Kardomah New Street and Colmore Row

[localmike]

From Mike's linked doc in #254 of plan below, might access feasibly have been right across the back of the retail premises of #41(Unit 3), #42 (Unit 2) and #42A(Unit 3) ie from both the Cannon Street end and the Needless Alley/Newton Chambers entrance end ? Could the route from Needless Alley to the basement be along the blue dots ? And is it a lift space at red dot or something else/some other partitioned feature ? Perhaps, after all, this might be a reason why lease sale adverts once suggested an "imposing arcade entrance" (post #168).
View attachment 212509

Note that 42A has no exit onto this corridor. It probably had its own escape out onto Needless Alley.

 

[Stokkie]

Note that 42A has no exit onto this corridor.

I'd say that the fire door was inserted after the date of the plan. Very likely when Ecco the shoe shop was converted into Gail's. There's only the public exit onto New Street otherwise and because of the counter the ground floor of Gail's is rather cramped. You can see the door with the green exit sign partially in the last picture of #248 above.

 

[lmr3103]

So on the map of 1952 it looks like the KD had Unit 42 and 42A? That woujd make more sense, as Stokkie says the current layout means the ground floor is very cramped. And the upstairs is quite small as it is now.

 

[Vivienne14]

For info, these details were reported in 1976 when the Shoppers Shop took up residence.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[Stokkie]

Ecco occupied 42A from 2019 - Aug 2024
Gail's opened Jan 2025

 

[pjmburns]

So on the map of 1952 it looks like the KD had Unit 42 and 42A? That woujd make more sense, as Stokkie says the current layout means the ground floor is very cramped. And the upstairs is quite small as it is now.

1960 phone book entry seems to suggest 42a was *order dept" so presumably offices. Post # 237

 

[lmr3103]

Reading about everything that went on upstairs, the writers corner etc i think it must have been bigger than it is now.

 

[localmike]

From Mike's linked doc in #254 of plan below, might access feasibly have been right across the back of the retail premises of #41(Unit 3), #42 (Unit 2) and #42A(Unit 3) ie from both the Cannon Street end and the Needless Alley/Newton Chambers entrance end ? Could the route from Needless Alley to the basement be along the blue dots ? And is it a lift space at red dot or something else/some other partitioned feature ? Perhaps, after all, this might be a reason why lease sale adverts once suggested an "imposing arcade entrance" (post #168).
View attachment 212509

I was wrong about there being no emergency exit or goods entrance at the back of 42A. This is from 2024.