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Suffolk St

my rellie john downes was at the pub in 1890 up to possibly 1894 so assuming the dates of the photo are correct he is not on the photo:(never mind

lyn
 
The white building behind the pub used to have a Ronson shavers and lighters shop. Went in there a couple of times when I worked at Alpha Tower. AT may have been in the process of being built ((or maybe just before) the photo. Seems almost unbelievable to me that the pub was opposite AT - gone by the time I worked there. Viv.
 
Trafalgar House has been covered in scaffolding for years, more than 5, maybe 7 or 8 (anyone know?).

I think there were plans to turn it in to a hotel so not sure what became of that.

It is of course right opposite the huge Paradise development so the plot is probably quite valuable.

Good site for a hotel as well, right in the city centre and an easy walk to most city centre facilities, though already many hotels in the area of course with a new hotel planned to be built right opposite it (next to the Town Hall).

Trafalgar House.JPG
 
That site was never very busy (well not in the 1980s) I can’t remember what shops there were at at ground level except for the Ronson’s shop. Might have been a sandwich shop and a recruitment agency. It always seemed a bit out of the way. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
That site was never very busy (well not in the 1980s) I can’t remember what shops there were at at ground level except for the Ronson’s shop. Might have been a sandwich shop and a recruitment agency. It always seemed a bit out of the way. Viv.
Click to expand...

Sadly Suffolk Street Queensway is now a huge barrier between the city centre and the West side of the city.

And there is now even less reason to go near Trafalgar House.

Look at the image below and you see that Suffolk Street Queensway cuts the city on two in that area.

There is currently only two ways to get across Suffolk Street on foot in that area.

On the left of the image you can walk from Victoria Square across the new Paradise development, between the two new modern buildings (what would have been through the old library). Shown by a red line.

On the right you can go UNDER Suffolk St (along Navigaton Street) that takes you to the Mailbox etc. Again shown by a red line.

If you walk down Paradise Street (from the city centre towards Alpha Tower) you cant go any further because due to the new tram lines pedestrians cant walk in that area.

Once Paradise is finished they will open up the old walkway (Easy Row) that used to go under the road from Alpha Tower towards the old library, but that is not likely to open up for a few years yet until they finished the Paradise building work (in that corner anyway).

Suffolk.JPG
 
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Suffolk Street Queensway was even a problem in the 80s but at least you could use Fletchers Way to get across. Fletchers Way - supposedly a row of shopping units - remained empty for years. There weren’t even any shop fronts on most of the units - literally as though the final stages of the development had been abandoned. The sort of place I was never too keen to use if I’d worked late at Alpha Tower, which was very often, but had no alternative choice. Viv.
 
Afraid I don’t remember it uphill !! There was nothing there. Must have finally been developed after 1982ish after I left Brum. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Suffolk Street Queensway was even a problem in the 80s but at least you could use Fletchers Way to get across. Fletchers Way - supposedly a row of shopping units - remained empty for years. There weren’t even any shop fronts on most of the units - literally as though the final stages of the development had been abandoned. The sort of place I was never too keen to use if I’d worked late at Alpha Tower, which was very often, but had no alternative choice. Viv.
Click to expand...
Seems crossing Suffolk St was an adventure even thirty years before, I found a story of a council meeting where there were histrionics about an accident blackspot, especially in the wet, outside Matthew Boulton tech where the view of a pedestrian crossing was obscured by buses parked on the cobbled road running downhill from Paradise St
 
A Sparks said:
Yes, it was sad the way that subway went downhill. There used to be a good independent record shop in there if I remember correctly.
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I bought quite a few CDs from that store - Highway 61. The bloke running it was OK too. I used to see him at some gigs like Chuck Prophet or Matthew Sweet. He was really into 60s garage/power-pop.
 
From Navigation Street to the Mailbox, you can walk up towards the Arena Central development, and go past HSBC UK. It's up hill via Suffolk Street Queensway. With the old Easy Row Subway still sealed off.

But some people still cross over where the tram tracks are now despite it not being for pedestrians.
 
Astoness said:
my rellie john downes was at the pub in 1890 up to possibly 1894 so assuming the dates of the photo are correct he is not on the photo:(never mind

lyn
Click to expand...

The first photograph is almost certainly 1891 - however, although John Downes had probably gone by this image, this is the pub as he would have known it. Succeeding Rose Lester, he was licensee from May 4th 1888 to March 6th 1891. During this time the building was owned by Edward Ansell of Aston. He let it go and Holder's took ownership. Their beers are advertised in the windows of the photograph. John William Barton was a tenant. In August 1891 building plans for extensions were approved. Accordingly, this image has to be 1891.
 
My 3rd great grandfather and family lived here. It's hard to visualise this being a residential road.
 

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  • suffolk_st_census.jpg
    suffolk_st_census.jpg
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You do not mention which of these houses he lived in and what his occupation was. However, this thread might interest you. Welcome and enjoy the Forum.

Suffolk St

Suffolk St has been rather neglected on the Forum, yet it is amongst Birmingham's earlier developments. Capitalising on the canal side opportunities but with a spin that more houses were needed Sir Thomas, based in Suffolk, developed the area from 1766 onwards. The census records indicate that...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
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Below is a map c1889 showing that are, with the houses concerned numbered . there is a slight difference with the census, in that al the directories list the Midlands Inn as 52½, whereas the census lists it as 53.

map c1889 suffolk st with some numbering.jpg

Below are two photos of the area. the first is looking up from the Wheatsheaf on the corner of Severn St in 1895,

Wheatsheaf Inn. Suffolk St. in 1895.jpg

The second has no 58 at the far left , going down to what had been the midland inn to the right of the archway

Suffolk Street slums copy.jpg
 
mikejee said:
Below is a map c1889 showing that are, with the houses concerned numbered . there is a slight difference with the census, in that al the directories list the Midlands Inn as 52½, whereas the census lists it as 53.

View attachment 149290

Below are two photos of the area. the first is looking up from the Wheatsheaf on the corner of Severn St in 1895,

View attachment 149293

The second has no 58 at the far left , going down to what had been the midland inn to the right of the archway

View attachment 149291
Click to expand...
Great map, but where would number 60 be?my great great great etc. grandad lived there in 1860. Fabulous website only just come across it, thank you.
 
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