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Great Western Arcade

My main memories of the Arcade include Preedys (sp?) Toyshop on the front corner, it occupied two or three current shop units and had an upstairs, but the best thing was the window display which for some time consisted of a massive Meccano contraption that transported a ball around, a marvel of construction!

Fortunately the lovely Druckers which was a rare treat is still there, but what I think was a cheap and cheerful Birmingham Dairies Cafe is not.

An interesting point is that one shop alone currently has curved glass windows (now I believe its Time Square). This is because it was originally wasnt a shop, but the back entrance to the department store that occupied the adjacent space (for me, Debenhams, then Hamleys).

I now work in the office building that was built on to of the department store site...
 
I know there a are a few arcades missing from this map,but i thought it may be of interest.moss
 

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My Gt Grandfather William Thomas Coleman who was born in 1864 in Sutton Coldfield was a managing director (retired) of the Great Western Arcade in Birmingham when he died in 1941 and I am trying to find out where I could obtain copies of documents which mentions him working for the company. In 1911 he was a law clerk so I don't know in which year he became a director. I have looked at the sites online of the Arcade but they only show photos and give a brief history. Any information would be apprieciated.

mary-anne
 
Hi Jennyann

Thank you for your reply and I have been on the site and asked for a search of the documents they have so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Mary-anne
 
Well not long before this bloke turns up again. Think this must be the Snow Hill end of the Great Western Arcade Viv.


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Now replaced the links - thanks Janice. (Bit late but missed your post when we were moving house!). Viv.
 
An interior and exterior drawing of the GW Arcade in 1876. Very ornate and obviously hoping to attract people of a certain class.

Is the first (interior) drawing looking towards Temple Row ? And is the second (exterior) drawing the Snow Hill frontage or Temple Row ? Viv.
image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
The GW arcade after WW2 bombing. Not sure if it's looking towards Temple Row or Snow Hill Station. Image from the Birmingham Mail archives. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Thanks Mike. Looks spot on ! The GW arcade was badly damaged then at both ends (Snow Hill and Temple Row). I think we discussed the Temple Row damage on the Temple Row thread (or possibly Bull Street thread) and that end had significant rebuilding. From the image in #54 there must have been significant rebuilding/repair at the Snow Hill end too. Viv.
 
A recent photo of the current roof inside the GWA.



Colmore Row entrance used to look like this, although there has been scaffolding here recently (this was in 2010).



This was earlier in 2017 from the square in front of Snow Hill Station.

 
Catkin said:
I worked in the first shop, The Great Western Arcade on the right hand side for about six months, it was known as the Wheld/ Weald Furriers, Furs for the rich and famous there was a policeman that went by the name of Ray that used to call in for a coffee he was great fun. and opposite i think was an electrical shop and Jeromes the photographers was in the centre also a cake shop and a china shop...Cat
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Can you confirm Jerome's had s shop in the Great Western Arcade, everyone says it was in Union Street. This would be mid 1950s
 
In the 1955. 56 & 58 Kellys Jerome's .photographers were listed as at 34 Martineau st, whichb is on th esoutg side on the corner with corproation st
 
The refurbished entrance from Colmore Row on New Year's Day 2018.



This is how it was 8 years ago.

 
Kathsutton46 said:
Can you confirm Jerome's had s shop in the Great Western Arcade, everyone says it was in Union Street. This would be mid 1950s
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Hi

There was certainly a photographers shop in the arcade, about two thirds of the way down
on the right if you were walking towards Colmore Row. Quite a big double fronted shop, with
cameras in the one window, and astronomical telescopes in the other. Sadly, I can't remember
the name of the shop.

Kind regards
Dave
 
There was also a Sherwoods in GWA according to this thread post #14. VIV.

Camera / Photographic shops

I became a grandfather back in March of last year and, naturally enough, have been taking rather more photographs on my little digital compact than I normally would since then !! I was quite 'into' photography years ago and had quite a bit of 35mm gear languishing at the back of the wardrobe so...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
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Vivienne14 said:
There was also a Sherwoods in GWA according to this thread post #14. VIV.
Sherwood;s

Camera / Photographic shops

I became a grandfather back in March of last year and, naturally enough, have been taking rather more photographs on my little digital compact than I normally would since then !! I was quite 'into' photography years ago and had quite a bit of 35mm gear languishing at the back of the wardrobe so...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
Click to expand...

Hi,

Many thanks for the replies, unfortunately they all sound familiar,
but if I had to hazard a guess, Sherwood's stands out.

Kind regards
Dave
 
Pedrocut posted a copy of this photo in post #41. This is a c1906 tinted version of the same image. I notice there are ornate gates at the entrance to the arcade at the far end. Would these be the entrance on Temple Row ? Or the Snow Hill Station end ? Viv.

27DD6E70-52CA-4C80-8A28-4F51102AD0D2.jpeg
 
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