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Summer Lane

Astoness said:
these shops were at the bottom of the lane..constitution hill end...it was at one time thought they may be saved but they were demolished a few years back...happy to say that at least i can say i went into a couple of shops down summer lane...

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Hi. I worked at Preedy's next door to the newsagent from 1963 when I was 16 to 1965 (That,'s Preedy''s gate to the left of the picture). When I was 16 it was my job to take all the sandwich orders from my fellow workers and to collect them from the cafe in the photo. When the new MEB building was being built the other side of Preedy''s, the cafe made a fortune as all the construction workers used it.
 
Astoness said:
these shops were at the bottom of the lane..constitution hill end...it was at one time thought they may be saved but they were demolished a few years back...happy to say that at least i can say i went into a couple of shops down summer lane...

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We would refer to the TOWN end of Summer Lane as the TOP end. The bottom end was considered to be the ALMA st end, we didn't know North from South back then.
Dave A
 
Astoness said:
dave i still dont lol

thanks for your memories of the lane mikeo..keep them coming

lyn
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I've just found this photo of what used to be Preedy's at 15 Summer Lane. This pic was taken in later years just before it was demolished. You can see the big metal gate to the right which was next to the newsagents shop. Had some happy times there. It was my first job on leaving school.Preedy's 15 Summer Lane small file.jpg
Sorry it's so small. I've tried reducing the file size in order to post it but it made the photo small too!
 
not sure if this one has been posted before but it came to my mind again and the thread is too long to go through so just in case here is a fine georgian building built 1789 that used to be a doctors and surgeons at no 381 summer lane situated with the corner of hospital st...one can only weep and wonder as to why it was seen fit to demolish this fine building but having said that i am always thinking this...photo and map below

lyn

Summer_Lane_381_1932_18C_Birmingham_Houses_per_Mike.jpgsummer lane 381 map docs surgeons.jpg
 
OuterCircleBus said:
I'm sure this building was the frontage of the power station which stood on the site between Summer Lane and the canal. You can see it in this aerial photograph taken in 1937. Look to the left about half way up. The chimneys for the boilers are on the left and the cooling towers are on the land now occupied by the Centro building. You can see the gable end of this part of the building with a white outline across the top of the gable.
As it would have been built by the Corporation it would have had a marked similarity to the bus garages built between the wars.
Just in case you missed it, Livery Street, Snow Hill and Snow Hill Station are on the right!
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Take a look at post #643.
 
This photo just reminded me of I am sure in the 60s the shop that took the corner up was a show room for kelvinator fridges which we purchased a kelvinator fridge from.Also further up there was a shop that sold trophies and medals which I was told were made in the factory next door to it .yes it's amazing how old buildings jogs your memories of time gone by.
 
Further up this road on the corner of Henrietta street and summer lane there is a very old building which I always passed I never found out what the building was for or when it was built it is only small it looks like a church but cannot be sure of all the years I passed it I never seen anyone go in or come out of this building.I was surprised to see it is still there even if it is derelict it must be a listed building otherwise it would of been knocked down by now .It use to have iron railings in front of it but they have been removed .I have seen it on Google street view and would love for one of the experienced forum members to investigate and try and find out more about this little building thank you.
 
Sugar, I seem to think that this building has been mentioned on this thread before but if not I believe it was the mortuary possibly to the model lodging house nearby or to the original general hospital. I can't remember which. I do remember my dad telling me about it when we were on the top deck of the 5a bus going into town. I have a feeling that it was converted into a dwelling at some point - wouldn't fancy that!
 
Lady Penelope said:
Sugar, I seem to think that this building has been mentioned on this thread before but if not I believe it was the mortuary possibly to the model lodging house nearby or to the original general hospital. I can't remember which. I do remember my dad telling me about it when we were on the top deck of the 5a bus going into town. I have a feeling that it was converted into a dwelling at some point - wouldn't fancy that!
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Thanks for that but I am shocked it was a mortuary of all things .well at least I know what it was built for but what a shocker.
 
Viv, could you post the link again please? Each time I try to access it I'm taken to a screen I don't recognise and after filling it in told that I do not have 'admin privileges'. XenForo?
 
Hi Lady P. The link is to the Summer Lane morgue thread started by Astoness https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/summer-lane-morgue.24448/page-2
In it she posted some of her own photos taken of the place, but they no longer seem to be available. If she sees this maybe she could repost them if she still has them.

Meanwhile here are two taken from Streetview. The second shows the rear view from Henrietta Street - inhabited ? The other is the front view on Summer Lane. Not a grand place by any means. Viv.

F55F71A5-2717-484F-8CC8-155C744E282D.jpeg539F397A-7147-40F6-A450-266197967348.jpeg
 
These captures are the same as my links in post 672. As it can be seen the entrance to the property is hidden to a degree behind a wall which would explain the comment that Sugar made about not seeing anyone coming or going from there.
 
Strange building. Must have been ‘T’ shaped. Or maybe we’re looking at two buildings, but the Henrietta side looks to be joined to the Summer Lane side. Viv
 
Vivienne14 said:
I'd go as far as to say that the whole piece of land from Tower Street up to the Victoria Works on Lyn's map post # 575 was Settlement related and would have included the City nursery (or an earlier nursery). Their early work with mothers and children has certainly left it's stamp on Sumner Lane.


Janice mentioned the reference to the mortuary when posting the link to the book in post #574. The book describes one particular reason why there was a need for a mortuary. (I assume the mortuary mentioned earlier in this thread is that provided by the Settlement). As was common , coffins were placed in the deceased home, but there's mention that a family might sometimes use it as a table to eat their food off!!


I'm also now wondering where the temperance pub was? Viv.
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The link for the page mentioned in the discussion above is not readable, but here is some info on the Birmingham Women’s Settlement in March 1906...

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The Birmingham Women’s Settlement was founded in 1899 with the specific aim of, “improving the condition and raising the standard among a population that is heavily handicapped by its environment.”

Operating as a centre for the study of social work and industrial conditions within the densely populated district of Hockley, the organisation also began the social and economic ‘education’ of its working class clientele; this was undertaken by (for example) the provision of relief work for the sick, the operation of a ‘Mothers’ Club in 1902, and in 1899, the founding of a ‘Provident Society’, which, through its, Thrift Collectors’, encouraged its members to save small sums of money for unanticipated expenses.

Receiving the support and patronage of the Cadburys, with Elizabeth Cadbury as a Vice President.
 
The work of the Settlement must still go on as we have one of their shops in Boldmere and one up at Wylde Green. Wonder where they're based now.
 
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