Author Topic: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING  (Read 51152 times)

Phil

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2009, 01:24:09 PM »
Finally these two, a few years apart but still selling the same product. Now you have to go in a shop and pay about £3.00. Times change.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

denise

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2009, 01:26:09 PM »
What a treat it was on a cold day,remember the chestnuts........hot..hot...hot :)

Andy Capp

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2009, 01:30:50 PM »
HI ALL
THERE WAS THE PAPER SELLER WHO USED TO SHOUT SPATCHCHAMAIL TRANSLATED WAS THE DESPATCH & THE MAIL.
ANDY CAPP

Andy Capp

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #14 on: January 11, 2009, 01:39:15 PM »
HI PHIL
THERE WAS THE ONE WHO HAD A PITCH AT THE TOP OF STATION STREET WE USED HAVE BAKED POTATOE OR A BAG OF CHESTNUTS OR A HOT CHICKEN & MUSHROOM PIE AT ANOTHER STALL NEXT TO HIM WHEN WE CAM OUT OF THE LOCARNO DANCE HALL IN 1960.
ANDY CAPP

Phil

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2009, 01:49:07 PM »
Hi Andy

If you are talking of the pie stand at the back of the Crown pub in Station St. You are talking about Alex's a great place if you could manage to wade through all the grease from the motorbikes.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Andy Capp

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2009, 01:53:36 PM »
HI ALL
THE LEES & SONS WHO SOLD CROCKERY IN THE RAG ALLEY THERE ALWAYS A CROWD ROUND THEIR STALL THEY WOULD START THE PATTER JUGGLING THE PLATES IN THE AIR AND BANGING THE EDGE OF THE PLATES ON A TEA CHEST SHOUTING ONLY THE BEST QUALITY SOLD HERE. IN FACT I SAW ONE OF THE SONS STILL SELLING CROCKERY AT WELLSBOURE MARKET ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. BUT  HE DID'NT HAVE THE OLD PATTER ANYMORE. THAT WAS PART & PARCEL OF OUR GROWING UP. I MISS SOME OF THE THINGS FROM THOSE TIMES.
ANDY CAPP

Andy Capp

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2009, 01:57:45 PM »
HI PHIL
YES THATS THE ONE. THERE AGAIN I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU TO COME UP WITH GOODS. WE'RE ON A ROLL NOW KEEP EM COMING.
ANDY CAPP

Phil

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2009, 01:59:36 PM »
Wow........love King Kong,don't remember him myself though :)

denise

A little tale just for you. So that you will know a little of the history of one of Birmingham's forgotten.

The Ballad of King Kong.

In the early 1972 The Peter Stuyvesant Foundation commissioned Nicholas Munroe to design a statue of King Kong the giant ape of movie fame from 1933. This being a commission for The City of Birmingham Sculpture Project.

On completion it was displayed to the public in Manzoni Gardens at the back of the Bull Ring for some six months, but after the original sponsorship ran out the City with its usual courage of conviction couldn't get rid of it quick enough and sold it on. The buyer was a Mr Carl Racey owner of the Camp Car Company at Camp Hill, his business was car sales.

Mr Racey changed the name of his pitch to the King Kong Kar Ko and displayed King Kong sometimes dressed in different apparel as an advertising gimmick. After some time at this car sales pitch and another in Lady pool Rd, Sparkbrook. He was again sold on.

This time he was purchased by Spook Erections a company that ran markets in Scotland and was to spend the next 30 years standing in a market at Ingleston Edinburgh where he was used as a meeting point for people who got separated, and sometime during his sojourn in Scotland he acquired a pink coat. When the market finally closed down in 2005 he was last seen being taken away on the back of a low loader lorry. Though lots of people enquired and there were even rumours of enquiries being made by Birmingham City Council. Nobody was able to find any trace of him. There were even rumours that because he had been damaged beyond repair he had been melted down (is that possible).

So although I do not know how true this is, but I am glad to report that there have been rumours this year of him reappearing at a market in Penrith, Cumberland sporting a new white coat. He's getting closer, perhaps he is returning to Birmingham.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Phil

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2009, 02:02:28 PM »
Andy

As long as we are talking about my favourite subject Birmingham, then you will always have my full attention.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

denise

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2009, 02:02:44 PM »
Everything is bland now,no characters to speak off.

Such a shame really :)

Thanks for the info Phil,hope King Kong is ok LOL

Andy Capp

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Re: CHARACTERS IN THE BULLRING
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2009, 02:06:45 PM »
HI ALL
OLD FRED LANE WAS IN CHARGE OF MOST OF THE NEWSPAPER PITCHES IN BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE HE RUN ONE HIMSELF HE ALSO HAD A SHOP IN BALSALL HEATH ROAD OPPOSITE MARY STREET OLD FRED WAS CHARACTER ALSO.
ANDY CAPP


 

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