Birmingham UK Then and Now

Much time was spent getting the locations as accurate as possible, not always easy due to the huge changes over the decades.
*Inaccuracy - Yatesbury Avenue, the modern image should be 100 metres further forward

[@PatriciaMuirMaestroQ]

Music is hauntingly appropriate. Thank you so much for this montage. I was born in Birmingham in 1952. Left for Canada in 1957 and still have memories of Bordesley Green, Kitts Green, Hunter's Road, and last home location of new flats on Dinglemead. My parents would have loved this.

[@mybackup3561]

It's criminal what modernists did to British cities after WW2. Heritage, history, and beautiful buildings lost.

[@matthewemery4205]

won the war lost the peace

[@matthewemery4205]

@Chiltern Sam MY DAD ALWAYS SAID THEY POUNDED THE CITY

[@matthewemery4205]

@Chiltern Sam RIGHT ON MATT FROM CANADA

[@alienspear8706]

There was a cinema that was quite close to my house it got bombed in the 40s 19 people died 20 injured and it got destroyed how it’s just a pile of grass that’s it..

[@simongill4715]

Most of them were lost during the blitz

[@mggilleshope6828]

Makes me feel sad. not all change is good for us.

[@bellamybug]

It's shameful what they did to Birmingham in the 60's and 70's. Those decades, golden ages for everything except architecture...anything historical has had to survive a lot to still be standing.

[@danw1374]

I hate seeing old elegant victorian architecture being callously brushed aside, the radical post war town planning of the 1960s destroyed so much history.

[@dragonofthewest8305]

True

[@dragonofthewest8305]

@@danw1374 true

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@danw1374 Sorry to disappoint you, the Edwardian and Victorian buildings in the City Centre around Colmore Row leading to the Jewellery Quarter are still there, it was the old slums in the outskirts that were demolished, before talking rubbish, I think you need to come to Birmingham and have a look around.

[@Jonsson474]

They did the same all over Europe. Was just how it was at the time. Entire beautiful historic cities destroyed with modern buildings.

[@stevefisher5731]

I'm absolutely PROUD to be a real brummie. Born in a back to back (porchester st).Lozells. now Newtown! and i'm still here in Newtown. 180 yards from where I entered into this world!

[@PSG81]

Newton, One of the many slums in Birmingham

[@kimjong-un6078]

@@PSG81 in the past it wasnt. But now these blacjs and pakistani have made into third worod

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@PSG81 Far from it mate, it was totally rebuilt in the 1970's and is still being rebuilt to replace the slums.

[@tonyeff4447]

Wow. It looks like we're going backwards not forward

[@royrj5517]

Third world living there now 😕

[@dragonofthewest8305]

True

[@the500mphtortoise]

Some of the changes were good, like getting rid of the tower blocks

[@the500mphtortoise]

@@brokenbritain1930 What?? Was this a real conversation? Is this conversation a shitpost?

[@Dan-qp5tq]

Wires, Chips And Dips I’m from Smethwick 😂

[@TheSakura4w]

This was an interesting video. Thanks for putting in so much effort with it :)

[@patrick6662]

Great vid ,thanks for posting . Lived in Erdington/Sutton Coldfield in the sixties

[@crc778Hypnodoc]

Clever use of Then & Now, sadly the Now pics often show more was taken away than was replaced

[@mikehudson8884]

Excellent little film. Well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@johncraske]

Firstly, I am amazed that so few people have watched this excellent video. So many thanks for the hard work you obviously did to put it together. What is again depressing is how virtually all the modern shots show a much uglier Birmingham (except for the removal of the 1960s tower blocks, that is). How long can this decline go on? Will future 'Then and Now' shots show an even uglier scene? The mind boggles.

[@sandpit72]

Thanks for the comment, yes tracking down the exact location can be time consuming.

[@SpeedTriple59]

Damm shame how towns have now become non descript...All the same,ugly..

[@danw1374]

Everywhere you go now you see the same model. A retail park with a KFC or McDonald's stuck next to it and rabbit hutch apartments dotted everywhere with no room to swing a cat in.

[@dragonofthewest8305]

True

[@dragonofthewest8305]

@@danw1374 true its sad it makes life seem a bit pointless tbh when you go on a train want to go somewhere different you don't want to be in the same place

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@danw1374 Every city is the same around the world, would you live in those slums, I dought it Birmingham was full of crap slums so it reinvented itself with modern buildings, I bet you visit a KFC or Mc Donald's at some time.

[@Richard-dg7bf]

I quite like the stark beauty of the tower blocks.

[@yell50]

No they were terrible structures to bring up children.

[@artfuldodgaa]

Thanks for putting together this video, it's great and clearly a lot of effort has gone into putting it together! Seeing these images fills me with a lot of sadness, at what Birmingham had and could have been. I think the city is really devoid of character and identity now, which is a shame as the city has such rich history!

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

what with the dirty slums, give us Brummies a break. They were disgusting thats why they were pulled down

[@hollaifyahearme5771]

very good video. thank u so much

[@1bz2002]

Really great video

[@leisureandlifestyle8400]

Awesome video brings back memories, please stay connected

[@CV4Productions]

Wow i remember Tangmere drive and all them flats. They were still there when i briefly lived in C Wood '97. It looked like an entire city of them from the M6 and Collector Rd!!

[@cdgh99]

We have really let the car take over.

[@danw1374]

We could see this happening years ago to be fair. The now iconic spaghetti junction opened in 1972 and was just the beginning of the mass roadbuilding projects that were to take place over the following 4 decades. Now almost 50 years into the future you have to wonder how much more we can accommodate before it becomes just one big traffic jam.

[@Behyelzebub]

cdgh99 We should tax the Plebs off the road. Lets get back to the days when only the toffs had their Shooting Brakes. Remember when they used to come past us at the bus stop and drown us with the ubiquitous puddle and drive on shouting Haw Haw.

[@simonvinyl]

i grew up on the ladypool rd. well runcorn rd. great archive. much respect

[@dhtelevision]

Has anyone ever been to the Black Country museum in Dudley. It’s a reconstructed town set in the 1930s.

[@danw1374]

I went there once on a school day trip in the early 1980s

[@donfisher8083]

Yes and it’s “bostin”!!! From an ex Brummie and now an “horsestralian”!!!

[@chrisdavidoreilly1857]

in 3.37 is Farnborough road I used to live there from 1978 till 92 Are you still living in the the first maisonette just at the side of this Concorde tower

[@shirleysmith3904]

I was born in Birmingham just after the war and it makes my heart sink to see it now so reduced. Thanks for posting this video.

[@shahedmc9656]

Great montage, thanks. A suggestion: how about 3 photos per location with early 20th century, late 20th century and present day.

[@georgesimkins]

I'm just wondering if you can let me have a copy of this because I'm making a documentary on old Birmingham

[@victoriatampling5049]

I was born in the slums of small heath, eversley rd and at the time I didn't know any better. We moved to Stratford on Avon and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven 😂😂🤣

[@JohnK-qi3oy]

I was born and bred in Aston during the 1950's, the area was run down and called Slums, but it wasn't to me , it was my home and I love living there when I did, wouldn't return these days.

[@PSG81]

Both towns are slums now. Majority of the inner City towns, all slums except one or two

[@alanwatton8848]

This is an excellent piece of film making well done. As someone who grew up in the newer parts of the city ie Sheldon Yardley and Hall Green, the places shown although I do know, I would have avoided then and now. I suggest the improvements will be gone in 30 years time for the same reasons they were made originally

[@agentoftruth.5503]

Birmingham is a grim place.

[@SimGTAandCOD]

john sam ikr

[@Behyelzebub]

@Houston's mccaine I guess if you live in the UK you live in London. Bet you live in a complete shit hole. Look out of you window what do you see. Is it safe to walk to your local shop after dark. Have you got kids. Are they safe. Doubt it.

[@Behyelzebub]

@sam mark Birmingham is no better or worse than any other major city, where do you live.

[@Behyelzebub]

@Lewis Davis How do you define a chav.

[@heliotropezzz333]

@MR Houston's Mccaine I grew up in Birmingham and it's a greener city than Liverpool where I went next. We had 2 parks in our area and a golf course, and people often had more garden space. We had a public swimming pool, a cinema and a library. It was a proud Victorian city at one time but the powers that be didn't value what they had and pulled so much down to be replaced with inferior buildings and road widenings. Birmingham became more run down during recessions. Tory governments (Thatcher's in particular) didn't value manufacturing and let it all be undermined by foreign competition. There wasn't the same level of investment that other countries put into their industries. Thatcher's acolytes thought Britain didn't need manufacturing and could thrive on the service sector such as financial services instead.

[@wanderlusterer442]

The City has been raped by road widening and ugly non characteristic new builds. Glass,chrome metal will never beat the brick and stone style.

[@surak1841]

It is Tangmere drive, as you can clearly see reed square in the background which was not seen from yatesbury as it would of been trade winds on the right and St gerrards on the left, hope this clears things up.

[@sandpit72]

No worries buddy

[@HELLHAMMERHANDHIX]

Used to go to the trade winds for a pint after work with the boyz

[@colinp2238]

@5.39 the church is St Benedicts, I used to go to Sunday school there, we lived in Starbank Road further down the Hob Moor Rd from where that photo is shot, A girl at my primary school (Starbank) lived in one of those shops on the right, it was a drapers, her name was Tanya Aldridge.

[@damien1986]

It’s very telling to see the types of shops then and now. Also, the people then and now

[@wildsuburbiauk152]

Great video I remember those flats on Castle Vale I think Castle Vale looks a lot better these days.

[@sandpit72]

I agree, although the area was quite unique, its now just ordinary. I think a couple of blocks are still left, one remaining block was even built onto a school lol which shows you the planners probably got a little over excited about what was 'cool' & 'modern' at the time, things change quickly.

[@davidfreesefan23]

3:29 - 3:45 range (Yatesbury Ave) - the street looks a lot nicer with the houses today than it did with the tower blocks.

[@MrGranfield]

Saltley and Small Heath are now like suburbs of Karachi.

[@TrevKen]

2:24 - look at the maneuver by the green car

[@AlphaLabsOfficial]

Good video man! What are the songs?

[@sandpit72]

No idea!

[@AlphaLabsOfficial]

lol ok

[@wolfpackdivision9191]

AlphaLabsOfficial Eureka by Huma-Huma

[@julianfogarty2243]

My Grandad lived in Kemble Tower on Yatesbury Avenue Castle Vale in the late 70's/early 80's and most of my Mum's side lived on the Vale/Bromford Bridge/Ward End areas. My cousin still lives on Tangmere Drive.

[@HELLHAMMERHANDHIX]

... Used to live in ensign house mate!!!

[@terrificspokesman7416]

Where are all those tower blocks gone?

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Look how much of this has changed in these pictures

[@Terry-xf5pt]

I WAS one of first tennants on castle vale,before that was used as our school playing fields and before that it was an airfield

[@chaperz2209]

terry gill do u remember stansbies ??

[@Terry-xf5pt]

Im sorry i dont.Ilived in first house on corner near main road on Sumburgh Croft.They started building the high rise flats while i lived there that ran up the middle of estate.Ironic cause the have since pulled em all down.I have since left B.Ham over 40 yrs ago.I now live on edge of Peak district in Derbyshire,in fact my son who is 42 years old was born here

[@chaperz2209]

madness !

[@ianpodmore9666]

terry gill No they haven't been pulled them all down, I still live in one (April 2017),Chivenor House, B35 7HY. There is another one still standing as well

[@Terry-xf5pt]

You may be right ,i have not been back to castle vale for some time.I now live in Derbyshire,after leaving B.ham a number of years ago

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

It's changed so much since the 80s 90s and till now. I don't recognise it as the great city it once was.

[@SidneyXda]

I live in that exact block Farnborough Road now

[@rw6391]

Lived here for 15 years in Lyneham Tower

[@bilalahmed2123]

What's up with tearing down all those useful flats ?

[@sandpit72]

+Bilal Ahmed Things move on, but I really don't see a huge difference between these & the huge apartment blocks that are springing up everywhere but charge 3-5 times more to live in, fast forward 40 years & these apartments will most probably be torn down.

[@jonblazeinc]

@@sandpit72 there's a big difference. Those huge tower blocks built in 50s and 60s were depressing and drew crimes and poverty towards them. I know there's still quite a bit left but homes are needed. The flats now are no where near as tall. Low rise are not as depressing to live in

[@haircut.]

Crime

[@yell50]

A lot of these homes that were demolished could have been simply modernized keeping the character of the buildings and the area intact its a shame this was not done.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

would you live in a dirty slum.

[@stevecarter8810]

Yeah but it wasn't the mood of the time. We were all going to participate in this perfect living machine of the City and holiday on the moon.

[@MohaiminArko]

It's BarmingStan now ;)

[@WahidKhan-gb6zl]

M Arko bigot

[@brendanpmaclean]

No it isnt

[@brendanpmaclean]

lewis mark Thank you so much for your wise words. I stand corrected. No, really.

[@brainsmith3931]

Birmingham is segregated white areas and asian areas no integration at all.

[@sarahfemi9862]

Chavland Birmingham and West Midlands full of lazy people who most don't work and live off the social.

[@Terry-xf5pt]

The CVHAT embarked on a major rebuilding programme as 1,486 new houses were built, 1333 homes were improved and 32 tower blocks were demolished. The scheme also built a joint-funded Health Village to serve all of the residents’ health care needs. The shopping centre was redeveloped and a new Sainsbury Store was built there.Looking on the net a lot of land on the a38 corridor was realsed for commercial buildings as well .Seems tpo confirm it is bigger

[@HELLHAMMERHANDHIX]

Lived on Castle vale ,then perry barr. Moved to USA 23 years ago. But always UP THE VILLA !!!

[@denniswatson8699]

I have always lived in Birmingham and I will all live in Birmingham

[@LouiseMac]

All of it looks a mess now.

[@clownmama6823]

It's weird seeing longbridge before they built everything.

[@LAB786]

Brum had so many block towers i never knew this as am from London

[@spsppspsspsp8348]

Liam Butt yeh it used to be council estate heaven

[@jadasmith1977]

Full of chavs that live in those blocks in Birmingham rough ugly city .

[@chriscoughlan5221]

MY DAD lived in castle vale in 80s in one of those tower blocks, funnily enough i remember seeing several times a man riding a horse nearby.

[@heliotropezzz333]

Insensitive replacement of buildings turning community areas into barren wildernesses of the banal. Why?

[@rubel247]

I live in Birmingham i recognised every modern photo

[@InflatablePlane]

*facepalms* ruined. Such a beautiful city..... Ruined. Brum was steeped in insustry, many dating back to the Middle Ages, and it's all just gone...... -_-

[@owenevans83]

It's not all gone tho is it

[@pyt7778]

The character seems to have gone! It's very bland looking now, very nondescript.. I'm a proud Brummie but been away 15 years, I do miss it, I probably won't recognize the city centre now. Very interesting, albeit sad, thank you for making this video.

[@matthewemery1153]

where was the ansell s aston cross aston brewery i have a picture of a clock

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Demolished like the HP Sause factory.

[@tmckboston417]

Anyone know Olivia Jones?

[@Hurc7495]

The overwhelming sense I get is how cars and their associated infrastructure have, over the last century, ripped the heart out of these communities. The most tragic part is that is the people who's lives are so diminished by their effects who often fight so fiercely against any alternatives!

[@BrandonLee-zx6wu]

Heart breaking, everything that belonged to us has been taken from us and destroyed.

[@throwow1014]

Brandon Lee now look at Wolverhampton, a city that wasnt “taken from us” (70% of the people living there are white british) is a complete dump. Same with Dudley, walsall and Coventry

[@markhemming318]

It's called change, get over it.

[@aali3542]

What a coincidence I was born near aldi newtown in the 80s 4 years ago I moved to longbridge lane

[@brainsmith3931]

Birmingham is rough then and worse now, go outside of city centre and see how segregated and divided areas are with lots of divisions and small minded people no integration at all or social cohesion areas are vety segregated.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Oh Brian smith, some more crap you are on about. You know nothing about Birmingham, just guess work old boy.

[@salaf4609]

The more I see the old Birmingham the more sad I get 😢 old was better

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Well if you lived during those days Salaf with the dirty old slums, smoke and grime, believe me you would not say "Old was better" , I was flipping glad to see the old slums knocked down and new houses built with green areas all around them

[@AntAdam1]

Everything seen here in the name of "progress", everything....

[@theoriginalbluey]

I always give a thought for those living in a house that they may have been born in. Forced to move, often against their will, often not for the better. I'm glad I've always lived in fairly rural areas really as there seems much less chance of my home being up for demolishment. In so many of the images above, it looked nicer before rather than after.

[@falkerhard]

Philips ma50 is 80s Birmingham

[@drfrostbite9052]

Damn...

[@trondog8503]

What shockingly poor custodians we have been.

[@bullyinspace]

RIP our great country

[@riffycat5619]

Totally agree with you 💯

[@matthewemery4205]

does anyone have before and after upper thomas school aston

[@JohnK-qi3oy]

Matt...if you are on facebook, search for Astonbrook-through- Astonmanor, you will probably find what you are searching for..I am a ex-UTS boy.

[@matthewemery4205]

@@JohnK-qi3oy ok utv

[@matthewemery4205]

@@JohnK-qi3oy thx my dad was there 1920 30s

[@Baltihunter]

So sad it’s just Asian shops now

[@ajmalshahtravelling7088]

charmful city birmingham

[@jadasmith1977]

No it's not Birmingham is a dump .

[@jakeb7912]

Birmingham is a dirty crap hole city

[@rogerdoger3347]

It's a shithole Birmingham.

[@amyclarke41]

ooh

[@robertgisthebest]

I used to attend Sunday school at the church pictured at 5:33 (St Benedict's) and one Sunday whilst doing arts and crafts a girl, named Karen, stabbed me in the arm with a pair of scissors lol. Thanks for sharing this great video, brought back some fond memories.

[@DO-zh5ol]

Haha I used to go Sunday school there 😭 boring as fuck wth the sisters

[@multifan1662]

Yep she is an aggressive karen after all

[@michellestone6471]

Birmingham was actually quite a looker back in the day

[@marthasheilds2446]

Never its always been a dirty shithole grey ugly depressing city still is today now its full of crime and rude hostile people and lots of racism and segregation.

[@jakeb7912]

Don't like its a dump then and now just like the locals are.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@marthasheilds2446 Well when was the last time you came to Birmingham, dought if you have ever stepped foot in our great City, it definitely is not a shit hole or ugly City. I think you need to get out more and excise the brain cells.

[@itskeke-wk8ng]

Born in Birmingham in 2001. All I know of Birmingham is that it’s a shit hole and has been ruined over the past few decades. Lost it’s culture, architecture and class, it’s really a shame. Not to mention now the knife crime that follows. I live in a particular nice area in Birmingham, but it’s crazy that you can drive ten minutes down the road and be surrounded by gangs and council flats. It’s the same everywhere in this city. Used to be a beautiful town, now though I’m ready to leave. Feel line I’m trapped.

[@sandpit72]

You should move, I did, lived in Woodview Edgbaston in 1990, moved to the Coast as I was fascinated by the sea, worked out fine, seen & lived in many awesome places since.

[@heliotropezzz333]

Birmingham lost a lot of its industry which used to make it a prosperous place. No one cared enough to invest in it from the Thatcher era. Only financial service industry based in London was valued. Recessions hit it hard and development tended to pull down good solid buildings and replace them with mediocre ugly ones.

[@heliotropezzz333]

@sanjay j I used to live there until I was 18 and I don't recognise your description of it. I suppose things can have changed but I noticed some deterioration from Thatcher's time onwards as the Tory governments never cared about industry and manufacturing or investment in that and let it die in times of recession and foreign competition. That led to more poverty. Birmingham used to be the engine of the country, a wealth creator and Victorian philanthropists spent a lot on the environment, donating land for parks, setting up good education establishments, and fine buildings. I really enjoyed growing up there. In my area alone there were 2 parks, a golf course, a library, a cinema, venues with live music, a ballet school, and a swimming pool, and good public transport.

[@bluepeter450]

I noticed the pictures of today must have been taken on a Sunday morning at 5.00am, try going about 11.00am the traffic is heaving the roads are filthy, the driving is abysmal, I am a hgv driver and deliver around these hell holes. Give me the old days anytime.

[@milky5640]

You're here, look at the comparisons between this and nowadays. Make up your mind to which reality was the ideal.

[@dragonofthewest8305]

It's sad

[@charntayegreen5106]

its 10:58 in the morning night is 22:08

[@Super_Cool_Guy]

hurrey for modernisation ......

[@darkprince2622]

I wish I was born in the olden times

[@lillianflorence6056]

I was , dont like it know,

[@jamalazawi1864]

The world has become a fast monopoly game. - no less - no more.

[@marthasheilds2446]

Birmingham and west midlands is full of poverty and crime nothing changes there.

[@karlkuttup]

alot of stunning buildings were pulled down to make way for horror builds and dual carrageways ,were full shops and everyone knew everyone a community destroyed ,great video showing this the cycle factory surely thats a listed building ,be a great shame if they pull that down ,,

[@zx_7925]

Looked much better in old days Birmingham city council messed up always

[@charntayegreen5106]

0:47

[@user-xv2pf7qs5g]

Mother of god what happened to the UK...i left there over 40 yrs ago for NZ...whats has happened to a once great country

[@paulfranklin8636]

Isn't it ironic that when you look at European cities they rebuilt the buildings that were bombed by the RAF where as in Birmingham the ones the Luftwaffe didn't even touch were pulled down in the name of "progress".....Although born and bred in Brum (Tyseley & ( had relatives in Saltley & Small Heath) I left 20+yrs ago and when I see images like these...even though they are now 8yrs old....I never want to return....

[@charntayegreen5106]

0:36

[@billythekid682]

By order of the peaky blinders

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

You will have a job finding the peaky blinders in Brum, there were gangs but not called Peaky Blinders, and they filmed it in Liverpool, sorry.

[@kafeel2838]

By order of picky blinders

[@johnclark7065]

Birmingham is very racist and segregated people are demented and very backwards and still live in the past go to areas and see how run down and divided people are no community or togetherness broken society the city has always been rough and today people are miserable and unhappy, Birmingham city council is a badly run council who waste money in the wrong places and segregate areas hence why people are racist and narrow minded some areas are right dumps and never will change no wonder people don't think much of Birmingham and West Midlands as it's lacking behind. Crime is the biggest issue in Birmingham and West Midlands with all the stabbings and drug issues and yet people slag off London and don't see where they live lol.

[@Rocky19577]

I would not walk in them areas alone in the day let alone at night. Not todays era anyway.

[@matthewwilliams3827]

That first photo though, how beautiful it used to look, then You showed the modern version. Yuck!

[@jons822]

Just glad I moved away

[@throwow1014]

John Solly you’re weak. You shouldnt have given in

[@user-mc1yd9bp5x]

Lack of education, high crime, black bin bag track suites, what on earth has happened 😳

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

So how do you come to the idea of lack of education. high crime and bin bags, very strange. In fact now Castle Vale is one of the safest Council Estates in Birmingham, although owned by Birmingham City Council it is run by a private Housing Company that states that one strike of causing trouble the next time they evict the tenants.

[@user-mc1yd9bp5x]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 you clearly can't see the drastic change of gutter snipe fashion, attitude, pride in no education, why do you think the elites are very smart?

[@mrgoodintent]

Shame on 1960's dumb planners of B'ham. A lunatic could have done better with no costs whatsoever!!!!!!

[@yell50]

irritating music more suited to a horror film

[@mrgoodintent]

VERY IRRITATING noise......I agree!!!

[@BrandonLee-zx6wu]

Well England has turned into a horror movie .......