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The Crown Hotel The General Elliott "Cutlers" Station Street.

ASTONITE

ASTONITE

master brummie
I was in Brum Saturday, and happened to pass the Crown, can anyone of you remember any of the groups that played there live in the early to middle sixties? I used to go there at least twice a week, but for the life of me cannot remember any of the groups (old age and wear and tear)
 
I used the Crown quite a bit in the mid sixties and early seventies, but I tended to use the back Lounge and bar. I only occasionaly made it upstairs, as it tended to be used in the main by people who only used the pub on dance nights.

Phil
 
The Crown was a part of my stamping ground early to mid 70s:)
Can someone tell me why they nicknamed the crown
CUTLERS
I still drop by in there when I am in Brum
the M&B Mild tastes just as good as it was in
the 70s :).. Didn`t the MOODY BLUES became
famous after playin there ??

ragga :)
 
I knew someone who worked on New St Station, and most of the staff that worked there, who drank in the pub called it Cutlers going back to the 40's at least and most likely before then. When I started drinking there I always referred to the pub as Cutlers.

To be honest I haven't a clue why people called it that, something to do with the sword trade possibly?

Phil
 
I used to be a member of Henry's Blueshouse at the Crown.There were dozens of bands who played there including Earth who changed their name to Black Sabbath,they were there loads of times.I saw Champion Jack Dupree,a Brum blues and rock band called Evolution with a brilliant guitarist named Adrian Ingram who I think is still about and teaches guitar.Other bands there who have disappeared into the ether were Bakerloo,Locomotive,Tea and Sympathy(a bit weird that one),Climax Chicago Blues Band,The Famous Jug Band and many more who I can't remember.Some great nights and only bettered by Mothers!
 
Towards the nd of the 1960s I was keenly into folk music, and was a member of several Bham clubs. Best traditional folk was at The Grey Cock in Digbeth (The Grey Cock Folk Club), but the best contemporary and bluesy folk was at what I think was The Broadside Folk Club which was - I think - at The Crown. It was certainly close to there and The Crown looks about right, from memory. Can anyone confirm I have the Broadside name right? And that it was at The Crown? Al Stewart was one of the many performers I saw there at that time.
 
hi there the last time i went in there up stairs it was heavvy rock bands playing ;
and on that particular evening i was wearing my suit ;and by god was i out of placethey was all squatting on the floor around the room
and i stood there and i was out like a shot ; they was all dressed up rockers and drop outslistening to the music ;
so i went up the road never went back ; only because i knew the gather from the summer hill taveren and he moved from there and took on the crown ;
best wishes astonian;
 
I remember The Crown and Henry's Blues House very well. Bakerloo Blues Line was a band I thought should've gone on to better things. The Armpit Jug Band was another good band I recall. One night I wandered in for a pint and Tim Rose was playing in the bar - his big hit was 'Come Away Melinda', a real hard-line protest-song from the late sixties.
I also used to go to the Jug O'Punch folk-club run by Ian Campbell at Digbeth Civic Hall, for my weekly intake of rough cider....

G
 
The Crown is important as it was the meeting place of the Grand Lodge (ie the National Head Office)of the RAOB in 1897, for many years. not many peoplke seem to know this but the RAOB have played an important role in the West Midlands including an oprpanage which was ahead of its time at Aldridge. I am not nor ever have been a member but the Crown does interest me.
 
i'm looking for any information on the history of Crown Pub, Hill Street / Station Street, I've searched the internet but can't find anything from before the 1970s apart from one picture which i stumbled across by accident. If anyone could help I would be grateful.

Thanks :)
 

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hi tracy
I can only say it was abit of a celebity of a pub year ago in time gone bye filled with alsorts from the thearter as it was close bye
also freqented by the railway porters
there was actresses and dancers and alsorts of top personality would quite frequnt the place for a qiuck gin and tonic and freuented by loney rich women
this was up until the early sixtys just before along the way there was a bar hotel i think it was called the midland hotel bar just behind the old new street
and i think it was the old cinephone jacy picture house it used to have a brllient front of the bulding with figurines indivisional in elkhole
above the frontage of the cinema thats where it stod afew yards from the old crown pub as we know of it today
wel some of these thearter people whichwould be tody a clased old time actors and world known i shall not name any because of a time issue
but thats what the place was about a ver thrivng public house and meals serving and this was up until the sixty period when things changed
sadly it got to a down turn in regards of the customes and that is because they built the ALBANY HOTEL JUST MORE OR LESS ABOUT A 1 hundred yards on the other corner from the crown pub the thearter people changed tack and started to book in at the plough and harow hotel on hagley rd and the new one sky high
the albany so that left the rail way porters filling up the place and then the other guys respectle joe blocks and single men of the wrong type i will say
In the mid sixtys the gather and his son whom i knew very well from the free house on summer hill took the crown pub on and rebuilt it with customes
there wa of course upstairs rom where you could have your meals in the hey day of the toftsbut when the other gather took it on and bult trade back
he would put bands on upstairs rock bands some heavvy ones andthen the punk came and went and of course the rott came in
meaning the drugies and the hig way robbers theifes trying to sell goods it got worst but out side in the middle of the rd wa a male toilets
and that where the buck stopped it went onfor years male prostitution solicting by the homesexal s and young guys would get pickd by these older men
the police and the council was aweare of it and then they decided to closed it down i think it was mid seventys that they filled the whole unde ground in
from the deepest part of the ground right up to street level and by then the crown had sunk only the street wise crims freqented it but very few
by then the new part of the city was redezigned with new pubs and clubs around and the albany kept all there dear old rich and lonel women coming
in and siting at the bar for some good loking young man or for a rich client of proffession sorry i do not have any picts but some parts you can get
some one if they have time to shift through the archives of the old pictures and of the story of the solicting public and the pictures of the tolets down below and filled in as the fnished product but i will say in that period of closing and filling in id not detour the male prostitutes as they kept themselves in the shadows and sights of the older guy
whom was looking for the fit young ones for money and i can say aroundthat time there was a well known detective series i the seventys which was a weekly programe
was caught there and prosecuted and his series was stopped these publi toilets was cottages to the weirdos and this guy could always been seen attendingthecottages [ the public toiltes ] out side on the corner of aberdeen street and dudley rd hospital which is now city hospital best wishes Astonian;;
 
It first appears in Kellys directory in 1896, which probably means 1895 as 1896 is year of publication. However previously (Kellys 1896) The General Elliot was on the site, and it may not have been a new building, only a new name. However work on the building next door causing partial collapse of the Elliott gave rise to a court case in 1891, and this may have eventually resulted in rebuilding, though it was still in business in December 1892.. At first it was a William Butler house, and is allegedly designed by Thomas Plevins.
 
Hello my enquiry is in relation to The Crown Hotel now pub on Hill Street / Station Road Birmingham. ( not the old crown deritend). I'm trying to find out when it was built and by who? I also believe that there were/are secret tunnels underneath that led to the train station and were used to move soldiers. I also believe the building next door was bomb damaged which led to a rebuild of the The Crown, it's is possible that The Crown was called something else before this rebuild? Any info gratefully received. Thank you Jenny
 
Hi jenny
In answer to your question about the under ground tunnels to the station yes there was across hill street
I do not know how old you are or whether or not did you ever frequent that top part of the hill in years gone bye
But they was still being used right up until about 1961,2 period for the transporting of delivery up to the post office and sorting offices
They used to drive up through the tunnels up the under ground hill to to get to the post office for collecting of any mails and par cells by the sack load
They would come up to the post office under ground and then appear out of them to cross over the rd of hill street and up besides the crown pub
Which was there route when walking up hill street you had to be careful for these little trucks coming out
There used to be signs on the wall as you walk up hill street as you would pass there opening where these little trucks would. One out to cross over the red
There was also a big car park within the building of these tunnels for loading the post office vans which also used to come out
So you had to be very weary of crossing this opening it was later years they changed the name of the pub which became a very busy pub at night
Sadley I cannot tell you when the crown was first open end even thou it had a plaque above it many years ago on the side of the building
So as you walked up hilll street looking up the hill as you walk you would see the name and date I can recall the new name and roughly the date of that changed
Name and date as I seen the renovation best wishes astonian,,,,,,
 
Hello Astonian THANK you for the information.

Ive been searching for more info. And come across this : Another Birmingham pub called The Crown. This one is near New Street Station and is on the corner of Station Street and Hill Street

The Crown Inn, stucco classical of c. 1881, probably by Thomson Plevins. Sober compared to his Victoria with alternating single and triplet windows. Original ground floor with Corinthian pilasters.


From Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham by Andy Foster.


Pub frontage on Station Street. Lantern and door on right.

Is there anyway I can confirm this?

Thanks Jenny
 
Jenny
The Crown , then called the Crown Hotel. was at the corner of Hill St/station st from about 1896. It is mentioned in the 1896 Kellys, but in 1895 there is the General Elliot pub
listed in the same place. I do not know if it was a rebuild or merely a renaming.
 
Jenny,


The Crown hotel (known to some as Cutlers for some unknown reason) an image from early last century and again of late.
 

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Hi jenny a very old friend of mine used to run the store public house in summer hill and around 1962;3 he took over that crown pub
And put entertainment on up the backstairs like proper rock back heavy metal as his son old ginger was into that

Over the early years its had many a clientele staying there until they built the Albany hotel across the road from it
Facing the old bombed building I myself used to frequent this place very regular a very large building it was best wishes astonian
 
Hi Jenny


I used the Crown off and on all through my younger life. I used the small front bar on the corner of Hill St, I used the lounge at the back at the end of the long dark passage, I was even known to make it upstairs to a gig occasionally but the band would have had to be specially good.

The thing I remember most about the Crown was that if you couldn't find a porter on New Street station you might be told to look in "Cutlers" because thats where they all were.
 
hi jenny to add some info the crown has just been sold to developers and i believe it is to be turned into housing...

lyn
 
Hello thank you all for the information. As way of explanation. You may have heard on the news that The Crown has now been sold for redevelopment, apparently going to be housing. I started using this pub in the late 70's as a punk lol. Still in touch with a lot of old Punky friends and we have had regular reunions at The Crown. There is a group being set up now trying to save the pub and get it saved as a music venue. Several famous bands played upstairs inc. Black Sabbath. Henry's Blueshouse also upstairs. I also think there was at one time a boxing ring. The group are looking for anything that they can use to try and save the pub, shame it's not a listed building. There will soon be a page set up on facebook.


We could have stood next to each other at the bar :)


thanks again Jenny
 
The photograph shows the pub was call The Crown Hotel then. I've no idea when the photograph was taken but I'd hazard a guess at Victorian or early 20th Century. I've seen a lot of photographs of The Crown but none with the bar staff / waiters standing outside.

25299101_10215998831866219_3080138122835391803_n.jpg
 
pen try the search box for this one...i think there could be a thread for it...memory not what it was but i think we have discussed whats going to happen with the crown....apartments i think but dont take my word for it:D great photo barr beacon thank you

lyn
 
Dont no if anyone still using this page just in case i spent all my weekends in crown when younger watched bands upstairs good nights in there if anyone reads this do you recall sailor e drank in threre all time
 
Walking up Hill Street towards New Street Station saw Christmas lights on The Crown. Got this shot from the raised area at New Street Station after going up the ramp, Station Street view. Would assume that the Southside BID put them up as it also lines down the rest of Station Street. No idea of the fate of this building though.

 
Certainly brings back memories - of my regular visits to The Broadside Folk Club there in the late 1960s (Al Stewart among many other bluesy/contemporay folk performers)
 
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