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City Centre Photographs
- Thread starter bobsummers
- Start date
S
Stitcher
Guest
Hello oldMowhawk, you can see from the cars that the estimated date is'nt far out but like you the bus lane has me stumped, but thinking about it, it may not have been a bus lane as we know them today.
paul stacey
master brummie
the road signs date it to about 1960.
Shortie
master brummie
I think all we need to do is identify the date that the buildings on the left were demolished - because that is where the current library stands. Perhaps the bus lane was to prevent people crossing over from the right to the left at an inappropriate time? I have to say I prefer the scene then to that which we have now.
S
Stitcher
Guest
This is a good one, laying tram tracks outside what was then the new Fire Station in 1938.
Ray Barrett
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN R.I.P.
Great photo.Stitch...Brummies at work.
Nice one Stitcher. Can just about see the Ben Johnson pub and the Labour Exchange straight ahead on Corporation Street, but everything to the left has gone. Was Halfords a factory? Viv.
dek carr
gone but not forgotten
Viv that was the offices and factory for Halfords only a few years later and the whole place goes up in smoke,burnt to the ground.We have a thread on the fire.Dek
S
Stitcher
Guest
Thanks for the comments about the photo, it is interesting to also note how the men are working with their shovels and we can see they are almost all wearing hats, no overalls and at least one of them is wearing a necktie.
stitcher
stitcher
hi viv...i think this pic is looking towards newtown row not corporation st because that looks like the front of the fire station..its a great pic and maybe those workmen were too old to fight in ww2....
lyn
Just had a look on Streetview and I think it is Corpn St. The Labour Exchange was definitely on Corpn St next to the Ben Johnson pub, opposite Aston Uni. The Uni was next to the Fire Station. Viv.
Had a look at the " Halfords Fire" thread Dek and there's a good photo of the fire posted by Phil on post #16. Thanks for the pointer. Here's the link for anyone interested https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4247&highlight=Halfords+Fire
Viv.
Viv.
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Understand Lyn .... I usually can't deal with maps either, but I spent quite a bit of time around here, so have an advantage. Although the time was usually spent in search of the next pub ... ! Viv.
B
BernardR
Guest
I feel you are correct Stitcher - I seem to recall coming across dedicated lanes to allow buses to turn left or right - just to give them preference over cars and commercial vehicles. More so in London back then as they could turn right when all other vehicles were banned from doing so.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Viv,
If you hit Notifications - Inbox - go down left on screen - hit Attachments - tick the box for that attachment in the list which appears - then tell it to delete - it goes.
oldmohawk
That's great! It works, many thanks. But have to say I was just about to reach for the pointy hat with the big 'D' on it. Instead reached for the specs - couldn't see 'attachments'. Will keep a note as that'll come in very handy. Viv.
S
Stitcher
Guest
King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and HRH Princess Victoria, set off down Hill Street on the way to open The University of Birmingham. Also in attendance was the Rt. Hon. R. B. Haldan, KC, MP. The date was July 7th 1909
Ray Barrett
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN R.I.P.
Another little gem Stitch.They didn't make that much fuss when we went to see Pam Ayers at the town hall recently...
S
Stitcher
Guest
The information with this picture says it is The Midland Red Offices in Digbeth High Street in 1938.
Lloyd has been very busy, but he took time out to have a look at this and he thinks it is very close to where the old Slow Boat Chinese Restaurant used to be.
I cannot find any connection with 11 & 12 digneth High St with midland Red in thedirectories. However in 1936-8 midland Red was at 111, 12 Bull ring. I think this about fits in with Lloyd, though i;m hopeless at remembering actual names of palces, restauranta etc. The position on a c 1952 map is below
Mike
Mike
S
Stitcher
Guest
Thanks a million for those details Mike, Lloyd did say that if you were to stand with your back to St. Martins and look across the road you would be looking roughly at where the photo is taken.
stitcher.
stitcher.
S
Stitcher
Guest
Hello Carolina, I don't get much spare time but that is how I like it. I find just sitting down very boring, the vast majority of T.V. in my opinion is rubbish so I do my sewing in the evening and whenever the weather prevents me from gardening. I have several interests involving the computer, l make sewing patterns from photographs, and letter writing. I used to make Port and several other drinks but I stopped that some time ago now.
S
Stitcher
Guest
I like your last picture oldMowhawk.
stitcher
stitcher
S
Stitcher
Guest
Hello again oldMowhawk, I did a few years as a bus driver and a few more as a Hackney Carriage owner-driver as well as working on the doors of a number of nightclubs, so as you can imagine I spent a lot of time in the city centre and I knew it like the back of my hand. The modern city is however somewhat different and I do not like it one bit. I am not qualified to voice an opinion what is good or bad architecturally, but I am certainly qualified to voice an opinion on what I like or dislike and I dislike the city centre of today. This is due mainly to the roads not going where they used to go and I do not go into the centre often enough to get used to them so I keep out altegether.