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Central Fire Station Hq

I found the Grade II listing for it West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters

Fire Service Headquarters. 1935. Herbert Humphries and Herbert J. Manzoni. Red Flemish bond with Portland stone and concrete dressings with a pantile roof. Three storeys with attics and basement. The building is triangular with ranges set around a central drill yard and faces onto three streets; Corporation Street, Aston Street and New Street. The Fire Service Headquarters was designed to house an enclosed community for the fire-fighters, their families and the senior officers. It included housing, a school room and roof top playground, and recreation rooms, with garaging for the fire engines, workshops and stores for their repair. The style is Neo-Georgian to the exterior and functional or 'Moderne' to the courtyard fronts and the tall hose tower at the eastern corner of the yard.

HISTORY: The building was designed as the New Central Fire Station for the City of Birmingham. The design was by Herbert Humphries [later Sir Herbert Humphries] and completed by Herbert Manzoni after Humphries' retirement in 1935. It was built on a site which was already built over and a tavern, the City Weights and Measures Department and a row of houses had to be demolished to clear the site of c. 8,000 square yards. By October 1930 the site had been cleared, but the foundation stone for the new building was not laid until March 1934. The building was finished by December 1935 at a cost of £157,000 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent. Contemporary accounts reflect the high degree of civic pride which the building provoked and it is described in glowing articles which spoke of its advanced technology. This new technology included lights to indicate which machines were to respond to a fire, loud speakers to identify the location of the fire and electronically controlled engine starting and door opening. It also featured the latest 'turntable escape' which was reputed to be the first of its kind in the country.
The overall plan gives rich insight into the functioning and aspirations of the fire service at that time, prior to its nationalisation in 1941.
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These buildings are such a worry being under threat aren't they? Poor old Brum as lost so much and gained so little in the way of historical buildings. I was disappointed to learn that the 'Coffin Factory' in Fleet St., is to be demolished. What a shame it couldn't have been restored.
 
This might be of interest

Tower block plans at Birmingham fire station face re-design

computer-generated-image-of-how-the-tower-at-the-site-of-the-central-fire-station-will-look-174714080.jpg


Architects are rethinking their plans to build a 30-storey tower block over Birmingham’s historic Central Fire Station in the wake of criticism from a major architectural watchdog.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, known as CABE, is objecting to the skyscraper which it claims is poorly designed and will be a blot on the city centre landscape.
Developer Watkins Jones and K4 Architects want to bring the empty 1930s neo-Georgian listed building back into viable use and have proposed preserving the existing structure by building a student apartment block above.

But they have now agreed to look again at their designs.
In a submission to the city’s council’s planning department CABE said: “We urge the design team to rethink the design concept of the scheme, reducing the scale and quantum of development.
“The tall building dominates the fire station and damages the wider townscape setting, in particular views of the site from the south-west along Corporation Street.”

It states that to be acceptable a tall building must be in an appropriate location, of excellent design quality and enhance the qualities of its immediate location.
“We do not think the current proposal meets these criteria,” it concludes adding that it is objecting to the planning application as it stands.
CABE says that the laudable ambition of saving the Fire Station’s Potter Street side and open courtyard has been damaged by the tower’s design.
It says that the tower is ‘disproportionate’ and would dominate and over shadow public squares around the Aston University campus.
And it concludes that a scheme which partially fills in the courtyard would be preferable.
“We think other design solutions, involving development within the courtyard, could be more successful,” it adds.
CABE is the second design advisory group to criticise the plans following Birmingham City Council’s conservation and heritage panel which described the tower as ‘ridiculous’.
It came to the same conclusion that it would be better to partially redevelop the Fire Station than simply build a tower on top.
Panel member Andy Foster said: “It is the impact of the tower which concerns me. This is not a place for tall buildings.
“Birmingham is going to get a reputation as a third rate Chicago if this keeps on. It would be disastrous.”
The panel was also concerned that the asymmetrical design of the tower would spoil views from Corporation Street.
The architects had stated that the only way of making the redevelopment financially viable, while preserving the historic fire station building, was to build the 826 student flats above.
However, in the light of the criticism, and the conclusion that some adaptation of one side of the triangular complex, as well as in filling the courtyard, might be allowed, they have agreed to a revision.
Architect Bob Ghosh said: “We are concerned about the level of criticism, but will take some of those criticisms on board if it helps to make a better scheme at the end.
“We are working closely with the City Council and have spoken with CABE in detail with a view to finding a solution.”
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I just can't imagine this tower being built above the fire station. Just won't fit.

Have noticed a few broken windows walking up Aston Street the other day. Then there's the vacant shop units, were they ever used, and if not, why not? What did West Midlands Fire Service use with the shops that weren't shops?

Currently there's the Mini Market, Coffee & Cream (a fast food shop on the left, sandwich shop on the right), an off licence, and a newsagent.
 
Picture of Central Fire Station not sure of the year but i would think 1940s004.jpg hope it comes through clear enough
Dad is 7th from the right,
 
Nice to see a picture of the NFS, these truly were hero's in every sense of the word, and not well paid for it either. I remember the main fire station well as we went round it whilst a junior school.
paul
 
what a wonderful pic davenport and how lovely to have your dad on it too...

thank you for sharing it with us.

lyn
 
just means it stays at the top of the board and doesn't drop down when new posts are added. Usually used by admin when they want a message to be read by all posters.
 
maggs said:
These buildings are such a worry being under threat aren't they? Poor old Brum as lost so much and gained so little in the way of historical buildings. I was disappointed to learn that the 'Coffin Factory' in Fleet St., is to be demolished. What a shame it couldn't have been restored.
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Hi Maggs,

I visited the purpose built 'Newman Brothers coffin fitting Co' buildings on Sunday as it had a Heritage open day. My tour guide told me that the building was being fully restored with the bulk becoming rentable office space and ground floor being retained as storage for the thousands of artefacts that were left behind.
 
Hello again Davenport.
What a grand photo. I could have spotted your Dad even without you pointing him out, it's just the stance and the jaunty angle of his tin hat! Even nearly 30 years later he still hadn't put a pound of weight on by the look of things.

This photo has reawakened old memories, some good, some not so, but I thought that you might just want to know something rather special that your Dad did in his last years of service.

To the best of my ageing memory, in early 1972, your Dad, as a senior Fireman, (approaching retirement and having done his bit) would have spent most of his duty hours on the backline appliances, leaving the young ones to do the graft. However, one evening, your Dad found himself driving the BA Tender and, as such, would have been number 6 out of six crew members to don BA at a major incident, even though he could have opted out of wearing BA at the age of 45. This particular evening, there was a major fire in an old multi-storied Victorian wooden-floored factory complex in Tenby Street North, at the back end of the Jewellery Quarter. At the fire, crews from Ladywood and Central (including myself) were already committed and the BA Tender, driven by your Dad, was needed. Unusually, all six crew members of the BA Tender were sent into the building and your Dad was backing up a younger man called Malcolm. They were on the second or third floor staircase when, for no explicable reason, Arthur grabbed hold of Malcolm and yanked him backwards. At the same instance, the roof and two upper floors came cascading down, removing Malcolm's helmet, one boot and part of his BA set. Sadly, the collapse buried two other firemen from Ladywood, one of whom, Sub Officer Derek Andrews, lost his life.

Hours later, upon return to Central, whilst sat in the wet canteen discussing the job, someone asked Arthur what made him grab Malcolm. He had no rational answer and replied "Just instinct - something was wrong".

Well, in my book, 'just instinct' saved another man's life. Instinct gained over thirty years service.

Time may well have clouded my memory but this remains clear in my mind.

As ever, I still have fond memories of serving with your father and many other good men at Central.
 
UPDATE..

hi folks i had a phone call from my son tom this morning to say that there was a hive of activity going on at the old fire station and scaffolding and protective covering all around it...thought i would go and take a look for myself at what was happening...i must thank the site secrectary elizabeth kelly for taking so much time to explain to me what the ongoing work entailed and also many thanks to one of the site managers mike newland for going up to the top of the watch tower with my camera to take some photos...as we thought there will be a 7 floor accomodation block built in the courtyard for students..also the actual fire station itself will be turned into flats..the conservation trust have been very strict as to what can go and what can stay and on the whole i for one am very pleased with what i was told...

all the brickwork will be cleaned up..
the windows cleaned up and retained..
the clock tower cleaned up and will be in working order..
the original gates will stay
the red engine bay doors will be restored and kept..
the wonderful staircase will stay
the lift will stay...
original flooring and tiles will be out of sight but will be protected...
old fire places will stay..
firemans pole will stay...

you will need to go to post 1 and look at the wonderful photos that derelict uk took some years ago of the wonderful art deco in this building...so pleased that it will not be lost...
 
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FIRE STATION 22.5.14 002.JPGFIRE STATION 22.5.14 003.JPGFIRE STATION 22.5.14 004.JPGFIRE STATION 22.5.14 005.JPGhere are a few photos taken today showing the new block being built in the courtyard
 
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Very good pictures Lyn. It looks like they have been building inside for a while to have got that far
 
been building for about 3 months mike but work inside had to be done before they could start on the courtyard building.. they are up to the 3rd or 4th floor and its hoped that when completed it wont be much higher than the fire station so we will have to wait and see about that one..work has to be completed by sept 2015 for the first intake of students...
 
Great photo's Lyn I have been passed and wondered what was going on. At least the building has been saved. I hope the students look after it...lol
 
thats the main thing wend at least the building has been saved and the main features retained..

lyn
 
firemans daughter said:
l was born in central firestation 1938 and lived ther until 1949. l am very sad to see demise of central.My father was a fireman during the war and after and both my parents lived happily there, my mother was sad to leave it ,was like living in a village in the centre of birmingham. J,Rayns
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Hi Tim Eborn here. My Dad Fred Eborn was stationed at Central during the war and being born in 1938 we are about the same age. Dad was well into the life of the station and after one of the concerts he was able to give me Adolf Hitler's hat. It was of course an NFS hat that had been painted grey with a red swastika.
I (we) got into trouble when I was caught dancing on the billiard table, fortunately before I ruined the baize cover.
My brother-in -law (Robert Terry Day) was also there prior to his transfer to Cotteridge in the 50/60's.
At one time he used to travel to and fro from work on one of those Corgi paratroop motor bikes it was painted a nice fire engine red!!
 
Wonderful photos. History and ghosts inside the second city's fire stations. Such a shame to see Birmingham as it is now, the photos of Central, I can remember my first vist to Birmingham in 1979 seeing every bay full of fire engines.
 
I have just had published a book call Brothers of Mischief - In the City which is based on true stories I heard my father relate and is set at Central Fire Station in 1921. it references numerous locations round Birmingham and a Mr. Tozer the Fire Chief. A Birmingham Mail article (13 January 1927) regarding a large house fire is mentioned and my grandfather Albert Preece.
This unique and charming book will delight the 6 -12 year olds and will bring memories flooding back to the older reader. I can be contacted at my web site www.richardlpreece.com and the book can be purchased at Amazon.uk.
Brothers Of Mischief Front.jpg
Albion St Bert Marg Ralph Tom 1921.jpg
Albion Street
Fire station Harborne.jpg
Harborne

Fire station Lingard.jpg
Lingard
Grandfather - Cropped.jpg
Albert Preece far right
 
The Central Fire Station was built in 1930!

There is now scaffolding over the clock tower section.

Can't really see what is going on around there. All going on inside.
 
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