my travels i will of course post it for you..

lyn
 
I passed that building on my last walk around the Jewellery Quarter. No idea what it was originally, but I wish you all the very best for the restoration.
 
Thanks for putting the maps on with reference to the building on the corner of Icknield St and Warstone Lane Mike. I lived in Moreton Street, which is just on the map, it's on the left going up Carver St. It shows the houses as they were when I lived there, and I always suspected that ,although a lot of the houses in that street were back to backs, the one I lived in, wasn't. I remembered a tiny window, very high up, in the teeny little scullery place, and often thought that there couldn't have been a little window if we were back to back. I was so pleased to see the map you put on, which has confirmed my thought.
 
Maggs
I note that Moreton st wasn't on the larger scale map, so here it is on th ec 1889 large scale map

map_c_1889_moreton_st.jpg
 
Hello Mike, I have only just seen the map of Moreton St on here. As I mentioned to you before this is the street I grew up in, and didn't realize, until I saw your map, that the actual house I lived in wasn't a back to back after all. At the time I lived in this street there were no houses on the opposite side of the street, so this map is very interesting to me. I lived in the house which just has the p (where maps is written). Thank you for this, although I know I am a bit late responding.
 
Lyn, What a smashing pic of Wimbush's. I remember going to school down Camden St and having Wimbush's Apple Charlottes. However on the caption is says the address is Aston, well it was never Aston this end of Icknield St. I wonder where thay idea came from?
 
hi maggs its a good job i recognised that chimney stack in the distance because i then knew that it was icknield st...you wouldnt believe the amount of wrong locations we get on photos..happens a lot..it should as you know say hockley well i think its hockley no actually its brookfields lol....glad you like it maggs..

lyn
 
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Lyn, This location thing is interesting, because I never remember having Hockley or Brookfields on our address in Moreton St. What we had was St Pauls Birmingham 1. I worked at Bulpitts and on the office stationery there was no mention of these locations either. Odd isn't it?
 
maggs said:
Lyn, This location thing is interesting, because I never remember having Hockley or Brookfields on our address in Moreton St. What we had was St Pauls Birmingham 1. I worked at Bulpitts and on the office stationery there was no mention of these locations either. Odd isn't it?
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hi maggs yes it is odd but i cant offer up any explantation on this one..maybe some of our other members can help

lyn
 
I lived in 3/217 Icknield Street, right opposite the Mint. My Dad worked there nearly all his life and used to drive a fork lift truck up and down Icknield Street from one mill to another. Happy days.
 
Hi Moneypenny
Was you up the terrace with either the Luckman ,or overcraft family and the little off licence on your left hand side of you coming out of the terrace
By a couple of houses on the front facing the mint I went to school with Micky hovercraft when we was kids at st Marys in the avenue
In Aston , and the luckmans at ickneild street along with bufferys whom had the second hand shops just along the way
And they had three shops there grand mother had the third shop walking down from ingestion street heading towards the Hockley
Brook these meaning the little off licence that directly oppersite the mint gates a Mrs Cowley worked at the mint
And her son went to steward street namely Robert a big tall kid he was for his age
Such memories of the old area did you ever remember a shooting at the corner cafe oppersite the mint pub
Where the gaffer was shot at in later years it was called the volcano at this period
And yes maggs I recall the spoon player at the war stone spent a lot of money there and the gate our special was the grotto in Camden street
Always had a nice welcome and a lovely fire burning in the winter to summer great people ran it and great people used it
Best wishes and a merry Christmas to you all and a happy and healthy and prosperous new year to every body Astonian,,,,,Alan,,,,,,
 
hi moneypenny
my brother inlaw lived at no 2/ 217 icknield street i was good friends with is sister and she married
the lad who live at no 5/221
 
I am attaching a photo of Birmingham Mint in Icknield Street on behalf of Maggs
 

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  • Birmingham Mint.jpg
    Birmingham Mint.jpg
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Glad you liked it Lyn. I couldn't find a way to send it myself as it was in my gallery not my usual photo area. Judy was good enough to help out.
 
My late brother worked at the mint. He was a machine tool fitter by trade and obviously kept vital equipment working.
 
Hi Folks.

I visited the Birmingham Mint whilst an apprentice at GEC it was like going back to the dark ages.
We were told the vaults housing the bars of silver for coin making was held underneath the cemetery grounds adjacent to the mint, at this time only Commonwealth countries coinage was produce.
Copper tube was manufacture including pressure test very impressive.
The main mill house had a huge Double Helicon Gear Wheel made from sections of Oak and bolted together, it was about 27 feet in diameter and drove 4 rolling mills
We were given a Churchhill presentation in a box it was made to give to Banking Managers, I've still got it somewhere.
Was the large Wheel preserved any where it was wonderful piece of engineering, no body's got picture of have they
Regards Ray
 
thanks ray...nice post and i have learnt something new about the mint today....:)

lyn
 
mikejee said:
Zippy
As you say, your terrace has long gone. But attached are two photographs taken around 1970-72 of Icknield st either side of no 257, after 257 had been demolished.They were not taken at the same time however. In the first (Icknield st approaching lodge rd) I estimate the building farthest to the left is no 259. This is by examining this and an adjoining photo of the junction and counting house numbers. The second shows Gee(Birmingham ) Ltd and buildings either side. Gees are listed as being 249-252, which I estimate are the two centre blocks (with signs "Gee" and "Icknield works"). This makes the building farthest right to be no 253.
Hope that is useful
mike


20A__Icknield_St_approaching_Lodge_Rd~0.j


16A__249-252_Icknield_St.jpg
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The house to the right of Gee's is 248, it was my Nan's house, I was born there in 1952, she live there till she passed away 16/09/68
 
Just read through this thread from page one and have enjoyed reading all the postings. Hope to see Lyn's original photos that were posted in 2008 when the website is fully restored. Has a photo of the shops directly opposite the toilets ( between New Spring St & Hingeston St ) ever been posted? I lived above the laundry when I first came to Birmingham in 1952 and would love to refresh my memory of it.
 
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