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Canals of Birmingham

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
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Hi Folks, nice shot of Gas Street Basin 1975 attached, sorry it's a bit grainy, I'll try and improve an re-post.

Regards,
Peg.
PS Take a few moments to navigate around the shot you'll see quite a few landmarks, here's a few: Rep. Theatre, Baskerville House, Registry Office, Central Library, Hall of Memory and, of course, BT Tower. What's the tall building on left-hand edge? Can't be the Hyatt- too early.
Gas St Basin.jpg
 
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The Titford Canal started life as a feeder from Titford Pools to the BCN network. However, early in the 19th. century it was soon realized that it made for a great canal for moving coal from the Oldbury area mines and bricks from local brickworks. It was the highest canal in the Midlands and second highest in England apparently.
As industry progressed chemicals, tar and oil became regular cargoes.
A few earlier posts also refer to this canal. For anyone looking for further information this link gives much detail.
https://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk...-titford-cut/story-20121960-detail/story.html
 
I spent may years from 1980 onwards painting on the spot in and around Gas Street basin and slowly watched the changes, in my opinion for the worse although I did welcome the clean up.Gas St basin (1).jpg Gas St basin (1).jpg have attached one of my paintings, this is how I remember and loved it. Eric
 
I visited Gas Street Basin in 1979. It looked and felt nothing at like I remembered it some thirty years prior. It looked seedy and desolate. That was of course during the daytime so maybe its life had changed from work to leisure activities. ;)
 
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You lot should come back to Gas Street Basin now. It's a tourist attraction linking Brindleyplace to The Mailbox and The Cube.

New restaurants and bars are opening. Is some former bars / warehouses that need a new occupier.


2009 / 2010 views





It's been featured once on Julia Bradbury's canal walks on BBC 4. And Great Canal Journeys on Channel 4.
 
Maybe I'm old fashioned but I preferred as it was years ago, peaceful and quiet, pleasant to stroll along and very paintable. Now it's all commercial and 'yuppy', certainly not a view I'd like to paint. No doubt some will disagree with me, particular the younger generation and that's as it should be. I guess it's what they term progress. Eric
 
Hi Guys and mainly Ellbrown
Has i was looking for the section of the cannals,and when i found it ,it said we do not have many pics of the cannal water ways
But as most members should recall me going on about my cannals as a kid spending all my young days down there
And the mischife we used to get up to, which today as an mature resonible person it was highly stupid of usto do what we did ;
but anyway i have tramped from one end of the country to the other end,
and i would like to say to ellbrown many thanks for all his great pictures of the cuts he as published for us all and especialy for
All the bye gone childhood days of memories of our great cannals which we all should used and appreciate them
I know Ellbrown as put a picture on here some time ago and its a picture of the old worcester wharf cannals
its a great picture i must say
but how many people relized it was a hot spot in years gone bye in the victorian days for people committing sucide
I must admitt i did not know either until this evening until i brought this great book out again this evening looking for more input
for our new member laurence breakwell the birmingham sinister side of birmingham
because this great crimes book as got the identicle photograph of the old worc wharf
with the caption underneath the picture stating cannals were handy for both murderous and sucidal
best wishes to you all and Ellbrown,, Astonian,,,, Alan,,
 
Thanks Alan.

Recent photo from the train over the Selly Oak Bypass. Worcester & Birmingham Canal v the Cross City Line



Narrowboat near Gas Street Basin.



Might be hard to see, but this is the Stratford-on-Avon Canal near Whitlocks End Station.

 
Hi Ellbrown
Credit is due where works of art is given in you providing us with great photographics
And taking photographic picture is an art within it,s self, plus,
you have given me great momentuous memories of my growing up within and on our great water ways
And i got to know the guys on the waterways and mor so with some of the old shire horse
that pulled them along the cannals of our net workings and may i say almost trodden and tramped as well
and i have came across of some of our older guys rough sleepers known as the tramps
and i mean really old tradional tramps as we called not like today these beggars of young
thanks again Elbrown for my memory,s i will dig out one or two of the horses i have met and one old rough sleeper
on the gas street basin and brought him coffee from the pink elephant night club on old bromsgrove street
my old mates at the time thought i was crazy and this old guy on presenting him with hot drink and food
told me of his wealth was due and he wold never forget me , i said okay and smiled at him
he was of course known to steel house lane police station and he was given a regular bed for the night only
every night he was the odd one here and between best wishes , and keep them coming ELL ,,, Astonian,,, , Alan,,,
 
I did see around 2 or 3 homeless men sitting on the towpath near Gas Street Basin last week (one had a dog as I recall). From the Mailbox end to past the bars and before the Broad Street Tunnel. Would be better if the council could do something about the rough sleepers in the city centre (and other areas).

Saw a guy sitting on an island near Highgate Road and Stratford Road earlier in Sparkbrook with traffic going past him (think it's a dangerous place for him to sit).

And earlier was a thunder and lightning storm, and before that snow (they must have been freezing / got wet).
 
Hi Ellbrown,
Yes it certaily is a problem with these homeless guys around the city of brum its unbeileveable
its not so good for the tourist to see them it certainly aint doing any favours now is it
I have to admit ell. when my old dutchess and myself came to brum ,s city last year we came by train from worc
but when we arrived we was god smacked to see the change of the station and all what they done ,
but on getting out on to the streets was shocking mid day dor ways by the dozens it looked liked every 12 door ways people
was sleeping and some you had to walk around them
I felt a little out of place and uneasy with it i turned and said to her i am glad we are out of brum now
Its gone to pot i think ,it was never like that the last time i worked and lived in brum
Its certainly gone to the dogs as the old saying used to say
but getting back on track withe cannals itwas not very often you would cross your path down on the cut
they was the usal face you would see walking around the city in the day time or night time yoou could count them on your
but these wasprobaly the old soldiers whom lost every think for what ever reason and they never attacked any body
on there routes around
I can say ell here in worc it does not tolerate them and they get moved on or run in to the station
and they get there prohibit order to stay out of the city nor dtinking booze on the streets, the police are there instanly and
take it off them and pour it down the drain
but as to the tramps of yesterdays they was never beggars like today i can say
never asked a person they would always look in the binns for scrapps
when they started to do the ne w locks up summer hill there was quite afew there but they moved them out
 
Homeless is not just a Birmingham problem, all major cities have this problem, simply not enough accommodation for our rapidly increasing population, London being by far the worst. Moving them on does not solve the problem, they are still homeless. Eric
 
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Whitlocks End was a favourite haunt. After cycling the towpath - I never fell in the canal, just as well as I could not and still cannot swim. :eek: It was always a lovely peaceful place to watch trains and the noises of the countryside were always interesting.
I spent many hours along the S-upon-A canal, reserving Saturdays for my city trips which of course gave a totally different sound and environment. The Stratford had ceased to be a working canal during my forays but the BCN still had a good many places where working boats and boatmen were hard at their jobs. I vaguely remember the horses and boats my grandfather had - I was not encouraged to be 'on the cut' - but he retired and sold up when I was quite young. He always lived 'on the bank' being a No.1.
 
ellbrown said:
I did see around 2 or 3 homeless men sitting on the towpath near Gas Street Basin last week (one had a dog as I recall). From the Mailbox end to past the bars and before the Broad Street Tunnel. Would be better if the council could do something about the rough sleepers in the city centre (and other areas).

Saw a guy sitting on an island near Highgate Road and Stratford Road earlier in Sparkbrook with traffic going past him (think it's a dangerous place for him to sit).

And earlier was a thunder and lightning storm, and before that snow (they must have been freezing / got wet).
Click to expand...
Four years ago we came into Brindley Place along the Birmingham and Fazeley. As we hit the first lock at Snow Hill we were horrified to see that just down from us on the path were about a dozen people, all drinking and from the debris around them they had been doing it for some time. Quite a frightening sight. However two years later we came from the Grand Union across to Salford Junction and at one of the locks my wife commented on the strange smell of the cigarette smoke as a 'gentleman' from the group sat on the bank, non towpath side, offered to help her open the paddle. We waited until we were clear of the lock before my son in law and I told her what it really was they were smoking. It gave for a good half hour of jokes wrapped around the names of cigarette makes.....Passing Cloud being the definitive describer

Bob
 
I was near the Barclaycard Arena (ex NIA) today, and a homeless man was sitting on the ground on a footbridge over the canals opposite Brindleyplace.

I would rather not take photos of these people.

This was my view today from Costa towards the National Sealife Centre.

 
Digbeth Branch Canal - Eastside Curzon Street to Digbeth Fazeley Street (Typhoo Basin) via the Curzon Street Tunnel.

















Proof House Junction bridges at Digbeth Junction with the Grand Union Canal



A disused railway bridge



Typhoo Basin still gated off

 
Peg Monkey said:
Hi Folks, nice shot of Gas Street Basin 1975 attached, sorry it's a bit grainy, I'll try and improve an re-post.

Regards,
Peg.
PS Take a few moments to navigate around the shot you'll see quite a few landmarks, here's a few: Rep. Theatre, Baskerville House, Registry Office, Central Library, Hall of Memory and, of course, BT Tower. What's the tall building on left-hand edge? Can't be the Hyatt- too early.
View attachment 113821
Click to expand...
I think it's Alpha Tower - to do with the TV studios below.
 
Alpha Tower with it distinctive pointed ends and bend in the middle is on the right hand edge of the photo. The building on the left hand edge is one of the tower blocks off Cambridge Street.

Have just looked at the version attached to Speedy's post which is slightly different from the original post. I think the tall building on the left hand side is Quayside Tower which was is or was a British Rail office block
 
DavidGrain said:
Alpha Tower with it distinctive pointed ends and bend in the middle is on the right hand edge of the photo. The building on the left hand edge is one of the tower blocks off Cambridge Street.

Have just looked at the version attached to Speedy's post which is slightly different from the original post. I think the tall building on the left hand side is Quayside Tower which was is or was a British Rail office block
Click to expand...
Definitely Rail House - worked there early mid 1970's and again early mid 1990's - was on the corner of Broad St/Gas St. Presumably the pic was taken from Cumberland House corner of Broad St/Granville St ?
 
Thanks Brian. I was walking past the building on Broad Street when I heard an alarm ringing. It was a British Transport Police car which turned up.
 
DavidGrain said:
Alpha Tower with it distinctive pointed ends and bend in the middle is on the right hand edge of the photo. The building on the left hand edge is one of the tower blocks off Cambridge Street.

Have just looked at the version attached to Speedy's post which is slightly different from the original post. I think the tall building on the left hand side is Quayside Tower which was is or was a British Rail office block
Click to expand...
Agree. It's Rail House.
 
Refurb of the former James Brindley pub near Gas Street Basin is complete. Now reopened as The Canal House.







 
thanks ell...for once i am going to say that looks quite nice:) quite in keeping...will try and pay a visit..

lyn
 
Smashing pictures ellbrown. The new pub looks much more at home than the James Brindley ever did. Perhaps someone is getting the hang of what's in keeping with the surroundings? Anyone been inside yet? Hope it's as good inside as outside and not pseudo 'old canal'.
Haven't been for a walk along the city centre canals for some time so that's one for the autumn then!
 
Thanks. You will find Gas Street Basin and Brindleyplace full of tourists. A lot of the old buildings have been done up and turned into bars or restaurants. Slightly more derelict on the BCN when you walk in the direction of Wolverhampton. Worcester & Birmingham gets leafy and green in the direction of Edgbaston.
 
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