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Kardomah New Street and Colmore Row

Thank you so much for the information. I worked at Charles Tyrwhitt in New Street for some time and regularly wondered the history behind the beautiful mosaic wall. The Kardomah sounds like a wonderful place. I’ve attached some photos of the wall recently, maybe it’ll bring back some memories for some people. We contacted Ruth Millington in hope to find out more information about the mosaics history. You can call past the shop and see the wall anytime.
 

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Thank you so much for posting the photos CTG. Lovely to see the mosaic so well maintained. And a great piece of mosaic and retail history. Viv.
 
Williamstreeter said:
I along with quite a few young ladies and gents used th KD in New St , that was where you made your plan of action for the weekend over a coffe maybe a sarnie Saturday afternnon , good old days
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Jayell said:
There were two Kardomah's. The photo in #73 of the one in Colmore Row, and the other was in New Street. It was a big part of social life in the late 50's as JennyAnn says.
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used the KD a lot in the early 60’s…...I was a good friend of David Davies,brother of Mandy Rice-Davis…..met her with Dave once in the cafe during our lunch break,shortly after the ‘scandal’.…created quite a stir…..two young mods sitting with Mandy. Barry Hart
 
The Kardomah Cafes on Colmore Row adjacent to the GW Arcade and the one on the corner of Cannon Street both became Pizza Huts in the late eighties / nineties.
 
poolpit said:
The Kardomah Cafes on Colmore Row adjacent to the GW Arcade and the one on the corner of Cannon Street both became Pizza Huts in the late eighties / nineties.
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Was that a case that they never transitioned to a newer format? I used the one next to the GWA frequently and it seemed they had all of the pieces :-(
 
Reading through this thread, I realised that there has to be an outside chance that two or three BHF members were sat in there, possibly next to each other, not knowing each other on the same day. My friends and I regularly met there Fridays and Saturdays to plan our weekends etc (dancing drinking (other than coffee) cinema, big band at the Town hall). The options were endless and the coffee expensive. If you were a young lady bouffant skirt etc, looking seductive and felt you were being ogled, let me apologise now in case it was me
Bob
 
Bob Davis said:
Reading through this thread, I realised that there has to be an outside chance that two or three BHF members were sat in there, possibly next to each other, not knowing each other on the same day. My friends and I regularly met there Fridays and Saturdays to plan our weekends etc (dancing drinking (other than coffee) cinema, big band at the Town hall). The options were endless and the coffee expensive. If you were a young lady bouffant skirt etc, looking seductive and felt you were being ogled, let me apologise now in case it was me
Bob
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Great points Bob, we did ours on a Saturday on all counts. And I thought I was discrete with my ogling! Very well said!
 
When we were young, and not that well off, The kardomha, was very posh, and in your Jacksons, Italian suite, and winkle pickers , lots of Brute, you certainly thought you were, ogling aside, it was a place for posh birds!!!!
 
paul stacey said:
When we were young, and not that well off, The kardomha, was very posh, and in your Jacksons, Italian suite, and winkle pickers , lots of Brute, you certainly thought you were, ogling aside, it was a place for posh birds!!!!
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Winkle pickers, there is a blast from the past! My uncle who was a sheep and dairy farmer in Wales called the barn door shoes as in you could throw the shoes and stick them into the door. I defer to the winkle pickers!
 
Astoness said:
am i correct that this was the KD in new st

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I'd be interested if someone can answer too, I can remember there was a Kardomah in New Street and I think it may have been in that block but my memory puts it on the other end, where the vacant shop is?
 
A Sparks said:
I'd be interested if someone can answer too, I can remember there was a Kardomah in New Street and I think it may have been in that block but my memory puts it on the other end, where the vacant shop is?
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A friend of mine in the 60's was alway's in the KD in New St it was great hang out for the mod movement , best day was Saturday . Working out the battle plan on where to go Saturday night where the best birds where and what clubs
 
gingerjon said:
Davis C Keeler
22 & 24 Colmore row
dispensing opticians
1956 Kelly's
just a thought Rod and myself went to a lot of trouble to aquire a number of Kelly's directories for the benefit of the site so why don't you use them they are here for you to use and ours will still be here in a couple of years or more.
we also have other history discs about Birmingham just ask to see if they cover the time scale you are researching
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That opticians always made my mate smile he often thought were the partners the same people involved in the Profumo Affair ha ha
 
Jason Ellis said:
I believe the Kardomah in New Street was owned by the brothers Tony and Phil Woodward during the 1960s. I also believe that one of them was a DJ. If anybody has any information about Anthony Woodward or Philip Woodward I would be delighted her hear about it.
Jason
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I know I'm terribly late in coming to this thread - and had never heard of 'The Kardomah' before - but I've just popped on my PC with a minuscule amount of information at my fingertips, thinking that I was going to be wasting my time... In brief, I had a reference to a Phil Woodward, who supposedly 'owned a restaurant', in the Birmingham area, during the early 60's... and that was all!

What chances of finding out the name of the business concerned and where it might have been, wonders I? A million and one chance, I tell myself...!

Evidently, I was underestimating the fantastic people on the superb 'Birmingham History Forum', wasn't I!? Lol!!
 
Nicholas said:
I know I'm terribly late in coming to this thread - and had never heard of 'The Kardomah' before - but I've just popped on my PC with a minuscule amount of information at my fingertips, thinking that I was going to be wasting my time... In brief, I had a reference to a Phil Woodward, who supposedly 'owned a restaurant', in the Birmingham area, during the early 60's... and that was all!

What chances of finding out the name of the business concerned and where it might have been, wonders I? A million and one chance, I tell myself...!

Evidently, I was underestimating the fantastic people on the superb 'Birmingham History Forum', wasn't I!? Lol!!
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Hi Nicholas,

Isn't this forum fantastic.

Please can you tell me any more about the Phil Woodward you are researching. He is part of my family but proving difficult to track down, depite his fame at the Kardomah.

Jason Ellis
 
Jason Ellis said:
Hi Nicholas,

Isn't this forum fantastic.

Please can you tell me any more about the Phil Woodward you are researching. He is part of my family but proving difficult to track down, depite his fame at the Kardomah.

Jason Ellis
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Hi Jason,

Being the one trick pony that I am, I'll readily admit that I can seldom add anything constructive to conversations... but I know that - if I'm struggling with anything 'Brum related' during the course of my research - I can always pop on here and, most probably, find what I'm looking for!

With regards to the data concerned, I'm afraid it won't really help much with your own family research, but - for what it might be worth - this clipping was taken from the 'Psychic News' for the 18th of February, 1961. Knowing how the 'P.N.' works, there would have surely been an article about this matter printed in some other newspaper, which possibly contained 'more' information, perhaps. ('P.N.' had / has a habit of simply re-writing - and abbreviating - other media sources, etc).61 2 18.jpg
 
An aunt of mine stated in the 1921 Census that she was employed at Kardomah Cafe, 31A New Street, Birmingham. However, I can only find information about the Kardomah at 41A New Street, which I think was on the corner of Needless Alley.
Can anyone tell me please (maybe from trade directories or OS plans of New Street) whether there was a Kardomah at 31A New Street in 1921, or was it only ever at 41A?
Thanks very much.
 
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