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Mermaid Inn Warwick Road.
- Thread starter skylark
- Start date
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Hi,
The Mermaid Inn on the forked junction of Stratford Rd and Warwick Rd, Sparkbrook, is no longer a public house. Quite what it would be described as now is best left to the attached photo. I think it may be closed at the moment due to a fire, but I am not sure as I have not been that way for a while.
Phil
Replacement photo
The Mermaid Inn on the forked junction of Stratford Rd and Warwick Rd, Sparkbrook, is no longer a public house. Quite what it would be described as now is best left to the attached photo. I think it may be closed at the moment due to a fire, but I am not sure as I have not been that way for a while.
Phil
Replacement photo
Last edited by a moderator:
Sparkhill Lad
master brummie
This is my house Stratford Road from the age of 7-21, right opposite the Mermaid pub. Taken in 1964
Saw the pub a month ago what a mess and such a shame many happy hours were spent in there with friends.
My house to has changed, it is nothing like this picture the steps up are gone along with the front bay. It is now an estate agents with bright blue roller shutter doors on the front and one heck of a lot more traffic.
Happy days !!
Louisa
master brummie
The Mermaid pub in the 50's & 60's was where the mostly Irish building workers congregated in the early mornings if they needed a job on the building gangs by the day or the week. My husband was one of them.
They got paid by the agents in the pub at night and most of the Irish lived in that area too.
We went through that way last year and was quite shocked at how the place had deteriorated.
All those memories, and now most of the places they built in Birmingham are being demolished.
What are your memories Sparkhill lad?
They got paid by the agents in the pub at night and most of the Irish lived in that area too.
We went through that way last year and was quite shocked at how the place had deteriorated.
All those memories, and now most of the places they built in Birmingham are being demolished.
What are your memories Sparkhill lad?
Sparkhill Lad
master brummie
Evening louisa
I remember vividly a chap called Tony Warburton (no relation to the loaf people, who knows) who was the son of the landlord at the time, this would be 1960-2.
He had a garage at the rear of the Mernaid, he asked my friend and I to wire it as at the time we were apprentice electricians.
Many free drinks followed.:redface:
Another Irish friend we had was Tony O'hagan who came from Newrey and stayed with us as our lodger for about 18months.
Tony took myself over to visit his family in Ireland and toured with an accordian band.8)
There were several boxers/wrestlers living in the area, the Levey brothers Mike and Seamus were the ones I remember the most.
We would watch the fights just down the road at the Embassy in Waldorf Road.
Good times.
Derek
I remember vividly a chap called Tony Warburton (no relation to the loaf people, who knows) who was the son of the landlord at the time, this would be 1960-2.
He had a garage at the rear of the Mernaid, he asked my friend and I to wire it as at the time we were apprentice electricians.
Many free drinks followed.:redface:
Another Irish friend we had was Tony O'hagan who came from Newrey and stayed with us as our lodger for about 18months.
Tony took myself over to visit his family in Ireland and toured with an accordian band.8)
There were several boxers/wrestlers living in the area, the Levey brothers Mike and Seamus were the ones I remember the most.
We would watch the fights just down the road at the Embassy in Waldorf Road.
Good times.
Derek
The Mermaid Pub
Hi Lousia
You Are Quite Right About The Irish Lads Getting Work
Outside The Mermaid ,in The 50,s And 60,s
If You Was Irish And To Be Known By Some-one You Would
Get A Shift As It Was Known To Them [ As They Called It In Them
In Those Days ,
The Muirthy Gang Was Payed On The Never ,never ,
Because You Was Allowed Twenty Five Quid Allowance Per Day
And They Called It Getting A Sub , So They Was Always In Debt
And Had To Go The Next Day ,so They Was Always In Debt
And They Certainly Earned It In Deed, Also In Them Days
They Called Them Navvies , Which Was Very Offencive To An Irish
Lad In Those Days Or Should I Say The Whole Community
Have A Nice Day Best Wishes Astonian ,;;;;;;;;
Hi Lousia
You Are Quite Right About The Irish Lads Getting Work
Outside The Mermaid ,in The 50,s And 60,s
If You Was Irish And To Be Known By Some-one You Would
Get A Shift As It Was Known To Them [ As They Called It In Them
In Those Days ,
The Muirthy Gang Was Payed On The Never ,never ,
Because You Was Allowed Twenty Five Quid Allowance Per Day
And They Called It Getting A Sub , So They Was Always In Debt
And Had To Go The Next Day ,so They Was Always In Debt
And They Certainly Earned It In Deed, Also In Them Days
They Called Them Navvies , Which Was Very Offencive To An Irish
Lad In Those Days Or Should I Say The Whole Community
Have A Nice Day Best Wishes Astonian ,;;;;;;;;
D
Derek Hutchings
Guest
The Mermaid, Sparkhill
My parents were lincencee's of the Mermaid circa 1958. My fondest memories of the pub were seeing Mandy Rice-Davies, who lived in Sparkbrook at the time, accompanying her mother for a drink in the passageway adjacent to the bar. Mandy would have been about 13 or 14 years old at the time and therefore would not have been allowed in the bar - I was just 11. She was a stunning looking girl and the whole pub fell silent every time she came in.
Regards
Derek
My parents were lincencee's of the Mermaid circa 1958. My fondest memories of the pub were seeing Mandy Rice-Davies, who lived in Sparkbrook at the time, accompanying her mother for a drink in the passageway adjacent to the bar. Mandy would have been about 13 or 14 years old at the time and therefore would not have been allowed in the bar - I was just 11. She was a stunning looking girl and the whole pub fell silent every time she came in.
Regards
Derek
B
badger
Guest
I remember the mermaid from the late 50's and into the 60's we had relatives living in the area. I didn't ever go in there but it was and still is a very prominant building.
I have ancestors who are recorded as operating handsome cabs from the mermaid, I was told on this forum that the mermaid was also used as a ticket office for the cabmen.
I have ancestors who are recorded as operating handsome cabs from the mermaid, I was told on this forum that the mermaid was also used as a ticket office for the cabmen.
B
badger
Guest
Just as an afterthought I also remember the "roller rink" in Waldorf Road/
A
anthony a
Guest
My Grandfather stabled his horses at the back of the Mermaid circa 1910/1920, he died in 1921, his father seached the stables looking for the monies he loanded him, non was found Gran was left poor.
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I lived in Leamington Road, off Stony Lane, from 1944 until 1966. This is just a stones throw from the Mermaid at the junction of Warwick Road and Stratford Road, and was nearly always the starting point of my many 'famous' cycle rides. I would start there and time myself as to how long it took me to get to Stratford-on-Avon; at the age of 16 I could do it in about 55 minutes! If I started on the Warwick Road I would often turn off at Warwick to Stratford and back to Brum. This was almost a daily ritual and was the basis of my cycle racing career. Happy days at the Mermaid Inn, but not inside though, that was not the place for a budding sportsman to be found.
Badger, I think that there is a thread on the roller rink. If not that's a job for Frederick.
Badger, I think that there is a thread on the roller rink. If not that's a job for Frederick.
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I don't think the word navvie is meant to show any disrespect to the Irish, it comes from the word navigation, when the canals were being dug in the 1700's, these hard working lads came over to earn a living, we all know that Irish labour help build all our transport networks
Lloyd
master brummie
Re: Navvy
Navvy is a shorter form of navigational engineer (USA) or navigator (UK) and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects. The term was coined in the late 18th century in Britain when numerous canals were being built, which were also sometimes known as "navigations".
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navvy which gives a lot more detail.
I'd class it as a trade, not disrespectful at all.
Navvy is a shorter form of navigational engineer (USA) or navigator (UK) and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects. The term was coined in the late 18th century in Britain when numerous canals were being built, which were also sometimes known as "navigations".
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navvy which gives a lot more detail.
I'd class it as a trade, not disrespectful at all.
Louis Dalby
The Ham Man
This is my house Stratford Road from the age of 7-21, right opposite the Mermaid pub. Taken in 1964
Saw the pub a month ago what a mess and such a shame many happy hours were spent in there with friends.
My house to has changed, it is nothing like this picture the steps up are gone along with the front bay. It is now an estate agents with bright blue roller shutter doors on the front and one heck of a lot more traffic.
Happy days !!
Hi. Great picture of the Ariel Leader, I had two must have been c 1955. I was born opposite Sparkhill Park.
I
Irishbrummie
Guest
I got a couple of shifts there in the early 70's, Astonian. I use to go to the 'Disco' I was a skinhead for my sins and bluebeat and things was my music. Coming from around the Blues ground that side of Birmingham [Sparkhill ] with its big houses was dead posh to us, as kids.
Graham
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
That's what is so special about the area I was brought up in and made me the person I am today.
In what is now known as the 'Balti Triangle' only the strong can survive!
Graham.
A
astonvilla1
Guest
Hi Derek
The Levey brothers were actually Mike & Seamus Dunleavy. I still see Seamus's son Russell. Seamus has just published a book entitled "Finally meeting Princess Maude" by Seamus Dunleavy an account of his life from coming over from Co Mayo buying his first houses in Wilton Road/Fulham Road Sparkhill.His wrestling career, doing the doors of the local clubs etc, it is an interesting read.
Regards
Brian
The Levey brothers were actually Mike & Seamus Dunleavy. I still see Seamus's son Russell. Seamus has just published a book entitled "Finally meeting Princess Maude" by Seamus Dunleavy an account of his life from coming over from Co Mayo buying his first houses in Wilton Road/Fulham Road Sparkhill.His wrestling career, doing the doors of the local clubs etc, it is an interesting read.
Regards
Brian
OldBrummie
master brummie
Hi Derek.
I also remember Mandy. She was a "friend of a friend" and yes, she was a stunner. But then she moved on to London and we saw much less of her. However I do remember one time when she came back and drove through Solihull in a powder blue Cadillac Convertible, with the top down, to the delight of all the males present and the envy of the girls.
Now talking of "The Mermaid", wasn't that where Ronnie Scott set up the Birmingham branch of the "Ronnie Scott Jazz Club"? Right on the junction of the Stratford and Warwick Roads. Fabulous nights after "Tech" on a Monday night.
OldBrummie.
I also remember Mandy. She was a "friend of a friend" and yes, she was a stunner. But then she moved on to London and we saw much less of her. However I do remember one time when she came back and drove through Solihull in a powder blue Cadillac Convertible, with the top down, to the delight of all the males present and the envy of the girls.
Now talking of "The Mermaid", wasn't that where Ronnie Scott set up the Birmingham branch of the "Ronnie Scott Jazz Club"? Right on the junction of the Stratford and Warwick Roads. Fabulous nights after "Tech" on a Monday night.
OldBrummie.
OldBrummie
master brummie
Hey it pays to read through the whole thread before one adds a comment. Sorry Judy. Like me you also remembered "Ronnie Scotts". They were great nights and I still have many of the LP's I purchased as a result of seeing and hearing my Idols. I also had the good fortune on a number of occasions to visit "Ronnie Scotts" in London.
OldBrummie.
OldBrummie.
hi brian
just read your thread on the mermaid .and iwould just like to say
that i would certainly would like to buy seamus,s book,and that is because
i know seamus and the gang very well and the associateds
through out the trade for far back as one can remember
i will take a trip to water stones in worcester to see ifi can get a copy
because i know it will be of intrest to read especial to me
thanks for telling us
best wiishes astonian ;;
just read your thread on the mermaid .and iwould just like to say
that i would certainly would like to buy seamus,s book,and that is because
i know seamus and the gang very well and the associateds
through out the trade for far back as one can remember
i will take a trip to water stones in worcester to see ifi can get a copy
because i know it will be of intrest to read especial to me
thanks for telling us
best wiishes astonian ;;
Jayell
master brummie
Hi Old Brummie. Yes I also used to go to Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club at the Mermaid many years ago. I still have my membership card for the club, but for the life of me couldn't remember where it used to be held, until I found an old newspaper advertisement showing it, and this confirmed it for me. Glad you remember it as well. Happy days eh 
Judy
Judy
Lizy barnes
master brummie
My older brother has recently told me about The Mermaid been the best place for my Dad to get work many years ago,and he was quiet a lucky man as nine times out of ten he always got work and often spent most of his wages in the pub at the end of the day .Some times he would take my brother with him and as my dad's work was more on the demolition side my brother was often put in alot of danger going by today's standards but me dad would say it would make a man of him.
Lizy barnes
master brummie
Tali do the letters stand for VERY IMPORTANT PERSON (OK) I pass the Mermaid PUB quite often and wonder what it must have been like to stand there every morning hope you would get a shift of work, as i said my Dad was one of the lucky ones and he moved on ,but even today i see sad faces of people passing the Mermaid who were not as lucky as my Dad and your Friend