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Union Street

Vivienne14 said:
I remember the C&A entrance in Union Passage. Always used that entrance (you had to go down a few steps inside the doorway to the sales floor). There were lots of those circular display carousels near the doorway in the 1970s. I rarely used the Corporation Street entrance as the Union Passage entrance always seemed to me much more central and easily accessible from the other main shops (M&S, Co-op, BHS etc) on High Street and New Street. Viv.
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Hi Viv, Just had a thought... Do you rememember the Post Office....Down the steps opposite C&A? Sue
 
Yes I remember the PO too. Went in there a few times. It was modern (1960s!), had a modern clock on the outside wall with posting boxes alongside. Not a particularly nice building as it was surrounded by tall buildings but it was much handier than the large GPO at Victoria Square. Viv.
 
Re. first photo in post #52, you can just see Wright’s the Bakers. They had shops all over Birmingham and were supplied by Bradford Bakeries. My mum managed shops for them. Funnily enough not many people remember them.

There were two in Kingstanding; one on the Circle and one on Hawthorn Road. There was one in Erdington, near Taylor’s/Owen Owen end of the High Street. I did a short stint as a student at the Kingstanding Circle and Erdington High Street ones. They were all very busy shops. Must have been taken over.

Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
That's very, very helpful Mike! Your series of maps makes it really clear how the arcades connected up together. And it's interesting how many branches there were. Like a shopping (hate to use the word) 'mall'. Looks like one branch of the triangular section disappeared when the Big Top Post Office was built. It also looks like the original path of the arcades is pretty much the same as the modern sections we see today. Although it's not confirmed, I feel that these arcades must have originally been developed over some time, then linked together, rather than created at the outset as one arcade. They would have done a good job in linking up Corporation St, New St and High St, with shoppers avoiding exposure to the elements! And there seems to have been a bit of 'Arcade-mania' going on too, what with the one cutting across Temple Row to Snow Hill, another near Fore Street off Corporation St, the Burlington and the Piccadilly Arcades, to name a few. But the best bit for me is the 'City' section that remains on Union St/Union Passage. It seems to have been nicely refurbed. My memory of it was of a very neglected area. So good to see it in better shape and giving us a glimpse of how it would have been 110 years ago.Thank you. Viv.
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It appears the City and Midlands arcades were built as one scheme of intersecting arcades, but ownership of the arcades was divided between two companies: the 'City Arcades Limited' and the 'Midlands Arcades Company.' (see: newspaper article posted on:
https://tiltbrum.com/city-arcade-hi...AedZVYrx6wTy-lcM4HE5A-77HoSSmAkn9M48QM1Bo4yqA)
 
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This was the Library which once stood in Union Street, the predecessor to the Victorian library near the Town Hall. Few images show the fullest extent of the frontage, mostly seem to be side views. A tasteful looking building. There’s a Latin inscription near the roofline, obviously a place encouraging serious learning. Viv.

5D5B42C5-5784-440C-927C-55AB05CFDC54.jpeg
 
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By the library by the town hall, do you mean the one that was vandalised by the council to produce first one and then a second abortions. If so I do not agree it was a predecessor, as it was not a public library, but one in which you had to pay. It was really the predecessor of the BMI library which it amalgamated with in 1955.
 
Oh of course yes Mike. It would have been too early to be a public library. Thanks.

Do you mean 1855 ? Viv.
 
They merged in 1955. The original BMI building was demolished by the council for its "wonderful" rebuilding scheme for the area, so the combined societies moved into the library building in 1966.
www.bmi.org.uk

Library | Birmingham & Midland Institute — The Birmingham & Midland Institute

Explore knowledge at BMI's Library—a historical haven since 1779. Immerse yourself in a world of wisdom, blending tradition and innovation.
www.bmi.org.uk www.bmi.org.uk
 
And it’s still subscription membership ! A little piece of (very old) library history. Some of the books are from the early library too. Thanks Mike.
Viv.
 
Just seen this pic of old Union Street, posted by our old friend Graham Knight (O.C)....it shows a lovely building The Herald Office...with lovely crest over the door (?).....and I'd only ever heard of it from this thread! ....viz...this photo attached...... has anyone got any details of what the building may have been ...Newspaper HQ?.....help!
 

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Dennis Williams said:
Just seen this pic of old Union Street, posted by our old friend Graham Knight (O.C)....it shows a lovely building The Herald Office...with lovely crest over the door (?).....and I'd only ever heard of it from this thread! ....viz...this photo attached...... has anyone got any details of what the building may have been ...Newspaper HQ?.....help!
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Midland Counties Herald offices. Dates July 1836 to January 1933. Known as Birmingham Herald up to March 1838 (source Birmingham Library - Newspaper Collection).
 
A meeting of the library committee reported on 11/2/1892 shows the library at 24 Union Street to be well run, well stocked and with several facilities such as reading room, smoking room (!) and a room for wives and daughters within the building for its members. Viv.

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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
Vivienne14 said:
Re. first photo in post #52, you can just see Wright’s the Bakers. They had shops all over Birmingham and were supplied by Bradford Bakeries. My mum managed shops for them. Funnily enough not many people remember them.

There were two in Kingstanding; one on the Circle and one on Hawthorn Road. There was one in Erdington, near Taylor’s/Owen Owen end of the High Street. I did a short stint as a student at the Kingstanding Circle and Erdington High Street ones. They were all very busy shops. Must have been taken over.

Viv.
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Is this the Wright's bakers you worked for as they are today??

www.wrightsfoodgroup.com

Wholesale Pies | Pastries | Quiches | Pastry And Shell Supplier | Wrights Food Group

www.wrightsfoodgroup.com www.wrightsfoodgroup.com
 
Very familiar spot: Chelsea Girl on the left. You can just see Littlewoods store next door. Used to wait outside CG for friends before going up to the Rainbow on a Saturday night - entrance was in the arcade behind the photographer. That would be a few years before this photo in about 1968/9. Viv.
 
1857 and 1941. The destruction of the lovely building once at #28 and #29 Union Street. Destruction not by the city planners but by WW2 bombs. Was it Union Passage off to the right ? If so, this would later be the site of C&A/W.H.Smith.

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