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The Buildings of Birmingham, Past and Present (Second Series)

great chris...now where was st martins lane and what is that unusual structure on the right ..maybe part of the church...

lyn
 
In 1880 there was an Old Curiosity Shop in Aston Lane.

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Sounds wonderful Pedrocut, we've started watching Salvage Hunters at lunchtime during the week. It's on 'Really' and Drew Pritchard goes into some wonderful shops, many of which I think would be just like the one mentioned above.

I've posted this picture before on the forum but this is my grandparent's shop in Newtown Row, Aston around 1901 so might be pretty much the same. The shop was next to the Post Office.
 

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  • 8. 68 New Town Row c.1900.JPG
    8. 68 New Town Row c.1900.JPG
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Re post #24. The wall to the right is the wall of St Martin’s Churchyard, bulging with burials which is why Park Street Burial Ground was put into use in 1848. Presumably burials had been built up and up to quite a height.

Here’s Wm Hutton’s witty description in 1783:


“From the eminence upon which the High-street stands, proceeds a steep, and regular descent into Moor-street, Digbeth, down Spiceal-street, Lee's-lane, and Worcester-street. This descent is broken only by the church-yard; which, through a long course of internment, for ages, is augmented into a considerable hill, chiefly composed of the refuse of life. We may, therefore, safely remark, in this place, the dead are raised up. Nor shall we be surprised at the rapid growth of the hill, when we consider this little point of land was alone that hungry grave which devoured the whole inhabitants, during the long ages of existence, till the year 1715, when St. Philip's was opened. The curious observer will easily discover, the fabric has lost that symmetry which should ever attend architecture, by the growth of the soil about it, causing a low appearance in the building, so that instead of the church burying the dead, the dead would, in time, have buried the church”.




Viv.
 
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Lady P - are any of the children one of your parents ? Wonderful to have a family photo like this showing how they made a living. Viv.
 
what a stunnning photo pen i missed it first time round sold tea and coffee next door...pen do you know what number the shop was??

lyn
 
Lady P - are any of the children one of your parents ? Wonderful to have a family photo like this showing how they made a living. Viv.

Viv, I believe they are one of Mom's older sisters and two of her brothers. Minnie, Nellie & Sam. Mom was a late arrival and was the last (by 7 years) of a family of 8. This was taken long before her birth. The little girl in front of my grandmother looks exactly like my daughter did at that age. Yes, very lucky to have this photo.
 
what a stunnning photo pen i missed it first time round sold tea and coffee next door...pen do you know what number the shop was??

lyn

Lyn, I have the shop at 68, New Town Row and I think a photographer must have taken more of this street at the same time as Carl Chinn has a photo of the coffee shop in one of his books and I wrote to tell him. I can't remember which book it was though unfortunately. If my memory serves me, the shop was not far from the corner of Tower / Lower Tower St.
 
thanks pen so it was close to no 73 then which was shillcocks boot repairs and is where the fa cup was stolen from in 1895 ish but it sounds like your shop was on the other side of the road...maybe if mike spots this he would post us a map showing no 68

lyn
 
thanks mike i have this map that shows the post office before it became corbetts paints and also this photo think pens rellies shop would have been where the waste ground is..pen if you look at mikes map you will see the white lion pub marked just a few doors down from the shop...posting a photo of that as well in case its of interest to you

Newtown Lower Tower St 1958.jpgNewtown Lower Tower St.jpgNewtown The White Lion Newtown Row .jpg
 
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In Kelly’s for 1900, 1908 and 1913 No.70 Newtown Row is down as Coffee Rooms.

For 68 it is Samuel Wolley second-hand clothes dealer. Harry Ward, licensed broker, and for 1913 Mrs Fanny Wolfe, furniture dealer.
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Yes. That's the spot. Samuel Woolley was my grandfather. I do have the maps and picture somewhere but it's good to see them again. I do remember talk of the shop where the cup was stolen from being close to the furniture shop. What I really like about the picture is the little group of children on the left getting into the shot. Lovely!
 
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