Sharpfinger
Slightly Addicted
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Back in the ‘90s a serious amount of brass was spent on the south west side of the city centre (Broad Street area).Cheers 'ar kid
It certainly has changed Dick.....and not for the better unfortunately
I lived there for about 5 years or so..... back in the late 70s early 80s......had some amazing and fun times there......the place was buzzing.
Might nip into the Handsworth social club whilst there .....NOT!!
We will be staying in the centre.....not venturing out and about
Broad Street is a right dodgy place at the moment apparently
Some of the old buildings along the canal and canal basin were repurposed; new buildings were constructed in either brick or a ‘tasteful’ combination of brick and concrete (Brindley Place area).
A variety of eateries, drinkeries (?) and entertainment venues sprang up, plus some ’waterside’ domestic properties (priced for the likes of premier league footballers and their wags and/or ‘roasts’!).
Office blocks were also constructed from brick, at least one in a continental stylee (I think a nod to Brum having more canal mileage than Venice!) And of course the NIA sprang up.
Dare I say, all in time for a certain US president to visit!
Roll forward a few years and things seemed to slow down and the aforementioned architecture which had complimented the magnificent Centenary Square buildings dating back to the 1930s was rarely repeated.
(and who can forget ‘The Slug’ that burned down? (Was! burned down?).
Instead, on the other side of the city centre someone came up with the idea that a load of hub caps, probably from 1960s Liverpool (no offence Scousers ) stuck to the outside of a multi story car park would ’compliment’ the nicely period-restored Moor St station next to it!?
I used to be based in the city centre and frequented the Christmas market from its first appearance, at one time two or three times a week for lunch or a late tea (northern tea time, not southern ‘dinner’ ) right up until around 2009. At one point the German market on the Chamberlain/Victoria Squares and New St side was complimented by stalls on the centenary square side by stalls selling traditional British fare but sadly it always seemed to be a bit of a half hearted affair.
There was always a good atmosphere there and we always had a good time and a lot of laughs, once at my expense when I went from stall to stall ordering food in my best ‘Hoch-Deutsch’, the responses to which had been quizzical looks and responses in English from the vendors and a lot piss taking from my colleagues!
Turned out that most of the staff on the stalls were East European!
Have a good time 1Shot