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Bull Ring Centre - Potato Machine?

Mark0ne

Mark0ne

Brummie babby
Does anyone recall The potato machine (not sure if it was called that but my grandad always called it by that name) it was occasionally set up in the lower part of bull ring centre near youngsters toy shop in the early 1970s, the display consisted of various working models of miniature fairground rides and the passengers were real potatoes with faces on them, there was a kiosk at the end of the display where you could buy a baked potato with butter, I think it was only there for a week or so a couple of times a year but I remember going to see this twice when I was little, does anyone else remember it or have any photos?
 
Welcome to the forum. Interesting question. I remember you could buy potato man kits. Bit of plastic eyes, noses, and lips to make faces on potatoes.
 
Mark0ne said:
Does anyone recall The potato machine (not sure if it was called that but my grandad always called it by that name) it was occasionally set up in the lower part of bull ring centre near youngsters toy shop in the early 1970s, the display consisted of various working models of miniature fairground rides and the passengers were real potatoes with faces on them, there was a kiosk at the end of the display where you could buy a baked potato with butter, I think it was only there for a week or so a couple of times a year but I remember going to see this twice when I was little, does anyone else remember it or have any photos?
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Hi. I couldn't believe it when I read your post about the potato man and the toy fair with potato people. I remember all the lights on the fair rides. I must have been about 6 which was 1969. I left Birmingham in 1970. I've told my children several times about my fond memories of the potato fair and the potato man. We would have a bag of potato chips to eat on the bus on the way home.
 
Bran said:
Hi. I couldn't believe it when I read your post about the potato man and the toy fair with potato people. I remember all the lights on the fair rides. I must have been about 6 which was 1969. I left Birmingham in 1970. I've told my children several times about my fond memories of the potato fair and the potato man. We would have a bag of potato chips to eat on the bus on the way home.
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Finally I have found someone who remembers this as I was starting to think I'd imagined it lol, it sounds like we're about the same age as I would have been 6 in 1969, I never got to try the potato chips as my mom wouldn't wait in the queue for the kiosk as it was always busy, I'm surprised that more people don't remember it
 
Mark0ne said:
Finally I have found someone who remembers this as I was starting to think I'd imagined it lol, it sounds like we're about the same age as I would have been 6 in 1969, I never got to try the potato chips as my mom wouldn't wait in the queue for the kiosk as it was always busy, I'm surprised that more people don't remember it
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I also thought I had imagined both the potato man and the fair. My older brothers don't remember either and they are both older than me and would have been 9 and 12yrs. I now live in Wales but visited Birmingham last year as my daughter is studying Physics at the University. We went into the city and saw The Potato Man van that is very modern. Nothing like what I remember as a small black push along stall. Happy memories.
 
Those chestnuts and roast potatoes were delicious, a real taste memory from the past that sticks with me. He always used to ask if we wanted salt with our potatoes and he certainly gave you plenty of it.
 
Some people on social media suggest that one of the potato sellers was called Alex Douglas. He used to drink in the Greenway and keep his cart there in the back yard.
 
I may be confused but was there not a hot chestnut barrow outside bottom of the steps in St Martins Square coming from the original outdoor market. Just sticks in my mind as I used to come down the steps after getting my bag of Cockles to eat on the bus on the way home from the Blues matches.
 
I think you may well be right about the chestnut barrow at St Martins, Terence. Similarly, I'm sure that I recall hot potatoes and chestnuts, being sold at The Onion Fair in the Serpentine at Aston and I know they sold cinder toffee ;). Might this have been the vendor below?
1654860531416.png
 
John L said:
I think you may well be right about the chestnut barrow at St Martins, Terence. Similarly, I'm sure that I recall hot potatoes and chestnuts, being sold at The Onion Fair in the Serpentine at Aston and I know they sold cinder toffee ;). Might this have been the vendor below?
View attachment 170860
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I only ever used this vendor at St Martins after meeting Marion as she loved and still loves roast chestnuts. I have had them explode many times when using the oven even though I put a hole in the outer skin.
 
I believe the hot spud men sold chestnuts over the Christmas period. November December that’s when I remember.
the onion fair was held in the bullring until 1875 then pat collins took it to Aston in 1910 .
 
Can’t believe they keep stopping these traditional events. My mom took me there when we lived in nechells Dolman street. We had family who lived in Aston .
 
I believe that it was plans for the Aston Expressway, that did for The Onion Fair Colroy07. The new A38 was to go through the Serpentine Grounds and a new site for the fair was needed, sadly nothing ever happened about that. A sad loss to local children and to goldfish, in search of a new home (thousands of them, must have been carried back home in plastic bags over the years). Here is another photograph (taken in 1970) of a roast potato/chestnut vendor that traded on the corner of Bull Street & Temple Row:

1654876390763.png
 
John L said:
I believe that it was plans for the Aston Expressway, that did for The Onion Fair Colroy07. The new A38 was to go through the Serpentine Grounds and a new site for the fair was needed, sadly nothing ever happened about that. A sad loss to local children and to goldfish, in search of a new home (thousands of them, must have been carried back home in plastic bags over the years). Here is another photograph (taken in 1970) of a roast potato/chestnut vendor that traded on the corner of Bull Street & Temple Row:

View attachment 170867
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Are their any hot dog and burger vendors still on the corners in any towns or cities. I fear not driven out of business by McDonald's I suspect.
 
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