ARCADES PROJECT

The star features of Birmingham’s 1920s arcade, Piccadilly Arcade, are surely the sloping floor, which follows the course of the cinema auditorium which preceded the arcade on this site, and the ceiling murals, which date from 1991, but paint striking images of Birmingham life.

There are lots of classic arcade small businesses in this arcade: an excellent coffee shop, a brow bar, hair salon, tattoo parlour, shoe repairs and clothing alterations, jewellery, opticians, and two more modern additions: an oriental bubble tea shop and an acupuncture centre.

There are stained glass windows above the Stephenson Street entrance, with coats of arms of Warwickshire and various towns and cities in the area. But the entrances at both ends have a definite 1920s look, with the name of the arcade in gold lettering and the features decorating the end on New Street.

The murals are an interesting mix of images from a BT phone box (1990s version) to a power station, people parachuting and a figure looking tangled up in lengths of rope or thread. The figures reflect Birmingham’s diverse ethnic community, and overall the paintings are a great modern addition to this art deco gem in the heart of Birmingham.

My pick of the arcade’s past

A teenage girl made the local news in 1959 when the florist in the arcade offered her a free bouquet of flowers to help her in her quest to buy her sick mother a bunch of flowers every week. She had written to the local papers mentioning her campaign and how she had taken on baby-sitting work alongside caring for her seven siblings so that she could help her Mum. Is Mary Duff still with us today to recall that period of her life?

Emigration to Canada from Birmingham was popular enough in the mid-1960s for the Birmingham Mail to devote a whole page to feature articles about couples who had taken the leap and gone to live across the Atlantic, as well as advice and travel agents working to assist passage. One travel agency, at No 1 Piccadilly Arcade, was involved, declaring that they could facilitate interviews with the Canadian Government Counsellor in Birmingham to talk to prospective emigres.

World-famous snooker champion Rex Williams was chairman of the club in the arcade which had the billiards hall on ground floor and a casino upstairs. “Champion in club trouble,” was the headline in July 1968 when police raided the venue over allegations that non-members were being allowed up the stairs from the non-drinking billiards area to the licensed casino area. Williams appeared in court and assured the magistrate that access between the two clubs had been shut off so that both could keep to their member-only entrance.

Sources for above stories all from www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk and specifically: 1) Birmingham Mercury, 8 February 1959 – Reach plc; 2) Birmingham Mail, 10 March 1964 – Reach plc; 3) Express & Star, Wolverhampton, 9 July 1968 – Midland News Association.

What memories do you have of visits in years gone by?

Have you got any good stories to add on the past of this arcade?

What’s your favourite shop in the arcade today?

Have you seen this arcade in any films or books?

My favourite shop in the arcade

The wonderful coffee shop Faculty Coffee – top quality coffee and great spot to people watch.

Is there a website for this arcade?

Yes, and it’s a good one. Link here – has good overview of its own history and of the businesses in the arcade today.

Any films or books showing this arcade?

Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 didn’t have scenes set in the arcade but it did have an arcade connection, as wrestler Pat Roach, who ran a fitness club in the arcade, would also appear in films as a ‘heavy’. He had acted alongside Sir Laurence Olivier in one film, but he had a brief role in ‘Raiders’… (Birmingham Mail, 29 August 1981 – Reach plc) He was also stunt man for Christopher Reeve in Superman films