• 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

OLD BIRMINGHAM PHOTOS FROM STEVEBHx

#986

A Chrysler 2 litre with a RRW Coventry plate, in a car park with some BMC motors, and a Renault 5 for Nicole, (or Papa).

The Chrysler may have been a pre-registered or company vehicle, they weren’t exactly flying off the shelves as they weren’t very desirable, and didn’t take that long to start the oxidation process. What does surprise me is how big that Morris Minor seems compared with the A40 and the BMC 1100.
 
I had a Chrysler 180 for a while it was a nice enough car and surprisingly quick, didn't seem to have a rev limit it just kept on winding up the revs until it frightened you into easing off.

I had a lady customer who had bought brand new a Mini 1275 with Dunlop Denovo tyres which it ate at an alarming rate, she begged me to sell her the Chrysler and take the Mini in a sort of back to front part exchange deal. (She got the Chrysler and some cash I got the Mini.)
 
Following the worsening of my father’s eyesight, and mother driving the various automatic cars, my father bought a Chrysler two litre, with the view of it being drivable by mother and big enough to cope with the caravan, a Sprite Major. I have to say that I never liked it, and when my dad died, she got rid of it and her Dolomite and bought the Escort Ghia.
 
Back again - I am just tidying a few Geoff Thompson slides - not sure if these have been seen I am sure you will tell me

This is Hinkley Street - this is all I know - I have these slides on a cd so no other information - feel free to comment or copy and link to another area on the forum, selection of motorbikes outside Alex's I presume a regular hauntTest411.jpg
 
I will leave the location up to you but I feel it is Suffolk Street direction - it looks like Baskerville House at the top of the road, goods yard to the right and Police bottom right, nice selection of cars any guess on the year - Oh and the 1000th post to this section !! Thanks all.

Test188.jpg
 
SteveBhx said:
Back again - I am just tidying a few Geoff Thompson slides - not sure if these have been seen I am sure you will tell me

This is Hinkley Street - this is all I know - I have these slides on a cd so no other information - feel free to comment or copy and link to another area on the forum, selection of motorbikes outside Alex's I presume a regular hauntView attachment 155395
Click to expand...
what a fantastic photo steve...this must be the famous alex pie stand...i think we may have a thread for it as so many of our members remember it...do you have a date for it

lyn
 
Astoness said:
what a fantastic photo steve...this must be the famous alex pie stand...i think we may have a thread for it as so many of our members remember it...do you have a date for it

lyn
Click to expand...
Sorry Lyn, no, I was given them on a cd as I had lent my selection of slide to them for a publication they were producing
 
no worries steve cant see anyone i know there but looking at the bikes and dress maybe taken in the mid to late 60s some of our other members maybe able to be more accurate on the date...

lyn
 
SteveBhx said:
I will leave the location up to you but I feel it is Suffolk Street direction - it looks like Baskerville House at the top of the road, goods yard to the right and Police bottom right, nice selection of cars any guess on the year - Oh and the 1000th post to this section !! Thanks all.

View attachment 155396
Click to expand...
Matthew Boulton Tech on the right, West End ballroom on the second left corner, so certainly Suffolk Street with Navigation Street to the right.
 
SteveBhx said:
I will leave the location up to you but I feel it is Suffolk Street direction - it looks like Baskerville House at the top of the road, goods yard to the right and Police bottom right, nice selection of cars any guess on the year - Oh and the 1000th post to this section !! Thanks all.

View attachment 155396
Click to expand...

devonjim said:
Matthew Boulton Tech on the right, West End ballroom on the second left corner, so certainly Suffolk Street with Navigation Street to the right.
Click to expand...
I had certaintly heard of old Matthew Boulton Tech but the West End Ballroom was a new one. Are there any photos?

I'm trying to work out where this would have been taken precisely in contemporary terms. Is it likely that the goods yard is where the current Mailbox is? What's perplexing is that there appears to be goods wagons but, and I am very happy to be corrected, I didn't think there were rail lines in that direction. However, I was aware that there was/is a tunnel linking the what was the main mail sorting office with New Street Station but assumed that was pretty small-scale (like the mini underground railway in London which can, in more normal times, be visited at Mount Pleasant)?

As I am sure everyone will say, what was done in the name of progress to Birmingham resulted in the loss of so many wonderful old buildings. Thank you Birmingham planners for finishing what the Luftwaffe started......!!!:sob:
 
SteveBhx said:
Back again - I am just tidying a few Geoff Thompson slides - not sure if these have been seen I am sure you will tell me

This is Hinkley Street - this is all I know - I have these slides on a cd so no other information - feel free to comment or copy and link to another area on the forum, selection of motorbikes outside Alex's I presume a regular hauntView attachment 155395
Click to expand...
Another regular haunt of mine in the mid sixties. I'm still motorcycling but my local cafe is now 30 miles away in Wellesbourne.
 
Bob Johnson said:
A rare car parked next to the VW van. A Chrysler 180. A collaboration between 'Rootes and Chrysler' back in the 70's.
Click to expand...
Isn't it funny, Bob, that even back in the '70s Chryslers never seemed all that desirable. I rented a modern Chrysler 300 when I was on holiday in America a few years ago, and loved it. It was fabulous on the freeways. Sadly that model was never sold here; and my local garage told me to avoid Chryslers, as they were unreliable, and spares often took weeks to cross the Atlantic. in the end I bought a Focus, instead!
 
StevenMc said:
I had certaintly heard of old Matthew Boulton Tech but the West End Ballroom was a new one. Are there any photos?

I'm trying to work out where this would have been taken precisely in contemporary terms. Is it likely that the goods yard is where the current Mailbox is? What's perplexing is that there appears to be goods wagons but, and I am very happy to be corrected, I didn't think there were rail lines in that direction. However, I was aware that there was/is a tunnel linking the what was the main mail sorting office with New Street Station but assumed that was pretty small-scale (like the mini underground railway in London which can, in more normal times, be visited at Mount Pleasant)?

As I am sure everyone will say, what was done in the name of progress to Birmingham resulted in the loss of so many wonderful old buildings. Thank you Birmingham planners for finishing what the Luftwaffe started......!!!:sob:
Click to expand...
This picture shows you in greater detail the West End ballroom and the railway goods yard.
 

Attachments

  • Parradise.png
    Parradise.png
    312.1 KB · Views: 55
Alf Rogers said:
Isn't it funny, Bob, that even back in the '70s Chryslers never seemed all that desirable. I rented a modern Chrysler 300 when I was on holiday in America a few years ago, and loved it. It was fabulous on the freeways. Sadly that model was never sold here; and my local garage told me to avoid Chryslers, as they were unreliable, and spares often took weeks to cross the Atlantic. in the end I bought a Focus, instead!
Click to expand...
I think American cars were too loud (colour and chrome) for the ordinary working bloke of the U.K
 
Bob Johnson said:
This picture shows you in greater detail the West End ballroom and the railway goods yard.
Click to expand...
Thanks Bob. I was doing a bit of digging and found this link to a potted recent history of Suffolk Street which I found helpful (I suspect many will have seen it):

History and Information on Suffolk Street in Birmingham

History and Information on Suffolk Street in Birmingham in Warwickshire with Photographs, Pubs, Licensees, Local Folklore, Census Data, Newspaper Articles and Genealogy Connections
www.midlandspubs.co.uk www.midlandspubs.co.uk
 
SteveBhx said:
I will leave the location up to you but I feel it is Suffolk Street direction - it looks like Baskerville House at the top of the road, goods yard to the right and Police bottom right, nice selection of cars any guess on the year - Oh and the 1000th post to this section !! Thanks all.

View attachment 155396
Click to expand...
Thought I would start with this one as it seems to have generated some interest.
Map of site in 60s plus a couple of today shots one at Navigation Street level and one on the raised Suffolk Queensway showing Baskerville house in the distance.
 

Attachments

  • Suffolk Street 2021.JPG
    Suffolk Street 2021.JPG
    76.9 KB · Views: 26
  • Suffolk Street 2021b.JPG
    Suffolk Street 2021b.JPG
    50 KB · Views: 26
  • Suffolk Street map.JPG
    Suffolk Street map.JPG
    75.3 KB · Views: 29
StevenMc said:
I had certaintly heard of old Matthew Boulton Tech but the West End Ballroom was a new one. Are there any photos?

I'm trying to work out where this would have been taken precisely in contemporary terms. Is it likely that the goods yard is where the current Mailbox is? What's perplexing is that there appears to be goods wagons but, and I am very happy to be corrected, I didn't think there were rail lines in that direction. However, I was aware that there was/is a tunnel linking the what was the main mail sorting office with New Street Station but assumed that was pretty small-scale (like the mini underground railway in London which can, in more normal times, be visited at Mount Pleasant)?

As I am sure everyone will say, what was done in the name of progress to Birmingham resulted in the loss of so many wonderful old buildings. Thank you Birmingham planners for finishing what the Luftwaffe started......!!!:sob:
Click to expand...
West End Ballroom, plus a collection of conventional cars!
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot (73).png
    Screenshot (73).png
    909 KB · Views: 42
  • Screenshot (366).png
    Screenshot (366).png
    1.1 MB · Views: 39
pjmburns said:
Thought I would start with this one as it seems to have generated some interest.
Map of site in 60s plus a couple of today shots one at Navigation Street level and one on the raised Suffolk Queensway showing Baskerville house in the distance.
Click to expand...
Thanks, the map is very useful and I can see there was indeed a rail between New Street and the goods yard. I guess that yard would have existed to serve Gas Street for goods coming into Birmingham by Canal?
 
Alf Rogers said:
This has been a wonderful thread! Happy Easter, to Steve for all his hard work, everyone who has contributed, and not forgetting the moderators for keeping the site going. Happy Easter, everyone! Alf
Click to expand...
thank you alf and a happy easter to you too ...i agree that steves photos have been a fantastic edition to this forum... :)

lyn
 
Alf Rogers said:
Isn't it funny, Bob, that even back in the '70s Chryslers never seemed all that desirable. I rented a modern Chrysler 300 when I was on holiday in America a few years ago, and loved it. It was fabulous on the freeways. Sadly that model was never sold here; and my local garage told me to avoid Chryslers, as they were unreliable, and spares often took weeks to cross the Atlantic. in the end I bought a Focus, instead!
Click to expand...
In 1990's GKN Hardy Spicer in Erdington were exporting front-wheel drive shafts to Chrysler in Carolina USA. Must have been for a "big engined" car as they were large spec shafts. HS were awarded a Queen's Award for Exports. GKN subsequently opened a local factory in Carolina.
 
Re: Suffolk Street. Looking at the cars, Jaguar Mk.2, Austin Cambridge, Morris Traveller, Mini, Austin 1100, also a Thames van, the 1100 was launched most recently, in 1962, so I suggest the photo was taken on or after that date.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top