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Peace Gardens

Valerie Dunbar

master brummie
I have visited the Peace Gardens in Bath Row. It is a beautiful place and has connections to the G8 summit. The plaques and trees placed in the Peace Gardens have comments from different countries which are thought provoking to read and see. The gardens are encompassed by wrought iron metal work to which are attached birds of peace. All this in the hope that love,togetherness and careing can make the world a better, more united place.

My question on seeing this place is why are they letting the gardens deteriorate so much? The stone work is in need of renovation and the whole place looks uncared for such a sad thing for such a lovely place.
 
When I went there in April 2009, saw at least one plaque that was vandalised.


The Peace Garden - St Thomas's Church The Beginning by ell brown, on Flickr

Other plaques were ok


The Peace Garden - St Thomas's Church Victim of World War II by ell brown, on Flickr



The Peace Garden - St Thomas's Church Testimony of Peace by ell brown, on Flickr


The Peace Garden - Acknowledgements by ell brown, on Flickr

Remains of the Church of St Thomas


The Peace Garden -Remains of the Church of St Thomas by ell brown, on Flickr
 
I've been meaning to visit the Peace Garden, these are lovely photos. Some of my ancestors were married here, and buried. I think they were re-buried in Warstone Lane Cemetery after the bombing.

I wonder how many brides had their wedding photos taken under the the colonnade after being married at the Register Office on Broad Street? At least these buildings were preserved.
 
HI ELBROWN
Do you know where they moved the colonnaade too i remember that colun and to be honest when i was a young wild and free and living the night life
doing the party bits and week endparts all over the place around the country
my associates and myself would come out of the pink elephant night club bromscrove st and if we missed the last bus home we would have slept on those benches quiteoften
and in the days of the regular police officiers on the beat would stop when they see us kipping on those benches andasked what are we doing we would tell him we have missed
the last bus home and he would say okay but do not let me see you again but for some reason or another there was an other time but it was a different police officer
we was young and stupid kids really but as you grow older you see and think differently astonian
 
The Colonnade was removed brick by brick from Centenary Square in about 1990. It used to be attached to the Hall of Memory (according to my sources).


The Peace Garden - foundation stone - Constructed 1925 in Broad Street Garden of Rememberance - Re-erected here 1990 - colonnade by ell brown, on Flickr

From Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham
Churchyard laid out as a Peace Garden in 1992, incorporating a Doric loggia by S.N. Cooke and W.N. Twist, once part of the Hall of Memory scheme, brought from Broad Street.

From Bill Dargue - Birmingham City Centre
At right angles to Broad Street (in front of the present ICC entrance) was built a colonnade also of Portland stone. This was removed to the Peace Gardens at the former St Thomas' church in Bath Row when Centenary Square was laid out 1989.
 
I recall being taken to the major road which ran past the Hall of Memory (Broad Street? ) most likely in 1945 by my Nanny. My father was still in the Army at that time.

We watched a very long parade of all types of military people and civil defense plus many of their vehicles. I don't recall much of the parade but I guess it may well have been a victory parade celebrating VE day after the cessation of the War in Europe. It might, of course, have been a VJ Day parade. I wonder if any other Forum readers remember this.

There is the possibility, of course that this was an Armistice Day (11th. November) parade but the day was quite pleasant weatherwise, from memory, and would not fit the November Midland weather I guess.
 
Can someone tell me if if the Peace Garden is opposite "Speaking Style Walk" that was [which has now been demolished]. Can remember my gran living in the 'Walk' years ago and I can remember seeing just an Archway [or am I way off] Miriam.
 
It is near Holloway Head - within Bath Row, Washington Street, Ridley Street and Granville Street.

Google Maps - Peace Garden

You wouldn't recognise the area now - it is all modern. So much change in the last decade.

If you head up Washington Street or Granville Street you will get a nice view of The Cube.

A view up Washington Street of The Cube


The Cube from Washington Street by ell brown, on Flickr

The Peace Garden from Upper Gough Street


Remains of the Church of St Thomas - from Upper Gough Street and Doric loggia moved from Broad Street - colonnade by ell brown, on Flickr
 
Had my wedding photographs taken under that colonnade, when we came out of the Register Office. That was in 1963...blimey..was it THAT long ago?!
 
That's lovely Charlie...well at least it lasted....rare today lol!
 
When the colonnade was by the Hall of Memory, there used to be the occasional homeless person sleeping there. If you were lucky, you might capture a homeless chap snoring away in the background of your wedding pics! Viv.
 
Someone tweeted BBC Live news to say that "work has started to sure up St Thomas'" (Note: not my spelling!). There is also a picture. Can only be good news , I think...
 
It was obviously once a beautiful building. I expect the work, if it goes ahead, would be to stabilise the building, not to fully restore it. Or are the plans to actually restore it to its 1820's structure ? Would expect that to cost a fortune. Viv.
 
That's what I assume Vivienne. Personally I wouldn't want them to restore the bomb damage - after all, that's part of history, isn't it?
 
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