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The Jewellery Quarter

The first and second of Mark’s photos in post #81 have captured St Paul’s National School (at the time of the photo this seems to have been occupied by Pelbrook Ltd). There was a debate some while ago about the building (and it was included in some early redevelopment plans), but the building has since been demolished. It was in a very poor state. See this thread here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/st-pauls-national-school.46175/

Thanks for posting Mark. It shows the building in better days. Viv.
 
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Mark Tooze said:
Here are a few more assorted Jewellery Quarter photos from the early 1980's - apologies for lack of locations on some:-
First two are in Vyse Street:-
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The building in the first photo is no 92 Vyse st, and can als0o be seen in post 25 at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/birmingham-1969-73.23229/page-2
 
The fifth one can be seen in the second one as in Hilton st and covers the
area in red on this map

1950s showing area of photo.jpg
 
I love the black and white photographs of the half demolished and decaying buildings - sad of course but there is something I find visually appealing, the marks where the staircase was and the chimney fireplaces.
Thanks for posting your collection, they are so interesting.
 
Some great photos here. My dad, George Moore, gem setter has worked all his life on vyse street, firsty at CPS ,then self employed at 92 vyse street ,above dearn and Williams. Then he moved to 37 vyse street when I joined him in 1983 at 15 years old..we then moved to 19 vyse street and still going strong as G H MOORE & SON.
thanks fir the memories
 
Hi Mark would you have any photos or info on 19 vyse street, I'm there now and I know previously it was warstone wholesale and before that, in the 80s it was L & V jewellery.
Kind regards, Darren Moore
 
A bullion department at a jewellery quarter business. Doesn’t say which business but they were producing bangles, I expect there were many of them in the 1920s. Viv

24449B36-21C7-4BDA-A67B-D737543A3448.jpegSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
Thanks Covroad. Interesting that it employed 70,000 workers at its peak (now 6,000). The positive thing is it's still an industry today, and in terms of history some of the tools, skills and working places would be familiar to those working in the trade many, many years ago. Viv
 
I think the report misses out one thing affecting the formation of the jewellery quarter. The prosperous merchants and traders built their larges houses with large gardens, but some years later decided they wanted to move further out into the countryside. This left buildings with large open spaces behind them ripe for development with the building of back workshops. It should be noted that a similar movement later of more middle class people from what were once very nice upper middle class homes in the Varna Road area resulted in a somewhat different result
 
Hi, my grandad Eric Davis owned a jewellers in the jewellery quarter called ‘Eric’s’ in the 70s-probably early 90s. He has recently died - age 95- and I’m trying to find anyone who might have known him, or worked for him at the shop. His funeral will be in a few weeks time and it would be really nice if we could find people who may wish to come along.
Many thanks
Rebecca Humphrey
 
I have just read a book called Sisters of Gold by Annie Murray. It's a fictional story but based in the Jewellery Quarter. Annie Murray has written a lot of books based in Birmingham,
 
Rebecca humphrey said:
Hi, my grandad Eric Davis owned a jewellers in the jewellery quarter called ‘Eric’s’ in the 70s-probably early 90s. He has recently died - age 95- and I’m trying to find anyone who might have known him, or worked for him at the shop. His funeral will be in a few weeks time and it would be really nice if we could find people who may wish to come along.
Many thanks
Rebecca Humphrey
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Welcome Rebecca. I hope someone on here remembers your grandfather. Condolences to you and the family.

Viv.
 
Mark Tooze said:
Here are a few more assorted Jewellery Quarter photos from the early 1980's - apologies for lack of locations on some:-
First two are in Vyse Street:-
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The third photo is in Spencer Street, I recognise it from working behind the two windows on the ground floor in around 2003 (to the left of the arched entrance) as per google maps. You can see The Jewellers Arms just a little further along on the left of the road.
 

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Rebecca humphrey said:
Hi, my grandad Eric Davis owned a jewellers in the jewellery quarter called ‘Eric’s’ in the 70s-probably early 90s. He has recently died - age 95- and I’m trying to find anyone who might have known him, or worked for him at the shop. His funeral will be in a few weeks time and it would be really nice if we could find people who may wish to come along.
Many thanks
Rebecca Humphrey
Click to expand...
Everyone who worked in the trade at that time would have known Erics. I first knew him when he had a small wholesale shop on the corner of Vyse st and Spencer St in the early 70s. When Vyse St was redeveloped he then moved into a new building by the clock and became the biggest retailer/ wholesaler of jewellery in the quarter. Glad to hear that he lived to a ripe old age.
 
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