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.
-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
Kardomah
- Thread starter Di.Poppitt
- Start date
Ladywood 2
master brummie
We think we know all the moles in MI6, but who were the moles in MI5? They wee responsible for monitoring illegal radio transmissions.
lmr3103
master brummie
Thanks for posting that. It’s a very interesting article!
Ladywood 2
master brummie
Opps! sorry Fuchs of course.
Thanks for your appropriate correction
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).
Richard Dye
master brummie
Magnificent building!
Richard Dye
master brummie
Very interesting…….
Some of mosaics which featured in the New Street Kardomah are now upstairs in Charles Tyrwhitt a men's clothes shop. When the building was refurbished some mosaics were moved to the lobby of Newton Chambers in Cannon Street. Link posted up thread, but no harm in repeating it as this certainly is a remaining magnificent building:
https://ruthmillington.co.uk/surrea...m-surrealists-a-kardomah-cafe-a-mosaic-mural/
https://ruthmillington.co.uk/surrea...m-surrealists-a-kardomah-cafe-a-mosaic-mural/
Last edited:
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
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
Last edited:
Richard Dye
master brummie
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!
Thanks Richard! It would be interesting to hear about earlier times.
I am not sure the mosaics were moved. They look far too delicate to me to survive such a thing, and why would you do it anyway? The ones in the shirt shop are against a wall well over half way across the first floor. They were behind a false wall before being revealed. I suspect that floor was occupied mainly by a different business, and only the bit directly above the Kardomah was theirs. The mosaics are really beautiful, probably art nouveau. Well worth going to see. I asked an Ecco staff member about mosaics, and she said they had some, but wouldn't let me upstairs. A newspaper article about the Kardomah mosaics was printed in the Birmingham Mail on 7th September 1906. Maybe Gail's would let someone else have a look?
They had the Mosaic Room and 'Exhibition Depot' for their teas.
Yes, I have of course read this article. It doesn't mean the other occupant of the first floor didn't have any mosaics, and that is where the ones in the Millington article actually are. Time for someone to get into Gail's, I think, to see if the Kardomah mosaics are still there.