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Bull Ring 1930s - 1950s

Viv's comments about the bus shelters in the Bull Ring at the side of St Martins. The Bull Ring was the departure point for Midland Red buses for the Coventry, Warwick and Stratford Roads. I remember seeing buses coming up the hill and if they had to stop at the Digbeth end they would still be on a slope and you would see the conductor hanging off the platform with the wheel chock ready to chock the wheel. Midland Red wheel chocks were brass so I think many kept disappearing.
 
Vivienne14 said:
This'll be familiar then Eric. 1949 and a very busy scene it is. Buses and cars making their way up and down through the market. People out enjoying the sunshine, looking for bargains. And someone has opened the window at Woolworths. Maybe it was a warm day, although most seem to be wearing coats and hats. Viv.

View attachment 114022
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And you can see a trolley bus too, remember them on Moor St...
 
The Bull Ring in the winter of 1947
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only visible if logged in it is a link to forum pic in https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...-trams-for-a-change.28642/page-15#post-588560
 
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Regarding the Midland Red terminal at St Martin's in the Bull Ring. Prior to 1930 my father Fred Eborn was employed as Chauffeur/Butler by a family in Solihull and lived on the premises (shades of Up Stairs, Down Stairs !).
One Sunday on his half day off he travelled into Brum and took The Mystery Tour Bus from that terminal.
Youv'e guessed it ,it ended up in Solihull. When he told them that he wouldn't be doing the return part to Brum he was told he wouldn't get a refund.
Cheers Tim.
 
Vivienne, yes that is very familiar, I remember passing that bombed section on the left the morning after the raid (1940) the firemen were still there 'damping down', we lived at Shirley and frequently visited our Nan and Grandad in Queens Road, Aston, catching the 3x tram in Martineau Street. We tried to get them to stay with us during the air raid period but they would not budge. strangely enough our house was damaged in 'safe' Shirley and theirs was not such is life. Eric
 
Indeed Eric, so many of the so called 'safe' areas really were not totally safe. Admittedly areas near heavy and intensive industry were high risk but outer areas, including countryside, were an areas easily hit by aircraft which did not reach their target or simply 'tipped and ran'.
 
Alan, luck of the draw I suppose, I was 10 at the tine. spent 6 weeks in a romany caravan in Earlswood (improvisation in those days) whilst waiting for our house to be made habitable. My 2 sisters and I thought it a great adventure. Eric
 
I am sure you and your sisters did find the temporary home exciting - almost like a holiday I guess. Your parents probably did not share your views. :D Our home had shrapnel window damage but that was soon re-glazed.
 
Hi Paul, I feel it has a late 1930s look. The car looks large so he must be doing good business to own it. Pity we can't see more of it.
Phil
 
I wondered if it was early 50s/Cold War. He's wearing an Astrakan hat, commonly worn by Khrushchev. Viv.
 
We seem to have two threads now discussing this flower seller picture. One would be better for those researching at a future date.
 
Viv think it would be the 1930s and he is playing on The White Russian sympathy, At the Balalaika Alan Jones movie sort of shingle ?
Cheers Tim
 
Radiorails said:
We seem to have two threads now discussing this flower seller picture. One would be better for those researching at a future date.
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The other thread 'They Were Caught In Our Old Street Pics' is a general discussion thread about people in the pics see post#1 in it. Perhaps posts#719, 720, and 725 in this 'Bull Ring Pics' thread can be moved into the other thread. The pic actually isn't in this 'Bull Ring Thread'. I just put a link here to show a pic.
 
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Regarding the telephone boxes see links to two previous posts ...
The first (#376) shows light coloured telephone boxes. A policeman directs traffic ... looks a pre war date to me. The second (#189) is dated 1947 and the telephone boxes are now dark coloured so presumably red.
stars said:
Hi
Another one of the bull ring. i am not sure if this one has been on before, as there are a few similar
ones before the hack.
Image3_the_bull_ring.jpg

regards Stars
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Stitcher said:
View attachment 80095 1947.
St. Martins.
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Phone box looks like a K6 - so from 1940 onwards. Oddly I can't see a crown on any of them, but that may just be the image quality.

Also the man on the left is wearing a trench coat - popular 1940s coat. And the trilby was popularised by Frank Sinatra in the 40s/50s. Viv.
 
Also the man on the left is wearing a trench coat - popular 1940s coat. And the trilby was popularised by Frank Sinatra in the 40s/50s. Viv.[/QUOTE said:
On this side of the pond, the trilby was known as a fedora. I know there are subtle differences but just an example of semantics. Re: the picture...what are all those people watching? did they have the guys in chains and blew flames in those days?
Dave A
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As they appear to be looking down I would say that it was the escapologist. This is quite an old act so difficult to date from that but looking at the Midland Red buses I would say 1940s immediate post war.
 
DavidGrain said:
As they appear to be looking down I would say that it was the escapologist. This is quite an old act so difficult to date from that but looking at the Midland Red buses I would say 1940s immediate post war.
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I see that this photo was posted early in this thread on post #10. Inquiring minds wanted to know back then, 7 years ago, what the people were looking at. It appears that the street performers were the main attraction. I recall being on route to the Art Gallery for a school project. Having to change buses in the Bull Ring, me and a bunch of my school mates, got hooked into watching the show. They were very frustrating to watch as they consistently put off what they were going to perform and passed the hat around every 15 mins or so. We stayed there all afternoon and still didn't get to see the guy escape from the chains. We never made it to the Art Gallery, however, we did make it to school for a Saturday morning detention.
Dave A
 
Re-posting a classic view from 1937 - originally posted by Astoness on the Old photographs thread. Thanks Lyn! Pre-WW2 Bull Ring - but soon much would change forever. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
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