Crown And Cushion Pubs Perry Barr

[Radiorails]

Brenda, even guys with two left feet have feelings! Me? - two left feet and a Popeye Swagger, thank God for my charm and razor-sharp wit - otherwise I might still be alone building Airfix model planes night after night after night.
Peg.

Just to keep things straight: Popeye didn't stagger, he was a sailor and consequently 'rolled'.

 

[Big Gee]

The Bluesbreakers was a surprising choice for a Sunday night band at the C&C. John Mayall was a deadly serious blues musician, playing music he felt should be listened to, not danced to. I was heavily into blues at the time, and still am, but my sympathy was with the people who wanted to dance. They'd probably never heard of John Mayall, but had paid their money anyway, and in fairness some of the music was very 'danceable'. In more recent years I've seen serious folk musicians complain when people danced while they were performing.

G

 

[Big Gee]

I'd say it was around 1967/68 when I saw him at the C&C. He played a couple of numbers, started a third then stopped to ask people not to dance. It surprised me.

I know Mayall used to regularly 'sack' band members for over-doing the booze, not turning up for rehearsal, etc. IIRC Clapton absconded to Greece when he was still 'officially' a member of the Bluesbreakers, and when he returned found he'd been replaced by Peter Green.

I still occasionally listen to John Mayall, one of the greats whatever his foibles.

G

 

[Big Gee]

Must have been early 1966 when I saw John Mayall at the C&C, as I just checked and found that Clapton finally left Mayall in mid-1966. I do remember seeing one or two local bands at the C&C, but can't remember names now. All a very long time ago.....scary, actually.

G

 

[A Sparks]

I used to go to the C&C quite a lot in the mid / late 60s, the better known bands I can remember seeing are Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds, Bronco, Matthews Southern Comfort and the Alan Bown!

 

[Brummie Pam]

Interesting that although it is Perry Barr, the bus is Midland Red in the original colours of Red with yellow bands and a silver roof, looks like an EHA or FHA, my Mother and Father have referred to going to dances at the Crown & Cushion before the war, was that possible, they certainly attended functions there both before and after the war and spoke highly of it.
Bob

Hi Bob,
Just found your old post and it brought back a memory of my parents Fred and Elsie Green. They used to organise dances at the C&C. I can't remember just how may times they told me that they had introduced the dance Valita to Birmingham. My father died in 1984 and mother 1986. Pam

 

[Vivienne14]

Welcome Pam. Nice to hear about your parent's connection to the C&C. Viv.

 

[adap2it]

My brother used to sell the Blue Mail & the Pink Argus on Saturday nights outside the C&C. It was dog racing and speedway in Perry Barr...
Dave A

 

[JackiePritchatt]

I passed by the Crown & Cushion today. I had to take a photo the area gone down. I've had a few drinks in the past. Wouldn't dream of going in for one now. Don't even look like a pub.

 

[Astoness]

jackie its not been a pub for about 3 years...

lyn

 

[Barr_Beacon]

1970s / 1980s? I love the little blue Evening Mail vendor's box!

 

[Astoness]

great addition to this thread BB its a new one to me...why they demolished that pub to replace it with the eyesore thats there now is beyond me

thanks

lyn

 

[A Sparks]

I can only assume the brewery had it demolished it as it was much too large for requirements - there were two large function rooms which were probably not getting used anymore.

 

[Barr_Beacon]

great addition to this thread BB its a new one to me...why they demolished that pub to replace it with the eyesore thats there now is beyond me

thanks

lyn

You're absolutely right Lyn. I've never set foot in what they've replaced it with. M & B have got a problem now, the 'pub' they created was to attract the student population from the nearby UCE. Now that's going to be demolished, their customer base will all but disappear.

 

[Astoness]

been closed as a pub for about 4 years i think BB...then it started doing west indian take away food..then there was the drugs problems...not seen any sign of life for ages now...should be demolished..wont ever do any good now.

 

[Maryd]

Lovely old pub. My Dad taught me to ballroom dance there, when I accompanied him to a Solo's dance night the first time he went, after my Mom died, and we were trying to get him on the journey out of his depression. Dad met his second wife there soon after. 1974/5.

 

[Astoness]

what a nice ending mary....thanks for sharing it with us

lyn

 

[Pritchard D]

I was born in great Barr and attended Birchfield Road Secondary Modern as it was then. IU was involved in a discussion at the weekend as to when the New Crown & Cushion (the little one) in Birchfield Road was built and also when demolished. Can anyone help with this information?

 

[Vivienne14]

Welcome Pritchard. There’s a thread below. Post #84 has the answer. Viv.

Crown And Cushion Pubs Perry Barr

Brenda, even guys with two left feet have feelings! Me? - two left feet and a Popeye Swagger, thank God for my charm and razor-sharp wit - otherwise I might still be alone building Airfix model planes night after night after night. Peg. Just to keep things straight: Popeye didn't stagger, he was...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[podgie]

Hi Mohawk and Lyn,

My dad and grand-dad both referred to the smaller of the two as the 'old' Crown & Cushion. As I haven't been down that way for ages I don't know if it's still a pub. I have misty memories of walking with my Mom along the other side of Birchfield Rd, past Brookes' Opticians and the car 'showroom' to catch a train to Walsall from Perry Barr station to visit some ancient relative. Our usual optician was Waddoup in Witton Road, but for reasons I can't remember I did once have an eye-test at Brookes.

On the corner of Birchfield Rd and Aston Lane opposite Barclay's Bank, and behind the Library building, was Roy's Bakery. The smells coming out of that place were gorgeous! I was in the Library one evening and overheard the staff complaining about rats from the bakery getting into the Library, although I never saw one. As far as I remember the bakery closed well before the Underpass was built. Another faint memory from those days is of trying to get into the Birchfield Cinema when they showed 'X' films...in short trousers...never did succeed.

G

Oh such frond memories of Handsworth and Perry Barr, my Dad used to drink in the Crown & Cushion, remember the crown too, went into both a few times, happy days.

 

[Astoness]

not so much a case of if but when...the crown and cushion (the 3rd) went up in flames late this afternoon....for the past few years it was an afro caribbean eating place

Man rescued as huge fire rips through African Village restaurant

Birchfield Road and Wellington Road have been closed after fire at African Village restaurant in Perry Barr, formerly Crown and Cushion pub

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[ellbrown]

Photos of the Crown & Cushion I took in 2014.





Pub sign on the Birchfield Road.



As African Village in 2018. This is what burnt down last week.

 

[Astoness]

thanks ell...i shall be going past it on the bus tomorrow...will have a look at the damage but reading reports i think it pretty well finished

lyn

 

[ellbrown]

It looked like a modern building. So was their an earlier pub building on this site before?

Been ages since I got a bus up there.

 

[Eric Gibson]

I recall there were two Crown and Cushion pubs opposite each other when I was a lad, one next to the bus depot and one in the row of shops on the left when city bound.

 

[A Sparks]

Yes there was, my schoolfriend's father used to drink in the smaller one.
Was it called the Old C&C?

 

[Wumblyjumbly]

Anybody on this site that used to go to the Old Crown and Cushion in Perry Barr back in the seventies?.

Yep,
I used to go to the Progressive nights early 70’s

 

[Martinoverdington]

Yes I went to a couple of weddings there in the late sixties/early seventies when I was very VERY young.

 

[Oldun]

The Old Crown and Cushion.

 

[Pedrocut]

There are a couple of picture of the pub, but I think this another… Old Birmingham, work and leisure
by Armstrong, E. G. A. (Eric George Abbott)