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Humorous And Interesting Newspaper Stories about Birmingham
- Thread starter Pedrocut
- Start date
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Birmingham Daily Post, July 1915........
Major Charlton Watson Spinks claimed £50 damages against Messrs Kynoch for breach of contract and for negligence in carelessly packing soft-nosed ammunition in place of solid ammunition. His representative claimed that Kynoch's carelessness might have resulted in the loss his client's life.
Major Spinks had a licence to shoot two elephants in a year, a prerequisite by which he could earn anything from £200 to £300 by selling the ivory. Major Spinks and his native bearers went out into the country. He used 6 of the 10 cartridges in the packet to test them, and fired 2 more at a buffalo while he was on his way. He had 2 remaining when he met the elephant, the first struck it in the shoulder and it turned round and received the second bullet in the hide. It was like throwing stones against a brick wall. Fortunately some one in the party had a small-bore rifle, and with with about 20 shots he finished off the animal. The expedition was abandoned at an estimated loss of £130 to £140.
His Honour referred judgement.
Major Charlton Watson Spinks claimed £50 damages against Messrs Kynoch for breach of contract and for negligence in carelessly packing soft-nosed ammunition in place of solid ammunition. His representative claimed that Kynoch's carelessness might have resulted in the loss his client's life.
Major Spinks had a licence to shoot two elephants in a year, a prerequisite by which he could earn anything from £200 to £300 by selling the ivory. Major Spinks and his native bearers went out into the country. He used 6 of the 10 cartridges in the packet to test them, and fired 2 more at a buffalo while he was on his way. He had 2 remaining when he met the elephant, the first struck it in the shoulder and it turned round and received the second bullet in the hide. It was like throwing stones against a brick wall. Fortunately some one in the party had a small-bore rifle, and with with about 20 shots he finished off the animal. The expedition was abandoned at an estimated loss of £130 to £140.
His Honour referred judgement.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Well, I read it and started to wonder what 'Kidney Pavements' were .... time for a 'Google' which led me here
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/pavements-and-walkways.45775/
Now I know ...
Radiorails
master brummie
The goal makes a good sheep pen by the looks of it.
I recall now having seen sheep pasturing in the late summer and spring on pitches. Keeps the grass down and gives it nutrients! From memory the football season was shorter in years past than at present.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
In Showell's Directory of Birmingham, 1885, under the heading "Interesting odds and ends" there is a mention of a William Godfrey who died in October 1863. He had enlisted at the age of 18 and was sent out to China where he accumulated more than a £1million. Showell sites the source as the Birmingham Journal.The article is attached as a thumbnail. It can be seen that the heading is "Extraordinary death of a Birmingham Millionaire." It appears that William was only 32 when he died, and it says..."he was determined to return to his native country to enjoy the fruits of his labours. He arrived in Birmingham in May...."
What a time he must have had! The probate entry on Ancestry (thumbnail) shows he left under £300
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
The Fog of War...HMS Birmingham
The Illustrated War News for August 1914 carries the illustration of HMS Birmingham sinking U-!5 German Summarine. Said to be the first encounter in naval warfare of a big ship and a Sub.
As can be seen from Wikipedia the encounter was a little different to that described...
“On 9 August 1914, she spotted the U-15, whose engines had failed as she lay stopped on the surface in heavy fog, off Fair Isle. The crew of Birmingham could hear hammering from inside the boat from attempted repairs, and so fired on her but missed. As the U-boat began to dive, she rammed her, cutting her in two. U-15 went down with all hands, the first U-boat loss to an enemy warship.[1] Birmingham also sank two German merchant ships that year and took part in the Battle of Heligoland on 28 August, and the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Birmingham_(1913)
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I remember the starlings in the 1950s, they seemed to have a mad fly-around along the streets screeching before settling down on buildings or in the trees in the churchyard. The council workers used to drive around in a van fitted with loudspeakers sending out very loud recordings of starling alarm calls. It was a time to quickly dive into shop doorways as the starlings took off, dropped something, and then landed back in their roosts.
Municipilisation of public houses.
A proposal by Joseph Chamberlain?
A proposal by Joseph Chamberlain?
I recently came across this article from Aris's Gazette of 16/12/1876. I know he municipalised water and gas, but pubs? Certainly that seems to have been the implication of Gothenberg notion or proposal.
Gothenberg council had legislated that only beer could be sold privately. The council alone could sell other alcoholic drinks. In the UK this was seen as a compromise. So both the advocates of temperance (politically, mainly Liberals) and their opponents (politically the Tories) opposed it.
JC was not against drinking as such. He was probably more concerned about the effect on his workers and consequently on his profits. Decades later he became Colonial Secretary and was able to forbid the sale of alcohol to black Africans.
Attachments
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
The Internet Archive has a few books about Old Joe, and you can use the search to see inside. Picking one at random and entering Gothenburg came up with a few references.
In 1876 Chamberlain turned his attention to another contentious issue. He had once committed to the Permissive Bill which would ban alcohol completely in areas where ratepayers had voted two thirds in favour. But in the 1874 election there was a ferocious reaction from opponents of temperance.
His response to the problems was to adopt a scheme based on that used in Gothenburg, Sweden, a municipilisation complemented by compensation. Birmingham Council were persuaded to support the principle but it gained little support with the most important groups in Parliament. Although he seems to have persevered for a time other political events then became more important.
In 1876 Chamberlain turned his attention to another contentious issue. He had once committed to the Permissive Bill which would ban alcohol completely in areas where ratepayers had voted two thirds in favour. But in the 1874 election there was a ferocious reaction from opponents of temperance.
His response to the problems was to adopt a scheme based on that used in Gothenburg, Sweden, a municipilisation complemented by compensation. Birmingham Council were persuaded to support the principle but it gained little support with the most important groups in Parliament. Although he seems to have persevered for a time other political events then became more important.
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
i wonder if he won the case against eley.
Radiorails
master brummie
LONGTON, NORMACOT. Wesley Memorial Chapel, Chaplin Road, Normacot, was built in 1892. (fn. 394) In 1940 it seated 291 (fn. 395) and had a membership of 69 in 1942. (fn. 396) It was still in use in 1957 (fn. 397) and is a brick building in the Gothic style with stone dressings.
No trace of this there now as far as I see. Possible sites are an empty plot, a residential block or a Oriental religious building.
However, it is a good distance out from Brum, so I will not pursue.
A great treat when i was 4 or 5(1953), was to be taken by Dad, on the bus, to watch the starlings doing their amazing aerobatics at roost time. Always seemad to be freezing cold, so roast chestnuts or a hot potato with salt were bought from the man who stood on the corner by the Midland Hotel, i think? Just up from the New st Station.
I never tired of watchin them.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
and what has that got to do with bham or history mate sorry it must go ? lol only joking pete
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Robert Ensor (bob)
master brummie
Yes iron skeleton with a curtain exterior wall.
Now read about people that have jumped off and survived