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Typhoo Tea Factory plans

I don't recognise the parts of the building in the pictures. I can only suppose that these are the parts of the half that Latif owned/rented but didn't use. I don't think there was anything left of the Typhoo equipment/labels in Rose's half by the time they quit in 2001. I would also have expected some of their old furniture and the laminate flooring to be left. Apart from that, Rose's did have a cloakroom that no-one used - original lockers might still be there, it was supposed haunted which might have some of that stuff in. There was also the strongroom in the basement which flooded once or twice while Rose's used the building so I would think that it would be really bad down there and there might be issues with the structure of the building because of it. I could make guesses how one of the photographers got into the building but they'd suggest access to the half that (I think) wasn't photographed.
 
I reckon I've already done all I have to with that place. My dad's first job in Birmingham was there as a shop steward in Typhoo and I worked on Rose's computers for 20 years. Even at the end computer cables would be covered in old tea dust if they'd been around long enough. I just wonder how much is actually left.
 
Well I am totally amazed to hear this building is still standing empty or not because my grand parents and mother grew up very right next door to it
And that being that huge price of land on the corner which is used by people for a car park
What was on the corner adjoining the typhoon factory was a bed and breakfast coffee shop which was used for cattle drivers and typoo drivers
And any other market traders that brought cattle any alsorts to market even the hide and skinns yard where they slaughtered the cattle
And as I said and you can see it was a huge property stretching down to the hide and skin yard
Out the back for of the coffee shop which grandfather had the access into there yard where grand dad ernest and Bertha held
Parked there car and walked along I to the hide and skin yards a and typhoon where both had fans from time to time
My mother told me during her growing up there the gather or the typhoon would come around and asked them can we borrow Jack
Meaning the jack Russell they had and they said they had spotted rats and wanted to borrow him
Grand dad held was there up to the late fifths Bertha died in 1953 of cancer but he stayed running is other shops around the Aston. Ross and various others
But what I would like to know why did someone I presume wanted to knock those building down along that corner way back in the sixtys
Because that plot as been like that for twenty hears or more now and now you say typoo is standing empty
What was the purpose can anybody give me some reasonable answer to that please grand parents jelfs was there for thirty years or more and if it had not been for grand mother during they would have been there longer I spent hundreds of hours playing in those yards and the hide and skin I used to watch them
And every Sunday I would catch the 39 bus to Henrys and wait to see what cattle is coming down the meridian red along to new channel street
Through the cafe windows I used to stand on a chair to see pigs or cows and some times some would escape and watch men with boards
Running and trying to catch them. Astonian,,,,,
 
Thanks all. The buildings seem to have been in question for some time then. Hard to to believe they were set in the scene Alan (Astonian) describes. I've looked around for info. Seems the buildings were acquired by Gooch Estaes in 2010.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birminghams-typhoo-tea-factory-site-137099

And I think it might be part of the Big City Plan/ Enterprse Zone. The development plans include Typhoo Wharf, which I presume could include the remaining factory buildings (?). If so there were plans to re-use old buildings as well as develop new builds.

https://bigcityplan.birmingham.gov.uk/digbeth/
Here's Typhoo Wharf area marked in red.
View attachment 93463

Don't know if there are any further moves; the Plan was drawn up in 2010 and looks like it was ready to go out to tender perhaps. But maybe these plans were hampered by the recession. Can't find any more recent info. Viv.

PS the artist's impression of Typhoo Wharf looks idyllic. But will it become a reality?


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now that viv remains to be seen....come to think of it ive not been mooching in an old building for ages now but i think i will give this one a miss lol..

lyn
 
Hi viv
Many thanks for your acknowledgements on your thread so these people of typhoon had this planned or some one some where had a plan or fore seen
The future so may be grand father being whom he was and his family within the. City contacts of Birmingham
Decided to sell up which he did and like wise with park lane and my mother thought of some think different as to why he sold the business
But mom was brought in that shop she was born in 1926 and got pregnant at 14 there as well
I just could not see the logic in the.logic in flattening that dwelling and the ajoing coffee house with its bed and lodging of transport drivers
I remember have a Christmas party there when I was little we had a huge Xmas tree there right up to the ceiling
Just like one in the city of brum so wide it was a big property there was presents for every body at least fifty people
A lot was abroad Canada and Scotland and I recall they sat me on the counter of the shop having me sing a Christmas carol
When finished they all gave me a penny each there was some great memories for me and my mother in away
But thanks again telling us about the selling of the tea factory and the paper cutting Alan,, astonian,,,,,,,
 
Vivienne14 said:
Thanks all. The buildings seem to have been in question for some time then. Hard to to believe they were set in the scene Alan (Astonian) describes. I've looked around for info. Seems the buildings were acquired by Gooch Estaes in 2010.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birminghams-typhoo-tea-factory-site-137099

And I think it might be part of the Big City Plan/ Enterprse Zone. The development plans include Typhoo Wharf, which I presume could include the remaining factory buildings (?). If so there were plans to re-use old buildings as well as develop new builds.

https://bigcityplan.birmingham.gov.uk/digbeth/


Don't know if there are any further moves; the Plan was drawn up in 2010 and looks like it was ready to go out to tender perhaps. But maybe these plans were hampered by the recession. Can't find any more recent info. Viv.

PS the artist's impression of Typhoo Wharf looks idyllic. But will it become a reality?
Click to expand...

There are inaccuracies in the articles associated with this.
The Mail article shows a Car Park that opened as a commercial operation for a time that they say was the first time it had been in use since 1999. That site was Rose's car park until 2001 then used by Latif's opposite for several years as a customer car park. I suspect the commercial car park may have been an attempt to cash in on the temporary coach station just the other side of the railway lines. I don't know if it has survived.
The artist's impression looks odd with what appear to be people sunbathing on the edge of the canal. Nothing in any of the plans has suggested residential development and with the old article about ground contamination meaning that could probably never happen.
I also turned up this old survey https://archaeologydataservice.ac.u...62f6269726d696e6768322d34383530355f312e706466

It has a lot of maps and a few recent(ish) pictures. It seems that all that remains of the pre-WW2 Typhoo building is the front. I don't think the people who did the survey had access to the site somehow. The plans of the internal structure are old and only show part of one floor.
I don't know exactly what happened to Typhoo. I know that it was bought out by Cadbury at around the same time as it merged with Schweppes. According to Wikipedia Schweppes bought Typhoo before the merger but I remember Cadbury being Cadbury Typhoo before it was Cadbury Schweppes so I'm not so sure about that. I suspect that somewhere in the dealings Typhoo was moved to somewhere else either newer or an existing plant owned by part of the group.
 
Wam
My memory is a bit jaded, but, as i remember it I think Typhoo went with Schweppes before they mereged with Cadburys, because Typhoo and Kenco appeared suddenly at the /chocolate shop at Bournville with the cjheap can of drinks. This seems to be confirmed by Kenneth Williams book "The story of Typhoo", which says that the Schweppes-Typhoo merger was announced 24th Jan. 1968, and that the Schweppes -Cadbury merger was Jan 1969. The company then combined all the non-chocolate parts of the firm into a Foods division, and Moreton on Merseyside was the headquarters of that division. Tea was already mainly imported through Moreton and therefore they decided to put all the tea facility there, and it moved in November 1978. I may be wrong, but i seem to remember that after the initial merger with Schweppes the tea and coffes parts were put with Cadbury as they were all hot drinks , and this was called Cadbury-Typhoo, though there was also for a time a separate Foods division (for jams, cans, Narvel, Smash, and a Schweppes soft drinks division. Thsi would be what you remember (if I am right) as Cadbury-Typhoo.
 
This all flags up doubts about the future of the site. I suppose it'll remain as it is until the need and value of the site makes it viable for re-development. And I wonder how long that will be.

Wam's find of the B'ham Uni archaeological report is a good source of info. I've extracted out a few pieces which give us a better impression of what was/is there. Viv.
View attachment 93472
View attachment 93473
View attachment 93474




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Hi viv,
I have found this topic of the tea factory very interesting and as I said it really was apart of the building which was listed as number 1 new annal street
And I believe it was around the early 1930; period that my grand parents bought it just like Tyburn rd coffee shop by the Dunlop
I do not know which one bought it whether it was his father or himself but he was listed in the thirty as living and running the business
And as I said out of the kitchen door into the small back yard and through a gate we weren't there small monkey vans was there as well
And we walked along into the open yard of the hide and skin andi seen all these cows skinns piled up high and my grand father told me what they was I was a little kid at the time but getting back to what you have said about the history of the tea factory I found it interesting and I will down load it
And file it in my records its strange how these people buy these premises and sit on it for years before buying
It was the same with aunt Ivy's coffee shop it stood empty for years then a certain people bought it
And left it for years about ten years after they bought it on the under standing that its not left empty told by the council
But they left it for years then sold it on again and now its a car sales
But any way forget that I wanted to sacked you or anybody else whom may recall opersite typhoon there was a factory
Quite a large factory in fact and it produced lard does anybody can tell me asny think about it this is in the early years
Right up until mid sixties it remained there obvisiuoly it was for catering but they was manufacturing in making lard
I would be very much interested if anybody knew the name Alan astonian,,,,,
 
Hi Alan. I assume the lard factory would have been there because of the hide and skin works. Is lard a by product? I've looked at my 1912 map but can't spot anything. I'll post an extract below as you might be able to locate it from that.
View attachment 93478

I've also been reading about the Warwick Bar Conservation Area. There's a B'ham City Council document that was compiled in 2008 (but it won't allow me to post the link). I don't know how up to date it is in terms of more recent development but the important point is that the Typhoo Factory is part of the conservation area. Here are a few extracts

View attachment 93479
View attachment 93480
View attachment 93481
View attachment 93482

In 2008 the document claims there was little demand for the type of floor space available. But with economic changes, who knows what the position is now?

Viv.


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I think that's it Mike thanks but it's coming up as an error page for me. Wonder if it's because I'm on an iPad. Can others see it on a laptop or pc? It would be good to have it posted here as there's a lot of interesting info in the doc. Gives a wider view of the area in the context of the conservation area. Viv.


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How weird - this us what I'm getting. Maybe I've got a setting that blocks it. Not very good with this techie stuff. But the main thing is others can read it as I can do a search again to go back to the page I originally looked at. Viv..

View attachment 93483


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Aha, Geronimo! After twiddling (a scientific term!) with a few buttons I then decided to open BHF in Safari and now I can read it. Must remember to do that as I've had this problem with B'Ham City Council pages before. Viv.


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The 2008 Warwick Bar Plan tells us that the Typhoo Building is a locally listed grade 'C' building. It's not protected to the extent of a statutory listing, but the council gives guidance on any changes to locally listed buildings. It doesn't offer much protection, but at least it's recognised as a valuable piece of industrial archaeology. Viv.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/locallist



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Hi Mike and viv
Many thanks for putting the maps on for us what year was that map printed ,can you say
Also viv,lam trying to find the lard producers on there postion on the map as you know hide and skin was on the new canal street
Area yards from the coffee shop on the very corner of new canal street which is listed as number 1 , new annal street ,
And on the very corner of bordesly street ,well coming out of the hide and skinn yard gates turn left and walk towards. Bordesly street
And out side by the way there was a red fire stand right against the house front door which was just before the corner shop doors
Where you smashed the glass and use that little hammer inside the fire stand to central fire station as it was then
This was very early 1952.3 on the opersite side of the corners was a very small garage with two little old fashioned pumps
I do not whom the fa oily whom owned it as I say its on the opersite the coffee house on bordesly rd. Corner
Walk down bordesly rd. From the garage there was another busskness right next door to it which later in hears after my grand father left the shop this one open end up ASD a coffee shop but a couple of does from that that's where the lard factory was
On the first map you have shown on the bordesly rd there is a little white patch I presume that could have been the little garage then
And a couple of those grey patches would have been this building the lard producers I wonder if mike can get an election roll
For the names of that top end of bordesly street as I said it was facing typhoon if it was barn street facing then it was also on that corner around the block as well
I know typhoon did a big square went down the street and around the corner as well
Many thanks to you both Alan,, astonian,,,,
 
Alan
looking at the 1950 Kellys , on the south side of Bordesley St was Shrebe Lts, suet manufacturers. The only garage listed that wasn.t a firm's garage for its vehicles seems to be The Bordesley St Garage.
 
Hi mike good morning to you
Once again I have to say thank you to you for looking up my request I asked for, and regarding the garage I never thought it was a
Company more than a private enterprise because it was only a small little fore court consisting of a little wooden hut
And two very old and original rounded petrol pumps one for petrol the other pump was for paraffin and there used to a little old man
And a young boy always serving and they had one of those city vans to come in and go home in
Thanks again mike have a nice day best wishes as always ,Alan,,astonian,,,,,,,,
 
Hi viv
Hope you are having a wonderful day and many thanks for sending thou,s picture of the. Typhoo
I just cannot believe how its all change it terrible can you tell me are the railway bridges along the rd of new canal street and meridian
Street its where they kept the pigs and cattle in those arches over night before walking down to the Nide and skin
The transport drivers would drop off the cattle there and come and stay over night at the b,and b,at the coffee shop
Every Sunday I would.d get the 39 bus to dale end get off at Henrys and skip down the alley and ghetto name and grand dads
And I would take the dog for a walk all around the streets and fazely street and look into the canal and the bond ware house storage area
Of the canal old Higgins cafe was on the other corner but always closed on Sundays grand dads was the only one open around there
When they brought the cattle down at different times in the day some times they would comes a.ki gcown twice a day
They was spread all over the rd and strolling along the pavement is the spotted dog still there on the corner
There used to be a pub on the corner called the ship I think it was it closed down in the fifty and. Ever open end up again
And it became a shoe warehouse right up today's and a.ongvrom the traffic .light of fazely street there used to Bea boxers club
Upstairs called the cauliflower club it belong to the board of boxers association
And many time from marks and spencers we would was.k through an alley way which we would walk down the old crooked lane
Then there was a little hut with a steel gate on which was used for toilets but way back in time it was used by the police
In the 1800 early 1900 as a police cell we used to pass this and walk down back to there home and the coffee shop
Where her parents still lived there u til she died in 1953 and nestzyed there until 69 they wasthdfe from 1930; s
And in thlkse days you would see a soul on a y of them streets around new canal streetnlr the xurrlu ding street and no traffic
Not like today best wishes viv and once again thank you for the pictures. Alan,,,,astonian,,,,,,
 
Hi Alan. Don't know about the pub but the railway bridge arches all look pretty well intact. View attachment 93504 Interesting that the animals were kept there overnight.

Makes you realise what an excellent position the Typhoo factory was in, between the canal and two railway links. No wonder the factory was hit in WW2. I expect the Luftwaffe were aiming for the tracks (but maybe they also knew how much the British love their tea. - unknowingly they must have caused big dent in morale!!!) Here's a nice link to Hilda Day's wartime memories of working at Typhoo. If you haven't already seen it you might enjoy reading. Viv.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a5257640.shtml




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Hi viv,
Many thanks for down loading carols story I enjoyed reading that as I have never seen that before
And yes the arches look good nick yes the cattle drovers would come to Birmingham market and sell there cattle of pigs
For the slaughter for the hide and skinns they was pongie archives when you walked under the bridge
And some time late in the day on Saturdays or late on Sunday afternoons you strolled under the bridges you would smell the stench
But they always brought them down from there on a Sunday morning or lunch time latest but I will say I have seen them walking down about 2/3 in
The afternnons I think now they have devided these,s. Arches into seperate sections now as before there was only to sets
Of big high gates fixed to the walls as gates I have passed them in time gone bye when the cattle have been
They was white spacious and go right back easily held a couple of hundred cows, or pigs in there and it was dark no lights
And dirty mud and muck just .like a farm yard many thanks again viv. Alan,,,,,,,,astonian,,,,,,
 
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