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Barn Street Diner - Barn Street

Nice to know what it was named originally. We have been to Brum today and Michael took me on a detour...lol. I spent most of the trip asking what the pubs were named originally and the names of the cinemas. He got a bit stressed when he couldn't remember the name of a buffett diner...it came later as the Ward End Pub. I hate it when they change pub names.
 
Hello,

I am brand new here and very pleased to have come! I have researched alot of inner city Sheffield and it's lovely to come closer to home.

There is alot of confusion about Barn Street Diner and what it was before. I work in Digbeth and buy my lunch from Barn Street Diner.

There is further discussion about what it was on this thread https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=33656

Which I think 'concludes' that it was either the Beehive or The Brewers Arms or The Royal Oak or 'Licensed Beer Seller' or as McKenna calls it Vulcan Inn.

Mike posted a map of Pickford Street from 1911 and on this map, the Public House is marked further along Little Ann Street but not on Barn Street Diner itself - this leads me to believe that it wasnt the Royal Oak - plus the building with graffiti all over it (used to belong to UB40 as a music studio on Fazeley Street) seems to be confirmed as The Royal Oak - surely there wouldnt be more than one?

My feeling is that it was the Beehive and also a Licensed Beer Seller at another time.

I would love to find out the definitive history of this building and any help or comments anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Kate
 
Hello Kate have you read the thread"This must have been a pub but what name"we had a great discussion on this subject and came to the conclusion that it was originally The Royal Oak and later the The Beehive at least I think it was that, it became so confusing.Dek
 
HI DEK ;
The Barn diner was orional the licence sellers of liquer in the early years and later changed to the behive
for many years as long as i can remember from a kid my grand parents and my mother grew up there
on the next street up to the corner of new cannal street
as a kid i used to walk the dog around the block whith there dog called spot all around that area ; and i can tell you it was the bee hive pub ;
until the sixties and changed to a cafe it had a black hard door at the time but it was not called the barn street diner in the sixtys it would have been later that it possible was sold on and refurbished it out and later called the barn street diner
during the fortys and fifties around that block there was four cafes
ours the jelfs , was number one new cannal street walk around to wards barn street emediatlely across the rd facing typhoo factory gates
was another cafe which never took much trade as was open seven days a week ; they would only open for five days not many
people went in ; then you walk further down bordesley street to barn street that was the behive pub which later on openend up as a cafe
around to fazely street on the corner of new cannal street was higgins cafe she only openend five days aweek she did try seven but failed
and stopped the trading as lack of customers that was facing the pub by the rail way she closed down and afew years later some one openend the shop and painted it out and started again but getting back to barn st diner it was what i have said it last known name was in fact the behive pub and beleive me it was a busy pub just lie the spotted dog facing ou shop on the corner of bordesly st and new cannal street
my grand father sold the shop in 1956 and moved into his other propertys at aston cross which was the coffee shops and lichfield rd
i remeber it very well the vulcan premises and most definately the bee hive pub ;and i worked at the electro and anodiesing plant across the rd
best wishes alan ; astonian
 
HI DEK ;
The Barn diner was orional the licence sellers of liquer in the early years and later changed to the behive
for many years as long as i can remember from a kid my grand parents and my mother grew up there
on the next street up to the corner of new cannal street
as a kid i used to walk the dog around the block whith there dog called spot all around that area ; and i can tell you it was the bee hive pub ;
until the sixties and changed to a cafe it had a black hard door at the time but it was not called the barn street diner in the sixtys it would have been later that it possible was sold on and refurbished it out and later called the barn street diner
during the fortys and fifties around that block there was four cafes
ours the jelfs , was number one new cannal street walk around to wards barn street emediatlely across the rd facing typhoo factory gates
was another cafe which never took much trade as was open seven days a week ; they would only open for five days not many
people went in ; then you walk further down bordesley street to barn street that was the behive pub which later on openend up as a cafe
around to fazely street on the corner of new cannal street was higgins cafe she only openend five days aweek she did try seven but failed
and stopped the trading as lack of customers that was facing the pub by the rail way she closed down and afew years later some one openend the shop and painted it out and started again but getting back to barn st diner it was what i have said it last known name was in fact the behive pub and beleive me it was a busy pub just lie the spotted dog facing ou shop on the corner of bordesly st and new cannal street
my grand father sold the shop in 1956 and moved into his other propertys at aston cross which was the coffee shops and lichfield rd
i remeber it very well the vulcan premises and most definately the bee hive pub ;and i worked at the electro and anodiesing plant across the rd
best wishes alan ; astonian


you have absolutely made my day

thank you so much - it means alot

your memories come alive to me

Kate
 
My sister was the licensee of what is now the 'Barn Street Diner' and I lived there in 1965 to about 1967. It was 'The Royal Oak'. There were the earliest flats in Birmingham in the area and at first the business did quite well, but the development of Chelmsly Wood bought about a depopulation of the area and only lunch time trade from local factories remained. There were massive rats from the river at the back and one got into the stock room and knocked many bottles off the shelves. The pub soon became unviable and was a great financial loss to my sister. I am surprised the building is still there. It was a taste of the real 'Old Birmingham', and even today seems to have resisted change.
 
If you look on Pickard's Pink Pages for Warwickshire - https://hunimex.com/warwick/ - and search the 1891 Census for Birmingham St Martin transcription 2384; the occupants of No.1 Barn St The Royal Oak are listed:

216,"1 Barn Street, ""Royal Oak""",1,Robert Coles,Head,,32,,Publican,Neither,Birmingham Warwickshire,,,,,Alice Coles,Wife,,,32,,,Bromyard Herefordshire,,,,,Edward Coles,Son,,7,,Scholar,,Derby Derbyshire,,,,,Susan M. Coles,Dau,,,5,Scholar,,Derby Derbyshire,,,,,Lily Annie Coles,Dau,,,3,,,Birmingham Warwickshire,,,,,George R. Coles,Son,,2,,,,Birmingham Warwickshire,,,,,Lucy Timmins,Servnt,,,20,Domestic Servant,,Dudley Worcestershire(The rest of the houses in Barn Street were terraces and courts of back-to-backs.)

It doesn't seem to have been there in 1841 - Birmingham St Peter transcript. 1145 - https://www.hunimex.com/warwick/freecens/1841/index_1841.html.

On the 1861 Census - 1 Barn St The Oak, Thomas Jackson, Head,M,47,, Victualler,Abbott Bromley Staffordshire,,
,,, Maria Jackson,Wife,M,,46, Alcester Warwickshire,,
,,, Maria Jackson,Dau,,,,6, Birmingham Warwickshire,,
 
HI DEK ;
The Barn diner was orional the licence sellers of liquer in the early years and later changed to the behive
for many years as long as i can remember from a kid my grand parents and my mother grew up there
on the next street up to the corner of new cannal street
as a kid i used to walk the dog around the block whith there dog called spot all around that area ; and i can tell you it was the bee hive pub ;
until the sixties and changed to a cafe it had a black hard door at the time but it was not called the barn street diner in the sixtys it would have been later that it possible was sold on and refurbished it out and later called the barn street diner
during the fortys and fifties around that block there was four cafes
ours the jelfs , was number one new cannal street walk around to wards barn street emediatlely across the rd facing typhoo factory gates
was another cafe which never took much trade as was open seven days a week ; they would only open for five days not many
people went in ; then you walk further down bordesley street to barn street that was the behive pub which later on openend up as a cafe
around to fazely street on the corner of new cannal street was higgins cafe she only openend five days aweek she did try seven but failed
and stopped the trading as lack of customers that was facing the pub by the rail way she closed down and afew years later some one openend the shop and painted it out and started again but getting back to barn st diner it was what i have said it last known name was in fact the behive pub and beleive me it was a busy pub just lie the spotted dog facing ou shop on the corner of bordesly st and new cannal street
my grand father sold the shop in 1956 and moved into his other propertys at aston cross which was the coffee shops and lichfield rd
i remeber it very well the vulcan premises and most definately the bee hive pub ;and i worked at the electro and anodiesing plant across the rd
best wishes alan ; astonian
 
displayimage.php
 
Hi burnel
Thats the little baby , the dinner i recall but also in its old original doors and windows
As an old pub it was very run down and a dirty state
And i can recall an attempt to tart it up as a coffee shop but never lasted long
And tnen an other attempt to bring a pub back best wishes Astonian,,,
 
IMG_1246.JPGThe Vulcan Inn corner of Barn Street and Lower Fazeley St
The man in the picture is my grandfather William Everton who ran the pub for a while.
 
Last edited:
Freshened the photo up a bit
 

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  • Vulcan InnA corner of Barn Street and Lower Fazeley St with william everton, landlord.jpg
    Vulcan InnA corner of Barn Street and Lower Fazeley St with william everton, landlord.jpg
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Frothy
A map c 1937. By the time of the 1950 map ( where some numbers are marked) there are virtually no houses in the street. I assume this was due to bomb damage. If you are after a particular number , then let me know which and I will try and mark it for you
 

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  • map c 1937 barn st.jpg
    map c 1937 barn st.jpg
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Thank you both. Family members have told me about dad being born in Barn street, I have no house number. I must look into it.
 
froth when was your dad born..what was his name and his parents names...its possible i may find them on the e rolls on ancestery

lyn
 
Have just checked the electoral roll, and William Henry Everton is listed there in 1930, but not 1927 or 1935 (only some years are online). The 1932 Kellys lists someone different then. so He was there for a period between 1928 and 1931
 
IMG_1272.JPG
Have just checked the electoral roll, and William Henry Everton is listed there in 1930, but not 1927 or 1935 (only some years are online). The 1932 Kellys lists someone different then. so He was there for a period between 1928 and 1931
That's great Mike thank you for that.I was guessing the age of my aunts in this picture which is maybe the Vulcan or it could be the Sailors Return which he also ran.
 
Late to this thread, but to add to the Barn Street theme. Talking 1950 to 60. I lived in Fazeley Street, only a short distance from Barn Street. (Car park now). Facing town, Barn Street on the left. There was shop on the corner, run by Mr and Mrs Demain, general food items, where Mum introduced me to shopping.
On the opposite corner was a wider pavement, with a building diagonally across the corner. That was occupied by Belling, (remember baby Belling oven with hot plate on top for bed sits etc ?). I think the building is still there. It would be opposite the waterways building on Fazeley Street.
Heading down Barn Street towards Milk Street, about halfway down on the right there was a small shop, might have been a cafe, run by the Bowdler family. Their daughter Ann(e) was a bit older than me, didn’t play much because she bossed me about.
At the Milk Street junction, over the road, there was a shop on the corner, I think O’Hares. When I was old enough I was allowed to go there on my own, to buy a bottle of Camp coffee for Dad, and a jubbly for myself.
Opposite the shop, on the Barn Street and Milk Street junction was a garage, can’t remember the name. Before we had a car, Dad hired a sit up and beg Popular from there for our visits to relatives in Norfolk.
Apart from the Bowdlers, there was no occupation of Barn street until after Milk Street. I do remember the houses with metal balconies between there and the big bridge, but didn’t know anyone there.
Just my late penny worth.

Andrew.
 
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