• 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

Passages, Alleyways Gulletts and Snickets of Old Brum

Rupert if I hadn,t read the previous posts I would swear that was Moseley Village looking towards the church from the Alcester Rd it looks so similar. Dek
 
Deck, I am just going by the date and title that came with the picture and the building on the right mentioned seemed right but information attached is not always correct.
 
Musn't miss out St Marys Row, Moseley, as opposed to St Marys Row, Whittall street. Two nice shots from the Whybrow Book 'How Birmingham Became A Great City'.


St Marys Row Moseley 1.jpg St Marys Row Moseley 2.jpg
 
Last edited:
I think it is a room for the (hansom) cab drivers to wait in . You can see a cab behind it. There are soem still used in towns (though by motorised cabs), such as the one below in Hitchen

E-mail_Hitchen_045.jpg
 
And here's one I prepared earlier Pierre....two birds, one stone as well etc....RATCLIFFE PLACE, complete with similar cab stand of the day.

The Church tower just behind the shopping facade is St Marys (natch), where No 1 son got married last year. The underground public toilets in the foregound behind the foliage and railings are no more. Although the winos still sleep on the benches there, and in the Church grounds. Great cosmopolitan Village though Moseley. Brilliant place to live if you like 'life' to the full and can afford it.


Ratcliffe Place.jpg
 
Last edited:
Well I got the location of the old St Mary's photo wrong. Still the cabbies shelters have come to light, for me anyway and a whole new location of a very similar place including the incline of the row. Have not seen that photo of Ratcliffe Place before. The early camera's did not capture motion very well but there do not seem to be any blurs on that one of people moving by. If that cabby got his finger out and stopped drinking tea; he could nip around to Edmond Street and maybe get a fare. Gosh I miss all of that and to know that it is all gone now is to lose part of ones existance.
 
No worries Rupert, I do it all the time my friend! Just found this beautiful shot of St Mary's Row (Whittall Street) from David Harvey's Past & Present Book. He notes the first Georgian House on the corner is the St Chad's Convent, then rather incongruously next door, is Ward and Sons Gunmakers! As were most of the other frontages featured here.


St Marys Row Whittall St .jpg
 
Last edited:
This one is a nice old narrow one - DALTON STREET. Don't remember it. Ran parallel to Corporation Street. I would like to know what buildings these 'Bridges' connected to and from, and what are the big impressive buildings in the distance. Not much to ask surely? mikejee's 1930s map included for orientation purposes.



Dalton St 1936 Bridges.jpgBham 1930s Map.jpg
 
Last edited:
If you go a half way down St. Mary's Row on the left in the late fifties was what must have been one of the last outlets for Scott motorcycle parts. I think it was Airco Jig and Tool. An ancient building by then.
 
And whilst in the Gun Quarter, how can we ignore the charms of LOVEDAY and PRICE STREETS, especially as on that corner they feature that famous old Pub, and meeting place of many of our most revered BHF ale lovers, The Bull. This was also where the old Gun gaffers paid their men's wages allegedly. What a splendid idea...do you think they had shares in the takings?


Price St The Bull.jpg
 
Last edited:
Dennis Williams said:
This one is a nice old narrow one - Dalton Street. Don't remember it. Ran parallel to Corporation Street. I would like to know what buildings these 'Bridges' connected to and from, and what are the big impressive buildings in the distance. Not much to ask surely? mikejee's 1930s map included for orientation purposes.
Click to expand...

Dennis that reminds me of the old B,ham dispatch and mail premises the building in the back ground is the back of the Hall opposite the Law Courts in Corporation St. Dek
 
dek carr said:
Dennis that reminds me of the old B,ham dispatch and mail premises the building in the back ground is the back of the Hall opposite the Law Courts in Corporation St. Dek
Click to expand...

Dalton Street is still there-all 25 yards of it remaining in the Bulls Street direction. . Runs from opposite the Magistrates to the entry to another multi-storey car park. What we can see is the corner of the Army Recruiting Office on the corner of James Watt Street in the section that used to go all the way to Lancaster circus (?)
 
Richie said:
Dalton Street is still there-all 25 yards of it remaining in the Bulls Street direction. . Runs from opposite the Magistrates to the entry to another multi-storey car park. What we can see is the corner of the Army Recruiting Office on the corner of James Watt Street in the section that used to go all the way to Lancaster circus (?)
Click to expand...

Brilliant Richie, you are a true gent. Now for something equally interesting (to me). Another old favourite truncated by 'progress' - STATION STREET. Simple old cramped Station street, home of the Crown, The Tatler (Jacey then), the Market Hotel, and the Old Rep to name but four resident icons of Brum's past (and present thankfully still). Look what they did to it when the Bull Ring was developed (again and again..). I'd forgotten you could see right through to the Market Hall once upon a time...probably too young to register things like that. Great shot though. From David Harvey's Past & Present book also.


Station St 1928.jpg Station St 1951.jpg Station St 1966.jpg Station St 4.jpg Station St 1999.jpg
 
Last edited:
And just round the corner, literally, into tiny DUDLEY STREET, now a mere shadow of its former glorious self. As it was here in the 70s that Den's friday nights were always completed at Alex's Pie Stand, after far too many brown and milds at the Swan Yardley, as I followed my mate Wilf Clare and his group the Modernaires in their band bus to our Fleur de Lys Mecca. A late night meeting place for all the Brumbeat groups and groupies that has been well featured on this Forum many times. Brilliant times, if only I could remember more...



Dudley Street 1950.jpg Dudley St now.jpg
 
Last edited:
I wonder if the view of the Market Hall (or fish market as we knew it) on Worcester Street was meant to be the back or the front of the building. The stairway was more flamboyant than the one in the Bull Ring and in some ways the Worcester Street entrance was more impressive. Caught the Malvern Midland Red #144 many times at the top of Station Street. I have been in a quandry over the Midland red terminous...if it was on Station Street or Queens drive. Anyway there are the reds.
 
Dennis Williams said:
An old atmospheric shot of a snickets in Brearley Street, and some similar ones in nearby Hospital Street. I have relatives who used to live in both these Streets around that period at the turn of the Century or before, and all with BIG families. Very humbling when I hear of modern folks that 'need' five bedroomed houses to cope with their broods....
Click to expand...

Further to these historic old Streets and their back alleys and gunnels, here are two highly recommended further reading Threads with many super maps and pictures from lyn and mikejee, etc. and great stories about these two streets. I include two nice pub shots and a map of the area to illustrate what's on offer...

https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32754&highlight=Brearley+Street
https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18334&highlight=Brearley+Street


New John St West Brewery st Map.jpg Rose & Crown after bombing_17.10.40..jpg Rose & Crown Brearley St Hospital St .jpg
 
Last edited:
Another fond favourite of mine is LOWER SEVERN STREET as it shoots us over John Bright Street from its Suffolk Street beginnings, down to Hill Street and the old New St Station Car Park entrance.

Lower Severn Street 1.jpg Lower Severn Street 2.jpg Lower Severn St Road sign.jpg
 
Last edited:
Two more for the Balsall Heath fraternity, both unknown to me, but they certainly look very narrow Roads, ARTER STREET and LONGBRIDGE ROAD.


Arter St balsall heath 1960.jpg Longbridge Road Balsall Heath.jpg
 
Last edited:
One of my brothers Joe and his family lived in Longbridge Road for years, number 35, I think, Bernard
(looks like a Austin A30/35 parked up)
 
Hi Rupert, in 1953 I started as a Postman at HPO as it was called, I was"Spare man" for about a
year doing what ever was going, One of the afternoons shifts I did was Ipm to 9 pm, 6Days
On Saturday you used to sign on and collect a padlock key and (Proceed on Foot) to the Bull Ring
to meet the Midland bus from Sutton Coldfield at 1,45pm. The driver had a Mail Bag locked behind
his seat with a padlock and chain, you gave him the the key ah1 presto you got a bag of mail to take
back to the office. It was a way of giving Sutton a later collection without sending a van out there, Oh!
to be 23 again and have over fifty years in front of me with a wonderfull lady, Bernard
 
Thanks Bernard, you always come up trumps and add a bit of personal colour to my otherwise sterile posts.

Here's something for our Winson Green residents. Spooky looking Don Street. Two shots of the opening onto Lodge Road and one of the cobbled Street itself. Grateful thanks to Ted Rudge for the marvellous pictures and research. Top man.

Don St Winson Green.jpg DON STREET WINSON GREEN.jpg
 
Last edited:
Dennis Williams said:
And just round the corner, literally, into tiny DUDLEY STREET, now a mere shadow of its former glorious self. As it was here in the 70s that Den's friday nights were always completed at Alex's Pie Stand, after far too many brown and milds at the Swan Yardley, as I followed my mate Wilf Clare and his group the Modernaires in their band bus to our Fleur de Lys Mecca. A late night meeting place for all the Brumbeat groups and groupies that has been well featured on this Forum many times. Brilliant times, if only I could remember more...
Click to expand...

Got some shots of this yesterday from Dudley Street


Wades Building - TK Maxx - Dudley Street by ell brown, on Flickr

Now a TK Maxx up on the Queensway


Wades Building - TK Maxx - Dudley Street by ell brown, on Flickr
 
Dennis Williams said:
Another fond favourite of mine is Lower Severn Street as it shoots us over John Bright Street from its Suffolk Street beginnings, down to Hill Street and the old New St Station Car Park entrance.
Click to expand...

Got some shots on John Bright Street yesterday. That sculpture is in one of my books, but it isn't there now.


Geoffrey Buildings, John Bright Street by ell brown, on Flickr

Interesting to note that this used to be a car show room


Roseberry Buildings, John Bright Street by ell brown, on Flickr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top