Ladywood 2
master brummie
We think we know all the moles in MI6, but who were the moles in MI5, the people responsible for monitoring illegal radio transmissions.
Thanks for posting that. It’s a very interesting article!The Dispatch had an article 'Before Gail's, there was the Kardomah' by Ian Francis 4 Jan 2025 with some photos.
(BHF gets a credit) https://www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/before-gails-there-was-kardomah/
Opps! sorry Fuchs of course.Hope you don't mind a correction. His name is Fuchs (fox) and as he was arrested 2nd Feb 1950, he must have met his handler in Birmingham in the early 1940s. She was Ursula Kuczynski (Sonya). Fuchs went to the US at the end of 1943. While he worked at Harwell from 1946 he met his handler in Oxfordshire. (Apologies for thread diversion)
An easy slip! But it is interesting that Fuchs was spying so early in the war 1941-1943 when he was in Birmingham and working on the 'Tube Alloys' project. (The British origins of the atomic bomb).Opps! sorry Fuchs of course.
Thanks for your appropriate correction
Magnificent building!Here's the current front of Newton Chambers from New Street.
View attachment 210919
Very interesting…….Hope you don't mind a correction. His name is Fuchs (fox) and as he was arrested 2nd Feb 1950, he must have met his handler in Birmingham in the early 1940s. She was Ursula Kuczynski (Sonya). Fuchs went to the US at the end of 1943. While he worked at Harwell from 1946 he met his handler in Oxfordshire. (Apologies for thread diversion)
The one near Snow Hill that I used was definitely not live, I assumed records that would be late 50’s easily 60’s. However it would be interesting to know that of earlier times!I'm too young to have used the New Street Kardomah, but looking at the photos it's clear that the cafe had a corner entrance under the sign, while Gail's has a window there and opens onto New Street. Gail's occupies 42A, while the Kardomah was bigger and had the basement as well. Downstairs Gail's is rather cramped and if you go upstairs take care as there's no handrail at the top. There's nothing to see except the view across New Street.
A question for those who used either of the Birmingham Kardomahs - was music played there, live or on records?
Newton Chambers was built c. 1899 by Essex, Goodman and Nicol. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1343367?section=official-list-entry
Thanks Richard! It would be interesting to hear about earlier times.The one near Snow Hill that I used was definitely not live, I assumed records that would be late 50’s easily 60’s. However it would be interesting to know that of earlier times!