Townie
The Birmingham of my youth, I loved. Full of old buildings then like The Council House Greys,The Stations
And one or two more modern ones like The Civic Centre Lewises C & A and The Gaumont cinema. There narrow back streets and alleyways you could wander down to see where you would come out.
I started work in The Civic Centre ( did it become B askerville House) behind the Hall of Memory. I lived in Balsall Heath Road about 200 yds from Moseley Road so getting ‘up town’ was just a short tram ride or bus ride. We danced at the West End or The Locarno used most of the Cinemas and drank in Yates wine lodge or Jimmys in New street but down stairs.
You could take your girl to the pictures, go window shopping after and grab a tanners worth of baked spuds off the barrow man.....and still have change of 10/-.
People smiled at you and said ‘sorry’ if your paths collided they were simply doing the same as you.
Today’s Birmingham has tall stark spotless and I think forbidding buildIngs. Broad street doesn’t come alive till 9 pm.
Crossing Roads was easy in my youth now you are carried with crowds, all hurrying scurrying into underpasses, driven underground by the seamless roaring traffic.
I have not been into the new Bullring shopping centre. Shopping is of no interest to me and the sight of all the “Scales” on this apparent “Whale” shaped building, I find totally incongruous
I can understand the economic view but Birmingham isn’t ‘Brum’ It’s about bringinng in more people to spend more money. It’s in competition with Manchester for the Second City title
If there are any Brummies left I think they too have changed. Most now live in estates away from the centre. The old communities are gone. Contact is gone behind the locked front door.
Townie, there’s a lot more to it than I can write here but I will say one thing about the New City.
I really love the fantastic Brindley Basin area. That is really Old Brum but in a modern way.
I live near Alcester now and have no need to get into the city except an occasional theatre visit. Drive into the car park go to the theatre and out again. I could weep for Brum but not for what Birmingham has become.
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