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Gregory Pank Hardware Shop Digbeth

horsencart

master brummie
Firstly I would like to thank Gregory Pank Hardware Shop in Digbeth for Kindly allowing me to take photographs in their shop and in their Cellar,
Gregory Pank of Digbeth will shortly be closing it doors for the last time having traded in Digbeth for 51? years, I have taken this opportunity to record the shop while it is open,
As yet at the time of typing have not edited the photos except for this one which begs more questions than it answers why would you have a window in a cellar? and is there a delivery Shute? on the right I have to assume that this was at one time a cellar to a pub? or was it a coal hole?

this is the cellar more photo to follow
 
horsencart

what a fantastic shop that was.yer it looks like a pub cellar the crates sliding down the chute. we are going to enjoy this thread thanks.
 
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From the mid 1870s till between 1904 and 1908, Kellys shows it was Joseph Price, grocer & provision dealer, though initially he only had half the shop, the other half being Edwin Dibble, bakers. After 1908 it was part of the Tomlinson's. mill furnishers. Just wondered which dide of the building this was. The bakers were at 87, which would have been the side to the left looking at the front of the building. Could the hole with the window originally have been the opening to an oven?
 
Looking from the outside of the building the window and Shute is on the left or to put it another way as you face the window
the pavement is on the left

From the mid 1870s till between 1904 and 1908, Kellys shows it was Joseph Price, grocer & provision dealer, though initially he only had half the shop, the other half being Edwin Dibble, bakers. After 1908 it was part of the Tomlinson's. mill furnishers. Just wondered which dide of the building this was. The bakers were at 87, which would have been the side to the left looking at the front of the building. Could the hole with the window originally have been the opening to an oven?
 
The reason for the window in the Cellar is as follows (according to the people at the shop) just above the window at the ground floor is/was an alley way in the alley way there was/is a square? section of steelwork with glass inserts all laid into the ground the purpose was to let more light into the cellar, if this worked I do not know


From the mid 1870s till between 1904 and 1908, Kellys shows it was Joseph Price, grocer & provision dealer, though initially he only had half the shop, the other half being Edwin Dibble, bakers. After 1908 it was part of the Tomlinson's. mill furnishers. Just wondered which dide of the building this was. The bakers were at 87, which would have been the side to the left looking at the front of the building. Could the hole with the window originally have been the opening to an oven?
 
brilliant photos horencart...thanks for taking the time to ask permission to take them because once shops like this are gone they are gone...like myself you are not afraid to ask ...folk can only say no but in all the years i have been entering such places with my camera i have never been turned away:)...keep up the good work

lyn
 
Many Thanks , of course it is not just the shops that are going there is the industry side that are disappearing just recently I have photographing a former print works that will soon disappear from view, the one place I have missed was a building in Shadwell St I am almost certain I have a photo of it finding is another thing, at the moment I am putting my photos on to a database and so far I am up to 2012


brilliant photos horencart...thanks for taking the time to ask permission to take them because once shops like this are gone they are gone...like myself you are not afraid to ask ...folk can only say no but in all the years i have been entering such places with my camera i have never been turned away:)...keep up the good work

lyn
 
quite right there are so many buildings of industry gone or about to go..been lucky enough to get into quite a few myself...has the building in shadwell st gone now ?? there is certainly a lot of new build going on over that way

lyn
 
I suspect that it has gone It may be possible an old photo of it



quite right there are so many buildings of industry gone or about to go..been lucky enough to get into quite a few myself...has the building in shadwell st gone now ?? there is certainly a lot of new build going on over that way

lyn
 
I've not directly taken the exterior, but got ones like this from 2009 of Vintage Warehouse, Gregory Pank is to the left.



Seen it many times either from the bus or walking past.
 
Could try and take a sneaky photo inside with the clothes in there, if shop assistants don't see you?
 
Vintage Warehouse is 82 Digbeth where my 2xgreat grandfather Thomas Yapp was a printer in 1860's. I imagine the premises looked very different then! I mentioned him on the Digbeth thread. Formerly it was owned by William Pratt a printer of music and songsheets etc. I have looked outside but have not ventured in.
rosie,


Correction, it's High Street Deritend Digbeth thread. Lots of photos too!
 
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thanks rosie how lovely to have a connection with 82 digbeth i also have connections down digbeth on our dads side...mostly pubs and a chippy

lyn
 
The Photo was taken about 12 years ago in Cato St, I suspect that the child toys head had been lost and that someone had put the head on the gate

Where was that, who theft or burglary or what? Taking photos on private land without permission?
 
Gregory Pank Hardware seen at 86 Digbeth from the no 50 bus. Managed to get this while other buses were going past.





Pevsner details I've found:

No. 86 is a two-bay Gothic shop, slightly old-fashioned for 1890, by Edward Mansell. It's two-light windows imitate No. 85 next door, Bonser's Lion Warehouse of 1860 by J.R. Botham.

Also new photos of Cow (Vintage clothing) in the former Bonser Warehouse.



This Cow is always getting tagged on the yellow door!

 
just been looking at the inside on bham live. loverly pics. wow i could give them nuts and bolts a good home lol. at least the blackcounry museum is saving some of it.
 
It might be that any potential buyer was put off buying as the place is
a) near a pedestrian crossing and
b) has a bus lane outside.
The only passing trade would be pedestrian. Motorists most likely would shop at a DIY type store (or superpmarket).
 
It might be that any potential buyer was put off buying as the place is
a) near a pedestrian crossing and
b) has a bus lane outside.
The only passing trade would be pedestrian. Motorists most likely would shop at a DIY type store (or superpmarket).
yes i agree that was the only down fall with shopping there was parking probs.
 
Gregory Pank Hardware seen at 86 Digbeth from the no 50 bus. Managed to get this while other buses were going past.





Pevsner details I've found:



Also new photos of Cow (Vintage clothing) in the former Bonser Warehouse.



This Cow is always getting tagged on the yellow door!

Great pictures mate I use to get sent down here by my boss when I worked in Digbeth in 1989
we always bought tools etc from here when I was a fabricator on Green street
 
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Probably easier for people in the suburbs to go to B & Q, Wickes or Homebase (the Homebase in Shirley is closing down soon as well). Or supermarkets of pound stores. Or Amazon, but will be more than the number you need?
 
So the guys who run Gregory panks the howard family who brough the shop off the wiseman family who owned Birmingham city fc,
as shops closes after 100 years being a shop,
haha 16 yrs old first time I use go here every day from 1989
maybe boring to some but Its Birminghams history !
Even had a well in celler from 1890s
The wiseman family still own the building to this day
plus the owners son andy was telling me the kerryman wana
buy it and turn it into a hotel.
plus I found a photo which is failing apart very quick in the celler I did ask the owners son who said I could take it
would love to know who these two are in photo maybe owners Gregory or pank ?

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