Author Topic: Top Brummies  (Read 40432 times)

john2000

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2007, 06:27:08 AM »
Tyke...Jacqueline, is one of our best and dearest people we have on this forum, ( never has a bad word for anyone,), in fact with out her some of us would still be running around in circles looking for who we are..myself I put her on that list of  great people of Brum. O0 O0
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Jacqueline

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2007, 06:35:13 AM »
Aww John you are so sweet. Love ya :)

john2000

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2007, 07:30:17 AM »
Youre up early... could'nt you sleep. ??
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Graham

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2007, 08:48:15 AM »
John,

Jacqueline only got up early to take another look at my thighs, pity that the photo isn't in colour, then you could see my dayglow socks!  :crazy2:

Yes Jacqueline is our most treasured member, keeping an eye on us lot to see that we don't go spending our o.a.p. on guns and knives again.  :smitten:

Jacqueline, did you have any luck on eBay, did you put 'hubby' on there, and what was the starting price?  :)

Bannion

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #15 on: November 13, 2007, 10:03:40 AM »
I couldn't off the top of my head list ten Brum heroes.  Heroes in the true sense of the word.

Well known - yes - in todays world of multi media.
I am inclined to agree with Graham views and for me the names that fall from the tongue are due mainly to commercial exposure and whilst some are well known in their own field I would not put them in the category of 'Hero'.

Before Matthew Boulton one must go back to the de Bermingham family.

Peter and William  de Birmingham and famileis 'over ruled' Brum for four hundred years from about 1150.   In 1156 a market charter was granted that brought people to the hamlet.  There was a freedom on tennants on their trading and due to restrictive practices elsewhere this too brought craftsmen to the area.
In two hundred years the population grew from some 1500 to 23,000 in the 1730's.
To shorten this 'history lecture' without Peter and William de Bermingham people today may have been saying "Birmingham - where's that"     

Phil

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #16 on: November 13, 2007, 10:58:26 AM »
I thought this list was about fame, There is no fame without commercial exposure (publicity). Ask Graham and he will admit that if he had been given more commercial exposure, then his name would be known in every household in Britain. Are we to say someone who earns a living from his or her choice of vocation, occupation or profession are not worthy of a place in a list of Birmingham's most famous.

Lets face it if those were the parameters then no one would be worthy of a place, Mathew Boulton though worthy of a place gained position and money from his great works. The De Bermingham family gained respect and revenue from the tenants and tradesmen that they encouraged to settle in Birmingham. Even politicians seek betterment, advancement and have an ultimate aim of being Prime Minister.

If we are to have a list of only professional do gooders, doctors, scientists and the like. I'm afraid it will be a pretty small elite list.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

john2000

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #17 on: November 13, 2007, 11:15:12 AM »
Phil.... Sad, but so true..but there is one guy I must admit did a lot of good, his name was Stringer, he ran a car insurance company at the bottom of  Stony lane and Stratford Rd, he had a very bad name, but he was cheap....( and dodgy)

What he did was organise parties for children who where in hospital, he would run Charity shows for them too, but he himself always kept in the background, all the people who worked for/with him did it for nothing, no money was made, not even out of pocket expenses, ( he paid for the people who came to do the shows out of  own his pocket, ) , I knew this because I used to know a woman who played the panio at some of the shows he put on..... O0
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Bannion

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #18 on: November 13, 2007, 11:48:09 AM »
Phil,
I was taking Jacky's expression of 'hero' literally.  If it is about fame then one has to consider how well sold, by the media, the fame was.  As you say some are over exposed and gain fame that way others gain a glimpse of fame and quickly go from view never to be acknowledged.

John,
That insurance bloke you refer to.  His son was in my class at school and every lunchtime he would go and deliver his father's lunch. It was invariably in a crock bowl and wrapped up in a cloth.  He would rush home collect it and timed it to catch the bus in order to get it to him hot, or I guess, fairly hot.
Now to do that five days a week with no playtime.  Now that lad needs a accolade.   


Phil

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #19 on: November 13, 2007, 12:02:55 PM »
John,

I always thought that insurance shop was John Springs and for some reason No 8 pops into mind, I had heard about the charity works. I wholeheartedly agree that its people like this who never get the recognition they deserve. Thats why I was a great admirer of Percy Shurmer. He never grasped at the advantages his position gave. He never made any attempts at cabinet or front bench position. He used his position for the benefit of Birmingham and that was all he cared about.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

john2000

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2007, 01:12:42 PM »
Phil. the bus nr 8 used to pass the shop, it used to stop for about 5 mins outside the big pub across the road, ( forget the name ), and as for Percy Shurmer, I still remember going to the town hall with my bag of apple/nuts orange, and sweets, given to me as I came through the main door, the only thing I used to hate was they would start off with two women dancing and singing "we shall walk down the Avenue", this, they sang every year. ( funny how things stay in your mind after all these years.),,,,,over 50 years ago, my god I'm getting old... :-\... ha,
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

Phil

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Re: Top Brummies
« Reply #21 on: November 13, 2007, 01:34:59 PM »
John,

The name of the pub I think was "The Brewer Arms" or something like that, I don't think the No 8  I have in mind has anything to do with the inner circle bus that used to clock in outside the Brewers. I have an idea that the shop was No 8 Stoney Lane and it had a very large No 8 painted on the front.

Never got to one of Percy's party's, I think that was because he was a friend of my granddads (they went to school together) and I don't think he liked to suggest to my granddad that his family numbered amongst the less fortunate members of society.

Its a pity really, because at the time I'd have loved to have gone, all my mates did.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.


 

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