RE: Alleys & Passageways of Birmingham - 12

No criticism intended Winkle, I think the previous discussion is worth re-reading as it clears up some confusion over a couple of very similar alleys.
Keep up the good work.
VM

Beak Street got me researching the buildings that we can see in the photo. What I didn't understand was how Central Motors could have been on what would have to be the site of The Birmingham Skin Hospital, which is still there. I wondered if it was possible that the old photo isn't of Beak Street at all.

I found that it must be a view along Suffolk Place, taken from John Bright Street looking toward Suffolk Street. Beak Street runs off to the right just in front of the Central Motors building.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=5...231.72,,0,-2.37

This is what I found in the Kinematograph Year Book 1954.
http://www.archive.org/stream/kinematogr...54odha_djvu.txt

G.B-KALEE LIMITED
A member of the British Optical & Precision Engineers' Group.
BRANCHES-
BIRMINGHAM : 57 John Bright Street. Tel : Midland 2351

And on the other corner, no address given...
CAPCO RECD. TRADE MARK SOUND RECORDERS
Supplied to:
ABPC (ELSTREE & WELWYN)
PATHE PICTURES

According to the book there were a lot of cinema related businesses in John Bright Street.

The 1950 Kellys agrees with that

Myself I think the photo would have been taken from the bottom of Beak St looking up Suffolk Place.

Phil

Phil
you can see GB-Kalee , which was 57 Bright St, and just see the pavement of the corner . So the photographer was in John Bright St looking up Suffolk place, though virtually none of that street is visible in the photograph

Another misnomer,Beak Street is off to the right,as Mike says this is Suffolk Place.

You are right, I just couldn't make out Beak St on the right in front of Central Garage

Market Street that ran from Jamaica Row to Upper Dean St. I don't know if Mike will want to add anything to this as I know he photographed the area when it was due for demolition.

I will sort out and reduce some to put on Phil.

Mike

if you do add a photo, make sure it is one you have posted before somewhere else. Or else whenever you do get your book published all the photos will already be all over the web.

As Phil said, i took some pictures of market st around 1971 . It looked a bit different than the previous photo, which i would estimate was probably the 1930s. I think there may have been some bomb damage . Below is a map o the street, and where I think the photographer was in Phil's photo is marked with a red arrow. there then follows some pictures I took , going up the north east side of the street from Upper Dean St. Near the far end (photo 22) is the back of Randall & Parsons, fruit merchants. In Jamaica Row they occupied the first 2 plots of the block, so i expect the building to the left of the one with the sign was also occupied by them. Photo 21 shows the buildings to the right, including what is obviously a pub, the back entrance of Brooks Vaults. When first built it was named the Criterion, but was Brooks Vaults by the time of Phil's photo, in which I guess the pub entrance is by the outside lamp. A similar photo (no 20) follows, in which J.V.White & Co, fruit salesmen is seen to the right. this is listed as No 8 market st, while no 19 moves a little further up the street.

Going further up the street (photo 18), and then comes a piece of waste ground, and photo 24 shows the back of the buildings in Jamaica Row behind that ground. Lastly no 23 shows one building (just) remaining on the south west side of the road towards Bromsgrove st end, with the buildings of Bromsgrove st being demolished in the background. I think it likely that it is the building slightly behind the cart on Phil's photo. the one this side of it with no door may be the one on the left of my photo with a doorway which has been largely demolished, the doorway being added later

Temendous stuff as per Mike. Was recently in MPW's latest restaurant, top of the Cube, and admiring the view. Noticed this alley that i'd never really heard of before - Communication Row. Then walked out on to Commercial Street to admire the new buildings and noticed an Upper Marshall Street. Has this always been there? Anyone any ideas of why or wherefore?

Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Winkle

I have used Communication Row many times in the past and also Upper Marshall Street. They can both be seen on the page from an old A to Z street guide.

Quote: phil wrote in post #179

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Winkle

I have used Communication Row many times in the past and also Upper Marshall Street. They can both be seen on the page from an old A to Z street guide.

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