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Snow Hill (the Road)

OuterCircleBus said:
Ell - thanks for your photo - yes that was the line of the original Snow Hill (in fact I took an almost identical photo last weekend). The footprint of the current Snow Hill station is virtually identical to the original although the platforms are further north under the car park on the left in your photo. If you venture across the grass onto the white concrete "kerb" you can look down the gap between the kerb and the "living wall" and see the present tram tracks. You will also see embedded in the kerb the bolts that will hold the overhead line equipment for the metro trams.
I have attached a photo that was taken from a similar spot as yours in 1963 after all the premises in Snow Hill had been demolished, but the station is still there. By 1966 Snow Hill Queensway had been opened and the old road and the land to the east had been made into an open air car park. It was like that until work started on the new buildings after 2000.
There were originally three buildings planned for that site and work started on all of them. The central core for the third one is now being demolished, the developers plan to put a garden there.

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Show Hill a little later in its life (or death?) in exactly the same location as the left of the two pictures (above)

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The lowest entrance to the temporary NCP car park seen on the immediate right. Probably this was one of the smaller vehicle entrances to the former parcels section?
 
OuterCircleBus said:
Viv - there were just four "shops" under Snow Hill station in the picture in #20 but they were specialist engineering companies. In the 1956 Kellys they were listed as:
116 - The Tool Production & Design Company
117/8 - The Birmingham Power Transmissions Limited
120 - Reid Watt Limited - Motor Accessories
Lower down the hill next to the shops was the entrance to the railway parcels depot
Most of the shops of course were on the other side of the road and in the photo in #20 they'd already been demolished.
In this photo taken in 1974 you can see the shops (boarded up) the entrance to the parcels depot (disused) then to the right of the photo is the corner of Great Charles Street. By the time this photo was taken they'd already started building St Chads Circus and you can just make out the white wall around the new roadway.
As well as the sadness of the disused station awaiting demolition, in the roadway is a stark automotive contrast. An MG YA saloon, they were built between 1947 & 1953 and a Ford Zodiac (or maybe a Zephyr) Mark IV, these were made between 1966 & 1972. The MG was probably one of the last British cars made with running boards and the Zephyr/Zodiac was cutting edge with its V4 or V6 engine.

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Thanks OuterCircleBus. Makes sense that they'd be engineering companies. The shops on the opposite side of Snow Hill must have been in the middle of, what is now, the wider roadway. And somewhere along there, leading off behind the shops, would have been Gothic Arcade and Snow Hill Passage. The shops seem to have been built in very different styles all down Snow Hill and I wonder why they developed in this way. Viv.
 
terryb18 said:
This is the only picture I have of Snow Hill 1964. I did post it before, but it got lost so this is a good place as any to repost it.

Terry

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Terry - thanks for that photo - I've not seen it before. So much to see. So little traffic! Greys department store building is still there. Smoke & steam from the trains in the station and is that the back of the original Wesleyan & General building in Steelhouse Lane that we can see on the right?
DAVID
 
Vivienne14 said:
Thanks OuterCircleBus. Makes sense that they'd be engineering companies. The shops on the opposite side of Snow Hill must have been in the middle of, what is now, the wider roadway. And somewhere along there, leading off behind the shops, would have been Gothic Arcade and Snow Hill Passage. The shops seem to have been built in very different styles all down Snow Hill and I wonder why they developed in this way. Viv.
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Thanks Viv. The shops on the other side of Snow Hill were in a line of the new office blocks One Snowhill & Two Snowhill. Snow Hill Queensway was built roughly on the line of Slaney Street (no longer with us) which ran down the side of the Gaumont parallel to Snow Hill & Weaman Street. This 1949 map shows it quite clearly. The photo is of Slaney Street taken in 1963, the Gaumont is on the right and in the distance you can see that everything ahead of you has been cleared. You can see the lamp posts lining the new Snow Hill Ringway/Queensway and in the far distance the tall building between the lamp posts is (I think) the red brick building that still stands at the junction of Constitution Hill and Hampton Street.

DAVID

Snow Hill map 1949.jpgSlaney Street 1963.jpg
 
Richie said:
Show Hill a little later in its life (or death?) in exactly the same location as the left of the two pictures (above)

image.php


The lowest entrance to the temporary NCP car park seen on the immediate right. Probably this was one of the smaller vehicle entrances to the former parcels section?
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Richie - Thanks for the photo - grim isn't it? Yes the cobbles mark the entrance to the old Parcels Depot. The photo was taken from a spot right on the corner of Great Charles Street. As a child I would have walked down here on my way to my dad's factory which was on the other side of Great Charles Street behind the photographer. I'd have to look out for the maroon & cream British Railways vans as they came into & out of the depot - the drivers weren't too fussy about pedestrians - or other road users! I'm sure I must have dodged around some of the Scammell Scarab "mechanical horse" trucks as they came & went.

DAVID

Scammell Scarab Mechanical Horse - London 1962.jpg
 
brumgum said:
Snow Hill looks like this now except the larger skyscrapers have been ditched because of the recession..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjp4wlR6kyk
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Brumgum - thanks for the link. The video is very good - they obviously had a clear vision of how the new buildings were going to look - even down to the grass where the metro trams were going to run. Though the video was made seven years ago the buildings look remarkably like their vision on the inside - I went into Two Snowhill just after it opened. I've got some photos taken from the 6th floor, I'll post them soon.
As well as looking back (as we do) I find the new Brum skyline quite exciting and in a perverse way enjoy the quirky architecture such as the Library & Selfridges. It's a shame that the two glass towers at the foot of Snow Hill as shown on the video never got built.

DAVID
 
Mickymoo said:
"The Jungle" coffee bar was owned by Len Diamond,a mens outfitter...He turned the front section of the shop and the cellar into a coffee bar around 1957,but retained the rear half of the shop as a trendy mens tailoring department.
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Mickymoo - thanks for that bit of info - this is just the sort of story that I'm looking for. The tailor was Len Dymond and in this 1953 photo you can see his name on the vertical board above the shop to the left of Timpsons. It seems that the photo was taken when he was holding a "Closing Down Sale" presumably to unload stock before keeping up with the times and opening a cafe or coffee bar. Remember Cliff Richard started his career in the "Two Is" a coffee bar in London around this time. In the 1956 Kellys the premises is listed as Len Dymond - Outfitter showing the number as 18a. In the 1950 Kellys it lists no 18a as Meyer Goldman - tailor - our Len must have taken the business over some time inbetween.
Two doors away at no 20 is Norman H Field - television & radio supplier - there's another story here, I'll try to unearth it a share it on the forum. Fields was in the building signwritten as the "Welcome Hotel" - now there must have been some goings on there in the past!!!!!

DAVID

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sospiri said:
OuterCircleBus:

I'll do my best to find the Jungle pic, but I've changed machines four times since I last set eyes on it and the original printed copy is packed away somewhere. It was on BHF until the site got hacked.

EDIT:

Found it, but I did say it was only the shopfront and I should have said shop fascia as there's not a lot of it. The word JUNGLE was in white perspex surmounted by shocking pink neon, and the white has tended to overexpose. It was done on an old Agfa Isola 2 1/4 square. But the ambience of the era with "Drainpipes" is there.

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Maurice
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Maurice - thanks for the close-up of the Jungle. If you look at my post #46 you'll see the story of how the Jungle came to be there - with help from "Mickymoo". The "Drainpipes" sign is a leftover from Len Dymond's days when he ran the premises as a tailor's shop.
DAVID
 
Astoness said:
one of my favourites...looking up snow hill from constitution hill....the pub on the left would be the salutation corner of summer lane/constitution hill

lyn

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Lyn - thanks for posting this photo, it's one of my favourites too - I've used it as the header for my Snow Hill website/blog (work in progress!!) www.SnowHillBirmingham.info
There is so much going on here. Starting on the right, out of frame to the right was the site of the theatre, later a cinema. It was called the The New Star Theatre of Varieties then The Queen's Theatre and Opera House and finally The Metropole Theatre It was bombed and demolished during WW2.
The Metro Tyre Co is in a building straddling the Fazeley canal and the building is still there.
Looking above Metro Tyre you can see on the gable end "Stephen's Belting" this was in the block between Lionel Street & Great Charles Street at 94 Snow Hill. Stephens made & sold transmission belts for factories and later made soft faced hammers & mallets under the name "Thor Hammers". They moved from here to Highlands Road in Shirley.
On the same block at no 99 was my dad's bookbinding business - he was on the top floor in what was at one time a "Button & Stud Factory" - I'll tell more about this some other time. This is where I would walk down Snow Hill to as a child to meet up with him to go home.
Dominating the right side of Snow Hill is the Station.
There is a building with a pointed tower to the left of the removals van in the centre of Snow Hill - was this the Crown pub on the corner of Bath Street?
On the left is the Salutation pub (gone) and next to it five shops (gone) - then there is a narrow road called Clive Passage - that is still there and runs alongside the canal - at this time it led to Honduras Wharf where Cartwrights the timber merchants were based (I've seen some stories about there as well and will try to do them justice elsewhere!). Clive passage turned sharp left and came out in Summer Lane.
I'm not sure about the exact date of this photo. My first thought was that it was certainly after 1953 as the Birmingham "new look" bus on the right has a MOF registration number and they were first used in 53. But looking at the cars parked on the left, the one nearest the zebra crossing is a Morris Oxford III and the sixth car parked on the left is a Ford Consul II both of these were first produced in 1956. So it's some time after 1956 - anyone else want to hazard a guess?
Can anyone name all the cars & vans? Interesting to note that every one in the photo was made in the UK.
DAVID
 
hi david thanks for all the info on that photo...as you say there is such a lot going on and i really find it hard to walk that same path today as there is just nothing going on..its so bland looking now...ahh well never mind we have our memories...sorry i dont know if that building was the crown pub i can only identify the salutation on the left...think the year is about 1958/9

lyn
 
Post 48...

On the left(facing away)

Morris Oxford
Austin A35
Austin Somerset Traveller?
Ford Popular (or Prefect)

Remoco van turning right=Austin or Commer

Approaching: Fordson

(It's all a tragic loss anyway...)
 
Some great info coming out here. Thanks David. I'd be very interested in Honduras Wharf info as one of my g grandfathers had his blacksmith business along there.

Came across this sketch. It's an extract from Frank Taylor Lockwood's diaries on the BMAG site here

https://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1995V43

and includes a 1961 sketch he made showing Lloyd House in the centre of the drawing. Can anyone make out if the older buildings in the sketch are on Snow Hill? Lockwood mentions the demolition of the old post office on Snow Hill, is this also in the sketch? He describes clouds of dust hiding the traffic coming up Snow Hill. On 1960s trips into town we used to go on the 29 bus which stopped on Snow Hill. At that time I remember Birmingham as Lockwood describes it. It seemed like a mass of building sites and dust. Not only did you have to put up with dust and demolition, but disruption to bus services and re-directions were often the case as another new building went up or another stretch of road was built. But I never once remember my mum complaining about it. I think so many people wanted to be rid of the old and in with the new, especially after the War. Viv.
 
I don't want to go off topic but Norman H. Field had three shops, Snow Hill, Hurst St. and Stratford Rd. My Husband worked for him until he was called up in 1956 for National Service.
The Hurst St. shop moved farther up the road in 1960's.
rosie.
 
like i said in my ealier post hard to believe its the same place...here is a street view to compere both pics...the building on the left in pic 2 is where the salutation pub was on the corner with summer lane which can be seen on pic 1



 
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Rose:

Thank you for the confirmation about Norman H. Field's shops. I didn't know he had one on Stratford Road.

Maurice
 
In the early 50s there was a music shop that I went to a lot, the name escapes me? all the local musicians hung out there. John Crum OldBrit. Parker. Colorado USA
 
old brit if it was yardleys musical instrument shop you are on about here is a pic of it...no longer yardleys but at least the building is still there and being used...

lyn
 

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brumgum said:
What about under Snow Hill, the building with the funky mural would be the building next but one to Yardley's which is now a well run-ish Hostel.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/63005...44p-7X22Uk-dTm8Hf-auGBim-bPEe6g-8UcTBR-8qvnSm
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That's another great photo - thanks Brumgum. The building to the left is now called The Snow Hill, it was the YMCA and is now a hostel. This is the site of the Metropole Theatre/Cinema which was bombed & demolished during the WW2. The building over the canal was Metro Tyre in the 1950s (see the photo in #48) and has latterly been The Green Room although I think it's unoccupied at the moment. The building on the right was Yardley's and it's now occupied by a music retailer Reverb. This building is on the corner of Lionel Street & Snow Hill. Above Yardleys and in the building over the canal was a automotive parts supplier E leCouteur who had moved from 58/59 & 60 Snow Hill which was on the other side of the road further up the hill.

Snow Hill - Lionel Street Junction 1960.jpg
 
brumgum said:
A good Ariel view of the area now..
https://alanbaxter.co.uk/projects/post.php?s=2012-01-11-snow-hill-birmingham
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Thanks once more Brumgum - I've taken that photo & labeled up a few locations. You can just see the cores of the two towers that were never built and the block where dad's business was - now used as a contractors yard. My photo was taken a couple of weeks ago (October 2013) from the contractors' yard and shows the railway arches behind where dad's factory was.

DAVID

Old Snow Hill Aerial Shot.jpgIMG_2839.jpg
 

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OuterCircleBus said:
That's another great photo - thanks Brumgum. The building to the left is now called The Snow Hill, it was the YMCA and is now a hostel. This is the site of the Metropole Theatre/Cinema which was bombed & demolished during the WW2. The building over the canal was Metro Tyre in the 1950s (see the photo in #48) and has latterly been The Green Room although I think it's unoccupied at the moment. The building on the right was Yardley's and it's now occupied by a music retailer Reverb. This building is on the corner of Lionel Street & Snow Hill. Above Yardleys and in the building over the canal was a automotive parts supplier E leCouteur who had moved from 58/59 & 60 Snow Hill which was on the other side of the road further up the hill.

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Found a picture looking the other way up the canal, wonder what the funny little out house was used for and what's more how has it survived?..

36248_87OldSnowHill_IMG_03_0000.jpg
 
There was a bus stop outside the YMCA building next door to Yardley's. And apparently there was a theatre inside the YMCA building. Think it's now apartments or hotel? Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Some great info coming out here. Thanks David. I'd be very interested in Honduras Wharf info as one of my g grandfathers had his blacksmith business along there.

Came across this sketch. It's an extract from Frank Taylor Lockwood's diaries on the BMAG site here

https://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1995V43

and includes a 1961 sketch he made showing Lloyd House in the centre of the drawing. Can anyone make out if the older buildings in the sketch are on Snow Hill? Lockwood mentions the demolition of the old post office on Snow Hill, is this also in the sketch? He describes clouds of dust hiding the traffic coming up Snow Hill. On 1960s trips into town we used to go on the 29 bus which stopped on Snow Hill. At that time I remember Birmingham as Lockwood describes it. It seemed like a mass of building sites and dust. Not only did you have to put up with dust and demolition, but disruption to bus services and re-directions were often the case as another new building went up or another stretch of road was built. But I never once remember my mum complaining about it. I think so many people wanted to be rid of the old and in with the new, especially after the War. Viv.
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Thanks Viv - you do track down some STUFF!!
The buildings in the fore-ground are standing in Weaman Street (I think). If you look to the right of the Weaman Street buildings there is a cluster of buildings in front of the station and I suspect that the darker one is probably the post office. In a sketch however there is always the risk of artistic licence.
I used the 29 bus as a child travelling from Hall Green. We also used the 37, both of these stopped at Greys. In the evening the City Transport had a mobile canteen at the bus stop outside Greys so that the clippies & drivers could get a cuppa! Does anyone remember that?
DAVID
 
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