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High Street Deritend Digbeth

Wouldn't want to be the bloke on the bike! Sometimes I drive into Croydon where there's a tram system and it scares the hell out of me. They cross the roads - no gates, no barrier, nothing. It's strange the effect trams have on you. I think it's because they're more like trains.

Was SPOR someting to do with the Co-op? Viv.
 
I knew I had seen this pic before and similar ones. Trams on the 45 route finished in January 1937 so, as Astoness points out it is set in the 1930's.

The SPQR place, it is said, stood for "Small Profits and Quick Returns" (nothing to do with Rome, its populus and Senate :friendly_wink:), I guess a pioneer of the modern poundstretcher type places. There is nothing new: the wheel is always being reinvented. This explanation is given in David Harvey's excellent book "Birmingham Trolleybuses" where a similar view is featured on page 56.
 
Thanks Radiorails. Now wondering why the trolleybus has two sets of wheels on the back! Seems a bit excessive, but doubtless there's a good reason. Viv.
 
As far as I know, but I am sure that there are others more knowledgeable then me in these matters, it was because they were larger than the petrol and diesel engined buses of the day and as such carried more passengers. I also think the weight of the traction motors possible had a play in it.

This link may prove interesting:

https://www.btinternet.com/~g4orx/brum.htm

I have driven the green coloured Jersey Bus featured at the bottom of the web page. It spent some time in Devon before travelling around the UK.
 
Thanks Radiorails. Such a pity they've effectively disappeared. Let's hope one day one will be uncovered in some remote barn or garden somewhere. Viv.
 
Nothing to do with Birmingham but Bournemouth. Well, both begin with 'B'. :friendly_wink:

A carpeting representative, who used to call on me when I was in retail furnishings, had an accident in Bournemouth which involved him and a trolleybus.

He had been finding some bodily movements were getting more difficult for him; he was about to give up his golf which was a great relaxing pastime for him.

Trolleybuses were silent running vehicles, compared to other methods of transport, (apart from the bicycle which could prove equally hazardous to pedestrians) and the gentleman was knocked down by a Bournemouth trolley bus whilst crossing a road.

He spent a few weeks in hospital and made a full recovery. In fact the consultant told him that he was lucky as the trolleybus had hit him on the right side of his body which seemed to adjust his bones making life much better for him. Had it been the left hand side of his body then it was most likely he would he been in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

I found it quite amusing and, luckily for me, he shared my mirth.
 
Not there know Stitcher. I reckon here you are looking art where the front used to be https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Di...noid=lzeEZD65tM_CD-dxRAbJdg&cbp=12,27.04,,0,0 .

From Kellys:
1888 Birchley Mrs. Esther,photographer, 220 High St Deritend

1890-1956 Baker, L & W.E.( Louisa & Walter Egerton). Photographers 220 High St Deritend
So not much help

Out of general interest Mrs Louisa Baker also has dining rooms at 219 High St Deritend and ran the Three Crowns pub at no 221 High St Deritend before the studio was at no 220, and kept the Three Crowns for a couple of years during the time of the photographic business
Mike
 
bgj.jpeg
Once again I am sorry there is no date with this but it does say they were established in 1873.
 
Green's Jewellers were at 135-136 Digbeth up to about 1905, but had left by 1908. However they listed it as 135 only up to 1897, so advert was presumably before then. The site (135-6) was soon occupied by G Makepeace, cloths dealers, and their name is still (according to Streetview) emblazoned over the building next to the Cold store near Allison St. Presumably this is not the same building as occupied by Green's
 
1.jpeg
This one of Digbeth is a little unusual because the camera man has his back to the Old Crown. About 1957
 
Thank you for this photo, Bill, I worked at Thomas Haddon & Stokes so this brought back many memories for me !!!

Regards, Margaret.
 
Two well featured old pictures on this Forum, one from Well Street (now High St, Deritend/Digbeth) and one from Ann Street (now Colmore Row), with a common oddity. Two businesses, with carved Lions over a door. Anyone know if there was a common theme (commercial or industrial perhaps), to these magnificent adornments?



Ann St 1867.jpg Assinders Tripe House well st .jpg
 
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Dennis, the one on the Ann Street shop has the look of 'By Royal Appointment' but I somehow doubt that the Well Street tripe shop would have gained that status! Viv.
 
hi everyone, excuse me jumping in but i signed up a few days ago, great site. re the view of the high st deritend posted by `bill darque` the distant tower on the left to the rear of the esso petrol station was a nunnery & the premises of stanley refrigeration from about 1952 to the late 70`s then moved to golden hillock rd tysley. i was apprentice & later joined j&e hall down here in the cornwall.
in the early 70`s we would have breakfast in one of the famed coffee houses before driving to installation sites or doing service breakdowns. i especialy recall the `trinity`on the side of the church, great big fryups. we got hold of 2 full sized snooker tables, srtripped them & carried them up the winding stairs to the chapel. many a happy hour spent up there, bit spooky on your own though.
i well remember the drovers arms & jamaica row in the early 70`s around the old fruit & veg market getting involved with dismantling old coldrooms in those days we cut the copper tubes & simply let the gas off to atmosphere.ozone layer ? made us light headed but no one knew any better in those days. well just wanted to say i enjoy reading all the snips of history & memories....
 
Ah yes, an old favourite of this Forum. The building is deceptive. It was formerly the St Edmunds' Boys' Home. Behind this is the architectural oddity [pictured below]. Featuring a fine Roman campanile, the structure was built privately as the chapel of a hostel for working boys by Father John Lopes. He was an Anglo-Catholic clergyman who in 1915, before the building was finished, joined the Church of Rome. The small basilican church was never used for services. Indeed, it has always served secular purposes. There is an almost exact fore-runner to this - the San Giorgio Tower in Rome, to this day...



Lopes Tower deritend.jpgSan Giorgio Tower .jpg
 
thanks Dennis,most interesting i love this old stuff, it really was a spooky place especially in winter when the afternoon light was fading, i read that deritend was part of the same parish as aston church. A
 
thanks Dennis,most interesting i love this old stuff, it really was a spooky place especially in winter  when the afternoon light was fading,  i read that deritend was part of the same parish as aston church. A
 
brexile said:
thanks Dennis,most interesting i love this old stuff, it really was a spooky place especially in winter  when the afternoon light was fading,  i read that deritend was part of the same parish as aston church. A
Click to expand...

Your welcome brexile. The hamlets of Deritend and Bordesley though part of the Manor of Birmingham, as you say, were in the Parish of Aston. But considering the state of the roads in those days, it can be seen that the treck to worship at Aston must have been quite an inconvenience. To this end John De Bermingham, the Lord of the Manor, arranged that they should have a place of worship of their own, and the Chapel of St John was built at Deritend in 1380 at his cost. The name chapel was at that time used for a church which was not as important as the parish church.

In 1392 the people of Birmingham got together and bought a licence from the crown to form a “Gild” for 50 pounds, a lot of money in those days. They called it “The Guild of the Holy Cross”. The was like buying your rights to make decisions about local issues, building, road maintenance, and church matters, without recourse to the Higher Authorities. A little independence to grow and flourish without interference.

But the people of Deritend had actually pre-empted their fellow towns people and bought a Gild earlier called the “Gild of St John The Baptist”. Hence the importance of St Johns Chapel to the progress of our City’s development.


St Johns Chapel OLD .jpg St Johns Chapel drawing F Mercer 1876.jpg St Johns Chapel Deritend.jpg Hope and Anchor St Johns Chapel House Lane Stone Yard.jpg
 
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And whilst we are here...anyone know anything about this Tower like gem in Deritend? I've been going past it all my 70 years, but never knew what it was for. I know it's listed as a warehouse, but it's a mighty fine building just to store a few bits of iron surely? Did it ever have a more exotic function?



Bonsers Iron Warehouse.jpg Bonsers Tower 1.jpg Bonsers Tower 2.jpg
 
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