Ye Olde Birmingham of Yore

[sidcow]

16 minutes ago, Sam-AVFC said:

That new library has already dated horrifically. It's taken less than 10 years for it to look way too busy and tacky. There's a reason buildings that look like that only get built for the public sector.

It was horrible before it was built.  Always felt like they had just made the same mistake as before, so desperate for a statement design they just can't see how silly it is. 

There were some other designs at the time which were far less showy but much more pleasing. 

Plus they can't afford to even run it anymore, it's closed most of the time. 

[sidcow]

Just to add insult to injury, the 1800s and 60s libraries are not on the same site, oh no, as can be seen from this photo

They wanted the old one open till the new one was built.  I hear you ask what was actually on the plot of the 60's library then? What ugly disgrace of a building did they tear down to build that then? Fear not, here is a picture of said monstrosity. 

 

It makes you weep Tom.

Edited March 11, 2021 by sidcow

[mjmooney]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

 

There was certainly an element of that, yes. 

[Paddywhack]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

They wanted the old one open till the new one was built.  I hear you ask what was actually on the plot of the 60's library then? What ugly disgrace of a building did they tear down to build that then? Fear not, here is a picture of said monstrosity. 

Such a beautiful building. I've read before that it was only torn down because it had irreparable damage, same as the King Edwards school on New street IIRC.

It makes me feel a little better knowing they weren't just bulldozed by some clueless buffoon. 

[sidcow]

11 minutes ago, Paddywhack said:

Such a beautiful building. I've read before that it was only torn down because it had irreparable damage, same as the King Edwards school on New street IIRC.

It makes me feel a little better knowing they weren't just bulldozed by some clueless buffoon. 

Hmm. Depends on what is meant by irreparable damage. There is not much that can't be repaired on solid old buildings like that. 

I suspect it was more a lack of desire to repair them in the drive for modernism. Something to hang their hat on. 

[mjmooney]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

Hmm. Depends on what is meant by irreparable damage. There is not much that can't be repaired on solid old buildings like that. 

I suspect it was more a lack of desire to repair them in the drive for modernism. Something to hang their hat on. 

And on that note... 

[Xela]

Going back to the clubbing days, this a decent article for you clubbers of the 90's

https://www.timeout.com/birmingham/news/15-signs-you-were-on-the-birmingham-club-scene-in-the-90s-052715

Quote

They say if you remember the 1960s, you weren't really there. The same could be said for the rave and club culture-dominated 1990s, though.

 

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, Xela said:

Going back to the clubbing days, this a decent article for you clubbers of the 90's

https://www.timeout.com/birmingham/news/15-signs-you-were-on-the-birmingham-club-scene-in-the-90s-052715

 

My best mate from junior school to about 20 was a DJ at House of God.  Sir Real. 

Funnily enough I nearly mentioned him earlier tonight because the last time I saw him was about 18 years ago when we had a reunion a couple of weeks before my son was born and my social life pretty much ended for a few years. 

His memory of the previous 10-15 years was to say the very least hazy.  In fact we actually fell out because he "borrowed" a goodly amount of my 18th birthday money to buy some drugs, meant to fill in some cash flow issue, which he never paid back.  I later visited him in his weird flat in Balsall Heath full of weird people and I knew I wouldn't see him again, we had drifted SO far apart we had literally nothing in common anymore.  He was calling himself "Mr Happy Sunhat" at the time. 

The only thing I found funny about the whole place was their doorbell was wired up to a massive sound system so when you rang the doorbell it blasted out Dancing Queen by ABBA at huge decibels. 

Anyway 18 years ago we established I had a cassette of some recordings he made with the band he was in from age 15-17, probably the only surviving copy he reckons.  I've spent the last 18 years promising myself I'll get that tape out of the loft and turn it into an MP3 and e-mail it to him.

I've also promised myself I'll use my VCR for one last time and get my wedding video recorded onto DVD.  We've been in lockdown for a year now, I've done neither. 

A bloke I've worked with for many years is a good mate of Surgeon and in a totally unconnected turn of events has entered a pub quiz with Jarvis Cocker. 

Edited March 11, 2021 by sidcow

[mjmooney]

9 hours ago, sidcow said:

and in a totally unconnected turn of events has entered a pub quiz with Jarvis Cocker. 

Sounds like Victoria Coren introducing the teams on Only Connect. 

[John]

Virgin Records on Corporation Street:

   

Edited March 12, 2021 by John

[John]

On 09/03/2021 at 22:19, Risso said:

Some really old photos of Brum back in the day, taken by my grandad who died 40 years ago.

That third photo clearly shows why we called it "The Pidgeon Parade". Great pictures taken by your grandad. Thanks for sharing them. 

[meregreen]

On 11/03/2021 at 12:10, sidcow said:

One for @mjmooney

The old, old Library from the inside.  Destroyed for that concrete monstrosity which stood for less than half the time of this one.

I actually worked there for a few weeks in 1972. There were wrought iron spiral staircases leading up to the upper book shelves. When I was asked to help do an inventory of the top shelves, some of the books had date stamps on the inner covers that showed they had last been borrowed in the 1930s. It was an absolute Aladdin cave of old books.

[bickster]

2 hours ago, John said:

Virgin Records on Corporation Street:

   

A bit earlier than my use of the shop but for me, I was always in the basement. Can't remember how they divided the shop though, was it singles downstairs, albums upstairs or was it more Genre Specific?

[rjw63]

I also used to frequent Andy Cash records, Erdington branch (just up from The Norton pub) from around 1986 - early 90's.

Bearded guy in the middle of this pic was an absolute legend. I'd go in with a list of obscure stuff one week, next week he'd have them all waiting.

[Risso]

22 hours ago, Paddywhack said:

Such a beautiful building. I've read before that it was only torn down because it had irreparable damage, same as the King Edwards school on New street IIRC.

It makes me feel a little better knowing they weren't just bulldozed by some clueless buffoon. 

The absolute vandalism inflicted on Birmingham by achitects and town planners should have seen some hefty prison sentences handed out. I've said it before that if I was Arnie in the Terminator, I'd go back in time and if not actually eliminate John Madin I'd ask him to seriously reconsider his future career choices. The concrete obsessed rocket polisher.

[John]

17 minutes ago, bickster said:

A bit earlier than my use of the shop but for me, I was always in the basement. Can't remember how they divided the shop though, was it singles downstairs, albums upstairs or was it more Genre Specific?

I think it was as you say. I spent most of my time upstairs, though looking at those 70s albums. Happy days. 

[sidcow]

When was Virgin Records in Corporation Street.  For the life of me I can't remember it being there. Were was it in relation to Wimpy? 

All my early recod buying was at Hobdays in Kings Heath. A tiny place.  The guy behind the counter only had his little finger on one hand and always opened the bag with his other hand then slid the record in with his little finger. 

I once went to buy Quartet by Ultravox there.  I found it, went away to look for other stuff before going back and picking it out and taking it to the counter.   When I got home I found out I had bought a Uriah Heep album with the same colour sleeve by mistake

 

[John]

10 minutes ago, rjw63 said:

I also used to frequent Andy Cash records, Erdington branch (just up from The Norton pub) from around 1986 - early 90's.

Bearded guy in the middle of this pic was an absolute legend. I'd go in with a list of obscure stuff one week, next week he'd have them all waiting.

Didn't Andy Cash supply the records they played at Villa Park at one point? 

[sidcow]

3 minutes ago, John said:

Didn't Andy Cash supply the records they played at Villa Park at one point? 

Yes he did. 

Never been in but used to drive past it regularly on my way to Villa Park if I was travelling there from my Girlfriends house. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by sidcow

[mjmooney]

25 minutes ago, rjw63 said:

Bearded guy in the middle of this pic was an absolute legend. I'd go in with a list of obscure stuff one week, next week he'd have them all waiting.

I love places like that. I used to use a secondhand record shop in Leeds (sorry for the slightly OT) called Gerols. The owner knew exactly what I liked, and if stuff came in that he knew I'd probably want, it didn't go out in the racks, but straight under the counter until the next time I came in (which was never less than weekly). 

Edited March 12, 2021 by mjmooney