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Passages, Alleyways Gulletts and Snickets of Old Brum

Now I'm not too sure about this one, Thompson Passage which was off the High Street in the Bull Ring. Although the passage was located between No's 19 & 20 High St I have a feeling that it might have been part of Nelson's Passage or even the yard of the Court Leet on the High Street before Mr Schicklgruber's flyers flattened that side of the Bull Ring out in 1940 and made all the passages into one..
 

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Phil said:
Now I'm not too sure about this one, Thompson Passage which was off the High Street in the Bull Ring. Although the passage was located between No's 19 & 20 High St I have a feeling that it might have been part of Nelson's Passage or even the yard of the Court Leet on the High Street before Mr Schicklgruber's flyers flattened that side of the Bull Ring out in 1940 and made all the passages into one..
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Good point Phil...can't find any reason, or anything in the printed word that might explain why they are not one and the same, but after the blitz sort of changed names in the rebuilt business complexes?


Bull Ring 1950s Nelson Passage High st.jpg Nelson Passage Map .jpg
 
Another one here, I doubt this one ever had a name and probably was simply known as the yard of the Union Hotel that was on the corner of Union St and Corporation St though the yard was pretty large and ran as far down as Warwick Passage. It pleases me to think that there were once premises as visually pleasing as this right in the heart of Birmingham City Centre. It strikes me as a crime every time I think how many of them we have lost whilst other cities have managed to keep theirs.
 

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Fabulous find Mike...that's the photo from perhaps the better known drawing of the back of the Union Hotel...featured extensively here....https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...e=52&p=466477&highlight=Goodbehere#post466477

Plus this brief history of Union Passage, from:

Thomas T Harman. Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham. Birmingham: Cornish Brothers, [1885].
Union Passage. — At first but a field path out of the yard of the Crown Tavern to the Cherry Orchard, afterwards a narrow entry as far as Crooked Lane, with a house only at each end, was opened up and widened in 1823 by Mr Jones, who built the Pantechnetheca. Near the Ball Street end was the Old Bear Yard, the premises of a dealer in dogs, rabbits, pigeons, and other pets, who kept a big brown bear, which was taken out whenever the Black Country boys wanted a bear-baiting. The game was put a stop to in 1835, but the "cage" was there in 1841, about which time the Passage became built up on both sides throughout.
 
Just nicked this from the Bull Street Thread...never heard of this one!....HOLLOW TOOTH YARD? From Showell..to Mikejee's map of the possible site?

Hollow Tooth Yard Map copy.jpg

Hollow Tooth Yard.jpg
 
There's this passage or alley leading to Newhall Square from The Queen's Arms on Newhall Street in the Jewellery Quarter.

The square is still needing to be developed (demolition site of the old Science Museum).



New and old (Travelodge)

 
Phil said:
Another one here, I doubt this one ever had a name and probably was simply known as the yard of the Union Hotel that was on the corner of Union St and Corporation St though the yard was pretty large and ran as far down as Warwick Passage. It pleases me to think that there were once premises as visually pleasing as this right in the heart of Birmingham City Centre. It strikes me as a crime every time I think how many of them we have lost whilst other cities have managed to keep theirs.
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phil thats a very interesting photo...not seen it before...as you say its a crime that as a city once overflowing with good strong buildings so many have been cast aside whereas other cities and towns think more of their heritage buildings..
 
Browsing through Carl Chinn's OUR BRUM Book from 1997...found this...new one on me...STOKE STREET? Cracking shot anyway...anyone heard of it?

Stoke Street.jpg
 
Do you think this might qualify as an alleyway..The MINORIES...and it looks like somebody ran over an octopus earlier? Remember those wooden blocks so well on my way to see the real father Christmas...or to be locked in the Stocks to have my haircut....



Minories 1938.jpg
 
Strange you mention the blocks that made up the road surface being wood as I remember them as being rubber ? Perhaps they were rubber wood LOL
 
They were rubber, to deaden the noise of traffic. The idea was used in some other places around the country like by Leeds station/Queens hotel
 
Though wooden blocks were sometimes used to resurface roads, I'm also sure that the Minories were of rubber.
 
Paul and Phil you are certainly correct for though wooden blocks were used generally for road surfaces the blocks used in the Minories though were definitely Rubber. This was due to the need to minimise vibration being inputted into the Lewiss' Building. Even more slippery when wet that the wooden blocks.

I recall my Dad bringing some of the wooden ones home for the fire when they were dug up. Things used to spit dreadfully.
 
The Minories, even before it was a just a road between Berlin House and Newbury's Department Store.
 

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A strange one Lewis's when they expanded the store were not allowed to block the Minories as technically it was part of the Royal Mail coach road to Bristol, namely it was the main road now known as the A38
 
Now Phil, I have seen that photographic view before but this one is a stunner. Older perhaps and not capturing movement and people. I have always wondered which way this was looking...not down towards Dale End perhaps but it could be up towards Colmore Row maybe. Anyway, if that is Temple Row in the distance, then, as you say that would have been the view before the Minories. Thanks for that and I wonder if in the distance, we can just catch a last view of the Old Royal Hotel. I can't recall now how long the Royal lasted there but the photo could be 1850 ish.
 
paul stacey said:
I wouldn't mind owning one or two of those cars, in that condition now, I wonder if anyone can identify them all.paul
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As a first guess from the top left a Ford Eifell circa 1935-6 (precursor of the Popular), in front a Riley 9 circa 1931, in front Austin 12 circa 1933
Middle row back ?, in front an Austin 18 Circa 1936, the milk man with Dobbin?, a Ford V8* Circa 1937-38, in front almost out of frame Daimler double decker bus.
Right hand row from the back, Wolseley 18 Circa 1936-7, Jowet van Circa 1937, possibly a small Riley, in front Daimler 15 Circa 1935

* this one I am certain because the following clipped from my father's old copy of Art and Industry February 1937 "Launching the Ford V8 campaign" article.

Ford_V8_1937.jpg
 
paul stacey said:
Well done "Speedwing", I reconized the Austin , and V8, my self. regards paul.
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Two men in white coats, one of them is you perhaps?

Or perhaps you were the proud owner of JON 238.....232, or OJ 4829, no visible tax disc?

Sherlock would have solved this mystery by now
 
Not so sure about the Eifel. The one in the photo has wide running boards and may be the V8, or there abouts, in the supplied pictures. Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me that the Eifel was a smaller car without wide running boards. Very similar in appearance though. The front vehicle is a Ford V8 engine I believe and the model appears to be a 38 Ford Tudor. They were all V8s to us in those days, but it seems that they had actual model names.
I will take the Riley any day. Far more graceful. The Eifel 1172 side valve engine was around for a long time...into the 1960s. 36 HP got the job done just nicely.
Don't know why we need 300 of em. today. Ghenghis would have done a lot more with 300 horses than just go to Brighton and back.

I suppose that the photo says that we are looking down the Minories towards Bull St. But is that correct? There are similar roads heading away in four directions.
 
You are right Rupert, running boards too wide for the Eifel or variants.

The Ford in question does appear to have separate headlights not embedded in the front wing as in later variants and perhaps separate side lights atop the wings. Some 1937 V8 Type 48 would perhaps fit that description.

My old 1172 cc steed from college days, hand drawn and hand painted.

Ford_Popular_1965.jpg
 
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