Calendar mourns 12 city pubs where time has been called
SO MANY pubs are disappearing from our communities they will soon become things of the past. But Kevin Beresford still loves them – so much that he has created a 2018 calendar in their memory called Perished Pubs of Birmingham.
The Redditch-based businessman, who runs a printing firm, has previously produced calendars of roundabouts, prisons, the No.11 bus route, postboxes in Wales... and even roadkill. Now he has turned to his first love. Whether destroyed by fire, overtaken by traffic schemes or simply ending up being in the wrong place at the wrong time, his collection of 12 fallen Brummie boozers is certain to leave locals feeling misty eyed.
Small Heath-born Mr Beresford, aged 65, said: “I took the photographs this spring.
“Some of the pubs featured are now completely flattened and flats have taken their place. I’m capturing a fast disappearing way of life.
“Over the years I have frequented all the pubs featured but The Gladiator was my local and my favourite in its heyday.” Read on to enjoy Mr Beresford’s own captions for each pub... This Harborne pub was known as the King’s Arms.
It was turned into a Lord Of The Rings-themed pub with some amazing props and re-named The Huntsman.
Sadly the pub caught fire. It took 30 firefighters to quench the flames. formerly This Bordesley Green public house, in Munst Street, perished many years ago.
At the moment it’s occupied by a takeaway and delivery food business and, in addition, a taxi company runs from these premises. In its heyday it was a thriving watering hole, located on the Inner Circle 8 bus route. Once a busy Camp Hill, lunchtime pub, and come Saturday, if the Blues were at home, its trade was even busier.
However, its downfall came about when they built a new ringway road system. In effect, the pub became marooned.
Difficult to drive to and park, and for customers on foot it entailed a perilous and tortuous route. A grade II listed building and one of the oldest pubs in Birmingham.
Situated between Nechells and Digbeth, the Victorian pub’s future looks bleak indeed.
Gutted by fire not long ago, there seems no hope of restoration. Only 11 pubs in Britain could boast the unusual name. Built in 1811, this inn is one of Rubery’s oldest pubs and is thought to have lodged RAF pilots during the Second World War. This was the place to be on St Patrick’s Day in the old days
Located on Monica Road, Small Heath, the huge local Irish community made this their pub. Now a dren’s nursery and event club. City centre behind Oasis. cellar pub, chil- situated
Very popular during the late 60s and 70s. Became a bit of a rockers’ bar and drifted downhill.
Once close to the old Villa Park Special Buses in Martineau Square, so busy on match days and nights. Druids Heath pub, which was one of the liveliest party places in Brum when it first opened. The pub was on two levels. Downstairs for the revellers was “The Dive” and upstairs for the more sedate older folks was “The Arena”. In later years it morphed into the Phoenix but never quite rose from the ashes. Now sadly flattened to make way for apartments. What can you say about this place? The most important venue in Birmingham’s music history.
Black Sabbath played their first gig here. Regulars were Led Zeppelin, UB40, Status Quo, The Who, Duran Duran, Thin Lizzy, The Move, Champion Boy Dupree and Judas Priest. Robert Plant used to come, sit and jam with anybody that was playing. The pub has been sold to a Japanese development company for £1.2 million. Cracking Kings Norton, Art Deco pub, ultimately eaten up by a global fast-food burger joint. What an amazing building! What modern-day architect would ever suggest placing a Britannia sculpture on top of a pub?
This Aston establishment is finished... kaput! Let’s hope further businesses can keep this marvellous piece of architecture alive. This is the original Garrison pub in Garrison Lane, Small Heath, that featured in the world famous TV programme Peaky Blinders. Surely there must be some entrepreneur out there that could latch on to the success of that series and turn it into a turn-of-the-last-century gangster theme pub?
The calendars cost £10 and are available at www.roundaboutsofbritain.com or on Amazon.