• 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

Street furniture

Vivienne14 said:
Was Erdington once classed as Staffordshire? Would the fancy poles be anything to do with that? Viv.
Click to expand...
There is a lot of information available about Birmingham Corporation Tramways. It seems that before 1 January 1912 the tram lines were apparently owned by Erdington Urban District Council, but operated by Birmingham Corporation Tramways. The lines passed into the hands of Birmingham Corporation following expansion of the city's boundaries in 1911. It could be that Erdington UDC originally erected the ornate tram poles.
 
The ornate brackets might well have been an Erdington requirement. Apparently tramcars were diverted from High Street to Sutton Road in 1938 due to traffic congestion.
I do not fins these brackets anywhere else n the system but most pictures I have are not in the early part of the 20th. century. I guess reference to specific books dealing with Birmingham suburbs might shed more light on this. As mentioned in an earlier post high level lighting was subsequently fitted to the the poles together with a plain arms for support of the overhead wires.
 
Lamp post in front of Cornishes on New Street. Pedestrians are advised to "keep left of lamp". Why? Was this a crossing point? Was the pavement usually congested at this point because of people crowding in front of The Post &Mail building? Viv.

image.jpeg
 
In the Birchfield Road Perry Barr thread there is a street light of a type I have not noticed before, maybe it is an early mercury vapour design.
BirchfieldRdlight.jpg
The Birchfield Road street pic ...(only visible if logged in)
index.php
 
Last edited:
I think you are right Morturn and I presume that upper cylindrical part contained a mechanism to maintain the arc gap.
 
Hi Guys
here is a couple more photos you can enjoy i have loads more to print off
best wishes Alan,,,, Astonian;;;;
scan0012.jpg scan0013.jpg
 
Looks like some new street furniture for Stratford Road Hall Green, the kids seem to have liked it !
Having looked at Google Earth I have not been able determine the location. Looks like a possible park on the left.
StratfordRd.jpg
 
The Stratford Road dual carriageway appears to be curving slightly left in the distance. I wonder if this an approach to the Robin Hood roundabout as viewed from near Fox Hollies/Highfield Road? Dave
 
Last edited:
The same photograph as in #515 is in "Images of England: Hall Green" published 1996 and compiled by Michael Byrne. The caption to the photograph reads: "The Stratford Road by Highfield Road, c. 1925. Harry Tatton (centre) assures me that he and his friends did not want to be photographed. On the left is Bill Elt, related to the builder and Councillor B.D.Elt of Yardley Rural District Council and Sparkhill Ward, and on the right is Fred Cox". Dave.
 
oldMohawk said:
The Bridge Inn in Monument Road in 1959 with some unusually placed street furniture. Instead of being against the wall that bench looks rather close to the road, and a Bundy Clock usually near kerbs is against the wall. The cast iron urinal (there is a thread for them) has it's own gas lamp which was useful. I suppose it all made sense.

attachment.php


From https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?34394-Another-Old-Pub&p=455777#post455777
Click to expand...
I spotted information about this Bundy clock. It may be the reason it was sited close to the wall. It was moved here in June 1952, at the direction of The Council, from the other end of Monument Road bridge due to complaints about noise - presumably bus engine, crew chatter and so on. Given that Monument Road was not a quiet but busy road, pubs, the Monument Lane loco servicing sheds and line one wonders what the noise petition stated.
 
Last edited:
what they actualy done phil was move it from the bottom of monument road end
which was originaly postioined about one hundred yards from the main springhill junction traffic lights
coming up from warstone lane, ickneild street springhill through the lights passing bulpitts
and the midland bank right on the corner, estimated about one hundred yards from the bank
which was tthe beginning of monument road and it was postioned out side a long batch of the large houses
with lomg front gardens to reach there front door and they had two or three front door steps to enter there house
and the particular house directl out side with the bundy clock postioned right on the kerb outside mr Bates house
along with his neibours houses, yes it was in the fiftys, and the traffic was hectic morning day and night
7 days aweek every week end there was always an serious accident, and always a bottle neck for traffic moving
when the bus was at the bundy clock awaiting its time especialy at tea times when the workers was coming home
from bulpitts and the hockley quarter of factorys and to make it worse there was a little garade with a in and out exit
so when the guys fill up and traffic coming down from the ivy bush waydown to springhill
these cars could not get off the forecourt hence the botle neck both ways
causing traffic problems and yes noise engines from cars stuck around the bus plus the bus engine running at a stand still
and leaving oil on the road plus the surrounding work force all coming out to gether awaiting for a bus to come
the ques was reaching far back as the bank on the corner of springhill midland bank
andmor often than nt the unlucky ones had to await more busses to come before they could aboard the bus to get them home
in those days the eight bus was horrendous if you got one you bet had jump on it other wise an half an hour or two before there was more often than four would come to gether after that any one would come around would always state one of the other Hckley brook onlt terminus or Highgate depot terminus it was a terible service to use
there was no bench out side mr bates house he was abit of a toff he could have worked for the council he was most definatley
an office worker with his brief case and brolly there was very people in that quarter whom was office workers beleive me
it was then they moved the clock up to the bridge on monument road but no bench emediately
and it was place by the kerb it must have been 12 months later the bench appeared also close to the kerb
which caused abit of a problem for people running or trying to get on and off the bus
because the bus drivers always seem to stop in line with the clock causing obstruction and when the bench came bigger problenms
as kids was started to stand on the bench by the wall trying to climb up on the wall bus drivers had to stop the kids clambing up on to
the bridgre walls then came the restoration of the cannal entrance next to the urinals
so they put a silly green gate flimsey one that never lasted long either then they decided to change and strenen the bridge changed the brick work and built it up and extented the wall then the estates was built so they put a streel stair case down from the bridge
and put a big brown gate by the unrinals whilst the pub was there then the slum clearence and now that entrance
is an open plan walk down ramp and the made it steeper and wider to what it was oringinal
regarding the bridge bundy we used to wait for the drivers to come and clock in as kids and asked him to print the number on the backs of our hands as the ink from his key would be wet
and in those years down by that ramp at the bottom it as taken several kids lifes
i myself have dragged out a little kid aged aged eight they was my friends litte brothers and the same little kid i have save his life
twice as a nipper and that was the old bona railway that runs up through sufferfield park to harborne
so i know about the bundy clock
outside mr bates house facing was a little garage on high ground it had two little pumps one for petrol
and one for parafin walking back up monument road next to the garage was a little wood yard
where the bloke from kingedwards road and where i lived on the corner rented it
and it was right next to the big dance hall the palsi bulpitts old building it later became
and there is a book with a picture of me as a niper standing there when the bloke whom took the picture fro across the road om mr bates side of the road his daughter went to steward stret as i also recall her name was barbara
best wishe and happy new year to you all Astonian,,,,,,,
 
This photo of Heathfield Road shows one of those early carbon arc street lights as seen in post#509. I haven't yet seen them on street lights in photos of other districts. Although they emitted bright light they were difficult to maintain and were probably replaced with mercury vapour lights by 1910.
heathfield_rdrs .jpg
 
thats a cracking photo phil...not seen it before...happy new year to you and the family and thanks for all you do for the forum phil

lyn x
 
Some of these more unusual lanterns probably date from when those suburbs, now within the city boundaries, were not and accordingly were the choices of the appropriate councils governing those areas prior to WW1. I recall parts of Solihull and its administrative area did not get electric street lighting until well after WW2. Many of Britain's newer housing estates did not receive any form of street lighting due to the commencement of WW2 and had to wait until after VJ day and later ffor their lights. Parts of Shirley had gas lighting installed by German POW's - well the donkey work such as digging trenches and pipe laying was done by them. Some spoke English and were pleasant towards children a few were not. Soup, bread and cheese were often their lunch.
 
Not strictly street furniture, but a lovely sign. You do wonder what happened to some of these pieces. It's a photo from the Shoothill site of the Swan sign onthe the Swan Hotel, High Street. Viv.
image.jpeg
 
This 1949 photo of the Red Lion, Soho Road has a lot going on. You could almost miss the very large cigarette machine to the right and the old- style petrol pumps in front of Dalton's Garage. What was the attachment to the cigarette machine? Chewing gum machine? Match or chocolate dispenser? Viv.

image.jpeg
 
As pointed out in an earlier post there is a lot of interest in the pic (Post 527). I see Beverlys Ltd. (270) is a wines and spirits shop (note Ltd, so they must have more than one store I guess). Not sure what is sold at 268 but assume 266 is a tobaconists and most likely a newsagent. I like the 'off street' parking, near the request and stage bus stop. ;)
 
In 1940 Beverley's had 4 shops listed in Kellys in Birmingham. No 286 was George Elliott, draper.
The photo was taken before 1942 , as by then Beverley's had disappeared from the site
 
It's good to be able to say that this view along Coleridge Passage has changed very little in terms of the buildings. But the street furniture has changed; the phone box has gone, the row of old lamps have gone, the old letter box has gone (but been replaced by a modern box - and moved out of the Passage ?). And for good measure, some bollards (with chains!) and a parking restriction sign have been added onto the Corporation Street pavement. Viv.
image.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    127.5 KB · Views: 14
Hi Viv, I often walk down a passage similar to this called Eden Place. It leads from Colmore Row to Edmund Street. I noticed the other day that a young man had rented one of the phone boxes and was using it as a base for his coffee shop and sandwich bar.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top