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See Birmingham by Post Card

....case of needs be when the devil drives...
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Lyn, wasn't it just that.

One day my mom was stamping a coin in with her foot; it didn't quite fit. Of course when they empted the meter, all the foreign coins were give back as part of her tariff.

It just shows how a photo is a very powerful object, and a memory mnemonic to the past events.

I just love the way people take the time to post these interesting photos, and discuss them and bring the past alive again with things that we had forgotten about. They also help understand and make sense of your own background, and help to understand who you are.
 
morturn ive always said that a picture can paint a thousand words and also evoke a thousand memories..

lyn
 
Thanks Stitcher, I loved that fountain by the Hall of Memory. I vaguely remember that lighting used to change the colour of the water.

The Mitchells and Butler factory site has now been replaced by new housing, the War Memorial was saved and moved slightly. At least something was saved!

rosie.
 
Its true what you say Lyn about the gas meters, when they were emptied by the old gas man we usually had a rebate of some few shillings, he placed all the foreign coins, washers, and cardboard to one side when finished, deducted a shilling for each of these and gave mom the remainder. No mention of illegality, or criminality, just smiled and said see you in 3 months Mrs S.
paul
 
bout the same here paul..i cant ever remember mom and dad getting into hot water over the gas meter scam...doubt if they had any rebates though lol..

lyn
 
I am not a 100% certain on this Lyn, but I think it was built into the then system, I am sure that mom got a few shillings back, and of course there must have been thousands who did what we did just to survive. Someone on our forum will know!!!!
paul
 
We always got money back, from the gas and electric. Our meters were in the cellar ( i think a lot were ) and made having them robbed a constant threat as the thieves would get in down the coal hole.
 
Our Gas meter was in the cellar, and the Electric one was in the front room, and like everyone else, or nearly everyone, we would use any thing in the meters to obtain the supply, I think the collector took it for granted that they would find all sorts of coins, bottle tops etc in the meters and took no notice, he would empty the container on the table, count out what he needed and the remainder was then given back to us, including the bottle tops, I think if the meter box had been broken into by us instead of us using bottle tops etc, then I believe he would have to inform the police, ...quite a few gas meters were robbed by because the were down the cellar, it was an easy target, just lift up the grid slid down, and within a matter of a second or two, the coin box was out, we were lucky that in my life time we were never robbed, we had a very heavy chain which tied our cellar grid down, you would have been taking more of a chance if you tried to get into the front room via the window, you never know if someone was going to be in there or not, the front door was always tested first, you would be surprised by how many would forget to lock the door at night before they went to bed, And before you all think I know to much about breaking into houses, I didn't, but some of my friends from that time did......, and I would never take any of their dishonest gains when offered to me, not because I am that honest, it because I didn't want to bring any shame on my family........
 
Big Fella said:
We always got money back, from the gas and electric. Our meters were in the cellar ( i think a lot were ) and made having them robbed a constant threat as the thieves would get in down the coal hole.
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Yes ours was too.The ones in our street were always being broken into.So much for the good old days.
 
It looks almost like a L S Lowry painting, I started work there in 1953 when I came out of the army,the side entrance was in Pinfold Street. in those days all mail for
district numbers 1to 5 was delivered from there. Bernard (no post codes til 1957).
 
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As I have mentioned before on this forum, when I was younger I assumed that black was the natural colour of the stone in the buildings. I see that there is a tram at the shelters oposite the Grand Hotel. This dates the post card as pre 1930.
 
How very true David, when dad died I came for a look see aground our old stamping ground, 1998 /99, I was amazed at the transformation of the cleaned buildings, like you I always assumed that they were naturally black.
paul
 
I think the market hall still with its roof on and Gas lighting is a bit early for most of us Stitcher. Another building that should have been saved and repaired.
 
Yes I agree Lloyd but I thought we might have had One member who is old enough. It certainly looks a little more upmarket in the picture than my memory of it.
 
Topsy turvy
I agree it looks lovely, and I would love to be able to visit it and investigate all the things that we never seem to be able to find out. But the reason you can't see the rat race on the picture was because all the rats were either at the grindstone in grossly inhealthy conditions in workshops, or else in the workhouse, where conditions were often even worse
 
I agree Mike. We often get hypnotised by these postcard views into believing it was better back then, but in so many respects it wasn't. For most people it was tough. I have to remind myself that these picture postcards aim to show a place in it's best light - all very lovely, interesting and often quaint - but that's far from the full story. Viv.
 
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