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New Street Station 1967 - 2014

I think the artists impression is supposed to be of the Bull Ring Centre. it only says "a direct link" to New St Station which indeed the bridge over the Ringway was. Though there were two escalators up and down in the Centre they both serviced the same floor. Mike there was another entrance to Woolworth's on the top (public) floor of the Centre that led to the top floor of Woollies and the restaurant. Viv being among the first people to enter the Bull Ring Centre I thought it very "Swish" for the times and I don't think it was allowed to degenerate until the 70's.
 

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  • City Bull Ring Shopping Centre 1964.JPG
    City Bull Ring Shopping Centre 1964.JPG
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Mike, yes, Asda is what I thought it might have been, the name comes from Associated Daries anyway. The old Woolworths shop that I was speaking was just inside the Pallasades, next to the ramp, it's a pound shop now. I remember the new one in the Bull Ring and also the old one (showing my age here!) where the old lady used to sit outside selling 'Penny 'andy carrier'. The one in the Pallasades may have been a later addition, I did not like, and still don't, shopping centres so unless I really have to go, I stay clear. I think I only went in there to catch a train, or when I was with someone. I worked in Hurst Street for about a year in 1988, and used to walk into town through the Pallasades, but had to use the escalator from Station Street. When it was not working, we had to use the stairs - my goodness, they seemed very long and very steep.
 
I agree with Phil (post 174), that is the Bull Ring not the Pallisades. You kinow I had actually forgotten that Woolworths used to be at the top of the ramp just inside the Pallisades. Shows what an impresssion that shop made on me compared with the "old" Woolworths. I never did understand the policy that Woolworth's so soon after the building of the new stores in New Street and the Bull Ring had of closing down all their city centre shops and just concentrating on suburban and small town stores.
 
That makes more sense Phil. Thanks. In fact now I think about it the lower level was called something like 'Centre Court'. I do find that modern shopping centres/malls (especially the 1960s ones!) do tend to look alike inside. But now that New Street is getting a facelift, I hope it has a longer shelf life than the last one. I too remember Asda in the corner (very handy to pop in to before catching my train home). And there was a Habitat allong there too. Viv.
 
Shortie said:
Mike, yes, Asda is what I thought it might have been, the name comes from Associated Daries anyway. The old Woolworths shop that I was speaking was just inside the Pallasades, next to the ramp, it's a pound shop now. I remember the new one in the Bull Ring and also the old one (showing my age here!) where the old lady used to sit outside selling 'Penny 'andy carrier'. The one in the Pallasades may have been a later addition, I did not like, and still don't, shopping centres so unless I really have to go, I stay clear. I think I only went in there to catch a train, or when I was with someone. I worked in Hurst Street for about a year in 1988, and used to walk into town through the Pallasades, but had to use the escalator from Station Street. When it was not working, we had to use the stairs - my goodness, they seemed very long and very steep.
Click to expand...

As I remember it when the Bull Ring was comparatively new (60s/70s) there were two branches of Woolworth. I think one was in the Bull Ring itself facing St Martins across the open Market. The other was on New St/Stephenson St (massive building -exits on both streets). The one on the ramp came after both of these were closed down. I also remember a branch of AsDa in the pallasades but it was on the furthest corner from the ramp and not the one by the bridge. That has been an Argos more recently.
 
Phil said:
I think the artists impression is supposed to be of the Bull Ring Centre. it only says "a direct link" to New St Station which indeed the bridge over the Ringway was. Though there were two escalators up and down in the Centre they both serviced the same floor. Mike there was another entrance to Woolworth's on the top (public) floor of the Centre that led to the top floor of Woollies and the restaurant. Viv being among the first people to enter the Bull Ring Centre I thought it very "Swish" for the times and I don't think it was allowed to degenerate until the 70's.
Click to expand...

The problem I have with the artist's impression being the old centre court is the second set of escalators. There were two long escalators together in the centre court that took you down from the upper floor but the drawing shows a second, shorter, set that go down again from that level. The centre court didn't have another level to go down to. Whatever Maxx used to be, it has that second level that has a second set of escalators that are half the height of the longer set that go up to bridge level. The building is close enough to the station but I don't think it was ever part of the station.
station.jpg
This should give a rough idea of the layout. The bridge is on the left, the station is on the right and the TK Maxx store is in the middle. Inside there's a long escalator from bridge level to ground level and another shorter escalator goes to the basement. I know the building looks new but the arrangement would have been the same in whatever it replaced. It's likely that this shop is an old building that was just refurbished when the new Bull Ring was built.
 
I don't agree with Wam that there was not another level below centre court. On the lowest level was the indoor market and the bus station with escalators down to that level. If you look at the artists impression there is a cafe or something similar on the lower level which I think was the area between the indoor market and the bus station which had escalator access to and from the lower level of the shoping centre. In total according to the entry on Wikipedia there were 19 escalators.
 
The indoor market was across the road from the Bull Ring as it still is. The Bus Station was under New St station and you could get to it by escalator from the Pallasades or from the main entrance on Station St.
 
Think I've lost the plot! Do any of these help? They're screenshots from the BBC's 'Secret Life of Rubbish'. Viv.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1362504332.595549.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1362504353.398772.jpg
 
The one place that the Bus Station could not possibly have been was under New Street Station as Station Street is on the same level as the platforms of the station. The buses entered the Bus Station in Dudley Street at the point where you can see the shutters
Dudley Street.jpg
and exited the Bus Station in Edgbaston Street where this is now an entrace to Debenhams
Edgbaston Street.jpg

Then just past there was the indoor market in the same building running through to the Bull Ring which was on the left of the first photo in Viv's post above.

Between the bus station and the indoor market was a set of escalators up to the Bull Ring Shoping Centre not the Pallasades
 
Hi

Yep as a young Kynoch Apprentice everyday from 1959 to 1964 I would alight from St Martins Church
and walk thro to the no 39 Witton Bus. It was a fabulous walk thro the Bull Ring development. I knew
every nook and cranny being also a Trainspotter at New St.
The Midland Bus Station was a god send. Prior to that they were all over the place.
To day has been a very difficult day with the Palliative care of Mom 96 going into the final Phases.
I tried to give her a biscuit but to no but to no avail. A virtual skeleton now.
The consultant was brilliant spelling out all the help that she could have over the next period.
Dad 96 was great in a difficult time.

Mike Jenks
 
DavidGrain said:
The one place that the Bus Station could not possibly have been was under New Street Station as Station Street is on the same level as the platforms of the station. The buses entered the Bus Station in Dudley Street at the point where you can see the shutters
View attachment 84859
and exited the Bus Station in Edgbaston Street where this is now an entrace to Debenhams
View attachment 84860

Then just past there was the indoor market in the same building running through to the Bull Ring which was on the left of the first photo in Viv's post above.

Between the bus station and the indoor market was a set of escalators up to the Bull Ring Shoping Centre not the Pallasades
Click to expand...

I'm pleased you confirmed that. I had this recollection of getting on a Midland Red when I was about 7, and visiting a relative in Far Forest, and I knew it was around New St Station in Station St or very close by. It probably would have been the Ludlow, Kidderminster, Bewdley service.
 
There was both a set of stairs and escalator that went from Station Street into the Pallasades - it came out at the side of Brentford Nylons. I used to use it nearly every day at lunchtime when I worked in Hurst Street. It was not between the bus station and the market, but further up Station Street.
 
Do you know for a "Great & Large City", I always thought Birmingham was quite a pretty place to live when I was young, it now seems to me to be a complet dogs breakfast in design and lay out??!!.
paul
 
As you say Shortie those were between the Palasades and Station Street (by the way did the escalators ever work, I always remember them being shut off) We are talking about the escalators between the Bull Ring Centre and the Bus Station. At the top of the escalator to the Bull Ring Centre, if you turned left you went between the Midland Red enquiry office and the Green Shield Stamp shop and came out on to Smallbook Queensway about where the Queensway entrance to Debenham's is now.
 
Yes there definitely were escalators located between the Bus Station and Indoor Markets. Going out of the station through the doors to the right of the toilets you then turned left on to them.
 
There were 16 escalators in the Bull Ring two that were at the Rotunda end , two that went down to the market (St Martins area), two more that went from the bus station in to the bull ring, four long ones that were inside the bull ring itself, two more the came of from the bridge into the bull ring, there was one up only that was from the street level (new street station ) two more that were from a furniture store, two inside the furniture store, one that was (down) from the bridge to the furniture store, I had to take my shoes and socks to count them

The Pallasades had 9 Ecalators

here are a few photos of the inside of the Bull Ring and the Escalators
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8423966902/in/set-72157632632841664
 
David those escalators did work, but more often than not I had to use the stairs and my goodness, they were very long indeed. I never spent much time in the Bull Ring - I have never liked shopping centres, and still don't - but possibly what put me off was the fact that the shops I saw were either furniture shops or ones that sold rubbish (in my opinion). I am sure that between 1964 and 1972 (when I left Birmingham), I had only been inside about half a dozen times, and that's pushing it. Working in Hurst Street I went through the Pallasades to get to New Street and Corporation Street.
 
I'm sure those steps got steeper when my bus from Northampton was late arriving into the bus station and I had a very short time to get the Tamworth train - and the escalators were never working lol!!!
And I remember the escalators from the indoor market up into Centre Court. I agree that it did become very depressing in the late 70's, certainly not light and airy like the artists impression.
Does anyone remember the Japanese shop on Pallasades - I always wanted one of the kimonos from there, but could never afford one!! There was a bridal shop too, where I had my bridesmaids dresses from, with a very snooty assistant!
Sue
 
Shortie said:
There was both a set of stairs and escalator that went from Station Street into the Pallasades - it came out at the side of Brentford Nylons. I used to use it nearly every day at lunchtime when I worked in Hurst Street. It was not between the bus station and the market, but further up Station Street.
Click to expand...

Yes there was, but there were also some from the passage between the bus station and the market to the shops above.
 
Another thing comes to mind about trians, Going train spotting and standing on the bridge and the trains going under, the belching smoke and the distinct SMELL John Crump OldBrit. Parker, Colorado USA
 
These days you can take your camera, rather than a pen and paper for train spotting. No smoke with these diesel and electric trains we have now.
There are various photos on Flickr of modern and old trains. And modern train spotters also record videos and put them onto Youtube.

John you wouldn't recognise New Street now. The late 1960s station is being converted into a station fit for the 21st century (to be finished by 2015).
 
I wonder if any provision has been made to bring natural light to the platforms , they have been like a concrete tomb since the sixties and are a lot of peoples first impression of Brum. If it has not been done I think it will be a great opportunity lost
Bernie
 
Great graphics "brumgum", but it comes across as a vast, impersonal, and a cold place, certainly the old was grimy and smoky, but it had a homeliness about it.!! paul
 
The 60s building needed some energy injecting into it. Don't yet know if this new design is going to do that, but the old 60s building was pretty soulless. I remember waiting for a train home from work one January evening and on the opposite platform was a man lying on the ground who'd had a heart attack. I remember thinking, my God, this would be the very last place on earth I'd want to draw my last breath. Sadly he died there on that platform and it was such a depressing sight, surrounded by those cold, grey walls, that awful, stark lighting and the constant draughts that wafted down the platforms. Hopefully the new place will be bright, warm, airy and welcoming. Hopeful. Viv.
 
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