Report - Bradford house-Birmingham-17/6/7

[romanian1]

The first place me and Damon checked out on our jaunt to Birmingham was Bradford House.I cant find much information about the history of this place i'm afraid, but suffice to say its industrial spaces below with four storeys or so of offices above with several split level rooftops.

We visited at around 2 in the afternoon, not realising Derelict Uk had actually been earlier that day, we'd seen his name in dust on a car windscreen on entry so knew he'd been, just not how close we came to bumping into him. Anyway, upon gaining access we pretty much headed straight for the highest rooftop we could find to see what the view from up there was like.

We werent dissapointed.

St Andrews

The bullring

Looking up bradford road.

Looking Straight down.

We headed back down into the offices after that and found a very 70s rotating wallclock and partially panelled room, possibly the old staff canteen.

Onto the old strip club via another rooftop complete with partially demolished chimney🙁

It was at this point we realised just how vast this place is, a maze of corridors, offices, rooftops and workshops.

After a good couple of hours or so we headed back down towards the industrial area at ground floor level. and our way out.

 

[Damon]

Re: Bradford house-Birmingham-17/6/7-REPORT

A few of mine for good measure.

 

[Slammer1958]

Nice photographs, brings back many good memories...... Monday August 12th 1974, I was 16 years of age and starting an Apprenticeship at Reliance Systems Ltd, 286-292 Bradford Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6HN 0121 622 4811. The company owned by the Gec had the entire 3rd floor for offices, training school, and stores. The company installed Telephone exchanges, PA systems, Fire alarms, CCTV, Time control systems, hotel intercoms, and room call systems. The building was built in 1958, according to the Brass Plaque in the entrance lobby adjacent to the lift. It was opened by the Bishop of Aston and I believe was owned by the church of england. Albeit only 16 years old, it looked ancient and was scruffy and unloved. Next door was Holden's Glass factory. Beneath our office was a company called Pitney Bowes Ltd, which manufactured letter franking machines. Above us was the Castaways Theatre nightclub, which had an entrance next to the glass factory and roller shutter doors to the Bradford House factory part, where there was an overhead crane. There were two entrances, the rear opened onto the stoneyard by the Irish club, and there was a truncated chimney stack. The castaways club opened at lunchtimes, and it was frequented by undesirables ! They had strippers on the Lunchtime shift, and they always left a fire door open, which was the floor above the training school. As inquesitive 16yr olds we would watch these Ladies getting their kit off. There was a pool table which was adjacent to the stage, and more interest was paid to the balls than to the ladies. We did catch one of these ladies giving a knee trembler to some fellow one lunchtime... He was brave, and I hope he was vaccinated. Above the Castaway club was ATV rehearsal studios for Crossroads, and all the minor celebrities were present in the building all of the time. One of the producers we knicknamed " honky tonk " was a very, very camp male in his 50s who wore denim jeans, a waistcoat, a jacket, and a cap with a silver chain, took a fancy to one of our colleagues and asked him to do something to him in the toilets for which he could have been arrested. He got a slap, to say the least. The star of the Show Noel Gordon, had a gold coloured Rolls NG10 that she parked in the shuttered factory reception together with some of the other stars. I can remember getting the lift with her and several other apprentices when one of our number let out a 10 pint of Guinness, and a chicken madrass fart. It was humongous, but she didn't say anything!