The Meeting Place

If people were blood and their body was Brum the heart would be the Bullring the centre of our city and the life that as survived for hundreds of years. The meeting place of countless thousands of people who have trod the streets of the Bullring with their hard graft and selling prowess.

Stall holders shouting their wares and the hum of the buyers looking for bargains, the place would be throbbing with excitement, entertainers with magic and spiel, the evangelists with their gospels berating from their soap boxes about the evils of society. all this added to the hustle and bustle of a thriving and proud community.

It's hard to put into word what a visit to our Bullring what it was like. all the different smells wafting across the market drifting among congregation of visitors from far and wide not just brummies but from all corners of this wide world of ours.

The Bullring as passed through many changes in its life time the upheaval of modern man but it as never changed the spirit of the coming together of we the Birmingham people, were ever we come from in this city or other conurbations; the flow is always to the heart and soul the Bullring.

The flower sellers with lucky lilac sprigs, the old lady selling handy carriers. Holy Joe the fire-eater and mighty Samson trying to break free from chains wrapped around his body .The peddlers getting ready to do a bunk if a copper appeared so many evocative memories shopping with Nan, Mom or some other relation.

a day with pals mooching and being amazed at some of the goings on in this magical arena a cacophony of sounds, of mystery and delight us young kids who scrounged the tram fare or walked just to join in with the thronging crowds. No one can explain the magnetism and sheer enjoyment that in our minds will last a life time where ever we have trod life's path with thoughts always of our meeting place the Bullring the heart of Brum.

We start our memories of with these old photographs a panorama of the Bullring please feel free to submit you favourite picture of our Bullring.

The Bull Ring Panoramas

These three valuable old photographs of our Birmingham Bullring have being donated to you via our web page From June Moorby nee Genge, a true Brummie.

 These where left to June by her father an astonite born at 110 Rocky lane aston, December 21st 1912. He had the fortitude to buy and save these beautiful photographs of a life that as gone forever, some of us may be able to remember a few of the buildings that survived in to the fifties before the advent of our new now demolished Bullring.

We are now watching another new edition to our Bullring rising from shadows of our St Martins church in the Bullring, how long will this survive.

John William Genge worked at Mulliners, Bordesley Green. He met June's mom while she was working at the Revo Park Lane and they married on the 10th June 1933 at St.Pauls church in the Jewellery Quarter. They lived at 266, New John St. West where June was born, then moved for a short time to The Vale

Then had a shop in Rockey Lane, the shop June remember her mom telling her they sold, all sorts of things ladies, men's, and children's wear also they must have sold sweets and cigs, as June remembers her dad saying he used to smoke 60 a day and when he had to go into hospital he took in 300 cigs from the shop but the doctor told him he must give up cigs and he gave them all away to the men in the ward.

June was about 2 years old at that time. Later they moved to Vicarage Rd aston. Left there in January 1950 and moved to carpenters Road, Lozells.

1968 they moved again this time to Frenshaw Grove, Great Barr. June now lives in Wigston Leicester with her husband Keith. 

These photographs are on this web page in memory of this Birmingham family

John William Genge 1912 - 2001

Minnie Genge 1912 ­- 1971