Rackhams Store

[devonjim]

A quote from the autobiography of Sir Frank Price* "sitting next to him (Sir Richard Burbridge, chairman of Harrods) I asked if his man could drive into Corporation St. where I could show him Rackhams store. I had heard two days before that it was about to go on the market. The reason I raised it was that the city owned part of the frontage and adjacent buildings at the side and rear of the store and it was in the heart of the shopping area...……. A few weeks later I read that Harrods had bought Rackham's...…..... Nevertheless, the week before it was ready for the opening ceremony Burbridge phoned me "I thought you should know that an announcement is about to be made that House of Fraser have bought Harrods"".
* Sir Frank Price was at that time Chair of the Public Works Committee.
So what we Brummies have called Rackhams for the last fifty years was neither Rackhams nor Harrods but was always House of Fraser.

 

[DavidGrain]

Lee Longlands in Broad Street had curved glass windows but these were horizontal not vertical. I think only one of them still survives. Another high class furniture store with curved windows like Lee Longlands is Heals in Tottenham Court Road in London. See the lower half of the window in this photo taken from Lee Longlands website

 

[devonjim]

Lee Longlands in Broad Street had curved glass windows but these were horizontal not vertical. I think only one of them still survives. Another high class furniture store with curved windows like Lee Longlands is Heals in Tottenham Court Road in London. See the lower half of the window in this photo taken from Lee Longlands website
View attachment 133804

Remember as a very small child almost toppling into this concave space. I suppose I had attempted to look into the window, and gone as to put both hands onto the glass followed by nose to window, and found myself falling forward!

 

[Maria Magenta]

I think there was a shop at the lower end of Belchers Lane that had the sort of window that is thrust forward with a gap and then another similar window - it's hard to describe, but there's a space between two windows that you can go into.

 

[poolpit]

I well remember the Model Aerodrome in the town centre and remember another. It was in Walford Road between Golden Hillock Rd and Stratford Rd. This would have been there in the 1940's, I must have been still playing with lead soldiers. I, bought a lead cowboy, it was all the rage. Horse mounted figures were normally cast as one piece. This cowboy had flexible legs so he could mount and dismount, at least until his legs broke off.

Later I bought a balsa model kit of an Auster aeroplane. It was complete apart from decorating it and I had a go at winding the elastic driven propellor. The plane contracted beyond repair. Boo hoo.

The model shop I remember was on Stratford Road opposite Kyotts Lake Road , I think Barclays Bank was on the corner my uncle and aunt who lived in America would send me as well a parcel of Candy three dollars for my birthday, after cashing them I would cross the road and spend it on a model aeroplane.

 

[Radiorails]

In one of the side streets - either off New Street or Corporation Street (after all it was over 65 years ago )- there was a two part window with the lower half curved much like the one in the photo in post 86#. As a youngster I was perplexed by this window but I realized, eventually, that it was designed that way to let light into the basement. The basement was lit, partially, by glass blocks set into the pavement or recess beneath the window. A common feature in cities but rare in small towns.

 

[Maria Magenta]

In one of the side streets - either off New Street or Corporation Street (after all it was over 65 years ago )- there was a two part window with the lower half curved much like the one in the photo in post 86#. As a youngster I was perplexed by this window but I realized, eventually, that it was designed that way to let light into the basement. The basement was lit, partially, by glass blocks set into the pavement or recess beneath the window. A common feature in cities but rare in small towns.

There's something interesting about them - I suppose they're a bit mysterious. There are some in Reading.

 

[Robert Ensor (bob)]

So back in the 70's me mum decided it was time to get rid of the radio grahm so she went to Rackhams and bought the top of the line stereo built by a company that put top of the line audio in classic furniture I could not believe it when it got delivered I ran upstairs got my Meatloaf Bat out of Hell LP and played the hell out of it at full blastl can not recall the company name but they were famous for work

 

[carolina]

Two Towers Brewery in Hockley.

 

[A Sparks]

Presumably the name inspired by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

 

[DavidGrain]

Presumably the name inspired by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

No the name of the brewery was inspired by the two towers which also inspired Tolkien. The brewery used to be in the Jewellery Quarter but is now at the back of the Gunmakers Arms in the Gun Quarter.

 

[mikejee]

AS expected Rackhams is to close

This is when the Birmingham House of Fraser store will close

House of Fraser said the planned closures, which include its Oxford Street store, come as part of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA)

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[Astoness]

No the name of the brewery was inspired by the two towers which also inspired Tolkien. The brewery used to be in the Jewellery Quarter but is now at the back of the Gunmakers Arms in the Gun Quarter.

hi david just a slight correction...two towers brewery started in mott st which i think was in newtown rather than the jewellery quarter ...we had a smashing forum meet up there round about 2011 i think and at that time they also ran the brown lion pub hall st hockley...as you say they now have the gunmakers arms and it really is great to see that pub up and running again and doing well..

lyn

 

[DavidGrain]

hi david just a slight correction...two towers brewery started in mott st which i think was in newtown rather than the jewellery quarter ...we had a smashing forum meet up there round about 2011 i think and at that time they also ran the brown lion pub hall st hockley...as you say they now have the gunmakers arms and it really is great to see that pub up and running again and doing well..

lyn

Lyn, Whenever I hear a reference to Mott Street, I think of the Rodgers and Hart song 'Manhattan'. with the line:
'And tell me what street compares to Mott Street in July'.

 

[Radiorails]

Lyn, Whenever I hear a reference to Mott Street, I think of the Rodgers and Hart song 'Manhattan'. with the line:
'And tell me what street compares to Mott Street in July'.

Looks quite different, I guess, to the one in Birmingham. There are similarities I guess, Birmingham has a Chinese Quarter I understand and there were areas known for gang warfare.

Mott Street - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Rogers and Hart music, mentioned by David, get a brief mention in the Popular Culture info well down the page.

 

[Bob Davis]

Looks quite different, I guess, to the one in Birmingham. There are similarities I guess, Birmingham has a Chinese Quarter I understand and there were areas known for gang warfare.

Mott Street - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Rogers and Hart music, mentioned by David, get a brief mention in the Popular Culture info well down the page.

Also famous for a terrible piece of rhyming
'The cities clamour can never spoil
the dreams of a boy and goil'
And it appears like this on the song sheets, written of course by Lorenz Hart & Richard Rodgers and best recording...the divine Ella of course, catch her on you tube.
Off theme....sooooooo sorree!
Bob

 

[mikejee]

The earliest reference to Rackham's in firectories is in 1882, where the reference is:

Rackham & Matthews, drapers, 77 & 78 Bull street &'l &
2 Victoria buildings, Temple row,
In 1880 Rackhams is not listed, but there is:
Mattlews Joseph, importer of foreign jewellery, ladies'bags,
purses, albums, brushes, combs, toys & games of every
description, 100 Bull street
and
Matthews William, clothier, 15 Bull street
Can find no reference to Colmore Row in 1880 for either Rackhams or Matthews, though, of course there could have been another firm of another name that merged with the

 

[Vivienne14]

Preparing for the winter sale in December 1967. Interesting that they employed artists for preparing all the sale signs. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

A Rover car exhibition at the store in August 1968. Viv.

 

[ade]

So back in the 70's me mum decided it was time to get rid of the radio grahm so she went to Rackhams and bought the top of the line stereo built by a company that put top of the line audio in classic furniture I could not believe it when it got delivered I ran upstairs got my Meatloaf Bat out of Hell LP and played the hell out of it at full blastl can not recall the company name but they were famous for work

Hi Bob
I know rackhams were agents for Bang and Olfson, they made some beautiful HiFi systems, it was always my first on the list if ever I won the pools

 

[Radiorails]

With reference to John Starley (in post 102) the late Len Cops has written a good deal in this thread.

Rover Meteor No.2 bicycle

Does anyone know anything about Rover bikes? I have this ladies bike, the brass badge of which says Rover Meteor no.2. I have found out that No. 2's were made between 1903 and 1904 only but seem to be only for men. I want to know if there was a ladies model. Can anyone help?

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Starley and Sutton Co - Graces Guide

www.gracesguide.co.uk

 

[Richard Dye]

So back in the 70's me mum decided it was time to get rid of the radio grahm so she went to Rackhams and bought the top of the line stereo built by a company that put top of the line audio in classic furniture I could not believe it when it got delivered I ran upstairs got my Meatloaf Bat out of Hell LP and played the hell out of it at full blastl can not recall the company name but they were famous for work

Bob,

It might be RGD...………..Radio Gram Developments, we had one, liked the sound but not the furniture!

 

[DavidGrain]

I think the most likely brand would have been Dynatron. My mother had one of those. According to Wikipedia, a Dynatron would have cost an average man three weeks wages in the 1960s. The Dynatron name was bought by Ekco in 1956 and is now owned by Roberts Radio.

 

[devonjim]

Preparing for the winter sale in December 1967. Interesting that they employed artists for preparing all the sale signs. Viv.

My wife worked there briefly(1956) as a member of this team.

 

[Robert Ensor (bob)]

I think the most likely brand would have been Dynatron. My mother had one of those. According to Wikipedia, a Dynatron would have cost an average man three weeks wages in the 1960s. The Dynatron name was bought by Ekco in 1956 and is now owned by Roberts Radio.

Thank you it was Dynotron but I can not remember the stereo components, I know it was not B&O

 

[DavidGrain]

Thank you it was Dynotron but I can not remember the stereo components, I know it was not B&O

I think the actual deck might have been a Gerard if I have that name correct

 

[ade]

I think the actual deck might have been a Gerard if I have that name correct

I think a company called Hacker made decks which were on a stand, I think those had Dynatron speakers which came separate

 

[DavidGrain]

I think a company called Hacker made decks which were on a stand, I think those had Dynatron speakers which came separate

Hacker were the original owners of Dynatron before selling out to Ekco

 

[Robert Ensor (bob)]

I think the actual deck might have been a Gerard if I have that name correct

David your should be on University Challenge you have all the answers Bamber Gascoinge would have loved you HA HA, I am pretty sure it was Gerard components, I must ask my pop if he still has it ?

 

[Williamstreeter]

David your should be on University Challenge you have all the answers Bamber Gascoinge would have loved you HA HA, I am pretty sure it was Gerard components, I must ask my pop if he still has it ?

Bob should that read Garrard ?