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Peacocks Store Bull Ring
- Thread starter wendyP
- Start date
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Hi Wendy,
I remember it well. It sold a variety of very cheap items - household, toys, etc. The toys were mainly poor quality pressed steel - the type with a small slot into which a tab was pushed and bent over. They certainly wouldn't get past Elf & Safety today!
However, not long before they closed, I remember using my pocket money to buy from there a much better quality diecast railway locomotive which was painted racing green. It was about four inches long and quite detailed, not the sort of thing I would have really associated with Peacocks.
If I remember right - and this would be late 1940s, it was situated just below the Market Hall.
Maurice
I remember it well. It sold a variety of very cheap items - household, toys, etc. The toys were mainly poor quality pressed steel - the type with a small slot into which a tab was pushed and bent over. They certainly wouldn't get past Elf & Safety today!
However, not long before they closed, I remember using my pocket money to buy from there a much better quality diecast railway locomotive which was painted racing green. It was about four inches long and quite detailed, not the sort of thing I would have really associated with Peacocks.
If I remember right - and this would be late 1940s, it was situated just below the Market Hall.
Maurice
Lynda Harvey
Brummie Born and Bred
It's probably not the same company, but we have a Peacocks shop in Newtown near to us. (In Wales) They sell cheap clothing a bit like Woolies and about the same size. I think they are more widespread in Wales
Lynda
Lynda
Wendy
They seem to have had several shops, as shown in the Kellys entry for 1949:
They seem to have had several shops, as shown in the Kellys entry for 1949:
Peacock's Stores Ltd. bazaar, 97 & 98 High st 5 (Midland 0761); 4 & 5 Phillips st 5; 361 to 365 Dudley rd 18 (Edgbaston 2156); 142 Ladypool rd 12 (Victoria
1357) 84 High st. Smethwick 41 (T N 0597); 196 & 198 Soho rd 21 (Northern 2636) & 236 to 238 Hawthorn rd. Erdington 23 & grocers, 77 Spring hill 18 (Central 28189) & 2 & 4 Conybere st 12. Calthorpe 2788
mike
1357) 84 High st. Smethwick 41 (T N 0597); 196 & 198 Soho rd 21 (Northern 2636) & 236 to 238 Hawthorn rd. Erdington 23 & grocers, 77 Spring hill 18 (Central 28189) & 2 & 4 Conybere st 12. Calthorpe 2788
mike
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Hi WendyP
Peacocks in the Bull Ring was at 97 & 98 High St. As the top end of the Bull Ring was officially the High St. It was between Swan Passage and Phillips Street. It was officially described as a bazaar which just means market or big store.
The were several branches in Birmingham, the two that I can remember were Ladypool Rd and Conybere St (I think).
sorry Mike looks like we were both typing at the same time.
Phil
Peacocks in the Bull Ring was at 97 & 98 High St. As the top end of the Bull Ring was officially the High St. It was between Swan Passage and Phillips Street. It was officially described as a bazaar which just means market or big store.
The were several branches in Birmingham, the two that I can remember were Ladypool Rd and Conybere St (I think).
sorry Mike looks like we were both typing at the same time.
Phil
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
A quick search of Google produced this snippet:-
The Birmingham Post (England); June 2, ... in 1882 as a penny bazaar run by market trader Albert Peacock,
Anyone with access to 19th Century Newspapers?
Maurice
Edit: It also seems as if it is the same group that currently sells cheap clothing
The Birmingham Post (England); June 2, ... in 1882 as a penny bazaar run by market trader Albert Peacock,
Anyone with access to 19th Century Newspapers?
Maurice
Edit: It also seems as if it is the same group that currently sells cheap clothing
A
Ann B
Guest
A little trivia regarding Peacocks.
Peacocks was a family company, started in 1884 in Warrington as a penny bazaar, and later owned by Sir Peter Peacock. Kenneth Tynan, the renowned theatre critic, who was born in Birmingham, was his illegitimate son.
Later Sir Peter Peacock was the Mayor of Warrington. He led a split life, living part of the week as Sir Peter Peacock, in Warrington, and then for the rest as Peter Tynan, in Edgbaston Birmingham.
Kenneth Tynan didn't know that he was illegitimate and that his father had another family until the day of his father's funeral.
Ann
Peacocks was a family company, started in 1884 in Warrington as a penny bazaar, and later owned by Sir Peter Peacock. Kenneth Tynan, the renowned theatre critic, who was born in Birmingham, was his illegitimate son.
Later Sir Peter Peacock was the Mayor of Warrington. He led a split life, living part of the week as Sir Peter Peacock, in Warrington, and then for the rest as Peter Tynan, in Edgbaston Birmingham.
Kenneth Tynan didn't know that he was illegitimate and that his father had another family until the day of his father's funeral.
Ann
Last edited by a moderator:
Bernard67Arnold
master brummie
Hi Wendy, if I remember correctly that Peacocks had a wooden floor,it was
l;ike the poor mans Woolies, they still have a branch in Burton on Trent
Bye Bernard
l;ike the poor mans Woolies, they still have a branch in Burton on Trent
Bye Bernard
A
Ann B
Guest
Hi Maurice,
Yes Kenneth Tynan was the first person to use the f word on television. And, perhaps now, that is what he will most be remembered for.
I don't think he was an easy man to like. But I have found his books and diaries totally fascinating.
Perhaps he may never make the famous Brummies list, as from the moment he left Birmingham to study at Oxford, he totally disowned Birmingham.
He was educated at King Edward's School.
Ann
Yes Kenneth Tynan was the first person to use the f word on television. And, perhaps now, that is what he will most be remembered for.
I don't think he was an easy man to like. But I have found his books and diaries totally fascinating.
Perhaps he may never make the famous Brummies list, as from the moment he left Birmingham to study at Oxford, he totally disowned Birmingham.
He was educated at King Edward's School.
Ann
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Thanks for the information, Ann. Somehow I don't think Peacocks' junky store and Tynan would ever go together!
Bernard, I certainly remember the bare wooden floors. The shop fittings also looked as though they had come out of an old Woolworth store - perhaps they had - and didn't seem to be the right shape or size for the items they were selling. Altogether a pretty shabby outfit!
Maurice
Bernard, I certainly remember the bare wooden floors. The shop fittings also looked as though they had come out of an old Woolworth store - perhaps they had - and didn't seem to be the right shape or size for the items they were selling. Altogether a pretty shabby outfit!
Maurice
A
Ann B
Guest
Photograph of Jesse Albert Peacock.
Ann
Ann
cookie273uk
master brummie
We have a branch in Chelmsley Wood shopping centre, only went in once, seems to cater mostlly for the young also rather tatty looking. Eric
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I have faint memories of the Peacocks store in the Bullring, but the main one I remember was in Hawthorn Rd. Seemed to be a 'Woolworths' type shop. I found this 1930's pic from a town called Morriston in Wales. It was posted on their site by Jeff Lang. The range of goods looks wider than the Brum branches. In the left window there looks something like a saw for cutting logs. I can't think what the thing in the right window is. Looking at the number of assistants, service must have been good.
Hi Mike, Wendy I am trying to find the Kellys directory that confirms Peacock Stores was at 142 Ladypool Road - can you help and do you know if they changed their location on Ladypool Road - I'm looking at the time of around 1958 - all help appreciated!
I don't think Peacock's had more than one location in Ladypool Road. Certainly in 1958 they were in an established spot. I was 13 years old then and the store had been in the same building as far back as my memory goes. I'm reasonably sure if was still there when I got married and left Sparkbrook in 1965.
Thank you that really helps. Do you know where I can access the Kelly Directory? Is it somewhere on the web? Behind Ladypool Road - behind the peacocks Store I’ve found that a Letitia Rose Tynan owned the land it. Do you have any information on this? Basically I’m trying to confirm who owned the land in that area in 1958. I’m compiling a history of land ownerships in that area. I know at one time there was an Albert Road and Albert Terrace I think in 1911. Again any help is much appreciated!
