Kardomah

[pjmburns]

No idea if it is real or not but overhead shots from Google look like chimneys to me.

 

[DavidGrain]

Based on the age of the building I would say that it was real but had probably been boarded up for many years. If the shop is now empty it is likely that the boards might have been removed to find out what was behind.

 

[Richard Dye]

I used to go to the one near Snow Hill Station……..

The bus from Handsworth would stop at the top of the hill. We would meet there mid afternoon on Saturday and decide which pubs/clubs we were going to. I would get back on the bus sometime after mid night if they were still running!

 

[Williamstreeter]

I along with quite a few young ladies and gents used th KD in New St , that was where you made your plan of action for the weekend over a coffe maybe a sarnie Saturday afternnon , good old days

 

[Williamstreeter]

I also went to the La Boheme, in fact it was Alberta's sister in Law Valerie who first took me there around 1963/4. If I remember right it had a red fluorescent sign and was not far from the Mail & Dispatch offices at the bottom end of Corporation St .

Chris

Just noticed this post , it must have been later than you say I worked on the P&M and to my knowledge it must have opened about 65/66 because I started work on that site in 1964

 

[Williamstreeter]

Hi, we are trying to find out if anyone remembers there being a mosaic wall in the Kardomah cafe on New Street and if so if anyone has any further information as to who designed it etc. would love to hear from anyone who has any memories! Thank you in advance!

I seem to remember tiles on the wall , I couyldn't say whether or not it was a mosaic or not

 

[Vivienne14]

I’d always associated the Kardomah with coffee. But it seems to have sold teas since 1845. Also the New Street address was an ‘exhibition’ depot - exhibition of what, coffee and teas ? Viv.

 

[Williamstreeter]

I’d always associated the Kardomah with coffee. But it seems to have sold teas since 1845. Also the New Street address was an ‘exhibition’ depot - exhibition of what, coffee and teas ? Viv.

Vivienne an exhibition of fine clothes of mens suits leisure wear etc . Plus not firgetting the young ladies wear , if you'd strolled past the KD Saturday pm you would certainly have seen some tasty clothes if not people

 

[Vivienne14]

And there was a ‘mosaic room’ on the first floor of the New Street branch in 1906. So there probably was a wall mosaic. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

viv
Don't know whether there are still Kardomah teas, but there certainly were when it was bought by Cadbury Schweppes in around 1970. When the food division was later split off to make Premier Brands , this included Kardomah.

 

[Lorenzo]

I seem to remember tiles on the wall , I couyldn't say whether or not it was a mosaic or not

More info here https://ruthmillington.co.uk/surrea...AMwJmbAVisJw1ucZnaUYXCYXybFpjpmm1kXNdDJvt-2KM

 

[A Sparks]

Beautiful mosaic!
Well done the new shop tenants for making a feature of it.

 

[Vivienne14]

Welcome Lorenzo. Thanks for posting the info about the mosaic. I agree with ASparks - beautiful ! The fact that it had been covered over has probably helped to save it. Looks to be in good condition.

Maybe some of our members can help to uncover a bit more about the mosaic ? I know some of our members would have visited the premises when it was the Kardomah. So fingers crossed we find out more.

Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

My post #99 shows an advert for the ‘New Mosaic Room’ in 1906. So presumably the mosaic dates to that time. Also, the advert in post #97 (also dated 1906) describes the Kardomah as an ‘Exhibition Depot and Cafe” Not entirely clear as to what that actually meant. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

When the premises were used as a “Shoppers Shop” in 1976, the Council was well aware of the mosaic on the wall. So it must have beeen covered over after that time. This cutting is from the Birmingham Daily Post (British Newspaper Archive). Viv.

 

[Lorenzo]

My post #99 shows an advert for the ‘New Mosaic Room’ in 1906. So presumably the mosaic dates to that time. Also, the advert in post #97 (also dated 1906) describes the Kardomah as an ‘Exhibition Depot and Cafe” Not entirely clear as to what that actually meant. Viv.

Hi, The Art Nouveau style would support this date. The listing information also mentions the possible existence of earlier interior decoration behind contemporary fittings. Would be nice to see it.

 

[Jason Ellis]

I believe the Kardomah in New Street was owned by the brothers Tony and Phil Woodward during the 1960s. I also believe that one of them was a DJ. If anybody has any information about Anthony Woodward or Philip Woodward I would be delighted her hear about it.
Jason

 

[CTG]

Thank you so much for the information. I worked at Charles Tyrwhitt in New Street for some time and regularly wondered the history behind the beautiful mosaic wall. The Kardomah sounds like a wonderful place. I’ve attached some photos of the wall recently, maybe it’ll bring back some memories for some people. We contacted Ruth Millington in hope to find out more information about the mosaics history. You can call past the shop and see the wall anytime.

 

[Vivienne14]

Thank you so much for posting the photos CTG. Lovely to see the mosaic so well maintained. And a great piece of mosaic and retail history. Viv.

 

[A Sparks]

Beautiful mosaic walls!

 

[Villa-man]

I along with quite a few young ladies and gents used th KD in New St , that was where you made your plan of action for the weekend over a coffe maybe a sarnie Saturday afternnon , good old days

There were two Kardomah's. The photo in #73 of the one in Colmore Row, and the other was in New Street. It was a big part of social life in the late 50's as JennyAnn says.

used the KD a lot in the early 60’s…...I was a good friend of David Davies,brother of Mandy Rice-Davis…..met her with Dave once in the cafe during our lunch break,shortly after the ‘scandal’.…created quite a stir…..two young mods sitting with Mandy. Barry Hart

 

[poolpit]

The Kardomah Cafes on Colmore Row adjacent to the GW Arcade and the one on the corner of Cannon Street both became Pizza Huts in the late eighties / nineties.

 

[paul stacey]

poolpit, so sad!!!

 

[Richard Dye]

The Kardomah Cafes on Colmore Row adjacent to the GW Arcade and the one on the corner of Cannon Street both became Pizza Huts in the late eighties / nineties.

Was that a case that they never transitioned to a newer format? I used the one next to the GWA frequently and it seemed they had all of the pieces :-(

 

[Bob Davis]

Reading through this thread, I realised that there has to be an outside chance that two or three BHF members were sat in there, possibly next to each other, not knowing each other on the same day. My friends and I regularly met there Fridays and Saturdays to plan our weekends etc (dancing drinking (other than coffee) cinema, big band at the Town hall). The options were endless and the coffee expensive. If you were a young lady bouffant skirt etc, looking seductive and felt you were being ogled, let me apologise now in case it was me
Bob

 

[Richard Dye]

Reading through this thread, I realised that there has to be an outside chance that two or three BHF members were sat in there, possibly next to each other, not knowing each other on the same day. My friends and I regularly met there Fridays and Saturdays to plan our weekends etc (dancing drinking (other than coffee) cinema, big band at the Town hall). The options were endless and the coffee expensive. If you were a young lady bouffant skirt etc, looking seductive and felt you were being ogled, let me apologise now in case it was me
Bob

Great points Bob, we did ours on a Saturday on all counts. And I thought I was discrete with my ogling! Very well said!

 

[paul stacey]

When we were young, and not that well off, The kardomha, was very posh, and in your Jacksons, Italian suite, and winkle pickers , lots of Brute, you certainly thought you were, ogling aside, it was a place for posh birds!!!!

 

[Richard Dye]

When we were young, and not that well off, The kardomha, was very posh, and in your Jacksons, Italian suite, and winkle pickers , lots of Brute, you certainly thought you were, ogling aside, it was a place for posh birds!!!!

Winkle pickers, there is a blast from the past! My uncle who was a sheep and dairy farmer in Wales called the barn door shoes as in you could throw the shoes and stick them into the door. I defer to the winkle pickers!

 

[RobT]

Can't see photo on here, here's one taken in 1955

 

[Astoness]

am i correct that this was the KD in new st

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