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Over the centuries a great many colourful characters have made their mark on this great ancient city, some well known - Sarah Siddons, Edward Elgar, 'Woodbine Willie', Vesta Tilley; others, like Milberrow-Doelittle and Mouth-Organ Annie, long forgotten. It is this rich mixture of people, and the way they lived and worked, that forms the basis of this Web-Site.
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The Fire Engine House
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Next to the Powick Lane entrance of Lady Huntingdon's Church, at the end of the row of Walgrove's Almshouses, was the Fire Engine House, of the Birmingham Fire Office. It and the almshouses were demolished in the 1950's.
In 1840, it was described as: 'The Powerful Fire Engine, No 3, belonging to this establishment, is kept ready for Action at a moments warning .. A corps of experienced Firemen are appointed to render immediate aid to the Public in all cases of Fire'. This refers to the days when insurance companies ran their own brigades to fight fires breaking out in property insured by them. As these brigades were only interested in saving property insured by their company, metal plates or fire marks were placed in a prominent position on the outside wall. There are still quite a few to be seen in the City today. |
| Posted: 14/06/2006 17:29:31
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