Temple Row

[historicaldennis]

Master brummie has just found me a link with some excellent photos of Temple Court on Temple Row, as well as some other streets around our building, so at last I can show you were we lived. on the 2nd photo, we can just see Temple Court on the right hand edge of the photo, but for a better view of this, go back to page 17 of this forum, and click on master brummies link, and then by clicking on the thumbnails of the photos I have included below you get a far larger view, and can make things out better, which is much more interesting for you. Above the head of the chap crossing the road, you can make out our front door entrance, with the portico for the Conservatory club next door. Unfortunately, the photo does not go quite high enough to show you our flat, which occupied the whole length of the top floor. We had four large rooms up there, and our bedroom, for three lads, was on the corner of needless alley, and outside our window we had a narrow 18 inch balcony, and by climbing out of our window, we could stand on the balcony and look over the cathedral to colmore row, which was very handy when it was carnival time, because we had a wonderful view from up there, and if you remember, the carnival was a proper carnival in the 50's with hundreds of floats all done up beautifully, lots of bands, every student dressed up, silly of course, and it was so long. It started at Victoria square, moved down New Street, along Cooperation st, into Bull st, pass Lewis's and Greys, up to Colmore Row, pass Snow hill station, and back to Victoria square, and when the leading band got back, the end of the carnival had'nt even started, thats how long and big and exciting the carnivals were in these days. And we had two parades, the afternoon at 2.00pm, and then the torch parade around 7.00pm, which was a repeat of the afternoon show, they were so good then, whats happened to making efforts today, carnivals are not the same are they used to be.

 

[historicaldennis]

Three photos of Needless alley, and the third photo is of use to us now, because it shows a little bit of Temple Court, its on the left, with Union Chambers on the right, heading down towards our rear entrance for the building.
Interesting though, is that the photo, around 1964, and can be enlarged by clicking the link on the last item at foot of page 17 by master brummie, does not show the bridge that we had across the alley, so that we could walk across from one building to the other, useful, because when we left Temple Court, we also remained as caretakers for Temple Court, and would cross over each rainy day, so that we could open up the three entrances ready for the arrival of tenants, the first at 5.00am prompt. The bridge ran across on the third floor level of each building, and on this third photo you only see the basemant level, ground floor, which in fact are the large windows, because of the slope of Needless alley, and the first floor, but the bridge was just above.
It would be great if anyone can remember any photos with this bridge on it. Saddly, all my families photo records have been lost, as the third brother, Michael, kept any photos of the 50's, and along with many more photos he took of Temple Court and Union Chambers were scanned onto his laptop, the old photos then got rid of, and we lost them all when his laptop was immersed in water, (dont even ask)

 

[historicaldennis]

Walking down Cherry St, you turned into Cannon Street and we are looking up towards Temple Court which is at the top of photo, in the middle, but you only see the back wall, where our door used to be to get onto the Flat roof areas. The roof was divided up into sections, and each main section was enclosed in a wire fence, which made it very safe for us yougsters to play up there, but many times, kicking the football to hard and watch it disappear down into Needless alley.
This is better, because we are looking down along Cannon St. from Cherry St. and the rear of Temple Court is partly along, on the right, and its here that we had our rear entrance to take away our daily rubbish. If you look closely, you can just make out the alley that ran up to Needless alley, it's a third of the way down the st. on the right, and next to this stood the Bell and Nicholson warehouse.
Now we are looking up from Cooporation St. towards Needless alley, and in the distance, beyond the alley ahead of us, you can make out the rear door into Union Chambers, which is the white building in the distance. On the right of the alley you see Bell and Nicholson warehouse, just a prt of its frontage.

 

[ellbrown]

Temple Row - House of Fraser

Built 1957-61.

Pevsner Birmingham:

House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams), by T.P. Bennett & Son, 1957-61, eight storeys rising higher to Bull Street and including a new North Western Arcade, replacing William Jenkin's classical structure of 1884. Restless glazing patterns.

55 Temple Row

Pevsner Birmingham:

The former Bank of England (now Bank of Scotland) of 1969-72 by Fitzroy Robinson & Partners of London, extending back to Cannon Street. Heavy podium block set back up steps. Dark granite facings below, copper clad cantilevered beams and bronzed window surrounds, and long pierced rectangles of Portland Roach, like huge architraves , above.
Blocky recessed attic.

 

[berniew]

A picture by Phyllis Nicklin Temple Row June 1957 these were all demolished in September the same year to enable Rackhams to be built

 

[ellbrown]

Doesn't make any sense why those were demolished! Did English Heritage and the Victorian Society exist back then? Am sure building listings started in the '50s!

 

[Vivienne14]

View attachment 90717A picture by Phyllis Nicklin Temple Row June 1957 these were all demolished in September the same year to enable Rackhams to be built

I love this view. Almost every doorway has a different pediment above the door. There were two of these terraces built along Temple Row and I wonder if the symmetry of the two terraces was only obvious if you viewed them together. Shameful that they both went, they were really classy. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

disgraceful that those buildings have been lost just to be replaced by what is there now...no comparison..no contest..

 

[paul stacey]

I remember those beautiful buildings, but taking into consideration the carnage inflicted on central Birmingham by an arrogant, elitest ,over zealous, modernist, council fraction, hundreds of buildings from medieval, Georgian, and Victorian buildings vanished nearly overnight.paul

 

[Astoness]

well said frothy and paul..my son went to oxford yesterday and took lots of photos and i cant believe the wonderful buildings they have..even he was impressed and hes only 21..just a pity that our powers that be are of a one track mind in thinking that boring glass and jerry built shapeless concrete buildings using cheap materials are the way forward...give them a few years and no one will give them a second glance..just my opinion but i think the archichecture of today is childs play..the impressive well thought out and built to last archichecture has been fast dissapearing since the 60s and once its gone its gone its gone forever..

lyn

 

[Phil]

Take a walk around Stratford upon Avon, they have their shopping malls and department stores but they are all hidden away behind the facades of the old building. It's such a simple thing to do, but apparently beyond us in Birmingham. Just look at the tourists that Stratford gets because it was the birthplace of Shakespeare and they have kept the place looking as quaint as they could. What then would have happened if we had kept parts of Birmingham looking the same? After all was it not the birthplace of the industrial revolution?

 

[Rupert]

The Industrial Revolution was significant in many ways for the world; but pretty was not a descriptive word that could be used where it happened. Still, I suppose that it was the single historical happening that produced most of us. I walked by those buildings twice a day, five days a week for several years and can't say that I ever thought of the Industrial Revolution at all; it was just a nice place to be. The buildings (still substantial) were perfect for the location and complimented the scene with their grace and substance. Continuing up the row to what would have been the Old Royal Hotel in other times; hosting Nelson and possibly Dickens and many other notables. If you look across from where The Royal was, you can see the preserved entrance to the Great Western Passage and get some impression of what the whole row could have been...and indeed was. A haven from industry if anything. The buildings possibly identifiable in Samuel Lines painting from the top of St, Phillips...just the back of a store now.

 

[paul stacey]

Here in Cambridge you are forbidden to demolish any building older than 100 yrs, if it is un safe and has to be then it must rebuilt in exactly the same style and decore.paul

 

[rosie]

I paused the other day outside the Great Western Arcade (Lyn's pictures of it #151) and looked up. It's amazing how many people looked up also, to see what I was staring at!!
I used to enjoy doing this whilst waiting for the bus in Town, sometimes you can draw quite a following. I wish more people had looked up in the past, maybe we'd have more left to admire.
rosie.

 

[Phil]

Rupert

The industrial Revolution might not have been pretty, but it was the reason all those great and marvellous buildings got built and made Birmingham the great city it is today. They were built to house and cater for all those hundreds of thousands of people that converged on Birmingham from the surrounding countryside and further afield to find employment as the city became more industrialised.

 

[Vivienne14]

Returning to one of Phil's images posted in post #14, think it would be hard to locate this 1820s drawing without being told. It's a fairly derelict view of Temple Row. Think the streetview shows the position, not 100% sure though. If it is it would be the junction of Waterloo Street and Temple Row/Temple Row West. Pity we can't read the inscription on the wall left-hand side. Can anyone? Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Bomb damage in Temple Row - photo taken from Lewis's (photo from the Shoothill site). But can't place the photo with any certainty. I wondered if it's the corner of Temple Row and Bull Street, but not too sure. Doesn't really look like it. Viv.

 

[oldMohawk]

This IWM photo shows bomb damage on that corner although it does not look exactly the same

Maybe they had demolished the top floor by the time this photo was taken.

 

[ellbrown]

Assume that is to the right of the Great Western Arcade Viv?

The replacement building is Aspect Court.

View from Coffee Republic from 2014

 

[Shortie]

The first picture that was posted - the corner of Bull Street Look at the corner building on the right. Then look at the second picture and you will see that the lower windows are exactly the same. Also Rackhams on the lefthand side - that corner was always semi-circular, when Rackhams was there and much later, when Mappin and Webb had the new building it was the same shape. It's definitely the corner of Bull Street and Temple Row.

 

[mossg]

It looks like the roof of the pub was blown off. The first picture shows ANS which was obviously ANSELLS, the second picture shows the rest of their sign The Better Beer.

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks all. The building at bottom right of #227 looks like it's probably an Ansells sign - you can see ANS.... I don't know the name of the pub but presume it's the one in the #228 image. The #229 image shows Great Western Acade, so was this end re-built after WW2? It looks pretty obliterated in #227. I think that's what's been puzzling me, as I couldn't make out if the bombed out image included the Temple Row end of the Great Western Arcade.

Hope that all makes sense ............ to somebody out there ! Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks Moss - our posts have crossed. The Great Western Arcade is still a bit of a mystery to me. The present structure looks quite old - not a post-1940s replacement (that's unless it was rebuilt in the original GW arcade style). Viv.

 

[mikejee]

If you look at this picture from inside the arcade after the bombing it is reasonable to conclude it was rebuilt in the old style

 

[Vivienne14]

Oh yes Mike, that makes sense. Thinking back, there might have been a previous discussion on here somewhere about the arcade damage. I think it was mentioned that the facade was different but can't remember the details. Looks like it was very seriously damaged, so surprised it survived rather than being pulled down. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

With the North West Arcade it was a convenient straight route from corporation St to snow Hill station, so that might be the reason

 

[DavidGrain]

Rackhams has been mentioned in relation to these photos. Can someone tell me exactly where Rackhams used to be. I remember my mother buying dress materials and patterns in the old Rackhams. My recollection is that we used to enter the store from an arcade. It was also the last place that I saw one of the old fashioned candle stick telephones in use. And the notorious 'Back of Rackhams', was it the present area at the back of the House of Frazier?

 

[oldMohawk]

Have a look at the post and thread below
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/back-of-rackhams.32816/#post-339537

 

[Phil]

Although Temple Row was damaged by a bomb blast during the war I think the Temple Row entrance of the GWA was relatively undamaged as the bomb hot nearer the corner of Bull Street. Another bomb did most of the damage to the Great Western Arcade but that was at the Colmore Row end. Although I do not have a before and after photo of the event this is as close as I can get.

 

[devonjim]

Phil, need some help here. Your picture of the Kardomah is clearly 1950's and I recall that as opposite Snow Hill Station. The other corner in your picture is Boots chemist. But that corner was Barnby's a toy shop,(NB not Barnaby's) now a child remembers where toy shops are! What's going on?