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Then & Now
- Thread starter Phil
- Start date
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
What a mixture P.Hamilton deals in Pawnbrokers and Jewellers, yes that goes together, but outfitters? There's a job description very rarely seen nowadays, although Taunton has an old fashioned Gents Outfitters still.
Is it a term still generally used?
Bob
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Bob
I'm old enough to remember that pawn shops also gave loans on good quality clothes and I suppose if they were not redeemed on time then they were sold and this is where the term outfitter came in.
Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Thank you, that did occur to me, but I cast the thought aside, although I was aware of pawnbrokers etc, they were not something that featured in the family's life other than that of my father when he was in the political phase of his life as the Conservative agent in Ladywood ward and then I remember he had dealings with them, trying to help ward constituents who had problems, often strangely enough with Victor Yates with whom he had a very good relationship, despite the political differences. It was at that time that I discovered back to back houses, most of which were like palaces inside and all had scrubbed steps, there was a pride there in those days. I was always surprised by the difference of the insides after the drab outsides of the courts etc.
Bob
I used to… is the word ‘redeem’(?) stuff occasionally from the pawnbrokers for my poor mom. My dad worked full time but kept her and my sibling desperately short of money.
How she managed the household budget ill never know, borrowing ten bob from her mom, ducking under the table when the insurance man came. Telling me to tell the milkman she was out etc.
How she managed the household budget ill never know, borrowing ten bob from her mom, ducking under the table when the insurance man came. Telling me to tell the milkman she was out etc.
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
A couple of things I remember about Hamiltons, he first being, at 16 years of age a mate of mine pawned a gold watch chain and fob that had been left him by his grandfather for the ridiculous amount of £1-10/- this was 1962. I remember he was one day too late to redeem it and he couldn't get it back so he lost it. The other thing was that the shop usd to buy and sell second hand records and we popped in there regularly to have a look what was going.
As far as having any other dealings with pawn shops, we never owned anything valuable enough to pawn, although there was many a time that it would have been handy.
As far as having any other dealings with pawn shops, we never owned anything valuable enough to pawn, although there was many a time that it would have been handy.
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Phil,
I agree, but Hurst Street was already deteriorating when that first picture was taken (post #610). I get the feeling that the trees were only planted to make up for the lack of interest in the replacement architecture.
The area in post #611 has also been sanitized - nothing of interest, just boring offices. The offices these days rarely have names on them - sorry, not for me.
Maurice
I agree, but Hurst Street was already deteriorating when that first picture was taken (post #610). I get the feeling that the trees were only planted to make up for the lack of interest in the replacement architecture.
The area in post #611 has also been sanitized - nothing of interest, just boring offices. The offices these days rarely have names on them - sorry, not for me.
Maurice
guilbert53
master brummie
In the first photo (black and white) in post 610, look to the right of the minaret tower in front of the Hippodrome.
Looks like they are building the offices that go over Hurst Street which became part of the buildings along Smallbrook Queensway.
I read somewhere a while ago that I believe that section of the building over Hurst Street is due to be demolished as part of the plan to redevelop and refurbish the buildings on that South side of Smallbrook Queensway.
Many of the shops along that South side of Smallbrook Queensay have already closed down in preparation for their redevelopment.
More from Birmingham Mail here:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/ne...lbrook-queensway-approved-demolition-12478584
Here is a photo of the "archway" taken from opposite Hurst Street. This is the section to be demolished, with the buildings to the RIGHT of it demolished and the LEFT of it to be refurbished.
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sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I read that too, Guilbert, but will it really make any difference? The ones that will survive will be shopping centres such as the one in the Bull Ring, where it can pour with rain and you wouldn't know about it. Somewhat different on Smallbrook Queensway! Phil's b & w picture most have been taken around 1961 - I think it must have been close to that stage when I left in that year.
Maurice
Maurice
Radiorails
master brummie
The b/w photo is early, no motor vehicles to be seen. What is noticeable is the policeman - you had to be tall in those days to get accepted - and I be live the two uniformed men are tramway personnel and I think one is carrying the metal bar used to switch tracks. Most likely heading for Steelhouse Lane but maybe near St. Phillips in Colmore Row (at the time pre 1933) might be another destination.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
How did a road qualify to be on a postcard? Tixall Road in Hall Green did!
It looks quite good these days.
It looks quite good these days.
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Phil,
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I used to deal in old postcards, and irrespective of where they were, if it was a residential backwater, they would always command a good price simply because only a small number would have been printed. Why were they printed? I've never been able to find the answer to that one. In this case certainly not the promotion of new build houses as the fences look weathered and the weeds at the side of the road look well established. Until recent years, the minimumrun was generally 10,000. Now where would they sell those?
Maurice
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I used to deal in old postcards, and irrespective of where they were, if it was a residential backwater, they would always command a good price simply because only a small number would have been printed. Why were they printed? I've never been able to find the answer to that one. In this case certainly not the promotion of new build houses as the fences look weathered and the weeds at the side of the road look well established. Until recent years, the minimumrun was generally 10,000. Now where would they sell those?
Maurice
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Maurice,
I suppose postcards with road scenes made sense to someone long ago. The one below of Gladys Road looking towards Coventry Road was unremarkable but it's condition suggests someone bought it and sent it.
Similar view today.
and another postcard view of Gladys Road is in the Old Street Pics thread
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/old-street-pics.38737/post-644331
Phil
guilbert53
master brummie
I lived in Gladys Road for a couple of years.
I got divorced in the early 1980s and moved out of the family home.
I had no money so needed to buy a house as cheaply a possible while I sorted myself out.
I got a 100% mortgage and bought 37 Gladys Road for £15,000 (yes £15,000).
During the time I had it Birmingham council were doing a scheme where they improved all the houses in certain areas and our street was chosen (this was for council and private houses). We paid only £500 towards the work (that cost about £2,500 on our house) and they totally replaced all the roof beams, and replaced all the brickwork round the top of the house and put up new slates and redid all the guttering. They also replastered all the upstairs ceilings.
It was awful while they were doing it (the whole scheme took about a year) but it made the house much more saleable when they had finished.
I sold it in about 1989 for about £38,000.
I now live in Shirley Solihull in a house that I bought for £90,000 that is now worth about £400,000 (we have had a lot of work done on it, loft conversion, extension at the back etc)
Here is the house in Gladys Road (the section on the right) and I built that small wall in front of the house that is still standing.
I got divorced in the early 1980s and moved out of the family home.
I had no money so needed to buy a house as cheaply a possible while I sorted myself out.
I got a 100% mortgage and bought 37 Gladys Road for £15,000 (yes £15,000).
During the time I had it Birmingham council were doing a scheme where they improved all the houses in certain areas and our street was chosen (this was for council and private houses). We paid only £500 towards the work (that cost about £2,500 on our house) and they totally replaced all the roof beams, and replaced all the brickwork round the top of the house and put up new slates and redid all the guttering. They also replastered all the upstairs ceilings.
It was awful while they were doing it (the whole scheme took about a year) but it made the house much more saleable when they had finished.
I sold it in about 1989 for about £38,000.
I now live in Shirley Solihull in a house that I bought for £90,000 that is now worth about £400,000 (we have had a lot of work done on it, loft conversion, extension at the back etc)
Here is the house in Gladys Road (the section on the right) and I built that small wall in front of the house that is still standing.
sospiri
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Phil,
I was looking at the other Gladys Road one the other day, although I don't know that area. Now that the trees have matured, it seems to have made the road much narrower. But I have noticed that residential roads without trees rarely get turned into postcards, though I have had one of Bromyard Road by the College Arms - no trees - and I must see if I still have a scan of it before I sold it.
Maurice
I was looking at the other Gladys Road one the other day, although I don't know that area. Now that the trees have matured, it seems to have made the road much narrower. But I have noticed that residential roads without trees rarely get turned into postcards, though I have had one of Bromyard Road by the College Arms - no trees - and I must see if I still have a scan of it before I sold it.
Maurice
guilbert53
master brummie
In fact I was very interested in that little map that was posted in #601
It showed Gladys Road, and other nearby roads, with a number of houses built but also many "gaps" between the houses showing the houses were built in different phases.
When we moved in we were were told that the street names were all named after the daughter of the local builder (Gladys, Flora, Geraldine, Kathleen etc).
We were also told that the house I lived in was the first house built on Glady Road (it was over 100 years old).
We were also told that the house next to our neighbours had had a button factory in the garden. The lady who lived next to us said every time she dug her garden over she found buttons in the soil.
Here is the map again, showing my house, but also the house next door showing the button factory.
And below is the image from Google maps showing my house but also the small building that was the button factory next door.
Note that the roof of my house has a roof facing totally the opposite way from all the other roofs.
When we had the work done by the council that I mentioned above they found we had non-standard roof beams and they had to have them made individually.
Our house was the last house in the street to have its work finished which is why it took so long.
So it shows there is history in even the most ordinary street.
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nice history guilbert mind you i have always said there is history everywhere beneath our feet if we look for it...where i lived in villa st we were always digging up pearl shells and buttons that had found their way from copes pearl button factory further up the street they built some new houses on the factories old ground about 3 years back and aptly named them pearl drive and button close..nice touch i thought..very doubtful the residents will know the meaning behind their addresses but i do 
...lyn
...lyn
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guilbert53
master brummie
I moved in to Gladys Road in about 1982 (I think it was).
At the time I moved in it was NOT a cul de sac (the Coventry Road was NOT a dual carriageway at that time and there were houses / shops / businesses on the other side of the road from Gladys Road - a huge wood yard for example).
Then within a year or so of me moving in the all the houses / shops / businesses on the other side of the Coventry Road were closed and demolished and the Coventry Road became a dual carriageway.
So my guess is Gladys Road was made in to a cul-de-sac in between about 1983 and 1985.
As far as the house on the corner that had half of it removed, to be honest I don't think I ever noticed this when I was living there (I must have walked past it hundreds of times) and it was only when I saw the black and white photo posted earlier that I realized half the house had been removed.
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Bob Davis
Bob Davis
Streets have featured on postcards since the introduction of the genre, in the main they were just main streets in towns and villages, but there are cards of Victorian/Edwardian Roads/streets and avenues going back to the early 20th century. They sold well as people loved to pick up a postcard, put an X on a house and say this is where we live/are staying/etc, . The BHF is a good example of street postcards from the number that have emerged in various posts. The problem was some publishers/photographers liked them animated, others just took the picture of the road, but later on as the century progressed and postcards lost their job as recorders of history and became merely a way of sending a message with a photograph on the front, so the street view became a little less exotic. My favourite and in line for an award as the world's most boring postcard is off a u shaped group of council house in Bradworthy in Devon, transport, no people, no flora or fauna, just a sepia card of these houses. Whereas the Tixall Road card has an interesting variety of houses and bungalow which could prompt architects and historians to question who built what, why are the different in their design and who let a bungalow be built there, modern developments in the 20th Century produced little boxes made of ticky-tacky and there was really nothing worth recording anymore, whereas the early 20th century could see a street of fine brick built houses in a tree lined road and as a change from photographing the courts of the inner city thought here is one that will go in the local corner shops and newsagents and he presto they did and theysold. The Gladys Road card is a good example of this.
Bob
Bob