Birmingham In The 80s and 90s

Guvcon · July 11th, 2012, 06:08 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, so sorry if this post is in the wrong place.

I moved to Birmingham with my parents in 1989 and lived here until 2005, when I moved to Scotland to live with my girlfriend. She subsequently became my wife, we had our son and moved back to Birmingham last March.

As you know, much of Birmingham City Centre is practically unrecognisable from how it looked twenty years ago, and I'm trying to find some pictures of how it used to look in the 80s and 90s, to show my wife.

Can anyone point me in the right direction please? I've managed to find a few, but most of the pictures of 'old Birmingham' I've found are from a lot longer ago.

Thank you in advance for any help,

Carl

jauntyangle · July 12th, 2012, 01:30 AM

Have you looked at this thread?

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1054565

Guvcon · July 12th, 2012, 11:04 AM

Thank you. I'll take a look now.

Guvcon · July 12th, 2012, 11:23 PM

That was a really interesting look back. Really hard to believe just how much the canal area has changed in that time.

Can anyone suggest any more please? I'm struggling trying to work out what to search for exactly. Thank you.

Ginger Tosser · July 14th, 2012, 12:14 AM

My Bullring Old/New gallery might bring back some happy memories

http://www.scphoto.co.uk/pages/galle...gs/oldnew.html

Guvcon · July 14th, 2012, 12:37 AM

Awesome. Thank you. That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Really amazing how much it's changed over the past 20 years. It's completely different from the place I grew up in.

Ringside · July 29th, 2012, 06:25 AM

I really miss Birmingham of this time. Both atmosphere and shops.

MichaelWolves · July 29th, 2012, 03:10 PM

I remember from 1998 being stuck on the 126 bus at five ways during the G8 summit and then seeing Bill Clitons' limo going round five ways and down broad street. Only being 8 or 9 years old I can only remember the bull ring shopping centre vaguely and looking up at the rotunda saying time for change in letters at the top.

I also remember going to the Sea Life centre in 1999 and having some photos taken at the forward statue in centenary square. And I couldn't believe looking at the Hyatt hotel for the first time because of the reflective glass.

Butterfield · July 29th, 2012, 06:08 PM

My earliest memories of Birmingham are from when I was 4 or 5 (so around 1984/85) going on the train from Wolverhampton to visit the large Hamleys toy shop, wherever in Birmingham that was. I remember sitting on Father Christmas's knee and him giving me a Ladybird book with a picture of a lamb on the front.

I remember visiting Birmingham city centre in 1993 and again in 1997 with my older brother, the day after Princess Diana died. There were loads of piles of flowers around various monuments and the churches which was all very strange and moving. I wish I could remember if we went to the old Bullring but a lot of it seemed quite grim anyway and I didn't really know where was where back then. The few times I went after this the Bullring had been demolished and I'd become more interested in the whole thing, but then I visited the NEW Bullring when it opened and I lost interest again.

DBadger · July 29th, 2012, 06:55 PM

Hamleys was the top floor of House of Frasier. Unfortunately they've got rid of that now, like Beatties amazing toy shop in Wolverhampton, and replaced it with the tiny Toytown rubbish.

Spread · July 29th, 2012, 07:44 PM

In the 80's Hamley's was a standalone store where Colmore Plaza is now, the old Debenhams building

markmcd1976 · July 29th, 2012, 11:16 PM

I did a school project on the redevelopment of Brindleyplace, I think it was the summer of 1990. I'd love to find those photos, it had loads of what was just a wasteland with the ICC being finished off and the NIA being built.

JonW67 · July 30th, 2012, 06:23 PM

Some of the last few posts make me feel ancient! Back in 1985/86/87 my first job was working for a video production company (they had just finished Birmingham's promotional video for the 1992 Olympic bid when I started!).

I remember one time lugging equipment about and not expecting to do much when we arrived at a school in Edgbaston and there was a helicoptor in the grounds. I was told to wait on the ground whilst the crew went up and filmed.

However, I got summoned over as they had room for me to go up too - I was terrified! Anyway, off up we went with the cameraman strapped in but sitting leaning out of the open door, with me holding on to the tape recorder for dear life!

We flew filming over the centre of Birmingham for about 30 minutes and it's a memory I'll never forget - swooping in low over Edgbaston, over 5-Ways and up Broad Street. The ICC and Brindley Place were still under construction and I had great views of it all.

I cannot believe that it was over 25 years ago!

ROYAL BLUE · July 30th, 2012, 06:52 PM

I have many vague memories of the city centre in the 80's.

The single most exciting trip to town was always going to Toys'R'Us. Parking under Masshouse Circus, or occasionally on Fazeley Street. That was a grim area at the time!

I can still recall the adrenalin rush walking into what felt like toy Heaven, straight to the Subbuteo at the back in the raised section, then the Hornby Trains, then the Lego.

July 11th, 2012, 06:08 PM	#1
Guvcon Registered User Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 4 Likes (Received): 0	Birmingham In The 80s and 90s Hi everyone, I'm new here, so sorry if this post is in the wrong place. I moved to Birmingham with my parents in 1989 and lived here until 2005, when I moved to Scotland to live with my girlfriend. She subsequently became my wife, we had our son and moved back to Birmingham last March. As you know, much of Birmingham City Centre is practically unrecognisable from how it looked twenty years ago, and I'm trying to find some pictures of how it used to look in the 80s and 90s, to show my wife. Can anyone point me in the right direction please? I've managed to find a few, but most of the pictures of 'old Birmingham' I've found are from a lot longer ago. Thank you in advance for any help, Carl

July 14th, 2012, 12:14 AM	#5
Ginger Tosser #pragma Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 1,140 Likes (Received): 3	My Bullring Old/New gallery might bring back some happy memories http://www.scphoto.co.uk/pages/galle...gs/oldnew.html __________________ Happiness is a Kebab called Doner. Some building pictures here. Will increase the numbers eventually!

July 29th, 2012, 03:10 PM	#8
MichaelWolves HI HO WOLVERHAMPTON ! ! ! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wolverhampton Posts: 338 Likes (Received): 0	I remember from 1998 being stuck on the 126 bus at five ways during the G8 summit and then seeing Bill Clitons' limo going round five ways and down broad street. Only being 8 or 9 years old I can only remember the bull ring shopping centre vaguely and looking up at the rotunda saying time for change in letters at the top. I also remember going to the Sea Life centre in 1999 and having some photos taken at the forward statue in centenary square. And I couldn't believe looking at the Hyatt hotel for the first time because of the reflective glass. __________________ *Forever We Are Wolves* *WWFC*

July 29th, 2012, 06:55 PM	#10
DBadger culled Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Wolverhampton, Greater Birmingham Posts: 5,716 Likes (Received): 430	Hamleys was the top floor of House of Frasier. Unfortunately they've got rid of that now, like Beatties amazing toy shop in Wolverhampton, and replaced it with the tiny Toytown rubbish. __________________ WOLVERHAMPTON *♣ DIRECT TRAINS TO LONDON AND TIPTON* ♣**

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July 12th, 2012, 01:30 AM	#2
jauntyangle Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 97 Likes (Received): 3	Have you looked at this thread? http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1054565

July 12th, 2012, 11:04 AM	#3
Guvcon Registered User Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 4 Likes (Received): 0	Thank you. I'll take a look now.

July 12th, 2012, 11:23 PM	#4
Guvcon Registered User Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 4 Likes (Received): 0	That was a really interesting look back. Really hard to believe just how much the canal area has changed in that time. Can anyone suggest any more please? I'm struggling trying to work out what to search for exactly. Thank you.

July 14th, 2012, 12:37 AM	#6
Guvcon Registered User Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 4 Likes (Received): 0	Awesome. Thank you. That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Really amazing how much it's changed over the past 20 years. It's completely different from the place I grew up in.

July 29th, 2012, 06:25 AM	#7
Ringside Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Birmingham Posts: 13 Likes (Received): 0	I really miss Birmingham of this time. Both atmosphere and shops.

July 29th, 2012, 06:08 PM	#9
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,507 Likes (Received): 269	My earliest memories of Birmingham are from when I was 4 or 5 (so around 1984/85) going on the train from Wolverhampton to visit the large Hamleys toy shop, wherever in Birmingham that was. I remember sitting on Father Christmas's knee and him giving me a Ladybird book with a picture of a lamb on the front. I remember visiting Birmingham city centre in 1993 and again in 1997 with my older brother, the day after Princess Diana died. There were loads of piles of flowers around various monuments and the churches which was all very strange and moving. I wish I could remember if we went to the old Bullring but a lot of it seemed quite grim anyway and I didn't really know where was where back then. The few times I went after this the Bullring had been demolished and I'd become more interested in the whole thing, but then I visited the NEW Bullring when it opened and I lost interest again.

July 29th, 2012, 07:44 PM	#11
Spread Brummie & Proud Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Birmingham Posts: 1,662 Likes (Received): 34	In the 80's Hamley's was a standalone store where Colmore Plaza is now, the old Debenhams building

July 29th, 2012, 11:16 PM	#12
markmcd1976 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,408 Likes (Received): 5	I did a school project on the redevelopment of Brindleyplace, I think it was the summer of 1990. I'd love to find those photos, it had loads of what was just a wasteland with the ICC being finished off and the NIA being built.

July 30th, 2012, 06:23 PM	#13
JonW67 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Birmingham Posts: 208 Likes (Received): 0	Some of the last few posts make me feel ancient! Back in 1985/86/87 my first job was working for a video production company (they had just finished Birmingham's promotional video for the 1992 Olympic bid when I started!). I remember one time lugging equipment about and not expecting to do much when we arrived at a school in Edgbaston and there was a helicoptor in the grounds. I was told to wait on the ground whilst the crew went up and filmed. However, I got summoned over as they had room for me to go up too - I was terrified! Anyway, off up we went with the cameraman strapped in but sitting leaning out of the open door, with me holding on to the tape recorder for dear life! We flew filming over the centre of Birmingham for about 30 minutes and it's a memory I'll never forget - swooping in low over Edgbaston, over 5-Ways and up Broad Street. The ICC and Brindley Place were still under construction and I had great views of it all. I cannot believe that it was over 25 years ago!

July 30th, 2012, 06:52 PM	#14
ROYAL BLUE Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Birmingham Posts: 3,112 Likes (Received): 7	I have many vague memories of the city centre in the 80's. The single most exciting trip to town was always going to Toys'R'Us. Parking under Masshouse Circus, or occasionally on Fazeley Street. That was a grim area at the time! I can still recall the adrenalin rush walking into what felt like toy Heaven, straight to the Subbuteo at the back in the raised section, then the Hornby Trains, then the Lego.