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crocodile works

  • Thread starter Thread starter dollyferret
  • Start date Start date
The Brandauers building is in very good shape inside, just very messy. I'm afraid there are no plans to do anything with it for the time being. The owners of the car wash out the front of the building are leased there for 3 years from what I can gather, and they are not the kind of people to mess about with. Such a shame, as there are some amazing features still left in there like a gorgeous cast iron spiral staircase!!!
 
Thanks Lyn...I understand. I remember so well seeing Crocodile Works
over the years and it must have made an impression on me probably because
of the name. As long as the name is somewhere in the new development that will be fine with me.
 
thanks viirusman....as you know tons of inside shots of brandaurs were taken some years ago and i have them all on disc now as i dont think anyone will get in again even though its wide open.....i was given the evil eye last year taking pics...and that was from the pavement....

jennyann...i remember when i was a young girl asking mom if there were crocodiles in the building...lol...mind you i was very young....

lyn
 
dollyferret said:
2 factories up from crocodile,what did they do?
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This factory was right next to my old school ( Alma Primary ) and some of the windows in the workshop overlooked the playground. As I recall, the men who worked there used to have a collection every year and contribute it to the school for our Xmas parties - I well remember that each year a man from the factory would come into our morning assembly and all the children had to say thankyou to him. Shame that the 'Croc' works have gone though - I was born and raised in William St just round the corner, off Clifford St and its so depressing to see the area now and remember what it once was. I feel like a stranger in my own land these days
 
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somewhere i have a pic showing just the edge of alma school...running up to clifford st..will try and locate it for you...

lyn
 
hi there...i have a pic taken of william in 1967 if you are interested in seeing it i will start a new thread for that street...

lyn
 
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Astoness said:
hi there...i have a pic taken of william in 1967 if you are interested in seeing it i will start a new thread for that street...

lyn
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Absolutely ! Thanks very much - I'm surprised that more don't exist as it was a quite long street running from Lozells Rd right through to Clifford St crossing Gerrard street and had its share of 'colorful characters'
 
hi guys
many thanks for the pics and for the memories i used to live inkerman house
any years ago in fact when they first built it i lived on the very top floor
slap bang in the middle of the block at the rear side from my balcony
i was inline with croco.s gates and a good veiw of the lane
at all angles ,it was a thriving market at one time then the rot started
then it was time for me to bail out at that time i was working at miller
brothers [chrome plating ] aston brook street good company to have worked
for every xmas we had to turn all engines [ machines] off so the director
could make is thank you speech to all employees and thank us all
i don,t supose these directors of companys do it today they don,t even thank the work force best wishes astonian ;;;
 
ragga there should be a full pic of amla school on the forum also i think i have posted one or two of the back of the school and also showing furnace lane under demolision...if you cant find the get back to me....

astonian..isnt inkerman house massive...i had to go in there some years ago..its like a rabbit warren...i got lost...lol....

lyn
 
Hi Lynn
yes its quite amazing really the size and the corridors and can tend to go around in circles and no matter of time you visi some-one in there you never see any one even your next door neibour at any time of day and the evening times after hours was abit spooky around the corridoors you never knew whom you was going to bump into or come across it had to bethe best excetitve block in days in birmingham
then the u turn they started to move all the unmarried women wih kids in and all there luggage if you know what i mean ,[ exboy friends = husbands boy friends]
then they started the problems then the front doors started to get busted
then the market below started to get problems with the vaga bonds started to swamp the area the pubs below started to get alsorts coming in ,
and the rest you have probably heard or seen in and around birmingham the decline of most area,s around birmingham but saying that lynn most of the country is like it no matter where you go as you know i have ran pubs and clubs all over the country
and there has,nt been much differentsin this day and age cheltam , bristol , worc,
and to be quite honest i can for see worc is on the verge of becoming like birmingham with the people and the youth of today its only a mater of time in afew years theres young kids burning out cars here in the villages sitting around on the floorout side the public phone boxs and shop liftingtaking drugs these are kids
some=at a early age . sorry i am waffling on abit ,
getting back to inkerman house yes it was i surpose like a warren inside the building
the flats was very large inside orinional they was private owned but as the elderly started to pass over the council took them on just like the ones in edbaston
thirlemere house next to the q.e hospital they was privately owned then when the elderly died the city council bought them one by one and stuck alsorts of people in there alches drugies down and out people with no morals or pride and no the building are in a bad state of repair i was on the harborne council commitee but after a while i resigned nothink was being done
well lynn sorry again i got carried away again i will end here
have yourself a nice day andkeep your brilliant threads coming in espealy the pubs
thats my scene and topics because i have been involved with the game for along time best wishes astonian ;;;
 
nice pics dave...its also nice to know that such a lot of the frontage of the croc works has been saved...

cheers...

lyn
 
Can anybody help, I am looking for contributers/participants that would like to share their stories and/or memories about Crocodile Works and living in Newtown, The factory has such a rich history and diversity of workers with a wealth of life surrounding it. This project is hoping to preserve these stories and will be filmed as part of a documentary which will be locked in a time capsule in the Crocodile Works grounds.
Experts, enthusiasts, employees and residence working/living around the area very welcome.
 
The bottom left of the picture has the words "Computer generated image only, details may vary" which suggests that this is an artist's impression only TT.
 
Thanks Bernie, I didn,t notice that (not very observant am i ?)..... I never go down that way any longer
So i have no idea what it looks like now. The flats were up for sale .
 
I drove past the old Crocodile Works this afternoon - now turned into very smart-looking 'townhouses' and apartments. I wonder how long they'll stay smart.....it looks completely out of character for the area, to be honest.

Big Gee
 
I love your pic of the 'drawing office'.
Fashionz
Virusman26 said:
Such a shame I didn't get here months ago. This is all that's left of the place as of a couple weeks ago.........

DSCF7701.jpg


DSCF7700.jpg


DSCF7660.jpg


DSCF7653.jpg


DSCF7641.jpg
Looking down to where the crocdile works main building stood

DSCF7665.jpg


Neil
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Everybody on this thread seems to know all about 'Crocodile Works', I've never heard of it, why was it called 'Crocodile Works' does anybody know? In this thread I've read that they make matchetts (to kill crocodiles maybe, you tend to get a lot of those in the UK, especially round Brum). Somebody fill me in, please? It's a shame that it's gone, for it's name alone.

Fashionz
 
Read my poem...'Above The Brook' and stay clear of manholes there.

On post 54. is that Porchester that leads off to the left of the flats.
 
Talking of not getting thanked - my department was taken over by another company and they don't give you ANY public holidays, not even Christmas, you have to 'pay for them'. I hope that this will not become a trend.

Fashionz
Astonian said:
hi guys
many thanks for the pics and for the memories i used to live inkerman house
any years ago in fact when they first built it i lived on the very top floor
slap bang in the middle of the block at the rear side from my balcony
i was inline with croco.s gates and a good veiw of the lane
at all angles ,it was a thriving market at one time then the rot started
then it was time for me to bail out at that time i was working at miller
brothers [chrome plating ] aston brook street good company to have worked
for every xmas we had to turn all engines [ machines] off so the director
could make is thank you speech to all employees and thank us all
i don,t supose these directors of companys do it today they don,t even thank the work force best wishes astonian ;;;
Click to expand...
 
Their main line was the manufacture of machetes for cutting crops in Africa. I don't know where the name 'Crocodile Works' came from, except maybe their products had a good 'bite'. My company sold them hard felt polishing 'bobs' for putting the final finish onto the blades. Years ago my contact there was the buyer, John Newton, a very nice guy. I don't think the works or offices had changed much since Victorian times. You always had to be very careful where you put your feet, and when I visited I usually wore old clothes. There were vats of evil-smelling chemicals all over the place, part of the hardening process for the steel blades. They moved out to a new factory in Willenhall, and I believe they are still trading.

Big Gee
 
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