Watch: Discover the pubs we’ve loved and lost in Birmingham city centre

We’ve lost a lot of pubs in Birmingham over the years - here’s a look at some of the great boozers in the city centre and how they’ve changed over time with local historian Norman Bartlam

Birmingham has seen a dramatic change in pub culture over the past few decades, with many of the city’s beloved pubs closing down or changing their form. Norman Bartlam, of Ladywood History Group, spoke to us about the changing culture of the city’s pubs.

Bartlam explained how, in places like Birmingham, there is a pub on virtually every corner. He gave the example of the Bulls Head in Bishopsgate Street, off Five Ways, which has closed down a couple of times over the years due to population moving away with all the redevelopment taking place along Broad Street.

“It’s on cold, wet, miserable days like we’ve been having recently that you really appreciate the pub,” he said. “But of course these days, there’s so many of them that are closing down - it’s a case of us and while you can.”

Another example of a pub that has closed down is the Eagle and Ball, which has since become a florist. Bartlam commented that it’s “a shame to see things like this on our high streets.”

The Mount Pleasant, which was once a great corner street pub in the middle of Ladywood, was demolished in the early 1960s to make way for a new housing development. Bartlam also brought up the Malt House, which opened in the post convention centre era and is an example of a modern pub that blends in well with the architecture of the old buildings around it. He also suggested the Prince of Wales as an example of a community pub that has been around since the 1850s and has recently reopened.

Bartlam believes that there is a future for pubs, citing the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) as an example of a group that is trying to get people to use the pub. He said, “The big slogan - use it or lose it.

“And I think more and more people are coming back - especially post COVID – and getting together with friends in a pub, which is much more convivial than it is if you’re going to end up drinking at home with the supermarket beer. And I think there’s a great future for pubs like this in and around the West Midlands.”

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