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Royal visits to Birmingham

Just done a bit of homework, mainly courtesy of the excellent Alton Douglas volumes on Birmingham in the 1950s, and have traced the following dates.

09.06.1951: Princess Elizabeth was photographed in Victoria Square (unveiling reinstated statue)
03.11.1955: The Queen and Prince Phillip were photographed at Bournville. They then visited, King Edward's School, and were photographed at Lucas works. There is a shot of the small crowd waiting in the drizzle in Monument Road to see the royal car drive past, and a reference to the opening of the College of Technology (where it happens my dad played the organ for the opening service), and from Hanco's contribution above it seems the Queen also visited All Saints' Church, Shard End, two days after it was consecrated. So she had a very busy day!
02.05.1957 :Queen Mother was photographed in Hunters Road, and in Kynoch's works, Witton.

Some of this contradicts my previous memories, which goes to show how deceptive memory can be. It's always worth checking stories and especially dates, if you want to get history right.
Peter
 
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When I was at Yorkswood Primary School all us kids were walked from the School to the Heathway in Shard End to line the route to Shard End Church where the Queen was visiting, along with all the School kids in the area, we were all given Flags to wave, hence my republicanism now, we had no choice in the matter. My understanding was that she arrived by areoplane at Castle Bromwich, this comes about because my Brother was in the Air Cadets based at Castle Bromwich and had to dress up to greet her in his uniform, he did have a photo of the plane parked up just opposite Cincinatti on the Kingsbury Road.
 
Pam
I got married there in 1969. The Rev. Martin Tunnicliffe was supposed to marry us, but for some reason he had to use a substitute, a Rev Ede or Eve. Glad to say it never worked out. Been with my present wife now for over 30 years.

Hanco
 
Hi

I lived in Trinity Road, Aston from 1942 until 1953. I remember Princess Margaret riding down Witton Road in early 1950. I was about 8 at the time. She was in an open top car and was waving to the crowd.

Regards,
Ann Evans
 
I can remember going to Birmingham Council House and seeing the King and Queen on the balcony we then raced off to Aston Parish Church and saw them again. I thought how grand they looked but the King looked grey and very ill. This must have been early 1950s.
 
The Queen and the Duke came down Icknield Street in the 1950's. She went passed Bulpitt's were I worked. Where she went on to from there I do not know.

Maggs.
 
There was a visit in either 59or 60 ,I was at St.John's school on the Stratford Road and we all stood outside with flags as a car went past.Ithink it was Princess Margaret.
Barb
 
I remember this visit they came down Newtown Row:)

Finally, peace came to Britain. On 8th and 9th May 1945, School was closed for VE Day Peace celebrations. School was again closed for the visits of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (now the Queen Mother) on 7th November 1945
 
Re Royal vist I was in the Boys Brigade and remember being on parade for (I think) the opening of the weston Rd annex to Dudley rd hospital, and the Queen Mum walked past me as I stood to attention, I was probably around13 or 14 at the time which would put it around 55 / 56.

Frank
 
I saw the Queen in the mid-late 50's as she was driven along Monument Road. My viewing point was the window of an office in which my mum worked. The office was above a corner tobacconist, on the left hand side, about 50 yards along from the Ivy Bush. I saw the Queen but I don't imagine she saw me. A story I heard was that the Lucas Co. had a special pink toilet made for the Queen to use on a "comfort break" (modern management speak) but she declined the offer. I wonder why !

PoJo
 
about 1958 I was in the Boys Brigade, "on guard" in Victoria Square to welcome the Queen mother...the best part was day off school..we were dismissed at lunch time so i could hide my uniform and go trainspotting at New Street station..........:):)
 
The Queen and Duke came up Washwood Heath Road in the 50's and we were all there outside the petrol station (still there) waving flags. I had a lovely big black and white photo of the event but somehow I have lost it.
 
The royal party drove through Selly Oak at some stage . Did I imagine that old Queen Mary was with them. Post war - but date?
Another time I remember the Queen standing on the balcony of the Council House when she visited B'ham and Victoria Square was crowded. The girl in front of me was licking a mixture of cocoa and sugar out of a paper bag! date?
Janet
 
Hi,according to my references,the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Birmingham on November 3rd,1955.I personally remember the Queen visiting at around that time.There is also mention of Princess Elizabeth(as she then was) visiting on 9th June,1951,to unveil a statue of Queen Victoria at Victoria Square.Other Royal visits are mentioned,but they were not in the '50's.However,if anybody is interested,let me know,andI will include them at a later date......Mal.
 
Hi,just found some more visits,Queen Mother on 2nd May,1957,The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on 3rd August,1957.........Mal.
 
I remember the Queen opening All Saints church in Shard End. She went by in a black car up the Heathway then afterwards came back down Brook Meadow Road (or visa versa). If it was 1955 I would have been 4 at the time and I remember sitting on my dad's shoulders waving my flag along with others lining the route. Happy days!
 
Yes there was a Royal visit in the early 1950's. I lived in Trinity Road and can remember Princess Margaret being driven down Witton Road in an open topped car. She was beautiful. I was about 8 at the time and left to live in Wales in 1953.
 
I went to Mary Street School and remember being taken down to Bristol Road with lots of other school children to wave our flags to someone very important who was driving by. I don't know who it was, I wasn't very old at the time, it was maybe in the early 50's.
 
I remember the Queen and Prince Phillip visiting Birmingham and standing on Smallbrook Ringway when I was at Pitmans College (no longer there) was 1960's
 
Having recently joined the Forum I thought it about time I said hello to one and all.

While browsing the 'net recently I found this interesting clip on the British Pathe website of the visit of the then Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII) to the City in 1923.Footage includes the Prince laying the foundation stone at the Hall of Memory,and the opening of the 'wonderful new power station at Nechells'.
 
Welcome. Interesting piece of film,especally for those that can identify some of the people and places.
Is the power station still there? Where is/was it?
 
Welcome Laurie the power st has gone one of the buildings has been kept and incorporated into a shopping complex called Star City. Dek:D:D:D
 
Hello Laurie.
Nechells (also called 'The Prince of Wales') power station cooling towers, seen from across Tyburn Road. The two (unrelated) buildings just behind the tram are still there, to give an idea of the site.
 
What interesting viewing, thanks for the link. Having watched that I did a little exploring of the pathe site and found the funeral of Queen Victoria.
https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=52004

Towards the end two coffins appear to be offloaded off the gun carriage. The first with a crown on top I assumed to contain the body of Victoria...and then the second what apppears to be a coffin draped in a dark shroud is taken off. Did this second coffin contain the body of her husband who passed many years earlier?
Have searched the net in vain and can find no answer.Any clues ladies and gentlemen?
 
Hi folks,thanks for the welcomes.

As Dek says,the power stations were where Star City now stands.Access was then either along Watson Road (Off Aston Church Road),or from Tyburn Road,through the area belonging to the Drainage Board.

There had been 3 power stations built there over the years-the 'Princes' station (the one opened by HRH);a temporary power station that was rapidly built in 1915 during World War I,and then the later "B" station (with the concrete cooling towers seen in Lloyd's photo).

And Dek is right that part of the "B" station still exists within the Star City complex.The building houses switchgear feeding the local distribution system.The old switch house from the 'Princes' (or "A" station) also still exists,just off the Heartland Parkway.
 
olibobs said:
Thank you all so much for your memories and now I have had such a great response to the %0's lets look at the 60's, 70's 80's 90's an all other Royal visits.
Click to expand...
Here's a newspaper cutting dated 29th May 1964 of the official opening of the Bull Ring Centre.

IMGP3394.jpg IMGP3392.jpg IMGP3393.jpg
 
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