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New Street City Centre Birmingham

postie

postie

The buck stops here
Staff member
I think this is the right place for this :-\

In the 1920s, Charlie "Ruby" Sparks, a London gangster together with friends unknown, drove down New Street in Birmingham, got out of the car and threw a brick through the window of a jewellers shop.
He reached inside and removed most of the contents of the shop window.
Unfortunately, as they made their escape they killed a female pedestrian.
He dissapeared for such a long time that a positive identification was impossible.
This was the first ever "Smash and Grab" ever carried out. ;)
 
can anyone tell me what sort of shop was at 25-30 new street birmingham in 1881? by some of the job descriptions im guessing at a drapery store but it might have sold other things as well. one of my relations was a clerk there. by the 1891 census he was in london as a drapers clerk. any info would be great.
 
hi john,thanks for the quick reply:).it must have been a big establishment as theres loads of workers on the census.do you happen to know how long the establishmen was there for? the relation who worked there came from worcester so how he got to be there heaven knows.patx
 
1873
25 to 30 Holliday William & Co. linen
drapers, silk mercers, haberdashers,
Hosiers, carpet factors, upholsterers,
undertakers &c. (Warwick house)
 
The first picture on https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?p=126390 shows Warwick house, and you can see Hollidays on the fascia. also there is the engraving below, presumably a bit earlier
mike

original_Warwick_House.jpg
 
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thanks for that,what a lovely building i suppose they expanded when they started doing funerals and carpets etc.perhaps even in those days they had the need to diversify.patx
 
between 1868 & 1872 changed to Holliday previous owner Hyams
Holliday William, silk mercer, draper, and
Carpet factor, Warwick house, 28, 29, and
30, New st.; h. Belle Field, Ga. Knave's end
 
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Warwick House, later Marshall & Snelgrove's from John's print, was bombed during the Second World War, what a pity. I remember a rebuilt M & S, in the 1960s but it wasn't in the same class, and didn't last very long.
 
Mike that's a wonderful print such a grand looking building. What a shame it was bombed.I loved Marshall and Snelgrove not that I could afford to buy much there.:(
 
hi everyone,thanks for all that info,i can remember my grandmother mentioning going to marshall and snellgrove on her shopping trips.later trips were to john lewis so either her pockets were not so deep or marshall and snellgrove had closed.
 
Patx
It would have been Lewis's, not John Lewis, that she went to. A firm that un fortunately now does not exist except in a truncated form in liverpool
 
a couple of these buildings sort of look familar so could someone tell me what end of 75 new street was please....note the horse manure in the middle of the road...

lyn
 
dont know why but the last couple of days i click on pics posted but they will not enlarge...hope you are having better luck folks...

lyn
 
Big Gee

I think the building you are referring to is Birmingham Royal Society of Artists, who I now think are located somewhere in St Pauls Square.

Phil
 
I think PMC is right and if the left hand end of the picture were extended then Christ Church would be visible at that time maybe. So it is the west end of New Street possibly. I think that the passage way up to Waterloo St. can be made out between two buiding fronts. I am not sure that 75 is the street No. It seems to me that 75 now is at the other end of New Street close to High Street.
 
Ive had tgo drasticaly reduce ths pic but I think it proves the point
 
Astoness said:
dont know why but the last couple of days i click on pics posted but they will not enlarge...hope you are having better luck folks...

lyn
Click to expand...
hi Atoness i think you need a java update.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.Best Wishes Roger
 
must say i like this pic...thanks for the advice roger..i will sort out the java...happy christmas to you and have a good new year...

lyn
 
thanks mike...cant be certain but i think christ church was bombed and had to be demolished...


lyn
 
Lyn

The Royal Birmingham Artists Society was at the top end of New St just before Christchurch Passage on the same side. In Kelly's 1903 it was listed as No 69 New Street. Its possible that New St has been renumbered since then.

Christchurch was demolished long before any bombs dropped on Birmingham. I think it may have had something to do with crumbling foundations, but I'm not too sure on that.

The one photo shows the RBSA from Victoria Square and the other one is a better photo of the portico itself

Phil

Lost photos replaced by what I believe are same as originals

City New St The RBSA.jpgCity New St (12).jpg
 
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Lyn

Here is another, much better and earlier photo showing Christchurch as well.

Phil
Lost photo replaced by what I believe is same photo

City New St Council House Square.jpg
 
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Astoness, I think it is looking along New St towards High St, at the Market Hall corner circa pre 1939. Len.
 
Hi Astoness, the photo was probably taken from the corner of Pinfold Street/New Street.
Christ Church was demolished in 1899.
 
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