• 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

Soho Hill

smashing pic topsy...wend ive only had a quick google but so far i cant find out anything about the mens movement...will keep looking...

lyn
 
About 1970? My sister and i started a waitress job at the Monty. It had opened as a theatre restaurant and very nice to . They had some googd acts on also, The Black Abbotts were appearing when we first started and Mel Ford was the resident Band.My cousin went on to play with Mel Ford when they moved to the Mackadown. We didn,t stay long at the monty I dn,t think it caught on due to the location.
 
It was a few years prior to 1970 when I went to the Polish Club and the stag night at the "gents" club nearby. I can't remember what the club was called, but it wasn't the kind of place that made me want to make a return visit.

I do remember the Black Abbotts (at other venues), though. Got a vague memory of seeing them at Chateau Impney.

Big Gee
 
The Polish Club was located where is now a mosque, just at the start of Soho Road on the right heading out off the city.
 
I can (just) remember being taken by my mother to the School Clinic on Soho Hill (even though we lived in Perry Barr) to have my knock-knees looked at!

Does anyone know if the Polish Club on Soho Hill is still there? I went there a couple of times with a Polish friend, and almost got alcohol poisoning....

Big Gee


The Polish club has not been there since the 80's I believe they moved up to somewhere in Digbeth, near Allyson Street to a smaller place as there were not so many of the old school Polish people left, the ones who came over just after the war.

The building became a Sikh Temple - not sure if it still is as I have not been in Soho Hill for many years.
 
The Polish Club was located where is now a mosque, just at the start of Soho Road on the right heading out off the city.

It was definitely a Sikh Temple at one point as I went in there once with an Asian (Hindu/ Sikh) work colleague
 
I too remember that School Clinic well and it might have been there that Mom got those little bottles of orange juice from that I loved. How sad to see what a state these buildings in your pics 1 and 3 have become with neglect, Lyn. I used to walk past all these buildings daily as a teenager when I worked in Hockley.

Judy
 
oh i do agree with you judy...as said before i do fear for quite a few old buildings..bit more info...another mosque has been built next to the pally..

lyn
 
The Palladium
outsidePB.jpg
 
Thanks for the info on the Polish Club. I must go and have a look at that part of Brum one of these days, but in the words of the song "I don't get around much any more".

Big Gee
 
Oh Topsy thanks for the pic ..so sad though..can't believe it's the same place . I spent many happy Saturday mornings there ..looking at your pic makes it seem like another world
 
I agree completely Maggie. I've been to the Palladium many times and I hate to see photos like this as it just destroys my memories. But thanks to you Topsy for putting the sad picture on. It's many years since I visited Hockley and Handsworth - don't think I'll bother again as it's too upsetting!

Judy
 
Brilliant Topsy Just how I remember it ..But have to say thanks for putting it on as it is now ..Can't believe we allowed this to happen....
 
Hi All
Just found this link .... My mother's cousin Barbara was the house keeper for a private dentist which I think was situated at No 131 Soho Hill ... I can remember the drying rail hanging from the ceiling and the dumb waiter in the rear kitchen/living area, the dentist surgery when no one was there , the work room for the making of dentures and all the other stuff ,the rear garden was beautiful,Her husband Sam was a amazing model builder and had a work room which I was fascinated with.One of his models used to be on display in the science museum Spent many happy Christmas parties in the 50's there ... also the RAFA club further down the road towards the city ... was a honorary member for a short time in the late 60's ... The school clinic oh! my god ... only went once had about 6 teeth removed when i would have been about 8yrs old ... never again ... when I came out Mom took me to the cafe on the corner of Villa Road and a man in there saw I was in some discomfort and bought me a MARS Bar as a treat !!!! ...the last thing I wanted... mind the thought was nice.
On not such a happy not I was posted to the top end of Villa Road/Soho Hill with other officer the night that the riots in Handsworth in 1985 that's one memory i don't really
want to remember!
Keep smiling
Regard
Rich
 
Hi Rich

Going off the subject. Sorry you had a rough time in the riots. I always feel guilty about that as it was my generation and seeing some of the guys that I went to school with on the telly and in the papers doing the deed really broke my heart. We all started off the same, but yet they had a grudge. Sorry!
 
Rich - Although I don't remember this house as belonging to a dentist, it was only a short walk from where I lived in Soho Avenue. Also it was about three doors down from my school, Soho College, which was on the corner of Soho Hill/Soho Avenue. Also our doctor was next door to 131 - Dr Burgess. The cafe (where you went after having your teeth out) across the road on the corner of Villa Road was next door to Dick Pearce's Newsagents Shop where I used to work occasionally on Saturdays when I was still at school.

Judy
 
hi SueB58
Tried to send you a instant message but your blocked from receiving IM .. There is no need to be sorry .
Keep Smiling
Regards
Rich
 
hi SueB58<br>Tried to send you a instant message but your blocked from receiving IM .. There is no need to be sorry .<br>Keep Smiling<br>Regards<br>Rich
 
Love the old photo,I served My apprentership at "T Elvins & Sons"building contractors next door to the Palladium from 1948 when I left Birchfield Rd School in Perry Barr,I have many happy memories of the Hockley area of Birmingham.I have not been back to that part of Birmingham since 1963,I dread to think what it looks like now !!
 
hi Old pumber !
You mentioning T.Elvins & Son brought back memories. I started there in 1957 as a plumbers mate .. stood in the reception area waiting to see Mr Darby (Ithink that was his name) Then being taken to Colmore Garage (Morris Dealership) Hill Street(Albany hotel there now)in the back of a closed van and introduced to my "mate"... cannot remember his name but he had Matchless Motor bike ... and at lunch time coming out into Hill Street and looking around and wondering where the hell I was !
Only stayed for about six months and left to go and work with my dad at J.Copeland in Hall street .. wanted to learn" lead burning" .Like you have a lot of happy memories of Hockley
Keep smiling
Mr Pastry
 
Hi Mr Pastry,In 1957 I had just returned to Elvins as a plumber after doing my two years NS in the Royal Engineers I was 23 years old then & stayed at Elvins untill about 1960 then worked for Grail & Preece on Soho Rd the I moved to Devon about 1963 but was still working as a Plumber/Heating engineer until 2005 I am now close to 80yrs but still keep my hand in doing small plumbing jobs.Yes it was Mr Darby who was the plumbing manager in those days,along time ago !!
 
Hi Old plumber
It's more years than I care to try and remember!!! just looked up Hockley Brook on Google Earth .. the Old Palladium( or war it the Plaza?) building is still standing ...looks in a terrible state .. got me tinking which side of it was Elvins yard ?... I came out of the plubing game in 1960 and later joining Birmingham City Transport at Hockley Depot was there for 8years and then left and joined Birmingham City Police spending the next 30yrs with them (best thing I ever did!)
Keep smiling
Regards
Rich (Mr pastry)
 
Hi: There are two photographs on this thread of the Palladium Cinema, one at #25 and the other at #29. Sad to see it still standing in awful condition.
 
Lynn
Some of the same buildings are shown at post 9 on https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=29990 . On that thread the building here marked "Tramway stores" is called Cable Tramway Inn, just by the tram , and it is 102 Hockley Hill , close to the corner with Farm St, and just along from the Benyon Arms. If you look closely , you can see on Glaciermint's photo the edge of the ironwork on the building to the right of the inn/stores, and that the design of the the inn/stores is very similar, are the buildings to the left of it.
Mike


hi mike wonder if you could post me a map please showing no 102 the cable tramway inn

thank you mike...

lyn
 
Back
Top