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Street furniture

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
  • Start date Start date
When on point duty didn't they wear sort of high visibility white things around there arms. Round the cuffs. There used to be policement at busy junctions usually odd shaped junctions or with 5 ways.
I remember Police boxes like the tardis and underground public toilets but only for 'Gentlemen'. There was a factory at the top of our road and stuck on the outside was a square brick attachment quite high which we kids ran through, with 2 square holes at the front. Nan said they were to put guns through during the war. Is that correct? There seem to be less railings around too, I liked running a stick across them. There are railings but not for use with sticks.
 
Thanks all. So far we've found two great useful pieces of street furniture; the police phone pillar and the fire box. Both absolutely vital in the past but no longer with us today. Such a pity as from a purely aesthetic view they'd add a bit of colour to our streets (a very superficial opinion, I know, as these were essential on the streets and not regarded as decorative). The one thing we still have, as Nico points out, is the iron railing. Lovely things, which can add interest and elegance to any street. Now this one must be the most notable in Birmingham; Nelsons's statue in the Bull Ring. I love the knotted horizontal rope. And, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the railings which surround the statue today are the original 1809 ones. The photo (1889) shows several pieces of street furniture, but not too sure what the box/stone(?) is to the right of Nelson. Viv.

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Viv
Would the box be one containing sand or grit? i seem to remember seeing some similar ones for that purpose in more recent times.
We have lost some street furniture, but gained others such as the parking meters. soon , with street cameras monitoring access to city centres these will not be necessary, as your road account will automatically be debitted for parking , together with access to the city.
 
Hi Jennyann - glad the Civic Society stepped in to ensure the railings were reinstated. How interesting that they may have been made from pikes from HMS Victory.

Hi Mike. Yes, getting uncomfortably like Orwell's '1984'. Hadn't occurred to me that parking meters have disappeared, but you're right. Parking meters must have started life and disappeared in the space of 50+ years. You can now pick one up on eBay for around £40. Mind you I'd be unlikely to invest in one, wouldn't be able to restrain myself from taking a sledge hammer to it in sweet revenge for all those parking tickets. Viv.
 
...........and don't forget the good old Bundy clock, in Birmingham City Transport days they were painted green, found at virtually every bus terminus


 
mikejee said:
Viv
Would the box be one containing sand or grit? i seem to remember seeing some similar ones for that purpose in more recent times.
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Anyone, who has ever watched the buses, sliding sideways down the Bullring, on a frosty late afternoon, would know the purpose of those boxes !
 
Thanks for the link Mhenery. One made it's way to the Design Museum. Kenneth Grange was responsible in the1960s for redesigning the meter for Venner Ltd (amongst many other things - and what an interesting career he's had). Here's the Design Museum link
https://designmuseum.org/design/kenneth-grange


ImageUploadedByTapatalkHD1385902278.345526.jpg Photo from the Design Museum
 
Looking at the first pic on your thread Mhemery, there doesn't seem to be much room for the money, especially if you could use pence. Or maybe you couldn't use pence. Wonder how often they were emptied. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Looking at the first pic on your thread Mhemery, there doesn't seem to be much room for the money, especially if you could use pence. Or maybe you couldn't use pence. Wonder how often they were emptied. Viv.
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I can recall it was Silver only Viv no copper coinage. Emptied regularly which could be why they became uneconomic.

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Looking at a pic in another thread I noticed a solid piece of 'street furniture' namely a reinforced concrete bollard. However, it's position right on the kerb a yard from the corner (as seen in pic 2) is puzzling. If it's purpose is to stop heavy vehicles driving on to the pavement when cornering I would have expected it to be right on the corner. I don't suppose it was there for leaning on while waiting for the pub to open.
bollard2.JPG


bollard1.jpg
 
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Thanks Bernard. So parking wouldn't have been cheap in the sixties.

Phil. That bollard's a hefty one. Did wonder if it was for traffic coming from the junction to the left of the photo, out of view. If there was a junction to the left (i.e directly opposite the bus) vehicles may have pulled across the road to turn right and the bollard would have protected pedestrians who'd just crossed the zebra crossing. Not sure I've made that very clear! Viv.
 
Could it be that they date to the horse drawn traffic?

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BernardR said:
I can recall it was Silver only Viv no copper coinage. Emptied regularly which could be why they became uneconomic.

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spot on Bernard only silver don,t know if they ever took shillings or new 5ps but at the end it was 10ps only and they held about £15 if left long enough so parking was cheap in comparison
 
Forgot about silver 10ps! I was thinking in terms of a minimum of shillings. Did the slots only take one denomination of coins I.e not a mixture of coins? Viv.
 
oldMohawk said:
I had just posted this pic in another thread when I noticed what looks like a black and white striped piece of street furniture by the traffic lights. Presumably it might have been something to do with the traffic lights - they certainly made sure it was visible !
18-11-092520018.jpg
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Still a dangerous junction as everyone jumps the lights on red but the object has gone.IMG_4449[1].JPG
 
ariel badger said:
Still a dangerous junction as everyone jumps the lights on red but the object has gone.
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It's interesting seeing your picture and comparing it with the old scene. It's strange how the old scene seems to look 'cosier' - well to me it does !
 
maypolebaz said:
What route did that gleaming "48 J" run, I wonder ?
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Difficult to make out the bus number (JOJ xx) It's either a Crossley or a Daimler. The Photo dates from between 1964 and 1969.

The 48 route operated from Moseley Road Garage and began in 1949 (replacing the 39 tram route)
Originally the 48 route had service numbers :-

48 Maypole via Balsall Heath
48A Kings Heath via Balsall Heath
48B Alcester Lanes End via Balsall Heath

These were re-numbered in 1964 (along with the 49 and 50)

48 Maypole via Balsall Heath
48B Cannon Hill Park
48F Moseley village
48H Queensbridge Road / Alcester Road
48J Kings Heath via Balsall Heath
48K Alcester Lanes End via Balsall Heath
48L Warstock Road / Alcester Road South

In 1966 the 48 was extended to Druids Lane / Bells Lane to serve the new municipal housing estate (replacing the prefabs)
The 48L (Warstock Road) short working became un-numbered and replaced by:-

48L Maypole via Balsall Heath
48 Druids Heath Estate via Balsall Heath
 
Vivienne14 said:
Forgot about silver 10ps! I was thinking in terms of a minimum of shillings. Did the slots only take one denomination of coins I.e not a mixture of coins? Viv.
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that's correct viv just 10ps in their last days not sure about in the 60s but I think it was just one denomination Michael
 
mhemery said:
that's correct viv just 10ps in their last days not sure about in the 60s but I think it was just one denomination Michael
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Hi Michael. I think they must have been a bit of a headache then. I suppose you'd have to change the slots if you wanted to increase the price for a ticket. Plus the uneconomical cost of collection. Surprised they lasted as long as they did. Viv.
 
oldMohawk said:
It's interesting seeing your picture and comparing it with the old scene. It's strange how the old scene seems to look 'cosier' - well to me it does !
Click to expand...

Agree Phil, it was much cosier. All the character has been stripped away. No canopy in front of what was the cinema. And less interesting (and probably less effective) street furniture. There are new traffic lights, but as Ariel says, people still jump the lights. Viv.
 
Now I was always under the impression that Belisha Beacons had an accompanying zebra crossing. But no, this one on Broad Street stood alone. And the second one in Corporation Street seems to have half a crossing (or maybe it's out of view). Viv.

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Thanks for the information, roly.
I hadn't realised there were so many "48s" !
The "48L" interests me, assuming it terminated at Warstock Rd, a dual carriageway, do you know where the terminus would've been ?
(When I was a tiddler the bus to the Maypole was the No. 35).
 
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