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hi barr beacon what a smashing photo...cant say as i have seen that one before...great that the pub is still there but its a shame to see how dull and dreary the area is now...i have edited the thread title for you
Thanks for that Astoness! Am I right in thinking that building to the left of the pub was the old BBC studios in Birmingham at some point in it's history before Pebble Mill was built?
It was once the old Delicia cinema. Later it later became a venue for wrestling, and then became home to the BBC Midlands TV studios where the BBC broadcast plays before it relocated to BBC Pebble Mill. Aston University purchased the building in 1971 and today (2013) it houses the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI).
Some really big stars appeared here in BBC television productions. The only reason I thought about this was that as a child, my mom used to take me to Woodcock Street swimming baths and we would cut through Aston University (actually Aston University was a technical college then in the early 60s) and I remembered the BBC logo.
WOW i cant see that from street view....i would like to get a closer look at that to see just how much of the building has been retained...not that i am complaining which makes a change lovely to see ...its made my day
I remember going to Gosta Green, maybe early 1960s, to watch the great Joe Davis play an snooker match. It may have been shown on BBC at the beginning of the Pot Black programmes.
A coincidence is that looking about Woodcock Street Baths, comes up with...
“One of Woodcock Street’s most notable non-swimming events occurred in February 1936 when a session of a snooker match between world champion Joe Davis and the Australian superstar Walter Lindrum attracted a then world record attendance of approximately 1,100.”
In 1951, the Technical College was renamed the College of Technology, Birmingham and work began on the Main Building at Gosta Green. In 1956, it became the first elite designated College of Advanced Technology and underwent a major expansion. It moved into buildings that were constructed between 1949 and 1955 to a design by Ashley & Newman. Princess Margaret laid one of the first foundation stones at the base of the new building in 1951. In 1955, the College of Advanced Technology was opened by Her Majesty The Queen. The college expanded again to a design by the City Architect of BirminghamAlwyn Sheppard Fidler between 1957 and 1965.
It officially became the University of Aston in Birmingham on receipt of its Royal Charter on 22 April 1966 and the first Chancellor of the University, Lord Nelson of Stafford, was installed on 10 May.
The Delicia/BBC/Snooker building might well qualify for our 'façadism' thread. If it's mostly facade, it's been tastefully developed (in my opinion). Viv.
We had a discussion about the Sacks on the Gosta Green thread. I posted this c1880 image on that thread and we came to the conclusion that the current Sacks is most probably a re-build of the earlier pub. Viv.
The Sacks of Potatoes has some history in potatoes. From at the least the 1860s a Mr Adams was trading in potatoes and at some point took on the Sacks of Potatoes pub (quite possibly wasn't called that before). Hard to say when exactly he became landlord but he certainly continued trading in potatoes while landlord. Viv.
The 1855 PO directory lists:
Adams Williain, beer retailner & potato dealer, 10 Gosta green
The 1849 directory does not list a no 10
The 1845 directory lists:
10 Dixon Thomas, academy
10 Dixon Mrs. Lucy, girls' school
Using Pete's photo in post #22 has helped me to line up the buildings with this early view of Gosta Green
Yellow dot's and blue dot's make up the current Sacks of Potatoes. Is that correct ? Part of the large house (blue dot) seems to have gone with just a third of the house remaining to join up with next door (yelliow dot) to form (or enlarge ?) the Sacks of Potatoes next door. Viv.