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Lost Birmingham Pubs

rowan

rowan

Born a Brummie
This is a list of pubs around the Bull Ring and the licencees.

GRAND TURQ, 34 Bell Street corner of Lease Lane.
Manager;T.F. Fletcher 1924 T.P. Collier. 1944

BLACK SWAN HOTEL, 5, Bromsgrove Street.
Manager; Mrs E.B. Evans.1924 N.F. McCoy. 1944

AUSTRALIAN BAR. 48 Bromsgrove Street.
Not there in 1924 Jn. Rickerby 1944

NEW INN HOTEL.191-192 .Bromsgrove Street.
Manager; H.L. Jeacock 1924 A. Clemm. 1944

CASTLE & FALCON. 109 Digbeth.
Manager; A. Russell 1924 W.J.T. Wiley 1944

WAGON & HORSES. 14 Edgbaston Street.
Manager; R. Barlow 1924 Closed Down 1944

THE COMET 5 High Street.
Manager; W.E. Nelson 1924 Closed Down 1944

LION & LAMB. 17 High Street.
Manager;W. Brown 1924 Closed Down 1944

BROOK'S VAULT. 51 Jamaica Row (it was originally known as THE CITERION)
Manager; F. Holliday 1924 F. Brown 1944

PLOUGH & HARROW. 81 Jamaica Row..
Manager; S.R. Fisher 1924 F.W. Doran 1944

WOOLPACK HOTEL. 8-9 Moor Street.
Manager; F.W. Butler 1924 J. Blower 1944

SWAN HOTEL. 148 New Street.
Manager; Mrs A. Butler 1924 Closed Down 1944

PHOENIX HOTEL. 3 Park Street. (it was originally known as OLD PHOENIX INN)
Manager; P.Vincent-Bennett 1924 E. Freeman 1944.

THE BOARD INN. 7 Phillips Street.
Manager; Mrs L. Lord. 1924 A. Garnett 1944

SPREAD EAGLE. 14 Spiceal Street.
Manager; Samuel Rich 1924 Closed Down 1944

STEVENS BAR 149 New Street and 89 High Street,top of the Bull Ring aera. Closed, for trading after permitted hours on the 25th March 1958, upon expiration of lease.
Manager; R.E. East 1924 W.E. Allport. 1944 (an M&B House).

SMITHFIELD ARMS 47 Jamaica Row.
Manager; George Ameghino 1924 Mrs D.E. Caldicott 1944
(an Ansells House)

CROSS KEYS 91 Jamaica Row, corner of Sherlock Street.
Manager:G.J. Bunn 1924 J.W. Jesson 1944 (an Ansells House)

ST.MARTIN'S HOTEL corner of St.Martin's Lane & Jamaica Street.
Manager;C.H. Mitchell 1924 E.C. Cox 1944
( M & B Hotel,very popular. It closed in 1944)

BOARD VAULTS;56 Worcester Street, corner of Bell Street
Manager;F.R. Andrews 1924 A.Summerfield 1944
(an Ansells House)

BIRMINGHAM ARMS: 1 Moet Row.
Manager; L.A. Chantrill 1924 Mrs Emily Stokes 1944.
(an M&B House)

the TALBOT: 24 Moat Lane
Manager: Ted Lippey 1924 T.W. Gibson 1944

:)
The above was extracted f.rom a book by Victor J. Price
"The Bull Ring Remembered"
 
Rowan,

What a great post to an old boozer such as I!

The 'Lion And Lamb' was managed by my uncle Harold Cowell during the war. He left to run 'The Antelope' on the corner of Stratford Road and Baker Street, until about 1960 when ill-health forced his retirement.

The 'Birmingham Arms' was a well-known jazz pub, somewhat special to me as my first date with my dear wife of 37 years come this July was in 1969 when I took her to see The Artesian Hall Stompers at the Brum Arms. It was a tough pub, and the gaffer kept a cricket bat behind the bar to deal with any rowdiness. It cost two bob to get into the jazz on a Friday night.

I can also remember 'The Drover's Arms' (not on your list) - another live- jazz pub in the 50's and 60's. For the life of me, I can't remember the street where this was.

Big Gee
 
Hello Big Gee

The Drovers Arms was opposite the meat market at 346 Bradford St at its junction with Smithfield St.

Phil

Digbeth Drovers Arms Bradford St Digbeth.jpg
 
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Do you have a date for this picture?

Lord Richard
 
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No I'm sorry I don't, but it looks to be early 1900's

pmc1947
 
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Regarding the original list of Bullring Pubs, the attached may be of interest. They were taken shortly before the area was bulldozed and show (1) Brooks Vault and (2) what was the Smithfield Arms (2 doors down from Brooks vaults), but was by then a shop called Deathridge (appropriate for what was happening in the area around).


normal_red_26__Nos_47-55_Jamaica_row.jpg




normal_red_27__nos_45-51_Jamaica_row.jpg
 
my fave watering holes were the Golden Eagle - a rough bikers pub at top of new street - bulldozed down and became extension to post office. Also Bogarts on New Street and Costermongers near Brum market at back of tescos near oasis - well thats where they were if I remember correctly back to 1980s. I also remember when Tesco was the Beehive. Oh gosh I'm getting old:cry:
 
Just a note to thank you for this information.

Take it easy

Lord Richard
:cool:
 
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The Comet hodge hill (Medium).jpg The Resevoir lichfield rd gravelly hill.jpg The Comet in Hodge Hill and the Resevoir corner of Cuckoo Rd/Lichfield Rd
 
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I passed by the Kings Arms today on the corner of High St and Harborne Park Rd. It was boarded up, and it had a for sale or to let sign up. It looked like it had been closed for a while.

Phil
 
Outside Brum I know but the 'Nags Head' at Hockley Heath is marked down for demolition. Going to be an 80 bed care home of 4 storeys high if the 'caring' developers get there way.

I remember going when the licensee kept a lion or tiger in a cage at the rear.
 
Bernie D'Boult said:
Outside Brum I know but the 'Nags Head' at Hockley Heath is marked down for demolition. Going to be an 80 bed care home of 4 storeys high if the 'caring' developers get there way.

I remember going when the licensee kept a lion or tiger in a cage at the rear.
Click to expand...

Yes I remember that too, they changed the name to the Wayfarer for a couple of years than back to the Nags Head.
 
and another couple which is sad, The Beeches at the bottom of Hoggs Lane Northfield and The Raven which is the Selly Oak side of Weoley Castle, heres the remains of whats left of the Beeches, we passed it a couple of weeks ago and it had been set fire too!!
 
Now they've gone and closed the bar in the 'snug' as well! What shall we do now for a pint?:cry:
 
mysterymermaid said:
and another couple which is sad, The Beeches at the bottom of Hoggs Lane Northfield and The Raven which is the Selly Oak side of Weoley Castle, heres the remains of whats left of the Beeches, we passed it a couple of weeks ago and it had been set fire too!!
Click to expand...
That as got to be one of the saddest sights ever:(
 
The Beeches looks as if there was a fire (smoke trails above windows). wonder if it was before or after it closed and whether there is any preservation order
mike
 
It was all securely fenced at one time, unfortunately it is going to be knocked down which is a great shame as we are going to have none of this style pubs left soon. I have heard the season for the fire was because it was rumoured it was going to be a hostel for asylum seekers ?? No idea if this was the reason or just speculation?? whatever it is very sad. My friends Mum used to play the piano there years ago.
 
Who remembers the Norton. I had some happy hours there when Horace stokes ( ex SAS man) ran it.:)
Now their's a Lidl there what my wife likes using:(
 
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I was in Northfield on Tuesday this week and saw that my old local was up for grabs, another old pub going.
Whilst Iwas in Lincolnshire last week I counted 37 pubs up for sale.
 
I remember the Norton very well. Back in the early seventies it was refurbished and made into quite a smart place. I worked down the road in the toolroom at Fishers at the time, and our Friday lunchtime treat would be a steak sandwich and a pint at the Norton. Shame to see it in its current state.
 
Does anyone know what has happened to the Tilt Hammer at the bottom of Alum Rock. It had a fire years ago, and just stood there boarded up for ages. I would have expected it to be knocked down by now if that was the plan.
 
Last year I did some work for the pub company that operates the Gospel Oak. There had been (from memory) four shootings there. Who's going to keep a pub open in circumstances like that?
 
Pub closures were a tv news topic a couple of nights ago. It's estimated that there's an average of 35 pubs a week closing countrywide.

One pub landlord said that the demise of the 'locals' has been accelerated by the smoking ban (whatever happened to all those people who said they would use a pub if it was non-smoking?) and the extremely low supermarket prices. I have no idea how much a pub pint costs these days but the supermarket price is about 85p.

But then, with 50% of Brum's population now being non-drinking-non-Christian, the demise of our drinking venues is not really surprising. The greatest pity for me is the demolition of some of Brum's finest architecture.
 
THE RAVEN in Weoly Castle is boarded up and the demolition of The Kings Highway has started. I am going to take a photo of The Highway to take to my friend in wales because it was our local for many years, I will post a piccy of it later.
 
I went passed the Highway a few weeks ago and saw it in ruins, it was always busy that pub.

A pint is £2.10 depending on what you have, so add that up for a few against the cost of 4 cans, sitting in your own house having a smoke, I know which one i would choose lol

I agree where are all these non smokers!!! Go into most pubs now and they look dead until you get into the beer garden and it's packed haha

Pub by me used to have plaques on the wall, £1,000,000 sales by week _ _ (they do a lot of food tho) not seen one for the past few years tho i have to say!
 
I remember The Norton very well- as Frothy knows! Bloody good pub and Horace (Stokes) must have been the best landlord ever. Well, except for the bloke in Tamworth (I won’t mention his name in case he is running a pub somewhere else now) who let us drink till 5 in the morning!​
Anybody have any pictures of The Norton before it was closed? The pic Frothy posted is just too sad. (not your fault Frothy. The b*****s who closed it!)​
 
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