RE: Iconic buildings of Birmingham, some still with us some now gone. - 2

This is about the only pub I even drank in that was in the area known to me as The Meadway. It was the Meadway pub, as rough as they come, but thats how I liked them when I was out on my own. It had changed a bit by the time I drank in there which was in mid 80's. Not the sort of pub I would take the wife to though.

Phil

I lived quite close to it, at the top end of the road behind it, and as far as I am aware never set foot in there, I don't think I have even stood on the car park.
Not just because it was rough but because it is where quite a few of the nutters barred from the Nuts used to go.

It looks quite good in your photo there is even a tub of flowers out front.

I used to go there to see one of the lads that worked for us. I had known him for years he was my Uncles best mate. He moved from Belgrave Rd to Queens Rd and to be honest he never liked it up there.

I used to pop up there a couple of times a week to have a drink with him, I suppose I drank in there for about six to eight months and in that time I never saw any trouble. Well no more than you would expect in any pub.

Phil

We had a car stolen it was found burnt out not far from there.

I used the Meadway very rarely, for a couple of years I lived in the flats opposite, but didn't like the place. As VM said we had both worked in the Chestnut Tree, and a few of our Barred Nutters used the place, so it wasn't a good idea. It did have a rough reputation in our area, as did The Lea Tavern, The Cabin, The Matchmaker, The King of bohemia and The Bell at Marston Green. Our pub, The Chestnut tree was a real good Family pub and had a great staff and a real local customer base. SB

Another building iconic to my youth, Moseley Rd Baths & Library. Which in the traditional way Birmingham cares for its old buildings is being allowed to crumble while those in charge argue about money. Of course the longer they argue, the more expensive the renovations get.

Phil

And right across the road my old school, Moseley School of Art, now owned by muslims.

I used to visit Moseley Road Baths as well as every other swimming baths in birmingham, every three months for 5 years in the mid 80s, to service the emergency lighting.
It was like stepping back in time, every part of the building was / is historic. The swimming part was similar to a couple of others around at that time but what was new to me on my first visit was the actual bathing baths, it had never previously occured to me that people went to public baths to wash, obvious when you know of course.

I don't remember how many others had this facility but it was no more than a couple that were still in use.

VM

VM

Bathing baths were an integral part of all public baths, as were laundry facilities in some. Swimming baths were only Incorporated in later builds. I used the bathing baths at Moseley Rd and I know they had laundry rooms there also, but I never saw them in operation.

A photo of the drying racks in the laundry room and of the bathing cubicles.

Phil

There's always something to be learnt on this forum.
I suppose it isn't that I don't enough people older than me who know all about these things, it's just that the context for asking rarely arises.
And in any case I don't know of anybody else that can produce a photo of anything you care to mention, especially not at a moments notice.

Drying racks indeed! What next?

VM

VM

I think the trouble today is that I think we don't listen enough to the old. At 63 I don't consider myself old and I know that I was only born at the back end of the hard times. Thankfully I missed most of it, but I did listen to the older generation and was always fascinated by what they had to say. I only wish I had kept some sort of a record of the things I was told. I think the reason I have always been interested in history is because of those conversations.

Here is just one example of some of the hardships women had to cope with, washday no washing machines and spin driers in those days. Just a boiler in the brew house and a dolly tub scrubbing board and mangle.

Phil

Phil,
Long before my days of Caviar and Champagne started I lived in an old end of terrace condemned cottage in Handsworth, with a loo at the bottom of the common yard with a paraffin lamp or something like for keeping the pipes from freezing, a tin bath in the kitchen, a big crock sink and a mangle. It was a 1 up 2 down sort of place with an attic room at just a few steps up from the landing.

I don't remember any wash tub and there certainly wasn't a brew house as there were only 3 or 4 cottages in the row. I'm told they were called cottages. We moved out when I was 4 and they were demolished shortly after, which incidentally is what I did to the bully in the house at the other end on our last day there.

VM

If you google Moseley road swimming baths, you can take a vitual tour.

Google underwater that must be good.

Thanks john

I had a good look around, mind you it was one of the last places that we worked before I retired. We gave some Italian tiler friends a hand when they were working on the renovation of the small pool. I had a good look around then. I couldn't work out why they were spending money doing the one pool up and letting the rest of the buiding go to pot.

Phil