Old street pics..

[Astoness]

hi viv..yes you are right it is the library..if you hover over phils pic it gives us the location and i also had no idea there was a library on constitution hill..wonder where abouts it was...looked to be a nice building..the hen and chickens pic 3 is still standing and open i believe..

lyn

 

[Phil]

I think the mystery location on Constitution Hill is where I suggested at the junction of Great Hampton Row. Look at this photo and compare the building on the left with that one on the left in the old photo.

 

[mossg]

Hi Lyn.The library was near the White Horse Cellars.
Heading out of town past White Horse Cellars across Northwood St.I think there was a tyre retailer on the other corner in the 50s & 60s then there was the library.moss

 

[Phil]

Just had a look in my 1912 Kelly's and the three shops in view are numbers 147, 149, 151, although the photo might be an earlier or later date. What clinches it is the Parcel Receiving Office at 147

 

[Astoness]

thanks phil....

also thank you moss..ive got me bearing now...nice to know just exactly where these buldings were...

lyn

 

[Rob1abb]

hi viv..yes you are right it is the library..if you hover over phils pic it gives us the location and i also had no idea there was a library on constitution hill..wonder where abouts it was...looked to be a nice building..the hen and chickens pic 3 is still standing and open i believe..

lyn

The Library was on the left going out of town just past Northwood Street where the Texaco garage is now. (See Google maps Streetview). I spent many hours in this Library in the 1950's.

 

[Vivienne14]

hi viv..yes you are right it is the library..if you hover over phils pic it gives us the location and i also had no idea there was a library on constitution hill..wonder where abouts it was...looked to be a nice building..the hen and chickens pic 3 is still standing and open i believe..

lyn

As I can't post the link to the B'ham council site here's a screenshot. Hope you can enlarge/read it. The library opened in 1861 and was there until the 1880s.

 

[Phil]

If you open any thumbnail photo (which most of mine are) they will open into a larger photo with a title or location at the bottom.

Phil

 

[Shortie]

Yes, Phil, I think you are right with that assumption. How smashing Constitution must have looked with all the cobbles and the old buildings - the earliest I remember this street is in 1960 when Edmunds the shopfitters were there - no idea when the buildings were demolished, but it must have been during the 1950's. That end of Constitution Hill always looked a bit abandoned and bland.

 

[mikejee]

Yes Phil, you must be right, especially with the cigarette manufacturer on same site as receiving office.. It was a bit of a coincidence that nos 47 and 147 should bo the be two buildings away from a corner, both being receiving offices. The receiving office was not listed there ( at 147) 1908, both cigarette manufacturer were there 1910-1915 In 1913-15 no 151 was a mechanical engineers (Braton & Son , not Floyd). By 1921 the cigarette manufacturer was still there but not the receving office (though it cannot be certain that the sign was removed ). Also no 151 is not listed
Mike

 

[Astoness]

phil a larger pic of the one you posted on 662....this was the former gothic pub....fancy painting it pink....

lyn

 

[Phil]

Good, now we have more or less sorted that little problem out lets continue, passing now into great Hampton Street. I thought that we could make a start with some of the once domestic dwellings that been turned over to industrial use.

 

[Vivienne14]

Superb photos Phil. Lovely examples of the change from domestic to domestic/commercial use. I especially like Watt's saddlery in picture #4, post #672.

Looking on Streetview I think there are still some glimpses of these old photos, such as 53 Great Hampton Street (photo #3, post 672). Here's the streetview - 53 is now Guru's (i.e. the section with the grey gable - this would have been the location of L. J. Mekin & Co shown on the early photo). Look at the building two doors to the left on Streetview - this building must have been one of those in the row and gives a good idea of how the Gurus building would have looked before the alterations to the front (and back?). Really interesting. Viv.

 

[Shortie]

That house, No 55, was the home of John Sheldon the pen maker - buried at Key Hill. His factory was behind No 55. Later he moved to Soho Hill, but a photograph of that particular residence has yet to be found.

 

[Vivienne14]

Just shows how diverse this road must have been Shortie in the range of products made here. It also looks like there are quite a few of the buildings still standing, albeit not in great shape. But how refreshing to be able to say they are still there. Here's another Streetview comparing the modern view with Phil's older photo. Viv.

 

[stars]

great photo Lin.
Spent many a Saturday night here at the Gothic, at the RocknRoll in the early 70s,
and i agree what a way to deface this beautiful building.

Stars

 

[Shortie]

Viv, it was hugely diverse, but then I guess most streets were that were not simply residential. Along there, they were houses initially, then slowly they became businesses. I used to go there about four times a week, but that was some years ago, now I don't go anything like as often, but I know the road pretty well. I need to go back shortly, I need a ring re-setting. It has lost its heart though, recently. It has become somewhat bland and unexciting, it's only when you look back that you find the excitement grows, but in the 1960's it was a truly amazing place.

 

[Shortie]

Viv - talking of diversity, remebering the early 1960s there was Swallow Raincoats - a large factory, there was a company called James Barwell although I don't remember what they made, but something in metal I believe. There was Kroy Refrigeration, Hockley Chemical Co, There was even a large shop which sold gas fires and cookers which had small marks/dents or scratches on. Then Lucas and Cannings - and although I cannot remember many other names except Needhams which I think was a watch company, there were other jewellery companies and jewellers' sundries. That was just about 1962, and there were even more in earlier years. I would love to have seen it in the 1820's though.

 

[lindyloo]

Phil, thanks for the great photos, especially number 3 post#672 !! Number 53 was where one of my ancestors had a business in 1924
Viv and Shortie..Thanks for all the other posts too

 

[Astoness]

nice pics on 672 phil....just out of shot on pic 1 is ash rubber stamp where i worked in the early 70s

lyn

 

[Astoness]

great photo Lin.
Spent many a Saturday night here at the Gothic, at the RocknRoll in the early 70s,
and i agree what a way to deface this beautiful building.

Stars

same here stars...spent many an hour in there myself...no way to treat a building such as this..

lyn

 

[Phil]

Right how about a peek of some of the hostelries on Great Hampton Street, I know there was more than this but we don't want to turn this thread into another about pubs. as much as we all enjoy them. I'm sure most recognise these pubs, but for those that dont just open the thumbnail photo and the name will be at the bottom of the photo.

 

[Phil]

Still battling our way up Great Hampton St after a look at one more hostelry we can look at some of the buildings that the were home to the industrial giants of Birmingham that are sadly no longer with us today.

 

[Vivienne14]

Phil's first photo in post # 683, is of Wilkinsons - the building with the pelican on top. It's still there! So is the one next door with the large curved windows. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

hi viv...i would have to double check but i think the building with the pelican on top used to be the famous swallow raincoat factory on the corner of well st and gt hampton st... i think wilkinsons at no 16 would have been way down the other end of the street...quite a few of our members worked at swallows..when i worked in vyse st that pelican always fascinated me...still does..

lyn

 

[Charlie]

Lyn...I used to work at Swallow Raincoats and it's not the one with the Pelican. SR was at the junction of Well Street and Great Hampton St.
Lord Clifden's smartened up a bit, ain't it?

 

[Astoness]

hi charlie i was hoping you may spot this thread as i thought you worked at swallows...now why for all these years i thought the pelican building was theirs i will never know...have you been in clifden lately then...its certainly different to when i used to work there....charlie do you know if the swallow building is still there...think im with it now..was it on the opposite corner to the bank on well st..please say ive got it right this time lol..

sorry viv my mistake on that building...as you were lol...

lyn

 

[Charlie]

Yeah...right this time Lyn. On the opposite corner to the bank, and yes - the building's still there, some sort of fashion manufacturing I think now.
And I have been to the Clifden lately - in fact I was there with you, you daft bat! Remember the pub crawl....herm...historical tour we did with Maggie UK and Co?
On second thoughts, maybe you don't!!! Here's a clue: orange coloured liquid in a milk container outside in the yard of..was it The Woodman? Ask Linda!

 

[Astoness]

lol charlie that pub crawl was 2 years ago..how time flys and yes it was the woodman with the outside privvy how could i ever forget that... lol...i think phils pic 4 shows a man who always reminds me of churchill walking past that bank with the trees pub on the other side..


phil im so glad that you posted the pic of the woodman..it was one i had but lost it and i was really upset as its a great shot...you may just want to edit your location as its not in gt hampton st...its on the corner of well st and barr st...

thanks again phil..

 

[carolina]

I also worked at Swallow Raincoats. Loved the jukebox.