• 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
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Birmingham characters

A

Anne Jessel

master brummie
One person that stands out in my mind was the lady that stood on the corner of Snowhill Station at around 4.30pm every evening shouting "Spatchy Mail" "Spaaatchy Mail".
I can see her now, a fag in her mouth, turban style head gear, raincoat with her newspaper stand and holding bundles of papers in her arms. She always stood with a slight lean over to one side, and everyone loved her.
I think she was selling the Evening Dispatch or Post.
Strange I always picture her on a rainy drizzling evening.
 
The 'andy carrier' lady in the Bull Ring and the hot potato man.

The really tall parkie in Ward End Park.

Mr Hazel ,the undertaker in Erdington ,walking along the high street in his top hat.

Kitty Walker, a lovely character,a bus conductress in Washwood Heath,
no yob ever misbehaved on her bus.
 
Anne, that woman would've been selling the Despatch & Mail.

Dumbo (so called because of his prominent ears), the usher at the Regal's ABC Minors - "Get yer feet down and stop talkin' or oi'll thow yer out".

The punch-drunk gardner at Black Patch Park, unkindly nicknamed Pig Shh...(muck);) - "If I catch yer climbin' that fence agen oi'll clip yer bloody ear'ole for ya."

I don't know how many years she's been there but whenever I go down the Bull Ring there's an old lady sitting on a box wearing earmuff (come snow or sun) - "Pick yer own.".. so they're still about.
 
I remember a Man who shouted Spatchy Mail out side Grey's:)

If things had been different "I could have been that Woman":D
 
Does anyone remember the escapologist who used to be in the Bull Ring? He was always trying to get out of his chains everytime I went there as a child.
 
Spatchy Mail Posts

Yes of course, it must have been the Dispatch and Mail. I used to wait for my bus and her shout rung in my ears all the way home to West brom. but I have never forgotten her.
I would suggest that the man outside of Grays shouting same must have been on the same course of instruction.
Talking of West bromwich, do Enoch and Eli tread inside Brummie territoy?
Being a Blackcountry lass I "grew up" with Enoch and Eli.
 
Yes, Judy, I remember the escapologist. They'd chain him and put him in a sack. It used to frighten me, but I was only three at the time.:redface:

Anne,
Enoch and Eli ([SIZE=-1]Aynock and Ayli)[/SIZE] used to stray over the border at one time now, sadly, one of them (forget which) has died. I recall first seeing them as cartoons in the Black Country Bugle, which replaced the Smethwick Telephone. But now I'm afraid they'll they'll fade into the annals of folk law as I can't see one being able to continue the act on his own.
 
Last edited:
Enoch and Eli

Oh dear what a shame. That's that then. Very sad.
I have a book on Black Country Stories and occasionally they are included. Nice to be brought up to date. Thanks
Does anyone else remember them? If they sometimes strayed over the border then they COULD be brought into Birmingham History???? couldn't they?

Quote from book
""I wud ef I cud, but ef I cor 'ow can I?"
 
Yes, Jennyann.
West Brom buses were painted a slightly lighter and brighter shade of blue below the lower deck windows (Brum had a very dark blue of course). Around the windows was a similar creamy colour, and single deckers had a roof painted in a light greeny-blue. Double deckers had a deep band of that colour on the lower panels of the upper deck, and the same cream round the upper deck windows and the roof, I think, before WW2.
Have you seen those excellent books by Ron 'Smudge' Smith of Hockley Brook. The cover of his most popular book has one of his paintings, which gives an accurate picture of a West Brum bus at Hockley Brook. The colours and the detail is spot on, as ever.
Peter
 
Characters

Now this is on the very edge of my memory so forgive me if I am in error, but I do remember an old beggar who used to sit in either Coleridge Passage off Steelhouse Lane or it may have been Eden Place off Colemore Row it was of those two.

He used to sit there with his dog and a few paintings and of course his cap for donations. It was rumoured that a limousine picked him up each evening.

Cheers,

pmc1947 (Phil)
 
Yes Phil - it was Eden Place. I recall him as a scriber with a lot of his work being done in chalk on the flagstones. I also heard the rumour that he was picked up by a limo at the end of the day.
 
Characters

You are right Olsin,
It was Eden Place. I remember now he used to sit up the side of the Council House at the Edmund street end of the passage. Another rumour I heard was that he was one of a limited few people who had a license to beg in Birmingham.

Cheers,

pmc1947 (Phil).
 
Buses

Jenniann I'll submit my reply on buses on the buses thread.
I remember the West Brom buses very well - and the Birmingham and Walsall Buses. I hated the single decked bus because I couldn't get a good view of peoples gardens! and I felt kind of trapped. I always seemed never to get a seat on single "deckers" - always hanging on for dear life standing in the aisle as they swung round the bends.
 
Enoch and Eli Who Strayed Over the Border Sometimes

Enoch was on his way to work across the fields when he met Eli

Enoch - "Weer am yow a gooin' Elii?"
Eli - "Arma gooin' te werk o'coss"
Enoch - "But yowma gooin' in the wrung diirection bay yer?"
Eli - "Oooh er I terned rounD te lit me piipe te gerrout o' the wind, an I forgat te tern rounD back again"

I do realise the Blackcountry dialect is different from the Brummie,
but...as they stepped over the border........
 
Back to haunt you folks.
Do any of you remember,back in the 50's, an elderly gentleman who sat in either margaret st or Eden Place [which one ?] surrounded by the little works of art he'd created on the stone slabs. people would throw coppers to him all saturday long[ was it just saturday?] Would love to hear your memories of him. Do any of you know anything about him? look forward to your replies.
Ps. Thanks for your previous help- John.
 
Hi John
I remember him sitting in Margaret St the pictures were lovely .It was something i had forgotten over the years thanks for bringing it up:)
Maggie
 
The old gentleman sat at the Edmund Street end of a passage that ran at the side of the Town Hall from Colmore Row to Edmund Street. I think I discussed this topic on this site some time last year. Now the same as then I have forgotten the name of the passage.

I mentioned then two interesting facts? about this gentleman, one was that a limousine dropped him off in the mornings and picked him up again in the evenings.

The second one is that he was one of a very few people in Birmingham that held a license to beg issued by the city council.

How true these facts are I cannot vouch for.

Phil
 
PHIL
FOR SOME REASON , I DO NOT BELIEVE That TRUE,I NEVER SEEN THIS MAN Being Dropped Off At Any Time ,When I Was Around In That Qaurter In The Fifties
There Was A Big Story Told By One Of His Family And i think It Was In The Sundfay Mercury One Sunday In The 60,s There Is A True Story Told Some-where About This Poor Old Gentleman He Certainly Was,t Rich He Used To COME bY bUS
If One Of Our Researchers Have Time In The Libary In The ARCHIVES I,m Sure You Will Learn The Truth It Tells Of His Life And The Death Of This Man ,And The More i Think ABOUT It It Was His Sister BEST WISHES ASTONIAN ,;;
 
Astonian

As I said I have no background to these stories, they are only what were circulated by word of mouth, and I have to be honest I was never bothered enough in my younger days to try and find out if they were true.

As you say, others may know the facts of the matter.

Phil
 
PMC
THE STORY NEVER CAME TO PRINT UNTIL AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS TO MY KNOWLEDGE aND It Was pUBLICISED THEN BY A RELATIVE IN fACT I THINK iT Was The b,ham mail that Done The Story , That Will Be Some-where In The Archives ,
I Know When We Was Kids We Was Mystifyed How A Blind Man Could Draw Such Remarkable Drawings ButThe Story Was Told By ARELATIVE hOW hE cAME bY Bus
Every day For Years With His Little Dog , Very Remarkable Man ,
 
I remember those remarkable drawings in Eden Place done in coloured chalk on the left hand side as you walked from Colemore Row. I never did see the person who did them. I used to think what a pity that such talent would be washed away with the first downpour of rain. I think the same with Ice Scuptures as they all look works of art to me.
 
I remember the street artist in the passage way Eden place near the Town Hall
and Margaret Street. I was always very fascinated by his drawings. I have a feeling that he was an ex-soldier from WW1 down on his luck. I was worried too when it was raining and the art would be washed away. I don't think he was wealthy at all. He was always very grateful for any money people gave to him. I wonder if the City gave him a special licence because was ex-military (if in fact he was). I would like to know more about him.

The Julian Beever 3D drawings on pavement are simply amazing. I have some on my other computer and they constantly fascinate.
 
Thanks for all your replies.
The story we heard as kids, was that he was picked up by a chauffeur driven rolls! Took it with a pinch of salt, even at that age. Still do not know if he was there saturday only. Interesting, jennyann that you used the term passage! Before I posted I had to refer to the a-z to get the place names, because friends I spoke to were in disagreement about the exact place where he sat. I myself was convinced there was a Margaret or S't Margarets passage in that little area,though I must stress that 7 seas worth of water have passed under the bridges of my life since those innocent days, and the old memory is a little dodgy these days. Can anyone pinpoint the exact spot?
Once again, thanks for your time-John
 
I do remember the gentleman, as I was a student at the Art School in Margaret Street for five years, and he was almost always there. But I was around 20 at the time, so I'm afraid didn't really notice older people.
I do remember two wide boys started to sell 'magic' dolls. One did the talking, while the other stood with his hands in his pockets, facing the other way and pulled the cotton anchored to the railing to make the doll move. On the second day, some of us students went out there and set up in opposition. They soon left.
There were other occasional shysters, more than once doing the three-card trick with membetrs of the team looking both ways for the approach of Mr Plod. But our friend with the pictures was never moved on!
Peter
 
Perhaps some of you remember this old gent, I do I remember passing him many times and I think sometimes I dropped a couple of bob in his hat.

Reg Cooper, Blind Busker in Corporation St.

Phil


Reg Cooper Blind Busker Corporation St.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hi Goingforit: I don't ever remember the pavement artist chap anywhere else except in the passage coming through from Margaret Street to Colmore Row.
He used to draw his pictures on three or four of the concrete setts. Like you say one's memory can fade but I have a vivid memory of that man in that space.

Peter, great story about the "doll men". There were, as my Father would say,
a few "Wide Boys" about in town back then. They often had a great system with one of their group looking out for the police. I once fell for the gold rings that turned my finger green.....that was coming up the Bull Ring one Friday.
 
Hi Going forit
If You Come Out Of The Council House And Turn towards St Philips Church Yard
With in 60 Yards Of Walking FromThem Steps There Is A Passage Way Which Runs Down The Side Of The Council House On Your Left There Was One Telephone Boxs On Its Own In Those Days , Now I BelieveThere Is Is Half Adozon Of Them Grouped To gETHER Just As You Are Approaching The End Of The Passage Wag That Is Where This Old Gentleman Used To Sit With Is Little Jack Russell In All Kinds Of Wether
When Ever I Have Been To Central Libary I Have Walked Through That Passage And Always Looked Down On The EXCACTSpot Where This Old Fellow Was When I Was A Nipper And Thought Of Him T
 
Not sure if this is the right forum but it is a general Brum question. Does anyone recall a lady singing (maybe drunkenly) outside the Law Courts possibly during 1940's, 50's or 60's?

Thanks
Donna
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top