• 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

Royal visits to Birmingham

I would think that's New street looking down from the council house, if so St Martins church looks to be on high ground, and what's the clock tower ? The rest looks about right.
Or am I looking up New street, from the Bull ring,the ground does appear to start going uphill about half way down, if so what's the church, I'm a bit confused on this one
 
It is looking towards council house from the corner of High St. Anderson & Sons were in Midland buildings on that corner, as were A & G Taylor
 
In July 1909 the royal visitors cross Victoria Square. King Edward is sitting on a different side of the carriage to what he was in the pic in #111.
Victoria Square 1909.jpg
 
The only two Royal visits I can remember are the Queen Mother in the 50's, I was at Birchfield Road Juniors and we stood outside the school gates waving little Union Jack flags we had made in class. She was passing by in a car - I don't know where she was going!

The other was the Queen in the 70's - I guess it was the Silver Jubilee year? I was working in the building next to the Rotunda and we were allowed to go out of the fire escape on to the flat roof bit of the Rotunda over what used to be Lloyds bank and watched her go by in a car :)
 
I hope this hasn't been mentioned before.
I have an early memory of standing in a crowd, outside the Council House. I was only small.The crowd was chanting "We want the Princess".
To huge cheers, two beautiful women appeared on a balcony. This would've been 1940s.
 
The King and Queen arrived at Small Heath Station on 30th March 1940 and went on to a Civil Defence exercise at Calthorp Park. The picture shows the AFS lined up for his inspection. My dad is in the ranks and I remember seeing a picture of him taking to the King which has now been lost. Does anybody have anymore pictures of this exercise?Screenshot_20191118-223803_Dropbox.jpg
 
I remember seeing the Queen drive past on her way to Shard End, I stood by the roadside in Bucklands End with my flag must have been mid 50’s, when I was in my late teens and worked at the council house in brum if anybody of any clout was visiting we were given extended lunch breaks so as not to be seen, spent many hours shopping or visiting the ,now what was it called, ( Cartoon cinema or something like ), Happy days
 
The King and Queen arrived at Small Heath Station on 30th March 1940 and went on to a Civil Defence exercise at Calthorp Park. The picture shows the AFS lined up for his inspection. My dad is in the ranks and I remember seeing a picture of him taking to the King which has now been lost. Does anybody have anymore pictures of this exercise?View attachment 139249

This is from the Birmingham Mail 18 April 1940. Note that they say the King and Queen were in Birmingham yesterday, being the 17th.


C6BF99FA-8030-474F-8093-F0A70497DA59.jpeg
 
It must have been in the early 1960's when the queen and duke visited Brum. Their route was down the Bristol Road towards town. With my trusty Brownie 127 camera and much luck, I managed to get this (rather blurry) image as they sped past our house.
 

Attachments

  • The Queen.jpg
    The Queen.jpg
    566 KB · Views: 19
Last edited:
Hi Pedrocut, Thanks for posting some examples of the Civil Defence exercise in Calthorp Park 19.03.1940 in front of the King and Queen the picture I have been trying to locate is a close up of my dad in AFS uniform speaking to the King in the line up. It definitely exists as I remember it hanging on the wall when I was a kid. If only I could get my hands on it I would be over the moon.
 
Back
Top