A Birmingham and Black Country thread for all things Brummie and Yam-Yam

[editor]

Great series of pics:

'Trendy OK?' - Pictures of Birmingham 1976-1987 - Flashbak

 

[blossie33]

Wow yes, memories
I used to go to music gigs in the upstairs room at that pub in Selly Oak near the railway bridge, it used to be called the Station Inn but I think it has another name now.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Fantastic pics

 

[BCBlues]

Great stuff, thanks for the link editor

ETA sorry I meant to add the source of this great pic, I'll sort that out later today, and also that I will take another pic from the same spot to show how massively different Brums skyline is now, it's not far from where I live nowadays, Hockley Flyover, on near completion (1967 ish)

 

[BCBlues]

Statue of Sikh soldier vandalised after less than a week

"Sepoy No More" sounds like a message from some militant Sikh maybe? India, like Ireland was very divided over nationals fighting alongside forces of occupation in their own land.?
I suppose we'll know more if the perps get caught via cctv.
It is a great statue, I pass that way regular on the way to my Uncles, its always buzzing round there as that Temple mentioned is very busy.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Anyone know anything about this group?

In Birmingham a group has been set up called ‘We Stand Determined’. This is a community ‘vigilante’ group that will operate where the community feels under attack rather than where the police direct them. At present the group say they aren’t anti police but note that the police are incapable of tackling violent anti social behaviour. Self defence will be taught and patrols are being mounted. Over 400 people have signed up in 3 weeks according to this:

Over 400 people join Brum vigilante group to protect streets

 

[BCBlues]

Anyone know anything about this group?

In Birmingham a group has been set up called ‘We Stand Determined’. This is a community ‘vigilante’ group that will operate where the community feels under attack rather than where the police direct them. At present the group say they aren’t anti police but note that the police are incapable of tackling violent anti social behaviour. Self defence will be taught and patrols are being mounted. Over 400 people have signed up in 3 weeks according to this:

Over 400 people join Brum vigilante group to protect streets

I've not heard of them to be honest. It's more the Bearded Bros down our way (Hockley/Handsworth) Whether these groups help or not is a matter of opinion I suppose. Soho Rd is a lot more moody late at night since the bros done there bit up there. They haven't helped.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I've not heard of them to be honest. It's more the Bearded Bros down our way (Hockley/Handsworth) Whether these groups help or not is a matter of opinion I suppose. Soho Rd is a lot more moody late at night since the bros done there bit up there. They haven't helped.

The bearded bros have form from the bin strike.

I’m waiting to hear more info on this new group before I’m lump them in with them.

 

[cybershot]

I see posts most days on Facebook of some sort of violent stabbing/gun shots/ car jacking in Brum. No idea if it's getting worse, or there's just more people videoing it and sharing it (but not actually helping, but maybe this helps)

Biggest concern of course is the lack of police on the streets.

 

[davesgcr]

Wow yes, memories
I used to go to music gigs in the upstairs room at that pub in Selly Oak near the railway bridge, it used to be called the Station Inn but I think it has another name now.

"Pershore Plum" for a while, ? - "interesting place" - brother in law lived just up the road....!

 

[BCBlues]

Birmingham bin workers in strike vote over ‘secret’ payments

It rumbles on. Brum Council is an embarassing disgrace. Is it the same everywhere or is it just our joke of a council?

 

[cybershot]

Another update on your collections if you’re in brum. Recycling to get thrown in with landfill until despute resolved.

Waste collection contingency plans announced | Birmingham City Council

 

[cybershot]

 

[BCBlues]

Mayor Andy Street faces probe over Twitter exchange Mayor Andy Street faces probe over Twitter exchange

The Brum Mails take on this. He really needs to get on one of his Boris Bikes and disappear .

 

[baldrick]

I've not heard of them to be honest. It's more the Bearded Bros down our way (Hockley/Handsworth) Whether these groups help or not is a matter of opinion I suppose. Soho Rd is a lot more moody late at night since the bros done there bit up there. They haven't helped.

Handsworth Community Action Group have been in the news lately trying to intervene with the prostitution on Soho road. You may have seen their video doing the rounds on Birmingham mail. There's definitely links with the bearded broz lot, they share each other's stuff on Facebook.

 

[BCBlues]

Handsworth Community Action Group have been in the news lately trying to intervene with the prostitution on Soho road. You may have seen their video doing the rounds on Birmingham mail. There's definitely links with the bearded broz lot, they share each other's stuff on Facebook.

Yeah I've seen these about on Soho Rd but they were dealing with the litter/fly tipping/ dangerous parking more so as it was daytime. I'm not getting back home so late these days so I don't know what effect they're having on the late night drugs and prostitution problems but in the summer when the first videos went up about the issues the area seemed worse, more cars hanging around, more dodgy youths on pushbikes looking for easy targets. Like I said before it didn't help at the time but maybe they have a long term plan like the one down Balsall Heath years ago? We'll see.

Anyway, we had our bins emptied today which as we know in Brum these days is a bonus It looks like recycling has gone out the window again as everything went onto one truck.

 

[blossie33]

Handsworth Community Action Group have been in the news lately trying to intervene with the prostitution on Soho road. You may have seen their video doing the rounds on Birmingham mail. There's definitely links with the bearded broz lot, they share each other's stuff on Facebook.

Oh dear, sorry to hear about the problems
I used to work (in a shop ) on Soho Road many years ago, nothing like that then.

 

[BCBlues]

Oh dear, sorry to hear about the problems
I used to work (in a shop ) on Soho Road many years ago, nothing like that then.

Soho Road used to have a great run of pubs at one time and Sundays were all about The Monte Carlo or Thashers.

 

[cybershot]

Brum seems to be making national news today, sadly because Primark is finally opening it's hideous world's biggest store

Pri-mania as world's largest store opens

Instead, I wondered how many on here back in day remembers the Pavilions. The original 3 storey HMV, where I could lose whole Saturdays in the listening booths. Wasn't Virgin next door also for a short while, or Zavvi, or am I imagining that?

The Disney store at the time when even younger was also a must visit.

Both now hanging on in the bullring I think. Any other Pavilions memories?

 

[blossie33]

I worked at Monsoon in the Pavilions on Sundays for a year or so in the early 90's.

Just trying to remember the other shops now Disney yes definitely, Laura Ashley, a shop that sold nice home stuff and a Thornton's chocolate maybe?
I think you might be right about Virgin, there was definitely a music shop on the front right hand side (if you were standing in High St looking at the centre).

I'll see if I can think of anything else!

Edit: just had a quick search in Birmingham History Forum, Virgin shop did become Zavi before closing.

 

[blossie33]

Redirect Notice

From the Birmingham Mail (sorry - it's such a rubbish website )
Memories of the Palisades - shops mentioned in there

 

[Hellsbells]

I loved the pallasades. Spent entire days there when skiving off school. The pavilions was way more flashy & modern with big named, less interesting shops.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Brum seems to be making national news today, sadly because Primark is finally opening it's hideous world's biggest store

Pri-mania as world's largest store opens

I've been fascinated with this story.

As retail collapses everywhere and firms retreat from the High Street the fact that the PR arm of Birmingham has become obsessed with this story is instructive. Given the money being spent in the centre and with HS2 (maybe) and the Commonwealth Games (drably) on the horizon there was perhaps a chance to try to imagine a city for the future. Instead it appears the plan is to design a city as though its 1982. Very Birmingham.

To add, the Primark looks fucking hideous - its basically wire bolted on to the tired old brick frontage (as you look at it from Moor St).

 

[gawkrodger]

Given the money being spent in the centre and with HS2 (maybe) and the Commonwealth Games (drably) on the horizon there was perhaps a chance to try to imagine a city for the future. Instead it appears the plan is to design a city as though its 1982. Very Birmingham.

Do not get me fucking started

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Do not get me fucking started

I hate the centre now. Even more than I used to!

 

[purenarcotic]

It feels to me like Brum is basing investment on people’s capacity to spend a lot of money. Which given that is reducing for most people seems incredibly foolish. It’s interesting when you walk around Grand Central that several shops have closed / hands are changing fast and I remember an article a year or so after it opened from shops saying they weren’t getting the footfall promised but rents were set far higher.

It’s depressing that the centre feels like one big retail space as though that’s all we would want to do with our time.

My mate at work went to the new Primark yesterday. She said the pizza place in it was nice but the layout was rubbish - jeans all over the shop as opposed to in one place, very small home section etc.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It may be a bit of a retail hell now, but the idea it’s not an improvement on what was there in the late 80’s/early 90’s is laughable.

I’ll take a few chain stores over dark, piss filled subways any day.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

It may be a bit of a retail hell now, but the idea it’s not an improvement on what was there in the late 80’s/early 90’s is laughable.

I’ll take a few chain stores over dark, piss filled subways any day.

I don't know where you think the comparison with the late 80's has been made, or by who, but it's an interesting one.

The 80's were grim. The period was the epicentre of the deindustrialisation of the city. Unemployment rocketed, there were the riots, there was violence and the place felt on the verge of collapse. In other words, no wonder the place felt battered because it was.

But here's the thing. Fast forward over 30 years and there has been a series of increasingly incoherent regeneration attempts. But what is Birmingham? What purpose does it serve? Birmingham is definitely not a 'knowledge economy' city, it's not a 'leisure destination' city, it's not even retail city despite the Primark. It just seems to lurch from one half realised vision to another. Even if you can look past the endless building work, road work, litter etc etc the place looks like a mess because of these constant 'rebirths'.

It's a city trapped by its industrial past, the remnants of which are present everywhere and which continue to haunt us all, and a series of subsequent failures to properly define what it wants to be going forward. The political leadership of the city has traditionally had big ideas that they miserably fail to execute, often because they do not seem to understand we aren't a mini version of London (or even Manchester).

In five years time or sooner the retail gamble will have failed because retail is failing everywhere. What then?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Emoji Quiz: The Return

I can get a few but others have got me scratching my head a bit

 

[blossie33]

Emoji Quiz: The Return

I can get a few but others have got me scratching my head a bit

gosh that looks quite difficult!
The only one I can guess is number 6 at a quick glance over, I doubt I'd know any of the restaurant ones anyway as I've not lived in Brum for 20 years but I should know districts and landmarks.
I'll have another look later