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Smithfield Fruit & Veg W/sale Market 1883

My first recollection of Smithfield Market, the wholesale fruit and
vegetable was as a small boy just before the war in the 1930s.
My dad "Big Joe" was a GWR carter and well known in the area.All the produce in those day came in to birmingham by train to Moor st station and from about 4am the fruit and veg was
taken by horse and cart to the market and delivered to the stalls
of the wholesalers and the small greengrocers used to buy from
them. I can remember Randle bros and Parsons and many others
All the local pubs used to be open and the cafe which i think was
in Dean street.
 
Bernard67Arnold said:
My first recollection of Smithfield Market, the wholesale fruit and
vegetable was as a small boy just before the war in the 1930s.
My dad "Big Joe" was a GWR carter and well known in the area.All the produce in those day came in to birmingham by train to Moor st station and from about 4am the fruit and veg was
taken by horse and cart to the market and delivered to the stalls
of the wholesalers and the small greengrocers used to buy from them
them. I can remember Randle bros and Parsons and many others
All the local pubs used to be open and the cafe which i think was
in Dean street.
Click to expand...
Thebest way to kill time is to work it death
 
Hi Loisand,

I worked in the wholesale markets for many years and your photo brought back many memories of the chaos which ensued on any working day.

I didn't start my 'education' in the market's until 1964'ish so no horse and carts but the architecture was exactly the same.

I'd dearly love a good copy of this image for my wall, could you tell me where I could get a good copy please?

Kind regards

John Hanson
 
Hello there. My Dad, Big Joe, he used to carry 1cwt of potatoes on each shoulder, he used to wear leather pads like the coalman had, he worked for the GWR as a carter, They used bring all the fruit and veg from Moor street station to the market. In the school holidays I used to go with him to work. First to Park Street under the arches to collect the Hoss and then down to Moor Street. It was absolute bedlem, the cafes and pubs were all open about five am. I can just about remember it, I was born in 1930. happy days ? Bernard
 
HI GUYS
As any-body got a picture of he big old time fruit and veg whole sale market
the victorian one where the drovers arms was across the road from it
this would be 1950 ,so i could down load it
or a picture of the banna ware housing on the corner of new cannal st as well if posible
it later became a part of a big car show room by the traffice lights
have a nice day everybody best wishes Astonian;;;;;
 
Astonian

I don't think I can help you out with most of your requests, but heres a couple of photos of the Old fruit & veg wholesale market at Smithfield.

Phil

CitySmithfieldMarket1936.jpg
CityMoatRowFruitVegMarket2.jpg
 
Astonian said:
HI GUYS
As any-body got a picture of he big old time fruit and veg whole sale market
the victorian one where the drovers arms was across the road from it
this would be 1950 ,so i could down load it
or a picture of the banna ware housing on the corner of new cannal st as well if posible
it later became a part of a big car show room by the traffice lights
have a nice day everybody best wishes Astonian;;;;;
Click to expand...
Thats bought back some good memories, i used to drink on Saturday nights in the Drovers Arms in 1966/67 before going into The Midnight City, a nightclub in the old Banana warehouse you mention, went to being car showroom now a Chinese place, i remember at the Drvers there were a set of horns on the wall outside and some one had put a noose on them. Happy days . Max
 
image.jpeg
I have found this picture of the Smithfield Veg Market - I don't know the date other than it is pre 1933.
I am sorry about the angle of the picture but can't put the book in the scanner so I had to take a photo of it.
Article dated 1933:
Wholesale fruit and Vegetable Market - At one time this section of marketing was held in the open, opposite the Market Hall in Worcester Street and and Spiceal Street and also in the vaults under the Market Hall. With the growth of the town and the need for better conditions it was decided to errect a covered market and the Smithfield Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable market was built.
The market was opened in 1883 and was extended in 1892 and 1903. It had an area of approx 14,560 square yards all under cover. The market is divided into two sections one being set aside for wholesale merchants and the other for market gardeners who bring in their own produce for sale. In this latter section the 'rag' market is held on tuesdays and thursdays and is a popular feature.
Polly
 
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Wonderful work of art Mike and must show it to Pete's brother as he worked there before starting up a stall selling watches. Jean.
 
Here we have an interior view of the old Smithfield fruit and veg market. Gives an idea of how organised a wholesale market needed to be to distribute the produce still in a fresh condition. Love the small grape barrels. (Photo is from the Warwickshire Railways website). To me this picture tells us a lot about the day-to-day workings of a market, from the variety of produce handled and the way it was transported, to the man who works in the LMS office who arrived on his bike and, most probably, used it to pop over to Curzon Street. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
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Four images of various views of Smithfield Market, the piece of paper with them refers to them all as Smithfield and mentions Moat Row and Moat lane, I do not have a date with them.
 
Posts #1 - #4 moved to this thread from the Birmingham Market Hall thread.

It was lovely to hear from the Davenports family earlier on the Birmingham Market Hall thread. So here's a photo of another of a market business, this time the stall of Hall and Lock's. It would be great to hear if there are any Hall/Lock ancestors out there. Viv.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 

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Viv

I think your recent photo is inside Smithfield market as it had a cobbled floor and kerbstones unlike the market hall which I believe was always smooth and even.
 
Yeah, I seem to remember the Market Hall floor being concrete but things change. The picture of the Bull Ring is very fine and from that location shows the area well and as stated the incline. I think that you can just see the tops of some of the buildings on New Street.
 
Thanks all for locating the Hall and Lock business. Don't think I've ever seen pics of the inside of Smithfield Market before. I have a question. What was the difference in produce between Smithfield and Market Hall? I thought Smithfield was mainly a meat market.

Viv.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Viv
The Market Hall was for the public (retail), whereas Smithfield was wholesale for the trade
 
I'm researching my family tree and it has lead me to Smithfield Market - Fruit and Veg late 1800's to approx. 1930's. I have a photo of my great Grand father with my great uncle. The family name was Bousfield and from the photo they took up quite a large area of the market. . Im trying to find any photo's of the market covering that period.
 
Here are a couple of photographs of the wholesale market. approx. late 70's. Another fantastic building just thrown away. I am told the only problem with it was the cobbled floor, it was difficult to pull the barrows on. On the left of the photograph you can see part of St martins church building at the bottom of the slope.
 

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Personally I find the various Birmingham markets confusing. So many changes and so many different buildings over time. Which one is this building please? And if anyone knows, what's the building next to it - bottom right of photo? Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Am not certain, but think it is the original Fruit & Veg market before it was extended, and that the lamp on the left is probably the Criterion pub. the building you mention is shown but not named, but it would seem to me that the wording on it might say Lavatories. would guess photo taken from where head of red arrow is.

map c 1889 showing fruit & veg market.jpg
 
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