Paradise Circus, Birmingham, 1975 - a photo on Flickriver

Paradise Circus, Birmingham, 1975

            This picture demonstrates how much Birmingham’s cityscape had altered during the 1960s to accommodate the massive rise in car ownership, and the post-war want for council-built high-rise flats where terraced housing once stood. An ugly, grey pre-cast concrete world of flyovers, underpasses and tower blocks emerged, accompanied by the growing, and constant roar of motor traffic. 

The curved-floored car park on Paradise Circus was a well known landmark that famously featured in the 1970s BBC TV series ‘Gangsters’. This impractical and strange looking structure was short-lived, being replaced by a more conventional multi-storey car park in the 1980s. In recent times, the replacement multi-storey car park has itself been earmarked for demolition.

Turning into Great Charles Street, the West Midlands bus (BON454C), a former Birmingham City Transport, single deck ‘Daimler Fleetline’ is working the 101 ‘Centrebus’ service, a short circular route serving the City Centre districts, then for a bargain 2-pence flat fare. 

Now in the 21st Century, much of the ‘70s landscape has gone, and what has replaced it is no better, probably worse although it looks clean and sleek for now.  For older Brummies, ‘70s Brum is looked back upon with a tinge of nostalgia, especially the former Bull Ring Shopping Centre and its markets. However, the characterful old-world Birmingham that the pre-war trams once rattled through was lost to the bulldozers and town planners misguided proposals long before.

Taken on: September 5, 2023

Tags:

Paradise Circus

Birmingham

3454

BON454C

Fleetline

bus

101

service

route

Centrebus

GEC

streetlight

post-top

marshall

single-deck

1970s

cars

cortina mk3

car park

curved

floors

levels

1960s

traffic

urban

development

cityscape « less

Sets appears in: • Birmingham • Britain in the 1970s more » • England, this England « less

Groups appears in: • ALRIGHT? ~ BRUM & THE MIDLANDS • UK vehicle street scene - up to and including 1980

Camera: Plustek OpticFilm 7600i (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Plustek OpticFilm 7600i
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Pixelmator 3.5.1
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