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Smallbrook Ringway

The Ringway Centre was completed in 1962. Andy Foster in  Birmingham: Pevsner Architectural Guide:
'The best piece of mid-C20 urban design in the city, and the only stretch of the Inner Ring Road built as a boulevard, rather than an urban motorway.'
 
Pete Elliott said:
I remember the Ringway well back in the 60’s & 70’s, I used to work in Blucher street up the hill towards HP sauce. From the photos on the post it’s obvious we knew how to build stuff with character compared with the non descript monstrosities we’re stuck with now , I remember the 59 bike club based at Alex’s hotdog stand opposite the Albany , happy days long gone, god I feel old ☹️
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Pete i worked in Upper Gough St early 70's I didn't know HP Sauce were around there can you tell me where mate ?
 
Vivienne14 said:
Strangely we don’t seem to have a thread for the Ringway. It’s often mentioned in threads but they’re ones dealing with another subject. So here goes ...

Two photos from, I think the 1960s when it had just become a part of the new ring road system. Whenever I think of Smallbrook Ringway I always remember the Big and Mighty (or was it Tall and Mighty?) shop. It was somewhere on the left of the B&W photo. Don’t remember there being so many shops as shown in the colour photo. And yet I must have walked the curve on quite a few occasions to get to the Scala Cinema. Viv

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Viv did you ever go into the Viking for a drink , btw you were right first time it was Big & Mighty
 
Dionysius//88 said:
Pete i worked in Upper Gough St early 70's I didn't know HP Sauce were around there can you tell me where mate ?
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Hi, from what I can remember HP was at the top of Holloway head and Bath Row on the right hand side, I don’t think it was very big structure, probably some sort of storage facility, the name was over the entrance and I saw HP vans going in and out
Pete
 
Pete Elliott said:
Hi, from what I can remember HP was at the top of Holloway head and Bath Row on the right hand side, I don’t think it was very big structure, probably some sort of storage facility, the name was over the entrance and I saw HP vans going in and out
Pete
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Do you know I worked around there with two companies for about 4 yrs and never knew rhat
 
paul stacey said:
Hi Lyn, Picture #94, reminds me of the very early 60's, when I went every Saturday to the " Wimpy bar", in the broadway, it was very excotic to a 14yr old, thought I was
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Vivienne14 said:
No I didn't go into the Viking. Where was it Dionysius ? The name's not familiar. Was it on Smallbrook Queensway?
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Viv remembering the shop you mentioned Big & Mighty , the Viking was going down about 3 or 4 shops away from that, too be honest it looked more like an outdoor with it's flat frontage . Upon entering the door you were faced with a large staircase to take you downstairs that said it had got a ground floor bar .
 
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It was the first one in Brum, I believe, it was on the RHS of the broadway, about half way along, I used to have the whole meal with bent frankfurter, and chips, and burger, without bun a tomato and some salad, with a frothy coffee, 6/- a fortune in that time, it was very colorful and bright very modern. I only had a paper round in those days 10s 6d a week so most of my money!!!
 
paul stacey said:
It was the first one in Brum, I believe, it was on the RHS of the broadway, about half way along, I used to have the whole meal with bent frankfurter, and chips, and burger, without bun a tomato and some salad, with a frothy coffee, 6/- a fortune in that time, it was very colorful and bright very modern. I only had a paper round in those days 10s 6d a week so most of my money!!!
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Yes a big bite out of your 10/6 for sure. I never had a paper round (I worked at a butcher shop), did you get tips on your paper round? I delivered meat and my tips on a Saturday were almost as much as my earnings cutting meat.
 
No tips, in my working class neighbourhood Richard, you might get about 2/6 at Christmas time, for a whole round , about 60 houses. Though ironically enough, I did get a job at the Butchers on the castle square Weoley Castle, for about 6 months, which paid 25/- which was a lot then!!!
 
Richard Dye said:
Yes a big bite out of your 10/6 for sure. I never had a paper round (I worked at a butcher shop), did you get tips on your paper round? I delivered meat and my tips on a Saturday were almost as much as my earnings cutting meat.
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Stokkie said:
Agreed. Cleaning and repairing is necessary. I'm reminded that John Madin's Central Library was never cleaned or finished. It was intended to have been clad in white marble or limestone, but the money for this was not forthcoming.
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Stokkie that alway's looked like a pig's ear in my book , I wonder why there is a problem with a new library design . The Victorians never had a problem with designs .
 
John L said:
It was "High & Mighty" Viv. I worked in Hill Street for many a year, there were a few famous visitors too (Clint @ The Albany and Spencer Davis (as featured in the Games Closing Ceremony) trying to get over the road!). It's a great pity that so many shops have been shut recently in the vicinity and that the area is now so far from being, what it once was:
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Yes of course you're right High & Mighty was the name , I got the name of the pub right though
 
Vivienne14 said:
It was problematic right from the start. Have to admit I never considered going to any of the shops along there and it certainly never seemed like the hoped for shopping centre to me. (Source below : Birmingham Daily Post 23/5/1961 British Newspaper Archive)
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A Sparks said:
Yes indeed, I can remember going into the old Victorian library!
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Yes as a kid I was a member thinking back it was a great place to visit , I picked 3 books the only challenge was the geet the books read in the alloted time .
 
Dionysius//88 said:
Yes as a kid I was a member thinking back it was a great place to visit , I picked 3 books the only challenge was the geet the books read in the alloted time .
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I agree with Sparks & Viv…..that place never did anything for me. There are building in Birmingham that are well 9ver 150 years old, so much for planning obsolescence! This city has no money to keep libraries open but they can build ugly places like that and not worry because the public is footing the bill (mistakes).
Sorry but this is such an expensive mistake. My apologies!
 
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