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‘Bomb’ Collection Box Bull Ring

johndavies

johndavies

master brummie
Many years ago (about 50) my father regulary took me to the Bullring. I always remember the walls surrounding the Bullring having a coliseum like appearance.Just inside the entrance was a defused WW2 bomb. I have looked at many photograps of the "ring" but cannot see any that agree with my memory picture. Is this recollection a fixed false delusion?:D
 
I'm wondering if what you were remembering was the defused mine in the fish market. This had a classical frontage (the market, not the mine). And I think it also had a slot in it for posting pennies.
 
Wendy asks "Was It painted red?" Thats interesting because if you would have asked me, what colour was it? My reply would be "It's painted red." I'm convinced in my mind that it was.
 
Could be that we're both right - i.e. there was a bomb further up the hill towards New Street AND an old mine in the Fish Market. I do also think the mine was brightly painted and that it was somewhere against the downhill side wall not far back from the steps down to the Bull Ring. I seem also to remember that there were campaigns at that period to get the bombed-out roof replaced.

But I won't go the gallows on this as I know so well that memory is an unreliable thing. However I will go to the gallows on the shop that sold individual Mecanno bits and pieces near the out-of-town bus stop in the Bull Ring. It stood somewhere near where the Ikon Gallery was first situated. I can even remember the items I bought there after hours of agonising on how to use my pocket money.
 
Max is correct #14, the bomb (i think a 500lb? one) was painted red & named Satan, Pimms Pets was one of a row of temporary shops across the High St (Bull Ring) opposite the Market Hall.
 
Just in case there's any confusion, I have no recollection of a bomb, only of a mine. Unlike the bomb in the pictures referred to by Cadeau, the mine had nobbly bits sticking out of it and was spherical in shape. Also its location was (unless I'm totally up the Swanee) definitely within the Fish Market, not the Market Hall, and not in the open street. It is the Fish Market that was the building with the fancy collonaded face fronting unto the Bull Ring and that had lost its roof in the Blitz. I think the "non-fish" market was a bit up the hill on the same pavement and not so grand.
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Lib-Central-Archives-and-Heritage%2FPageLayout&cid=1223092751862&pagename=BCC%2FCommon%2FWrapper%2FWrapper

Yes, "Hobbies" sounds very believable and certainly it catered for other interests than budding engineers. I was always torn between expensive brass gears that could set me back almost a shilling or straightforward structural pieces costing coppers. I think I must have missed many a 29A pondering what to buy knowing I had to hold back three ha'pence for the fare back to Robin Hood Lane.

I think all the Stratford Rd buses and maybe more shared the same bus stop and quite horrendous queues could build up. What always galled was the way folk at the back of the queue could jump on a bus that was lined up upstream of the stop so leaving people at the head of the queue to struggle for a place on a full bus by the time it actually reached the stop, maybe even denied entrance by the conductor. If any of you reading this was guilty of this heinous crime, take note, I'm still fuming. It's not as if you even needed the 29A if you were getting off before Springfield Rd. As I say, I'm still fuming.
 
Thanks Len...That Pet shop over the road, I bought a Java Sparrow there or rather me dad did. I think it was 7/6 or was it 2/6??? Right then, let me think, let me scan my brain - that wont take long - This is how I picture it. Went up flight of steps into old King's Hall Market. Then came to the Bomb where my dad would lift me up to drop a penny in. Immediately beyond that was a round structre that I thought was called Pimms, and as someone just said, probaly selling pets and do I remember fish there too? Still think the bomb was red though...
 
Still searching but did find this?

index.php
 
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Thanks Bernie..I don't remember it being stuck up against a wall though...and I must have been Munchkin if I had to be lifted up to drop coppers in there...:D

Still think it was red ...
 
Wish I could find an old school friend he used to be employed in the markets (by a stall holder) his job was to watch out for people pilfering. He would know what was where and when.
 
Someone has asked me (and now I am also intrigued) if I know the whereabouts of a 'bomb' that dropped on Summer Lane during WW2 and was later hollowed out and turned into a charity collection box which was kept in the Bullring. I have a vague memory of seeing it when I was a kid, or maybe I just remember seeing something about it somewhere. I have already contacted the museum and they have no knowledge of it and it isn't in their collections.
Anyone else recall it, or maybe even know what became of it?
Ta,
Donna
 
There was certainly one in the old Bull ring market hall, I also seem to remember a land/sea mine also being there.
 
i could be wrong here but i seem to recall seeing a photo on the forum of the charity box that was in the city centre

lyn
 
nice photo phil and thanks simon for the info about the blacked out head lamps..i would never have noticed that:D
 
In the old Market there was a sea mine just inside the entrance and the bomb was halfway up the left hand side. It had a plate on the top for coins.
 
Thanks for all the replies, and especially the link to the photo. I shall pass them on and keep trying to find what happened to it. Really hope it wasn't scrapped, would be great to see it out on display again!
 
I'm intrigued by the two ladies leaning out of a window above the bus. I don't think they are but they look like they're touching the roof of the bus?
 
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