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City Centre Photographs

Cherry St. is on the left of the picture and various maps have different names for the streets here over time. Some showing Cherry St. running down to High Street...this run would be better known to us as Union Street which crossed Union Passage. I think that they can't all be right and perhaps the one with a diagonal street called Lower Cherry Street which again angled down and became Crooked Lane may be correct. This street was wiped out when Martineau Street was run from Dale End and Corporation Street was also constructed prior to this event. The viewer side of the little piece of sidewalk on the lower right of the photo is Union Street and the far side of that jutting piece is Martineau St. That little piece of sidewalk is approximately the remains of Upper Cherry St. at the junction with Union St. and there are photo's on here that were taken from that spot looking down Union St. before corporation Street was put through.
After it all there was just a little elbow of Crooked Lane remaining by the bus stops in Martineau and this was still there in our time.
 
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Severn House was one of only a few buildings left in John Bright Street after an air-raid in September, 1940.
 
maggs said:
What a smashing photo, and the days before shops opened on a Sunday, wish they still didn't!!!
Click to expand...

Maggs, the Cobden photo is one of my favourites too. So much historical detail and the rainy streets which we knew in the 50's and 60's. I think its different rain nowadays, more the pity. We used to be able to smell the freshness afterwards but nowadays its just the pong of discarded take-aways!
 
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This row of buildings were cleared away along with six hundred others to make way for the construction of Corporation Street in 1882.
 
An excellent photo Stitcher. Wonder whereabouts it was. At a guess I'd say down towards Lancaster Circus, but only a guess. The one building looks like a pub and the lamp has a crown on top of it as well a crown etched onto the lamp glass. And the shop futher up with the man standing in the doorway is # 103 ( or maybe 105). Viv.
 
Hello again Viv, sorry, I should have added that the section in the photo would have been between Old Square and Newton Street. At least that is the information with the picture.
 
I am sorry about that I should have said post 634 was Lichfield Street.
 
HI guys;
after cleaning out my dreesing tables ihave discovered some old pics ; i would like to show you all ;
apart of birmingham histoy long gone
you may recall them or not i do not know ; so here goes to try and put them up there are three in total ;
PHOTO1.jpgpic02.jpgpic03.jpg
ALMA PLACE CATO ST; JEWERLY QUARTER CORPORATION ST;
 
Very good photos Alan. The photo of Regents Parade is excellent. Amazing to think of all that commercial activity going on behind those doors and at the back of those houses. At the bottom left of the picture is a car headlamp. Seems almost out of place! Thanks for posting these. Vv.
 
I must apologise for quality of these three photos.
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This was an artists impression in 1933 of the New Central Fire Station would look like.
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This is it under construction in 1934

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As we know, this is how it turned out.
 
The building to the right, just about in the photo, is where the Scout and Girl Guide shop was. I remember seeing displays of tents in the window when we passed it on the bus. A very gothic building. Don't think the Fire Station will remain pristine for long judging by the volume of smoke coming out of that chimney! Viv.
 
img506.jpgI am sorry about the quality of this photo.
The Bank of England now stands on this junction, Cannon Street and Cherry Street. Photo, late 1880s.
 
Image.jpgThe entrance to the North Western Arcade, this arcade was an extension to the Great Western Arcade and it ran from Corporation Street to Temple Row. The railway line into Snow Hill ran beneath this arcade and it was opened in 1884.
 
For anyone interested in the technical side of the building of the GWR, here's a picture of the work in progress. Personally I can't make head nor tail of it! Viv.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1330551531.330178.jpg
 
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Taken from the same vantage point as post 649 but in this photo of 1896, the Post Office has replaced The Temperance Hotel.
 
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6th Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment crossing Hill Street in 1914.
 
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I have found another one with zero information, could someone please verify whether or not it is the fountain in the city centre please.
 
Stitcher, is this Chamberlain fountain do you think, just near the Town Hall and Art Gallery?
 
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