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Perry Barr Shopping Precinct 1960-9, Lynton Sq

T

tonyoz777

proper brummie kid
just read debbies post about the shops on birchfield road

i've been trying to find some photo's of the old lynton square shopping centre but to no avail

my mom worked in fames store in the 70's in the decorator centre

anybody help ??
 
HI THERE
I USED TO WORK ON LYNTON SQUARE IN WHAT WAS THE FURNITURE SHOP ON THE CORNER ROBINSON & TAYLOR WHICH BECAME WILLIAMS FURNITURE I THINK FAME WAS NEXT DOOR TO US
JOHN
 
Seeing that picture makes me feel like Rip van Winkle, as I left Brum in 1959, before the real Perry Barr shops were pulled down, and have taken a real interest in the city again in the last few years. I realised the One Stop Centre is only a few years old, and I had completely forgotten that ugly shopping centre which I have never visited, only seen from a passing bus. That was bad enough. What ugly buildings we built in the second half of the 20th Century. Thank heavens we seem to have improved slightly.
Peter
 
as peter walker says, i wonder now if it was worth all the trouble

lol

a very windy place to go shopping if i remember correctly

seriously though, thanks very much for that, i've trawled the net looking for a pic, i wonder if that could be my dads old hillman husky in front of it ??????

thanks very much postie

cheers

tony
 
Hi
I have pic from 1972 of Perry Barr Shopping centre, I'm new here my 1st atempt to upload a pic so hope its there.....Cheers Tony



Tony
 
Wasn't there a bowling alley in there somewhere - or maybe further along?
 
Perry Barr Shopping Centre

I'm from Erdington, only memory i have of Perry Barr Shopping Centre was Maplins opened their 1st Birmingham shop there, not sure when it was but must have been 70's or early 80's, there has been a Maplins in erdington for many years. Only reason it comes to mind is because how slow it was to get served there !!
 
:DI remember the old Perry Barr Shopping center. There was a tall building with an Indian restaurant on the top floor. When I felt flush I would take my my mom for a meal there. There was a furniture shop called Williams's it was always in advertisements on TV. My mom was born over the road in one of the old back to back houses in Franchise Street. I have many photo's of her little house and garden. At the end of the yard was a wash house with a mangle and washboard. Jean.:D
 
Jean Smith [Lyndon];69808 said:
:DI remember the old Perry Barr Shopping center. There was a tall building with an Indian restaurant on the top floor. When I felt flush I would take my my mom for a meal there. There was a furniture shop called Williams's it was always in advertisements on TV. My mom was born over the road in one of the old back to back houses in Franchise Street. I have many photo's of her little house and garden. At the end of the yard was a wash house with a mangle and washboard. Jean.:D
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Jean
Stick a few of those photos on the Forum I'm sure the folks would love to see them:)
 
Perry Barr Shoppng Centre

This thread brings back memories as I worked on this site in1963 from start to finish. It was that cold winter in 63 that we started laying conduit runs in the snow and it used to stick to your skin and would ripe the skin. It always was a windy and cold site even when finished. Does anyone remember the rescue of the crane man who had climbed to the top of the crane to refit the wire that had jumped from the pulley but became entangled in it? One of the site men climbed to the top, freed him and carried him to the ground then fainted!, he was scared of heights.....
At topping out two of us went on to the roof of the tower block to watch the big wigs celebrating.
The rats from the river were a regular sight and we were paid 6p for each one killed and taken to the site office.
When opened, Tandy opened a shop and I think it was their first one in Birmingham.
Shops I can remember were:Collins,Barratts, Tandy,Williams, dolcis...
Pete
 
Where the MacFisheries shop was there was once a demonstration area used by the now disbanded Civil Defence Organisation, my father was one of the senior rescue workers with the unit from Belmont Row. My late brother Ronnie also a Civil Defence volunteer worked in the Fine Fare store adjacent to it and just in view on MikeJenks picture.
 
These pictures brought back a lot of memories for me. I was working in what was then Birmingham Poly and from my office I had a perfect view of the tower block being demolished. Of the shops I certainly used the record shop on the front. I also remember a greengrocers which sold small jersey royals in season and which really used to taste of something then, unlike today. Apart from that, nothing (apart from those awful planters) although seeing the photos made me recall the names of the shops.
 
re old Perry Barr shopping centre

:) I used to work in Lynton square Perry Barr from 1969 to 1971. Boots the chemist 4 Lynton square the photos brought back some good memories .
I remember the fly over being built, one day a truck carrying hot bitumin turned over spilling its load of hot tar over one of the workers it was awful. I remember there was a payne's shoe repairer's in Lynton square as well , but on the oposite side to Boots I worked there as a Saturday girl when I was younger, there was also a Butchers on the block in the middle of the square, and if I remember correctly there was a midland bank also in the middle. I think the furnature shop was next door to Boots, It all seems a long while ago now. Erdington Girl.
 
Any one remember CAPITAL FINANCE in the square, if my memory has not gone AWOL The manager was a Frank Laybourne? & his Sec a Liz Morris, wife of My pal from the ice rink & hockey team at that time, John Morris (Cousin to the Plotnics? of the Eletrical shop Hamstead Lozells) , others who worked at Capital were Mike Heath, Ken Hay (a great Scot).
We all used to be members of the Rugley & District car club & had some great time.
This is a time when my Wife & I not a care in the world so many pals & things to do.
Ho! HAPPY HAPPY DAYS. I hope this will jog more of your memories ?
ASTON
 
I used to call on Fames twice a week Merchandising for Symbol Biscuits 1969-71:)
 
Hi To Aston

You Mention The Plotnics Was It A Harold Plotnic Who Started Allied Carpets In Acocks Green Back In The 60s ????????
John
 
Perry Barr Shops.

I also remember Foster Brothers, Brentford Nylons, Olivers (Shoes) and a Music Shop (can't remember the name). & Mothercare.
 
Yes John, that was the cousin of my buddy John Morris, John had a car parts shop for a number of years in the 60s, in West Brom; opp; the Fire Station. His wife Liz worked as company sec; for His cousin firm after leaving Capital Finance.
ASTON
 
Lynton Square.

Seeing the recent threads and pics brought back some (not so good) memories for me. I lost my job as a lab technician in 1968 and worked for a few months at a sports shop in Perry Barr Precinct. It was called Handsworth Sports House or something similar, and its owner Jack Appleby had a second shop on Soho Road, where I also worked. For peanuts, I might add. They were the worst months of my life...almost Dickensian conditions. I couldn't wait to get away, and even today I feel somehow ashamed. I thought Lynton Square was a complete monstrosity, and just for kicks I drove down there one time when they were demolishing it! The only good thing about it was the Indian restaurant! Not so happy daze!

Big Gee
 
hi
i worked at "Fames" on the decorating dept in 1979 - i was 15. I worked there on a saturday for a guy called Mo - i think you Mom was the lady who worked there during the week. Fames was a family affair as my Nan worked in the staff canteen, my Grandad worked in the warehouse, and my Mum worked on stationary. I remember Lynton square very well. Very windy !! I remember the escalator in fames that went up to the 2nd floor and you got a whiff of the pick and mix. There was bridge going across to the other building where there was a hairdressers and a restaurant.
 
hi jools and welcome to the forum..i used to work in one of the offices in the tall building and used the indian restaurant that was there many times...

lyn
 
brill pics topsy..boy do they take me back to when i worked in that block in the middle of the centre....great indian restaurant as well...
 
Great to see the pics of "The Precinct" I lived behind it in Teddington Grove and watched it go up and get knocked down. My mum Mary Hale worked for many years at Bayliss the wallpaper shop visible behind the workman's tent in the third picture. Sadly she was knocked down and killed by a lorry in 1990 whilst crossing the road opposite the precinct as the replacement shopping centre was being constructed. For my part I worked at Fine Fare supermarkets as a Saturday boy for 2 shillings and sixpence (12 and a 1/2 pence) an hour in the early 60's before moving around the corner to Red Squirrel supermarkets which was posher(it had a coffee bar on the second floor and was I believe owned by Littlewoods)!) but for the same wages. I recall that time every year when I unpack the Christmas decorations which are still housed in a Fine Fare wine box! Later I moved to Perry Barr library where I earned £2 a day for 8 hours on Saturday and thought I'd become a millionaire.
 
hi nick and welcome to the forum..firstly can i just say how sorry i am to hear that you lost your mom in such a tragic way....secondly thank you so much for sharing some of your memories with us...please keep them coming...

lyn
 
img463.jpg
Who remembers Margot Bryant??? She played Minnie Caldwell in Coronation Street and here she is opening the new shopping precinct at Perry Barr in 1964
 
Nick said:
Great to see the pics of "The Precinct" I lived behind it in Teddington Grove and watched it go up and get knocked down. My mum Mary Hale worked for many years at Bayliss the wallpaper shop visible behind the workman's tent in the third picture. Sadly she was knocked down and killed by a lorry in 1990 whilst crossing the road opposite the precinct as the replacement shopping centre was being constructed. For my part I worked at Fine Fare supermarkets as a Saturday boy for 2 shillings and sixpence (12 and a 1/2 pence) an hour in the early 60's before moving around the corner to Red Squirrel supermarkets which was posher(it had a coffee bar on the second floor and was I believe owned by Littlewoods)!) but for the same wages. I recall that time every year when I unpack the Christmas decorations which are still housed in a Fine Fare wine box! Later I moved to Perry Barr library where I earned £2 a day for 8 hours on Saturday and thought I'd become a millionaire.
Click to expand...
Hello Nick and welcome
I used to deliver papers to Teddington grove in the late fifties when I worked for the post office (Townsend and Dennet) on the Walsall road. I used to live in Dewsbury grove until 1970 and remember my first job in 1960 when I was paid 1/6d per hour.
 
I spoke to my Mother at the weekend, she did remember going to the opening day of the centre but she didn't get an autograph (don't know where I got that from!!)

Someone previously mentioned the Red Squirrel supermarket - my mother said that it was part of the Barrows chain, which I didn't know.
 
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