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Bodega in Birmingham

Gus Wah

Gus Wah

master brummie
My late father was a WW2 vet. In his diary he mentions that he and the boys often went on leave from their base in Tholthorpe to Birmingham. While his handwriting was never the greatest, I think I can make out that he went to an establishment called the Bodega.

While I don't expect anyone to know this for sure, it would help if I knew if whether the Bodega even existed in Birmingham in 1945. Might someone know this? And if so, is it at the same address as it is today?

Kind regards.
 
Gus Wah said:
My late father was a WW2 vet. In his diary he mentions that he and the boys often went on leave from their base in Tholthorpe to Birmingham. While his handwriting was never the greatest, I think I can make out that he went to an establishment called the Bodega.

While I don't expect anyone to know this for sure, it would help if I knew if whether the Bodega even existed in Birmingham in 1945. Might someone know this? And if so, is it at the same address as it is today?

Kind regards.
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Type the word bodega in the forum search (top right) and lots of information will appear ... :)
 
I think that it is likely to be the Bodega in High St. They were continually advertising for staff, particularly in the early years of the war. See below. Don't know if the "outings" were with members of the armed forces :rolleyes:

birm gazette 3.7.1941.jpg
 
"Don't know if the "outings" were with members of the armed forces." Yeah, that's an interesting passage. I'm in Canada and have an enormous lack of understanding of the British culture in those years. (I was born well after.) I'd be curious to know what exactly was meant.
 
Dennis Williams said:
This might help...High Street, Brum.....
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Many thanks for this, Dennis. I'm trying to write an account of my father's life in the allied forces. He left behind good snippets, but it's hardly enough. Where would I go for permission to use this amazing photo?
 
Gus Wah said:
I found this site by searching the Bodega in Birmingham, so I'm well aware of the current establishment. That was not my question.
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Well, every member of the crew was a young, single man, my father no different at just 20 years old. I'm not so naive that "outings" would surprise me. And if so, good for them ... I'm sure they needed diversion from the horrendous operations they performed on behalf of all of us today. I'm only trying to understand an overseas culture of more than 75 years ago.
 
Some background Gus. Pubs in England have a history of organised day trips for their customers. Not sure how frequent these were in wartime, but they were certainly established as a feature of community life, and of course as you’ve already observed, a chance to get away from it all if only for a short time.

Viv.
 
The Bodega (bar/wine and spirit company) goes some way back - to at least 1876. So it was an old established business in York Passage/High Street, Viv.

5CEEE855-568A-426A-8334-CB588BE2F4FC.jpeg
Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
The Bodega just visible on the right opposite the fenced off Big Top bomb site.
oldMohawk said:
High Street in 1946, the war is over but quite a few glum faces, but two laughing girls look out of a window, surely they can't be touching the top of the bus
fff.jpeg
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Vivienne14 said:
I thought it was simply (and perhaps naively) day trips out ! Viv.
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Vivienne14 said:
The Bodega (bar/wine and spirit company) goes some way back - to at least 1876. So it was an old established business in York Passage/High Street, Viv.

View attachment 158276
Source: British Newspaper Archive
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Nowadays he would get a smacked wrist a fine with surcharge but hard labour what would the woke say? What actually was hard labour? No he is not in my family tree


Bob
 
Hard labour could be a number of things. At one time this included Treadmills, though I'm not sure if that applied at that time. It was probably something like breaking large rocks into small stones (I think these were then use for roadmaking) or picking up cannon balls , carrying them some distance , putting them down, then picking up and taking back, again and again, or possibly oakum picking (separating oiled rope into strands (hell on your fingers)
 
My late Wife and I (who I first met in a dance at the Masque Ballroom in Christmas 51) often went to the Bodega whilst visiting the City centre in 52 and 53, I introduced her to Pims No. 1, it has many happy memories to me I was in the RAF at the time. Happy days. Eric
 
cookie273uk said:
My late Wife and I (who I first met in a dance at the Masque Ballroom in Christmas 51) often went to the Bodega whilst visiting the City centre in 52 and 53, I introduced her to Pims No. 1, it has many happy memories to me I was in the RAF at the time. Happy days. Eric
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Were Pims No. 1 or the Masque Ballroom known to be popular places for airmen in 1944-45?
 
On 12/12/1895 this "Bodega" was on Temple Street so High Street wasn't the only one, unless of course it moved premises.

The manager of the Bodega in 1895 was shot dead by a former employee. The manager was very accomplished and obviously well respected by the operatic community. Viv

Screenshot_20220903_123639.jpg
Source: The Stage, British Newspaper Archive
 
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Vivienne14 said:
On 12/12/1895 this "Bodega" was on Temple Street so High Street wasn't the only one, unless of course it moved premises.

The manager of the Bodega in 1895 was shot dead by a former employee. The manager was very accomplished and obviously well respected by the operatic community. Viv

View attachment 172844
Source: The Stage, British Newspaper Archive
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At this time the Bodega was a national chain.with several branches in Birmingham, as can be seen from the 1856 Kellys.

ScreenHunter 5964.jpg
 
Gus Wah said:
Well, every member of the crew was a young, single man, my father no different at just 20 years old. I'm not so naive that "outings" would surprise me. And if so, good for them ... I'm sure they needed diversion from the horrendous operations they performed on behalf of all of us today. I'm only trying to understand an overseas culture of more than 75 years ago.
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Tholthorpe is near Easingwold in North Yorkshire, so that's quite a trip to make. There must have been some attraction. Perhaps music - there was a jazz scene then. A lot of historical research has been done on USAF bases, but not so much on RCAF as far as I'm aware. Great thread, and brilliant that you have his diary.
 
Well, it's apparent that many Canadian boys had discovered a plentiful supply of girls in Birmingham. Additionally they had lots of word-of-mouth advertising from fellow airmen who'd been there. When my father attended B'ham he was stationed at Wellesbourne. Tholthorpe was his final posting, and that came later.
 
Not to stray too far from the Bodega thread, I'm also curious if there is (or WAS, sorry) a YMCA near the High Street location of the Bodega in 1944. I have a strong hunch now that this is where the men often stayed.
 
From 1944 Kellys:
YMCA .27 Dale end 4; restaurant & hostel,Association bldgs. Dale end
 
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