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They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics...

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My memory of the Martineau Street trams is waiting for a bus on the opposite side of Corporation Street. I remember even as a small child that the trams had to make a very sharp turn out of Martineau Street. Obviously the bogie cars could do it but the four wheelers must have been tight.
 
Radiorails said:
They may well have been - but - there are none in the lower saloon! One presumes there should have been.
Actually, after reference to my small library, I notice that the closure notice posters were larger than those seen in the picture. They were deeper in length and wider. The small posters seen in the picture do appear in other 'photos of tramcars; usually commensurate with a special trip rather than a service car. Route 6 closed at the end of December 1949, the picture does seem to show a quite sunny day for December. But, of course, sun is not unknown in December and when it is it is usually most welcome. :D
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Did not think about the lower saloon and they are a little haphazard bearing in mind Birminghams normal oddly ness etc
 
An old friend of mine had a tramcar body in his back garden at the top of Kingstanding Road as a greenhouse back in the late fifties early sixties.
It was funny seeing the signs "No smoking in the lower saloon" "No spitting" "Wait for the car to stop before alighting" etc. alongside the tomato plants.
 
Eric Gibson said:
An old friend of mine had a tramcar body in his back garden at the top of Kingstanding Road as a greenhouse back in the late fifties early sixties.
It was funny seeing the signs "No smoking in the lower saloon" "No spitting" "Wait for the car to stop before alighting" etc. alongside the tomato plants.
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Yes, signs..signs...any of you guys remember the one in the men's toilet "Please adjust your dress before leaving"
Dave A
 
Eric Gibson said:
An old friend of mine had a tramcar body in his back garden at the top of Kingstanding Road as a greenhouse back in the late fifties early sixties.
It was funny seeing the signs "No smoking in the lower saloon" "No spitting" "Wait for the car to stop before alighting" etc. alongside the tomato plants.
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Some signs which could be seen in the old trams and were colourful on the old woodwork.
tramsigns.JPG

from https://www.robertdarlaston.co.uk/trams.htm
 
adap2it said:
Yes, signs..signs...any of you guys remember the one in the men's toilet "Please adjust your dress before leaving"
Dave A
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If you`re wearing a dress in the mens toilet you may get some funny looks :-} A sign of sorts that most servicemen will remember "Kilroy was here" Indeed, he was everywhere!
 
I thought the link was great Dave. One of the queries was about female toilets underground and as at the time (mid 1800's) ladies would be wearing hoops and crinolines, the mind boggles as to how they would descend to the lower levels. Just imagine two hoops trying to pass on the stairs!
 
The link comments about the first public toilets in London but in fact, Sir Richard Whittington (Dick Whittington of panto legend) built his "Longhouse" with 64 seats for men and 64 seats for women in May 1421. These toilets where flushed twice daily by the tide coming up the Thames.
 
Lady Penelope said:
I thought the link was great Dave. One of the queries was about female toilets underground and as at the time (mid 1800's) ladies would be wearing hoops and crinolines, the mind boggles as to how they would descend to the lower levels. Just imagine two hoops trying to pass on the stairs!
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And how about the reason they were spending a penny? Was it still a penny back in Victorian times? That must have been really difficult too...
 
DavidGrain said:
The link comments about the first public toilets in London but in fact, Sir Richard Whittington (Dick Whittington of panto legend) built his "Longhouse" with 64 seats for men and 64 seats for women in May 1421. These toilets where flushed twice daily by the tide coming up the Thames.
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Innovation for sure, but not quite like the Romans...
 
Assuming there were cubicles too Lady P, the crinolined ladies must have been contortionists!! Viv.
 
Enjoyed that website linked above Mikejee. The Woodsetton Toll House in the Black Country Living Museum has a brick "beehive" shape built into the front corner recess to prevent tradesmen who tried to urinate there. I presume it had the same outcome that the tilted metal bars had.
 
oldMohawk said:
It's Corporation St in 1964 and a man is running wearing sunglasses, did he try them on in a shop and then did a 'runner', probably not, because no one is chasing him and he's running towards the law courts ! Maybe he is just 'jogging' but it's a strange place to jog.
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nice E Type on the left.That guy must be running to make the 7-30pm skating session at the old Rink Phil ;0))
 
oldMohawk said:
I always like looking at this busy scene of Snow Hill Passenger Entrance. I remember those roadside flower sellers out in all weather conditions and remember some at bottom of Corporation Street. The bloke in the black car seems to be pushing over the zebra crossing or he didn't pull up quickly enough. That entrance was a handy meeting place or the gateway to holidays etc, it was always busy.
Snow_Hill_Entrance.jpg
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Many a late night spent in that place drinking coffee and the odd pie after a night at the Old Birmingham Ice Rink .Great meeting place for us skaters ;0))
 
One to mull over. Why was there a Royal Artillery gun in Smithfield? A couple of men in bowlers are giving it the once over. Was it a military recruitment drive? (Presuming this is Birmingham Smithfield and not London Smithfield - it's labelled as Birmingham). Viv.
image.jpeg
Photo from the Shoothill site. Undated.
 
It looks very highly polished, and rather an ancient type (not that I am an expert). It couldn't be for one of those displays where soldiers/sailors/etc have to take it apart, transport it and then reassemble, could it?
 
Vivienne14 said:
One to mull over. Why was there a Royal Artillery gun in Smithfield? A couple of men in bowlers are giving it the once over. Was it a military recruitment drive? (Presuming this is Birmingham Smithfield and not London Smithfield - it's labelled as Birmingham). Viv.
View attachment 112202
Photo from the Shoothill site. Undated.
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Could it be part of a funeral? There may be a handle of a coffin?
 
I think thats right Pedro. I've played around with the photo and, yes, it looks like a coffin. And Mike, as you pointed out, that would be why it was highly polished. Wonder if this was the funeral of a well-known military person. Pity we don't have a date for the photo.

Viv.

image.jpeg
 
IMG_1439.jpg IMG_1440.jpg
Vivienne14 said:
I think thats right Pedro. I've played around with the photo and, yes, it looks like a coffin. And Mike, as you pointed out, that would be why it was highly polished. Wonder if this was the funeral of a well-known military person. Pity we don't have a date for the photo.

Viv.

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July 1914 the funeral of Chamberlain, the above clips give the route. But would it be Smithfield?
 
Although Chamberlain was not a military man, he might have been given military honours at his funeral in view of his involvement in the Boer Wars. The funeral procession would not have passed Smithfield on the route shown in the press cuttings but it might have been assembled at Smithfield. However, I thought in a funeral they just used the limber not the gun itself.
 
IMG_1441.jpg
DavidGrain said:
Although Chamberlain was not a military man, he might have been given military honours at his funeral in view of his involvement in the Boer Wars. The funeral procession would not have passed Smithfield on the route shown in the press cuttings but it might have been assembled at Smithfield. However, I thought in a funeral they just used the limber not the gun itself.
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Yes I think Chamberlain can be discounted. Clip shows arrival at cemetery.
 
I was part of a REME inspection team in Egypt, we, the mechanics, inspected the vehicles and another group. the armourers did the guns, we did the Royal Artillery unit's annual inspection and I can assure you that all the guns were highly polished, the paintwork and the brass.
 
Hi oldmowhawk
yes i recall those shelters on colmore row in those days they was quite ornated
and i also recall them replacing them ,
Can you recall when they disposed the shelters on old colmore row,
Best wishes Astonian,,,,,,,
 
Hi Alan, I presume you mean the shelters in the pic in post#3. I must admit I don't think I ever saw them but they certainly look nice and decorative in that pic. I have no idea when they were removed.
oldmohawk
 
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