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Kardomah New Street and Colmore Row

My haunt too, I wonder if any of us where in there at the same time 64 dollar question, but i can't remember the basement perhaps it was full up when i went there. Happy Days
 
Was the Kardomah a chain? the reason I ask is I have a photo of my Dad and some family in front of what looks like the Kardomah. You an read the words Kardom... on the front of the shop below the window. The photo is not dated but I know its about 1935 as this is when my Dad had his motorbike accident and his head is still bandaged.
 
I don't know if there were a chain of Kardomahs, but I believe there was only one in Birmingham and if I'm wrong, we'll soon hear about it.:rolleyes:
 
Here's the photo judge for yourselves. ;)

Neville_and_Tom.jpg
 
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There were two Kardomahs in brum. One opposite Snow Hill Station the other was in New Street, just around the corner from Corporation Street. I found this on the net, courtesy Christophers photos, and titled, Kardomah, Needless Alley.
 
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Wasn't the New Street Kardomah on the corner of Needless Alley..Di? GREAT PHOTO. I once worked across the road from the Kardomah on a "temp" job and it was interesting to watch what was going on upstairs at times.
 
The 1956 Kelly's directory lists three branches - 42A New St, 18 Colmore Row and 39 Cannon St. Can't remember that last one, but it must have been opposite the back door to the Bham Post & Mail place, where the papers were despatched from the print room, which I do remember.
Peter
 
This does bring back pleasant memories, we often used to meet there if we were going to something in the city. As I came in on the #70 bus it was convenient just across the road from Snow Hill.:)
 
Always the meeting place for us lads before going any place in the city & last thing at night meeting up again over the road out side Snow Hill Station FOR A HOT PIE & COFFEE from ALEX's mobile snack bar.
what great days.
 
We would meet there on Saturday afternoon after Brian had played footie, and then off we went to the pictures. Great Saturdays:great:
 
Hello
There was definately a basement in the Kardomah, because my little office where I sorted the money out was there no window. There was also another Kardomah . There was a coffee lounge, waitress service and a counter where you bought ground coffee and coffee machines and down stairs to the basement cafe.

Pam
 
jennyann said:
Wasn't the New Street Kardomah on the corner of Needless Alley..Di? GREAT PHOTO. I once worked across the road from the Kardomah on a "temp" job and it was interesting to watch what was going on upstairs at times.
Click to expand...

You're not going to leave it there are you? please tell us more about what went on.:rolleyes:
 
down-under said:
Hello
There was definately a basement in the Kardomah, because my little office where I sorted the money out was there no window. There was also another Kardomah . There was a coffee lounge, waitress service and a counter where you bought ground coffee and coffee machines and down stairs to the basement cafe.

Pam
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The basement in the KD in Colmore Row is where we always went. Was there a basement in New Stree, Pam?
We were pretty much youngsters down there, but then coffee drinking was the way to go for kids in the early days after the war. A bottle of Camp was the only coffee in our house, made with milk if you were given a treat.8)
 
Ah Camp coffee Di. Same in our house although when we received the odd parcel from my Aunty in Canada it contained a couple of tins of Maxwell House ground coffee. We had no coffee making equipment and used to boil it in a saucepan and then strain it.....very strange. Then came the little tins of Nescafe instant coffee which tasted much better than Camp. Mom and I used to make it on Saturday mornings when I was helping her in the house.
All milk if I remember with the cream from the top of the milk bottle. Yummy.

The Kardomah on New Street...upstairs was a hangout for would be writers.
They would be out of the way mostly in the afternoons after the lunch hour crowd and not bothered by the staff as they were mostly quiet but smoked a lot. They would buy a cup of coffee and make it last. Some of the regulars had portable typewriters and would be smoking, drinking coffee and adding to their writings along with their friends. There used to be some
smooching going on since there were women as well as men there. So it wasn't anything dramtic that I witnessed just fascinating watching from across the street.

The most amazing thing that I viewed from the upstairs of the Kardomah across to my office on the other side of the street, in which I was a temp. No names, of course. Can't remember now anyway. There were many small offices upstairs in that building facing New Street. The girl that I was replacing was on her honeymoon and just before I left for the day to go across to the Kardomah to meet a friend, she came back to the office to see her boss. I was introduced. The lights were still on when I took my seat in the Kardomah and I could see them through the net curtains. Let's just say it was obvious that their relationship was much more than boss and secretary. Eventually, the lights were switched off as they must have realized that they could be seen from the Kardomah and other upstairs offices on the same side. This shocked me at the time. I was glad to get out of there the next day as it was my last of the assignment.
 
Had lovely times at the KD we used to go to town every weekend while shopping:)
 
Alf, like you l've spent many a happy hour in the KD,usually every Saturday in the early 50s, my friend and l would first go to Lewis's basement record dept,there was always a crowd there and of course all of us would just stand around listening to the latest hits,spent a small fortune there,Lewis's was the place to be in those days, after awhile we would end up at the KD downstairs always having a coffee and beans on toast,l think it cost all of 2/6 maybe less, then it was time to go home,get ready to go dancing and bopping,l loved doing both ah! happy days wish l had half the energy l had then, its still nice to see the KD is still there after all these years but of course it does not have the atmosphere it had in the early 50s. Brenda
 
Memories of the KD at Snow Hill. My wife, to be, and I would meet on a lunchtime, for coffee when I was working a late shift in Hockley starting at 2p.m.
For her part she worked for the Gas Board, Saltley, in their laboratories. One of the jobs she had was to take readings, from instruments measuring, of atmospherics in the City Centre. She timed her readings to coincide with convenience to meet me for coffee.
 
cafe

:D Sorry to put a bit of a damper on the Kardomah cafe we used it in the early 60s i was a mod people used to go there,to carry on illegal dealings which were passed on under the table some of these cost at the time so i was told 1sh or 1/3d

Mossy8)
 
Kardoma etc.

I set up a thread "Lewis's and the Like" I have been directed here by Oisin to catch up on more about the Kardoma Caf etc. So there are more posts there. Being new I haven't searched everything yet. I'll read through them all over time.
Plenty plenty plenty.
One thing is for certain, that all the topics we think of about Brum, there are many many common denominaters.
Anne
 
Glad you found this post Anne, the KD as we always called it has a very special place in my heart. Some of us were young and oh soooooooo in love.................
 
Kardoma beaux

Di,
Lots for me to read.
I was a student nurse and as part of my programme I worked at the genenral Hospital. It was alway the Kardoma that was the first meeting place for new beaux!!!!
Anne
 
Hi,

I have joined the forum on behalf of my friend's mother who is now 86 and doesn't have internet access. She has very fond memories of the Kardoma on New Street and was one of the Kardoma Cowboys!! Her name at the time was Gwen Wilkes and she went to the Kardoma in the 1940s and 50s, they also used to go to the Casino at night for dances. We would love to find anyone who remembers Gwen, especially any fellow Cowboys.

Thanks.
 
Not the sort of place I ever used in the 60's, it was a bit too cream cakey for my liking. No greasy bacon & tomato sandwiches.

I have had a quick look through the thread and I see no photo, so I am posting this one.

Phil

CityColmoreRowKardomahCoffeeBar1953.jpg
 
I left Brum in 1970's. in 1982 went to Southport. they had a Kardohma there as well. Best coffee ever just like brum, could never make it as good at home.
 
I remember the Kardomah in Colmore Row, but it was always to posh for me, years later when in Brighton there was another and when I wanted to impress a new girlfriend I always arranged to meet there, felt very sofisticated.
 
Here's the old KD on New St. taken in 2008. I spent many happy momments in the self service basement that was usually rammed in the mid 60's, Mossy you could buy anything in that Cafe', Del boy goods.
 
down-under said:
I used to work in the office down stairs in the basement in the sixties I was in my late teens. Ground floor had a coffee bar and a waitress area.
Plus an area where you bought ground coffee and filters and coffee machines. Basement was a self service with my pokey office under the stairs Manageress had a office down there also and there was a manager who was based at the other Kardomah who was in overall charge of both.
For my young age I handled all the money aand cigarette stock and so forth. Then I left to work in the post office, because I had to work saturdays and my half day in the week nevr coincided with any of my friends. I can remember some one saying when they paid for a cup of tea.
"I only want a cup not the bloody plantation" so it must have cost more than he wanted to pay.!
The staff had lunch cooked for them it was free.
Regards Pam
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Pam my friend Chris Maybury was a manageress there at about that time . did you know her.

Jean
 
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