Hey Oli, I’m from the Black Country just outside of Birmingham. West Bromwich town used to have a thriving indoor and outdoor market and used to be free parking. The council then decided to turn all the parking into pay and display and the markets soon started to fall, where as Bilston town market is still going very strong thanks to the free parking. So introducing the clean air zone into Birmingham is killing the community and lives of the markets.
Wasn’t that the king’s and queens square? The indoor market used to be in the king’s square? There used to be a night club called sparkles which used to be the old cinema? The good old days come on you baggies. 🏴🇬🇧🏴👍🏼🍻🍻
@@section5760 yeah that’s right the king and queens square are still there but very run down now with most shops closed as everyone goes to the new square now. The night club used to be called “the precinct” or locally known as “the pit” with its sticky revolving dance floor well it was back in early naughties. I used to work at the billiard hall across the road.
@@aluncollier9741 it was in the early 80s that night club was called sparkle’s and before that in the early 70s it was a cinema because i remember going there with my dad I think i was about 12 then. There also used to be a pub called Busby’s no far from the billiard hall. I used drink in there and the Sandwell and the star and garter. Those were the good old days mate. Boing boing. 🏴🏴🇬🇧🏴🍻👍🏼🍻
Yea they killed Wednesbury as well. Closed the indoor market to build Morrisons. To be fair Morrisons did provide the Money to rebuild. But as normal Sandwell used the money for something else. Then slapped in Parking Charges and Killed the Town. They have not got a Clue. Just need to raise Money at any cost. Now we have a Town full of Barbers, Hairdressers, Charity shops and Take Aways.
Every Saturday throughout the 1980's I'd be off to the Bullring and also shopping in Oasis, I loved it. It may have been rough but my word was it packed and busy, everyone loved it.
@@WendallExplores as you walked up out of Moor street station, past M and S it used to just over the road. I'm not sure if it's there now. I'm in the southwest now...not been to Brum for a long time, not since they built all the new modern buildings. Oasis used to be an alternative clothing and music indoor market, set on many levels. When I went it was all about punk and new wave.
Haha great memories my grandad used to take me every week and I used to come back with a toy.. my favourite been basically a paper up with chickens head on it and by pulling some string through the hole in base it kinda made a chicken noise😂😂😂 think I drove parents to despair with it when I got home as my dad “accidentally stepped on it”
I lived in Birmingham for a number of years. I shopped in the market at the Bull Ring and that helped me to survive during the terrible recession in the early 1980s. Fish, meat, eggs, cheese, butter, fruit and vegetables. I bought it all there and cheaply too.
I'm from Liverpool but visit Birmingham a few times each year and like to have a wander around that market. Our market isn't a patch on the Brum one, there's almost nothing left. Don't let your market go down the same as ours because yours is a real gem.
Buses were stuck behind traffic before there were bus lanes. The rot started when towns and cities were redeveloped around private cars in the 60s. Narrow streets were demolished to make room for multi-storey car parks, wide straight arterial roads, and wide ring roads, and it was called 'progress'. Yet people flock to towns such as Chester, York, Lewes and Totnes for shopping and sightseeing that weren't destroyed in that way.
@@lemsip207 He's now got to trek around looking for a cash machine as the trader dont take card. No money in these places anymore. BTW I live in East Sussex, one half of family come from Lewes. Have a look at property prices there now.
@@johngreen6191 People can't afford to live there but they like to visit those towns because they weren't ruined by redevelopment in the 60s nor are they those horrible New Towns. Besides Lewes is close to London and almost everywhere in London or close to it is expensive to live in. Even Basildon, Harlow, Basingstoke, Bracknell and the Medway towns. I chose to study New Towns at school as it helped me appreciate where I lived by comparison with them. One of the worst was Corby.
@@lemsip207 Not all roses mate. Distant family business closed in Seaford recently. Same establishment limping along in Lewes. We had a shop years ago, worked in there as a lad. All gone now. Ex civil servant, work privatised, last 21 years self employed. Trade has disappeared, gone, finished.
Its really pretty simple, you just set up outside the city centres, and then keep moving outwards.I am living in Bulgaria and markets are pretty good, but if a town implemented a ridiculous parking fee there would be chaos. The UK is full of compliant people who will not even question an £8 entrance fee
@@WendallExplores So true. I worked for many years as a Midwife in the UK. The Staff would constantly moan and groan about pay, conditions, Management decisions, so much else. Their problems were totally valid! But what's all this British "stuff upper lip" nonsense about? Who does it benefit, muttering quietly and Accepting rubbish? Working in unsafe conditions for Staff AND Patients!!? I agreed with all the above , and WAY MORE, like no supplies because they were too expensive. So how do you safely do your job?? Answer.- Somewhere else!. I emigrated
I am a Brummie and have lived and shopped here all my life. You are right the Rag Market was rich in everything, fashions, cakes, sweets, fish, flowers, veg, meat and nick-naks. Chip shops and restaurants on the top and markets below. It didn't stand a chance after they closed the wholesale markets next door. Traders used to get all their fresh supplies from there and there was even a car boot every Sunday. The kids and I loved it. It was multi-culturalism at its finest. They have now moved these to the other side of the city. The markets and access to them has been deliberately shrunk to make way for the boring big brands. But I still go every week as I want to support them and can't stand going into that soulless big brand area. But you are right the youngsters are drawn to the big brands like brain washed zombies. It gets busy on Friday evening and Saturday. But after plandemic a lot of stalls never reopened. I will shop here as long as I can as it is in the blood come what may. But you need to explore the Coventry Road in Small Heath, Alum Rock Road, Stratford Road and Handsworth Soho Road to see that all is not lost as different communities grow their trading into wonderful shopping areas.
There is nothing multicultural about places like the Coventry road or Alum rock, adding to the list Small Heath, Spark brook, these areas have become entirely the same as each other in a sort of mono culture where other cultures have moved out due to religious competition. You mention Handsworth, which was once a rich area but has been dragged down so much with horrible take away shops and betting offices. Rookery rd has changed massively in recent years with all the East European shops but they face persecution from the Asian community who wish for the area to belong to them. Handsworth is not Multicultural at all, it might be multi racial but it certainly is not Multicultural and to claim so is disingenuous
Wendell, I’m a brummie from erdington, worked in brum as a teenager on a hotdog stand, brum was amazing then and still is. I now live on a narrowboat continuously cruising the English countryside and I cruised through Birmingham recently and it was one of the best places I moored my boat at gas street basin. I used to go to bullring almost every week for years with my late wife who was Filipino and we went to that pinky foods store every time. I love brum and England
Big up Ollie, For highlighting the difficulties that sole traders and independent traders are facing in Birmingham…..the public are increasingly shopping in big supermarkets who have for a while now strangled the small businesses out of the high st and they have the government In their pockets….who just keep allowing them to open more and more stores in our communities. This alone is a scandal which needs to be looked at….
Councils have killed markets. I had a stall for ten years every year they would ramp up the stand fee plus car parking going through the roof. I'm from a market town which ironically doesn't really have a market.
Welcome back to my home town Wendall 👍🏻 Even just a few years ago the markets were thriving but the council have made it almost impossible for people to access it ☹
It's so frustrating. I would love to be able to shop at markets and farm shops etc. But the cost of living and limited income makes it impossible now. I only buy discounts now, I can't even afford full price on the shelf in a supermarket. That said they got rid our local market where I live years ago. Our main shopping street is all nail bars and takeaways. :/
Man 5:00 Many decades ago I fumbled for change as bit short of cash at the time while buying onions from him He waved his hands shovelled up big bag of onions and said here you go ..and wouldn't have my money . True What a gent
Brilliant content again Wendall ! The Bullring has got to be the best market in the uk ! Multi cultural experience you won't get anywhere else ! Ulez kills the honest working people again ! Tragic !
Aaah Brum! my first stop would be to call into St.Martins to light a candle for all my greats who were baptized, married and went to war, a time to sit and reflect on those I never knew..in this 168yr old spectacular church. The Rag market also sold vintage clothing, curtains, fabrics, boots, records, books etc,. as well as new. Plenty of noise and bustle. My cousin (and his Dad ) had a veg barrows in the open market..another good visit. Inside the fish market (1958) were rows of vendors selling small bowls of winkles, cockles, mussels, eels and other delights all displayed with square bottles of malt vinegar, salt..it was the place to go on Saturday afternoons for a tasty seafood snack. Across from the Bull Ring on Moor St near the Old train Stn was 'Kings Hall Market' my mom took us here to buy fabric to make us all dresses, I had never seen so many bolts of fabric in my life. The sellers thought nothing of rolling out the cloth for what seemed like miles to show you their wares. It was an exciting experience especially around Christmas...Thanks for posting this video!
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I remember buying an antique mirror in the rag market. One of those mirrors how when you look in it you can see the entire room. I wonder what happened to it. I left it in my mother's house when I emigrated. Never saw it again.
Thanks for doing this one. I have great memories of Castle Market in Sheffield. It no longer exists in its original location. I went to a market in Bradford and it brought back memories as how the one in Sheffield once was. They have an atmosphere of their own. Worth keeping.
There used to be a nut stall in the fish market, and it had piles of seemingly every type of nuts on display. When l travelled up to Birmingham on occasion, l would always buy 100 grams, to nibble on as l walked around, and very delicious they were to. All three markets seem to have gone downhill in the last few years, with vacant stalls in each, the fish market in particular seems to have a lot of shuttered up empty unit's.......very sad.
Nice vid mate, it is sad to see markets being less and less common. People nowadays don't have the time to come and browse, they just want a one stop shop. I try and make a conscious effort to get my stuff from the market whenever I can.
I love this video. I travel from West Yorkshire twice a year to the Bullring Market it's a great day out lots of bargains to be had. It's so sad to see the decline of the Market.
Same story with markets here in East London, East London was built on markets, now the only ones really thriving are food markets you know hipster types
I'm a Brummy born and bred. I grew up going to the markets with mum and dad and continued as an adult till I left Brum in the 90's. In truth the initial destruction of the markets happened when they built the new combined market hall. The final nail seems to be congestion fee to drive into town. Originally the markets were all separate but they kinda lumped them all together and shrank the outdoor markets into a the tiny space outside of the Rag Alley. It's souless and very jumbled together compared to how it was. I was shocked when I saw the Nut Centre stall closed. It's been around since I was a kid and I'm in my late 50's now, I loved that stall. I didn't see the seafood stall either where we'd go for fresh whelks, cockles and mussels. We had fun playing 'find the tiny live hermit crabs' hiding in the shells of periwinkles. The scratchings stall where you could buy by the pound. Or mum buying her welsh lamb or meat for Sunday dinner. The markets were rammed full back then, shoulder to shoulder in the aisles. So sad to see it now :'(
Birmingham city centre was destroyed long before when it was redesigned for private cars and the Bull Ring Centre was built. Near where the museums are it seems that part is in two storeys. The ground level elevated for pedestrians while motor traffic goes underneath.
Really great video, well done. I remember going to the Birmingham markets before lockdown and before the clean air zone came into play, and the markets were buzzing, not been there since, but after watching this, it is quite saddening that quite a few stalls have closed.
From 27:00 you sum it up exactly. I'm involved in managing a traditional East London street market, and the biggest killer is affordable parking - at £2.00 for an hour in a low income area that has a real effect. Wholesale costs have gone up, easier for large retailers to manage but not small independent traders. The main goods that remain popular in markets down here in London - fruit & veg/women's clothing/material/footwear - all lines that can be still be sourced at a reasonable cost. I can remember when mobile phone accessory stalls were common - we have none now, that's down to online competition. Traditional town centres are fast disappearing, with outlet style shopping centres increasing....
Great video I work on leicester market and although we dont yet have a clean air charge ,buses have moved to far away stops and parking is non existent,councils want rid of markets ,amazing that our customers continue to visit with all the inconvenience in the way Great content again ,maybe a video on the demise of cash as a payment? We only accept cash and more and more places will not accept this as a payment which generally affects the less affluent
Great vid as per usual Oli. Like you I moved away from Brum to Cornwall three years ago. It’s so very sad to see the decline in both the indoor and outdoor markets. It did bring back loads of memories from when I used to catch the bus into town in the 80’s. The Rag Market was always the place to go to pick up a bargain. Feel so sorry for the traders having their livelihoods taken away from them by poor decisions made by Bham City Council. Your spot on the younger generation now days prefer to click a few buttons on their iPhones and have everything delivered rather than have a good rummage around. I guess the nearest thing we have to a market in Cornwall is good old Trago... 😂 Lovely to see the bullring and the markets, and your right the markets are full of characters unlike the supermarkets.
Thankfully We have people like 👍 you to remote our market and put our city on the map thanks 🙏 people More video about our beautiful friendly family people 👏👏👍✌️🙏🙏💝💐💜🥰 love blessings respect
The problem with markets, they were once a place to get a good deal, meaning cheaper than the shops. Now we have markets where the stall owner looks you up and down before telling you the price. They are basically a rip off.
I definitely want to visit Birmingham markets again, now I'm retired, I will take the train though. Gran used to take us on the 144 bus, but after running for 108 years, First decided to scrap the Worcester- Bromsgrove- Birmingham route! So I have to pay for the train, rather than use my bus pass. Still cheaper than the congestion charge though. Bromsgrove had a great market in the 'Tin Shed', a corrugated iron structure intended to be temporary in 1927, when the Market Place was redeveloped, but which stayed over half a century. Everyone gathered there, to shop, browse or have a cup of tea at the lean-to coffee shop. Meat, vegetable and antiques auctions, even a car auction were held there on non market days. Then the Council demolished it and replaced it with a tiny, brick built block which everybody seemed to hate. Traders deserted the town. It lasted a decade, and was itself demolished. Now Bromsgrove has an outdoor market in the High Street, BUT after 800 years Bromsgrove Market almost closed for good a few years ago, because the company contracted to run it got greedy. Nothing to do with covid, btw. Luckily, for once the council saw sense and ran it themselves again, and it seems to be holding its own. The problems facing small independent traders is the greed of landlords, etc. And in Birmingham the congestion charge.
Big up Birmingham my city 😄 I used to visit the Birmingham markets as a kid with my nan, digging hearing the accent of the first guy and the couple at the fish counter proper brummies brings me back 👍
“Birmingham is so multicultural it is an absolute gem” - fell off my chair laughing at that one. Spend a few days walking all round Birmingham - I can assure you multiculturalism has not created a gem
A new subscriber, got to say love the videos with excellent & interesting content. Look forward to watching more content, you have also got me thinking that I need to shop at local markets as I always head to supermarkets. Better produce & fresh & helping the local community.
The younger generation seem to think there is some sort of stigma towards looking for bargains as far as food shopping is concerned - so often you see them in the supermarket tossing things in their trolly without looking at the price - especially in somewhere like Sainsburys or Tesco when the exact same thing is pounds cheaper in Farmfoods next door - Markets are great but very thin on the ground now - such a shame
Food farm is just another big corporate chain store.. If you don’t shop with smaller local businesses our country will be destroyed by the WEF and their push to end competition. “ agenda 2030” Big corporations are already controlling our every move, Digital Cameras and biometrics are everywhere. Use cash , support local small business or be forever controlled.
@@angelachanelhuang1651 I may be wrong but , to me, a flea market is similar to a Charity shop or 2nd hand type stuff. They don't sell food. At least that was a 'flea market' when I was a Child in Liverpool
@@jacqueline8559Charity shops are more expensive than flea markets yet they get the staff and goods for free and only pay 20% of business rates. With flea markets the stall holders have to buy secondhand what they sell. I never buy in charity shops or donate to them. Most of the profits are spent on the charity directors than the users of the charity's services. Far better to offer and request things through online sharing sites. Charity shops blight the high street.
@@WendallExplores they're turning us into a dormitory for London. Once HS2 is up & running, they're hoping the Londoners will come & live here. If they do it'll drive the housing costs sky high - it's already begun. There'll be nowhere for ordinary working class Brunnies any more.
Great video ive just found your video’s brilliant and you’re a nice guy too. I was born in Birmingham but brought up in Northern Ireland and now live in Coventry and love going up to Birmingham used always Christmas shop there sad about the markets and how they are suffering. My mum always loved getting everything from Birmingham markets. Take care and great videos . Good luck joe
In the 90's when I was a student in Coventry I use to drive down to the then old Bull Ring market in Birmingham. Great experience, great memories. I live abroad now these days but the next time I'm in Birmingham I'll visit the new market and support the traders.....Thanks for the upload!!
It's not just in Birmingham this is happening. I live on the outskirts of Portsmouth and the market in the city centre has gone downhill over the last 20 years. There are not as many stalls as there was when I was growing up or when my children were either. Until the end of June, bus companies are charging £2 for all single fares. This was brought in to get people out of their cars and onto public transport.
15 minute cities are being implemented across the country, look up the agenda 2030 by the World Economic Forum.. it’s dystopian plan will end freedom as we once knew it!
when I last went there to buy things, the cash machine on the church side of the outdoor markets was working fine, and no charge plus there are 2 cash machines in the "fish market" part - the Dudley Street/Edgbaston Street corner of the markets, near a lift to somewhere
its everywhre in the UK. First you need to pay the petrol. Second you need to pay for the parking (then get anxiety that your time is up and you will get fined). Thirdly if you live further away the train prices are like travelling in first class airlines these days. Now we have this car/clean zone tax.... All this combined makes it easier and affordable for me just to get this delivered (as much as i want to go in city centres/markets every week, financially they killed it..... Its also why i've stopped going into London now. Everything is just concreted over with corporations. Lots of the small markets are declining, hard to get to. This is just a small bit of the pie, there are worse problems but all this goes together into the sesspit of the state of the UK is in 2023.
Very interesting video! I am amazed by this fantastic market. Sorry about all the closed stalls, but the rest was so great. We have nothing like this where I live. There is a farmers marked with a few stalls a couple of times a month, and the prices are high beyond belief. There are also some small international shops though, but nothing like this great market. It is a crime they demand all the fees for using a car to get there.
I used to come here once a week on a regular basics every Thursday from Coventry I would hang around until they started to drop the prices at 5pm. Sometimes I used to drive here, but due to the congestion charge I no longer come in my car, so I would get the train instead. I would buy lots of the soft summer fruits when they were in season and come home with bags full at a very cheap prices. The big difference is that I would have to carry heavy bags full of produce down to the station to get the train and once back to Coventry is was a journey on a bus to my home. From those Halal butchers I could buy a whole lambs liver for 50 pence. I wish I lived closer to the market, as Coventry does not sell as cheaply as in Birmingham. I'm afraid Birmingham local Government have done no favours for the introduction of the congestion charge to the customers and traders, as I am certain a lot of people have been discouraged coming to the Birmingham market as I have been. Bad Move Birmingham City Council you have become too woke.
I spent the late eighties and early nineties here travelling there and Hurst street on Saturdays and occasional weekdays to buy vintage clothes ,music and of course veg at the end of the day in the outdoor market. I used to buy early hip hop in Tempest and Virgin when it was in Dale end where mcd is now ,Summit in the Bull ring, (and the cellar on corp street)and occasional breaks and beats at Reddington rare records. Brum(town as the wonderful locals call it) had spirit and life and elements of danger to teenagers...like the Oasis and Folio 50 did when it was in both locations. The rag market was amazing how when they knocked the old one down...and the new one looked exactly the same and the traders did not change LOL. So the question I ask ...Don Christies (which you felt the dub bass through the walls of the Rag) ...when you left the worlds most slender shop....what did the sign say as you left by the door??...true brummies should know this..thanks for posting a great video
IDK about this one? As a child my family shopped n the greengrocers, they were one of the rich business families in the town. They supported a few suppliers and shop assistants but when the supermarkets gradually moved in, many many more jobs and careers developed. I'm quite a bit older than you my friend, but offal meat is unlikely to ever make my shopping list either. I acknowledge the memories of past times but I embrace change especially when it benefits many.
I’m a brummie but I haven’t been to the city centre for years now. Used to work there for years so that’s probably why I stay away these days. Great video though, Im 38 tomorrow and I remember growing up in the early 90’s and we always used our local fruit & veg man and butchers in Rednal. Now it’s the supermarket. Working shifts it’s convenience I suppose. Wish it was different but sign of the times I guess. I’m in Kings Heath now and I couldn’t even tell you where the decent local stuff is. There’s a few places but it all looks like a dogs dinner and I’m guessing if they do have a hygiene certificates then they’ve made them on Microsoft word themselves lol.
I always prefer traditional wet markets like this than supermarkets. It’s where you can generally see more fresh goods and more selections. Likewise I like supporting the small family businesses. They don’t have much profits like the big supermarkets do.
Yea they killed Wednesbury as well. Closed the indoor market to build Morrisons. To be fair Morrisons did provide the Money to rebuild. But as normal Sandwell used the money for something else. Then slapped in Parking Charges and Killed the Town. They have not got a Clue. Just need to raise Money at any cost. Now we have a Town full of Barbers, Hairdressers, Charity shops and Take Aways. Fair play to Wolves council keeping charges out of Bilston. We closed our Shop which had been trading for 80 years. Because we realised it was rapidly going down hill.
Really great video coverage!👌👏🏼🤩 Absolutely love Birmingham indoor and outdoor markets. The food is the best I have ever seen in the country. Wonderful variety, value and quality authentic ingredients. The Frankfurt Christmas Market is immense around Christmas time too.
For years/decades I've only bought meat from the Birmingham markets. I'd really urge everyone to give it a visit to experience the price and quality compared to the vacuum-sealed crap you get in supermarkets.
Ohhh, missing Birmingham. I regularly go to visit my family and though I spend time roaming around the high end shops, the best of my veggie and fruit shopping will always be at the open rat market. St. Martins Market is where I buy my meat, fish, seafood, Asian condiments and all things I am happy to spend my money on. Love those markets, I always end up with full shopping bags of goodies. It’s sad to see a lot of closed shop. I was there in November to December last year and I noticed more Chinese shops and restaurants have opened, near the open markets. Thank you for this video.
You can see BCC has really been waging war on locally owned small businesses - over the last 50 years they've been all but eradicated from the city centre. It's a huge pity - it used to be that money spent in Brum would stay in Brum, spent by business owners, but now it's all just consolidated up into a multinational corporation's accounts & swooshed away to a tax haven.
When you bought the phone cover and had to find an ATM so you could pay by cash you highlighted a very real problem these days: general lack of cash. I've almost converted completely to using my debit card so regrettably that mostly excludes me from easily using what street markets I have locally unless I make a point of remembering to go to an ATM beforehand. Another great video. Thanks a lot.
Such a shame to these traditional markets go into decline. Local govt should be promoting independent traders as part of the city's heritage. Even offering incentives. If anything they seem to be putting the nail on the coffin with parking restrictions.
Nice to see you back in the Midlands Wendall, the rag market in brum used be a thriving place, it's been years since I've been there. All the mainstream stores are all the same, not much variety.
As Yr video's show. The uk is in so many way on it's ar#e. That said, in contrast there is a powerful, wonderful energy in the heart and action of many of it's multi cultural inhabitants. United we stand, divided we fall so let's pull together and make it a more creative and compassionate country. Go team ❤
Hi mate … good to see someone make a real brummie vlog it took me back in time into the 70’s. Would be a regular fixture going to the rag market with my dad, you struggled to walk through because of so many people in the market back then, seeing it almost empty is such a shame. Nowadays i run a food business just on the other side of the town centre, it really has changed so much Doing a great job mate , sub’d aswel
Great video mate, really enjoyed it, I didn’t even realise that the market had so much to offer. I’ve been walking past them and straight into the Bullring for years. But certainly will start shopping there now. Thanks
''At the bullring shopping centre, there's a smile on every face. From the moment that you enter you know it's a friendly place'' ..... late 70s TV add for the Bullring. I have had it stuck in my head for over 40 years
Good to make a report on this. I came here when the old markets were right beside the church. I remember one trader saying :come on honey, spent your husband's money. So much more different stalls. I miss that
Just found ur channel and think its brilliant that you are highlighting whats going on and the effect its having on the smaller local businesses. Its good to see the sense of community that still exists in places like this even if it is gradually dwindling.
It looks like a fantastic market there are not many of them left when I was a child in London in the 80s we had some great markets sadly they are no more The meat market you visited the meat was well prepared and it was so clean We used to have a local grocery he was there years then Sainsbury’s opened and put him out of business
Thanks for this video. I live about 5 mins walk from the market and should be shopping and supporting these traders but I just go to Tesco. The range and value of the available products is amazing.
Very imformative well done bringing attention to this its happening worldwide and it matters,, l was born in birmingham but live in Cairns Australia ,,insanely expensive here ...hope you put more videos eg Markets around uk how people are effected these days ,,good on you from downunder!😊
Since the former store-holders closed their businesses and new traders moved in most people stopped shopping at the market. And even though there is a food crisis many still won't shop there. I use to love it my mom was shopping there since the 60's.
I remember the old bullring, sadly they have done the same to my city Liverpool, utterly ruined st.johns market and put all this ridiculous stuff that was not needed, we already had major shops on Lord Street , so Liverpool 1 was an utter waste of money, ironically when we won capital of culture in 2008 we won that mainly on the basis of our live music venues, many of which have been smashed down. Also shops such as Quiggins got wiped to that place was my childhood i loved it there and clubs like le batues and Heaven n Hell in the alt scene even the krazyhouse has gone now utter disgrace and now the council complains they ain't got money for nothin well they pissed it all up the wall with that stupid liverpool 1 shopping centre and why the hell we got a Hilton hotel in Liverpool is beyond me
Good stuff Ollie. Shropshire lad here but I used to work in Brum. I moved even further away than Cornwall when I retired, to the middle of France to be exact, but generally I prefer to shop in the local markets, the quality is better and I'm supporting the locals not the shareholders who have to much money anyway.
Great video. I wish the council would consider a discounted congestion charge ticket to visit the market. I'm sure with modern technology it could be scanned to show that you attended the market.
I used to wag school and go to the market every week...just to get the broken chocolate caramel biscuits a couple of the stalls had. There used to be an army and navy store by the church...got my parka there. But, the best thing was the donut shop that was at the top of the ramp as you went through the under passes at the back...best donuts anywhere. The 70's were much better to grow up in.
Those steaks look amazing mate, definitely better than Tesco's. I think we should celebrate our cosmopolitan culture and look at the positives rather than the colour of folks skin. Good reportage mate.
PS I bought my VW camper van from a guy who I met near the Bullring. I then drove down to Cornwall for a visit then over to Southwest France. I still have it here in Cornwall.
@@WendallExplores No mate, went down to Cornwall to see family then Plymouth to Rosscoffe then 330 miles down to our gaff and it never missed a beat. German engineering see. 😌
Just discovered this channel it’s great, you are absolutely right about the market life of Britain I used to love it and made many friends and found some gems in places around London It is sadly missed
So right about the lost experience of shopping at markets and the characters who work there. Looks like a Good Market. More people should give there money to these people rather than fat corporations like you meantioned. While watching your excellent video i Noticed the lack of plastic wrapping around fruit and veg compared to big companies…which is brilliant.
Hey Oli, I’m from the Black Country just outside of Birmingham. West Bromwich town used to have a thriving indoor and outdoor market and used to be free parking. The council then decided to turn all the parking into pay and display and the markets soon started to fall, where as Bilston town market is still going very strong thanks to the free parking. So introducing the clean air zone into Birmingham is killing the community and lives of the markets.
Agreed Alun, a lot to be desired
Wasn’t that the king’s and queens square? The indoor market used to be in the king’s square? There used to be a night club called sparkles which used to be the old cinema? The good old days come on you baggies. 🏴🇬🇧🏴👍🏼🍻🍻
@@section5760 yeah that’s right the king and queens square are still there but very run down now with most shops closed as everyone goes to the new square now. The night club used to be called “the precinct” or locally known as “the pit” with its sticky revolving dance floor well it was back in early naughties. I used to work at the billiard hall across the road.
@@aluncollier9741 it was in the early 80s that night club was called sparkle’s and before that in the early 70s it was a cinema because i remember going there with my dad I think i was about 12 then. There also used to be a pub called Busby’s no far from the billiard hall. I used drink in there and the Sandwell and the star and garter. Those were the good old days mate. Boing boing. 🏴🏴🇬🇧🏴🍻👍🏼🍻
Yea they killed Wednesbury as well. Closed the indoor market to build Morrisons. To be fair Morrisons did provide the Money to rebuild. But as normal Sandwell used the money for something else. Then slapped in Parking Charges and Killed the Town. They have not got a Clue. Just need to raise Money at any cost. Now we have a Town full of Barbers, Hairdressers, Charity shops and Take Aways.
Every Saturday throughout the 1980's I'd be off to the Bullring and also shopping in Oasis, I loved it. It may have been rough but my word was it packed and busy, everyone loved it.
Is oasis still going?
@@WendallExplores as you walked up out of Moor street station, past M and S it used to just over the road. I'm not sure if it's there now. I'm in the southwest now...not been to Brum for a long time, not since they built all the new modern buildings. Oasis used to be an alternative clothing and music indoor market, set on many levels. When I went it was all about punk and new wave.
@@paula11love yeah I used to go in oasis all the time
Paula do you remember the power house night club? Love and respect from Scotland 🏴 hen. 👍🏼🏴🇬🇧🏴
Haha great memories my grandad used to take me every week and I used to come back with a toy.. my favourite been basically a paper up with chickens head on it and by pulling some string through the hole in base it kinda made a chicken noise😂😂😂 think I drove parents to despair with it when I got home as my dad “accidentally stepped on it”
I lived in Birmingham for a number of years. I shopped in the market at the Bull Ring and that helped me to survive during the terrible recession in the early 1980s. Fish, meat, eggs, cheese, butter, fruit and vegetables. I bought it all there and cheaply too.
I bet there's no money in the town
@@angelachanelhuang1651nowhere. Is anywhere
I would rather have my local community market and forest than any of the sterile shinny chyt you called modern architecture..
@@manpreetbrar838 Must be a big part of your diet. Or are you just selling?
@@angelachanelhuang1651 Which town is that?
I'm from Liverpool but visit Birmingham a few times each year and like to have a wander around that market. Our market isn't a patch on the Brum one, there's almost nothing left. Don't let your market go down the same as ours because yours is a real gem.
Bad roads, congestion charges, bus lanes and cameras all add to the unpleasant shopping experience. Feel sorry for anyone with a shop now.
money
Buses were stuck behind traffic before there were bus lanes. The rot started when towns and cities were redeveloped around private cars in the 60s. Narrow streets were demolished to make room for multi-storey car parks, wide straight arterial roads, and wide ring roads, and it was called 'progress'. Yet people flock to towns such as Chester, York, Lewes and Totnes for shopping and sightseeing that weren't destroyed in that way.
@@lemsip207 He's now got to trek around looking for a cash machine as the trader dont take card. No money in these places anymore. BTW I live in East Sussex, one half of family come from Lewes. Have a look at property prices there now.
@@johngreen6191 People can't afford to live there but they like to visit those towns because they weren't ruined by redevelopment in the 60s nor are they those horrible New Towns. Besides Lewes is close to London and almost everywhere in London or close to it is expensive to live in. Even Basildon, Harlow, Basingstoke, Bracknell and the Medway towns. I chose to study New Towns at school as it helped me appreciate where I lived by comparison with them. One of the worst was Corby.
@@lemsip207 Not all roses mate. Distant family business closed in Seaford recently. Same establishment limping along in Lewes. We had a shop years ago, worked in there as a lad. All gone now. Ex civil servant, work privatised, last 21 years self employed. Trade has disappeared, gone, finished.
Its really pretty simple, you just set up outside the city centres, and then keep moving outwards.I am living in Bulgaria and markets are pretty good, but if a town implemented a ridiculous parking fee there would be chaos. The UK is full of compliant people who will not even question an £8 entrance fee
I agree, UK citizens are generally very compliant.. they just moan to each other!
@@WendallExplores yeap most will just bend over a do as there told
@@WendallExplores So true. I worked for many years as a Midwife in the UK. The Staff would constantly moan and groan about pay, conditions, Management decisions, so much else. Their problems were totally valid! But what's all this British "stuff upper lip" nonsense about? Who does it benefit, muttering quietly and Accepting rubbish? Working in unsafe conditions for Staff AND Patients!!?
I agreed with all the above , and WAY MORE, like no supplies because they were too expensive. So how do you safely do your job?? Answer.- Somewhere else!. I emigrated
The English will stand for anything weak as piss a nanny left wing country now
So did I! It’s a pity because we are both intelligent people - and Britain needs people like us.
I am a Brummie and have lived and shopped here all my life. You are right the Rag Market was rich in everything, fashions, cakes, sweets, fish, flowers, veg, meat and nick-naks. Chip shops and restaurants on the top and markets below. It didn't stand a chance after they closed the wholesale markets next door. Traders used to get all their fresh supplies from there and there was even a car boot every Sunday. The kids and I loved it. It was multi-culturalism at its finest. They have now moved these to the other side of the city. The markets and access to them has been deliberately shrunk to make way for the boring big brands. But I still go every week as I want to support them and can't stand going into that soulless big brand area. But you are right the youngsters are drawn to the big brands like brain washed zombies. It gets busy on Friday evening and Saturday. But after plandemic a lot of stalls never reopened. I will shop here as long as I can as it is in the blood come what may. But you need to explore the Coventry Road in Small Heath, Alum Rock Road, Stratford Road and Handsworth Soho Road to see that all is not lost as different communities grow their trading into wonderful shopping areas.
I shall explore further 👍
@@WendallExplores Yes. Birmingham is a vibrant and thriving market place if you look in the right places, as suggested. Birmingham welcomes you.
There is nothing multicultural about places like the Coventry road or Alum rock, adding to the list Small Heath, Spark brook, these areas have become entirely the same as each other in a sort of mono culture where other cultures have moved out due to religious competition. You mention Handsworth, which was once a rich area but has been dragged down so much with horrible take away shops and betting offices. Rookery rd has changed massively in recent years with all the East European shops but they face persecution from the Asian community who wish for the area to belong to them. Handsworth is not Multicultural at all, it might be multi racial but it certainly is not Multicultural and to claim so is disingenuous
Wendell, I’m a brummie from erdington, worked in brum as a teenager on a hotdog stand, brum was amazing then and still is. I now live on a narrowboat continuously cruising the English countryside and I cruised through Birmingham recently and it was one of the best places I moored my boat at gas street basin. I used to go to bullring almost every week for years with my late wife who was Filipino and we went to that pinky foods store every time. I love brum and England
Big up Ollie, For highlighting the difficulties that sole traders and independent traders are facing in Birmingham…..the public are increasingly shopping in big supermarkets who have for a while now strangled the small businesses out of the high st and they have the government In their pockets….who just keep allowing them to open more and more stores in our communities. This alone is a scandal which needs to be looked at….
It's called free market capitalism. Survival of the fittest.
Councils have killed markets. I had a stall for ten years every year they would ramp up the stand fee plus car parking going through the roof. I'm from a market town which ironically doesn't really have a market.
Do you reckon they do it on purpose? To try and push people out and sell off the land?
All planned this way .
Common purpose exposed uk
I live in Germany now but my great gran lived in Brum and I remember going to the Bullring as a kid in the sixties.
Welcome back to my home town Wendall 👍🏻
Even just a few years ago the markets were thriving but the council have made it almost impossible for people to access it ☹
Left Birmingham 32 years ago, the markets are what I miss most of all. I used to go down in my dinner hour when working in the city centre.
It's so frustrating. I would love to be able to shop at markets and farm shops etc. But the cost of living and limited income makes it impossible now. I only buy discounts now, I can't even afford full price on the shelf in a supermarket. That said they got rid our local market where I live years ago. Our main shopping street is all nail bars and takeaways. :/
Wendall loves hitting up the local nail bars
@@WendallExplores Lol.
Yes true
Your a nice bloke, I worked in Birmingham 80s people are lovely, it's the heart of England, I miss it. James cork.
Man 5:00
Many decades ago I fumbled for change as bit short of cash at the time while buying onions from him
He waved his hands shovelled up big bag of onions and said here you go ..and wouldn't have my money .
True
What a gent
Brilliant content again Wendall ! The Bullring has got to be the best market in the uk ! Multi cultural experience you won't get anywhere else ! Ulez kills the honest working people again ! Tragic !
Aaah Brum! my first stop would be to call into St.Martins to light a candle for all my greats who were baptized, married and went to war, a time to sit and reflect on those I never knew..in this 168yr old spectacular church. The Rag market also sold vintage clothing, curtains, fabrics, boots, records, books etc,. as well as new. Plenty of noise and bustle. My cousin (and his Dad ) had a veg barrows in the open market..another good visit. Inside the fish market (1958) were rows of vendors selling small bowls of winkles, cockles, mussels, eels and other delights all displayed with square bottles of malt vinegar, salt..it was the place to go on Saturday afternoons for a tasty seafood snack. Across from the Bull Ring on Moor St near the Old train Stn was 'Kings Hall Market' my mom took us here to buy fabric to make us all dresses, I had never seen so many bolts of fabric in my life. The sellers thought nothing of rolling out the cloth for what seemed like miles to show you their wares. It was an exciting experience especially around Christmas...Thanks for posting this video!
I remember buying an antique mirror in the rag market. One of those mirrors how when you look in it you can see the entire room. I wonder what happened to it. I left it in my mother's house when I emigrated. Never saw it again.
Thanks for doing this one. I have great memories of Castle Market in Sheffield. It no longer exists in its original location. I went to a market in Bradford and it brought back memories as how the one in Sheffield once was. They have an atmosphere of their own. Worth keeping.
I'm use to the outdoor markets
There used to be a nut stall in the fish market, and it had piles of seemingly every type of nuts on display. When l travelled up to Birmingham on occasion, l would always buy 100 grams, to nibble on as l walked around, and very delicious they were to. All three markets seem to have gone downhill in the last few years, with vacant stalls in each, the fish market in particular seems to have a lot of shuttered up empty unit's.......very sad.
Nice vid mate, it is sad to see markets being less and less common. People nowadays don't have the time to come and browse, they just want a one stop shop. I try and make a conscious effort to get my stuff from the market whenever I can.
I love this video. I travel from West Yorkshire twice a year to the Bullring Market it's a great day out lots of bargains to be had. It's so sad to see the decline of the Market.
Same story with markets here in East London, East London was built on markets, now the only ones really thriving are food markets you know hipster types
I'm a Brummy born and bred. I grew up going to the markets with mum and dad and continued as an adult till I left Brum in the 90's. In truth the initial destruction of the markets happened when they built the new combined market hall. The final nail seems to be congestion fee to drive into town. Originally the markets were all separate but they kinda lumped them all together and shrank the outdoor markets into a the tiny space outside of the Rag Alley. It's souless and very jumbled together compared to how it was. I was shocked when I saw the Nut Centre stall closed. It's been around since I was a kid and I'm in my late 50's now, I loved that stall. I didn't see the seafood stall either where we'd go for fresh whelks, cockles and mussels. We had fun playing 'find the tiny live hermit crabs' hiding in the shells of periwinkles. The scratchings stall where you could buy by the pound. Or mum buying her welsh lamb or meat for Sunday dinner. The markets were rammed full back then, shoulder to shoulder in the aisles. So sad to see it now :'(
Birmingham city centre was destroyed long before when it was redesigned for private cars and the Bull Ring Centre was built. Near where the museums are it seems that part is in two storeys. The ground level elevated for pedestrians while motor traffic goes underneath.
Really great video, well done.
I remember going to the Birmingham markets before lockdown and before the clean air zone came into play, and the markets were buzzing, not been there since, but after watching this, it is quite saddening that quite a few stalls have closed.
It’s sad to see
Good.
Birmingham is a well known town
Great doc! Was in Birmingham 2019 and visited the Back to Backs - wonderful!!
The council are making a killing off the congestion charge to care about how it effects the market ,i see no future for these places sadly 😢
This is from the top down from the WEF. All the cities around the world are doing it.
Common purpose exposed uk are link to them .
It’s all been planned this way .
From 27:00 you sum it up exactly. I'm involved in managing a traditional East London street market, and the biggest killer is affordable parking - at £2.00 for an hour in a low income area that has a real effect. Wholesale costs have gone up, easier for large retailers to manage but not small independent traders. The main goods that remain popular in markets down here in London - fruit & veg/women's clothing/material/footwear - all lines that can be still be sourced at a reasonable cost. I can remember when mobile phone accessory stalls were common - we have none now, that's down to online competition. Traditional town centres are fast disappearing, with outlet style shopping centres increasing....
I find the middle class to be quite comfortable
Common purpose uk destroying councils .
Great video
I work on leicester market and although we dont yet have a clean air charge ,buses have moved to far away stops and parking is non existent,councils want rid of markets ,amazing that our customers continue to visit with all the inconvenience in the way
Great content again ,maybe a video on the demise of cash as a payment?
We only accept cash and more and more places will not accept this as a payment which generally affects the less affluent
That is the crux of it. Councils want to kill markets because they are cash only places. That is the bottom line.
my family told me I was middle class
@@angelachanelhuang1651Wow. I hate the whole 'class' system and thought it was safely dead in the water in 2023
Great vid as per usual Oli.
Like you I moved away from Brum to Cornwall three years ago. It’s so very sad to see the decline in both the indoor and outdoor markets. It did bring back loads of memories from when I used to catch the bus into town in the 80’s. The Rag Market was always the place to go to pick up a bargain. Feel so sorry for the traders having their livelihoods taken away from them by poor decisions made by Bham City Council. Your spot on the younger generation now days prefer to click a few buttons on their iPhones and have everything delivered rather than have a good rummage around. I guess the nearest thing we have to a market in
Cornwall is good old Trago... 😂
Lovely to see the bullring and the markets, and your right the markets are full of characters unlike the supermarkets.
I made a video from Pool Market a couple years ago, still trading but declining. I believe Par Market is decent too.
The outdoor market is the only decent thing about Birmingham City centre, it's a shame I've noticed it dwindling for the last few years.
Thankfully We have people like 👍 you to remote our market and put our city on the map thanks 🙏 people
More video about our beautiful friendly family people 👏👏👍✌️🙏🙏💝💐💜🥰 love blessings respect
The problem with markets, they were once a place to get a good deal, meaning cheaper than the shops. Now we have markets where the stall owner looks you up and down before telling you the price. They are basically a rip off.
I definitely want to visit Birmingham markets again, now I'm retired, I will take the train though. Gran used to take us on the 144 bus, but after running for 108 years, First decided to scrap the Worcester- Bromsgrove- Birmingham route! So I have to pay for the train, rather than use my bus pass. Still cheaper than the congestion charge though.
Bromsgrove had a great market in the 'Tin Shed', a corrugated iron structure intended to be temporary in 1927, when the Market Place was redeveloped, but which stayed over half a century. Everyone gathered there, to shop, browse or have a cup of tea at the lean-to coffee shop. Meat, vegetable and antiques auctions, even a car auction were held there on non market days. Then the Council demolished it and replaced it with a tiny, brick built block which everybody seemed to hate. Traders deserted the town. It lasted a decade, and was itself demolished.
Now Bromsgrove has an outdoor market in the High Street, BUT after 800 years Bromsgrove Market almost closed for good a few years ago, because the company contracted to run it got greedy. Nothing to do with covid, btw.
Luckily, for once the council saw sense and ran it themselves again, and it seems to be holding its own.
The problems facing small independent traders is the greed of landlords, etc. And in Birmingham the congestion charge.
Big up Birmingham my city 😄 I used to visit the Birmingham markets as a kid with my nan, digging hearing the accent of the first guy and the couple at the fish counter proper brummies brings me back 👍
Pleasure to see you in the comments BIRMZE.. I’ve enjoyed your vlogs mate. Big up the Brummie massive ✊
Cheers mate I appreciate that , keep on doing what your doing your on the right path, all the very best to you
“Birmingham is so multicultural it is an absolute gem” - fell off my chair laughing at that one. Spend a few days walking all round Birmingham - I can assure you multiculturalism has not created a gem
can be said about any part of the UK, blame austerity, cuts after cuts and where are we? in more debt that before 2008.
there seems to be a wide range of disgusting food stalls
It certainly brings certain types out of the woodwork, the mere mention of it.
A new subscriber, got to say love the videos with excellent & interesting content. Look forward to watching more content, you have also got me thinking that I need to shop at local markets as I always head to supermarkets. Better produce & fresh & helping the local community.
Glad you enjoy the videos, welcome to the party 🎉
i live in penzance mate lived here all my life im 38 years old. what a change ive seen. great video, im new here. cheers my friend
Cheers mate, much more to come from Penzance 👍
The younger generation seem to think there is some sort of stigma towards looking for bargains as far as food shopping is concerned - so often you see them in the supermarket tossing things in their trolly without looking at the price - especially in somewhere like Sainsburys or Tesco when the exact same thing is pounds cheaper in Farmfoods next door - Markets are great but very thin on the ground now - such a shame
Food farm is just another big corporate chain store.. If you don’t shop with smaller local businesses our country will be destroyed by the WEF and their push to end competition. “ agenda 2030”
Big corporations are already controlling our every move, Digital Cameras and biometrics are everywhere. Use cash , support local small business or be forever controlled.
Farm foods isn't that cheap. Aldi cheaper than Farmfoods. Why? Because unless you can afford to buy in bulk you get worst prices on the fish and meat.
They call this a flea market?
@@angelachanelhuang1651 I may be wrong but , to me, a flea market is similar to a Charity shop or 2nd hand type stuff. They don't sell food. At least that was a 'flea market' when I was a Child in Liverpool
@@jacqueline8559Charity shops are more expensive than flea markets yet they get the staff and goods for free and only pay 20% of business rates. With flea markets the stall holders have to buy secondhand what they sell. I never buy in charity shops or donate to them. Most of the profits are spent on the charity directors than the users of the charity's services. Far better to offer and request things through online sharing sites. Charity shops blight the high street.
Sounds to me like they’re after more land for flats…
It would be another skyscraper in that hood
@@WendallExplores they're turning us into a dormitory for London. Once HS2 is up & running, they're hoping the Londoners will come & live here. If they do it'll drive the housing costs sky high - it's already begun. There'll be nowhere for ordinary working class Brunnies any more.
Great video ive just found your video’s brilliant and you’re a nice guy too. I was born in Birmingham but brought up in Northern Ireland and now live in Coventry and love going up to Birmingham used always Christmas shop there sad about the markets and how they are suffering. My mum always loved getting everything from Birmingham markets. Take care and great videos . Good luck joe
🙏
In the 90's when I was a student in Coventry I use to drive down to the then old Bull Ring market in Birmingham. Great experience, great memories. I live abroad now these days but the next time I'm in Birmingham I'll visit the new market and support the traders.....Thanks for the upload!!
It's not just in Birmingham this is happening. I live on the outskirts of Portsmouth and the market in the city centre has gone downhill over the last 20 years. There are not as many stalls as there was when I was growing up or when my children were either. Until the end of June, bus companies are charging £2 for all single fares. This was brought in to get people out of their cars and onto public transport.
15 minute cities are being implemented across the country, look up the agenda 2030 by the World Economic Forum.. it’s dystopian plan will end freedom as we once knew it!
Southamptons downtown "Kingsland Square" market has disappeared.
It’s all planned this way .
Common purpose exposed uk destroying councils .
Good to see a local UA-camr will be supporting ya mukka.
🙏
I live in Erdington just up the road,thankyou for this video now i want to pop up to the rag Market x
when I last went there to buy things, the cash machine on the church side of the outdoor markets was working fine, and no charge
plus there are 2 cash machines in the "fish market" part - the Dudley Street/Edgbaston Street corner of the markets, near a lift to somewhere
Thanks i love this market great to see this wonderful place covered
Uk is finished it just ain’t the same anymore
Fked
You don't smell right troll.
😢
😢❤
Pfft.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. Great to see the traditional markets, but very sad to hear of the decline in business for many of them.
its everywhre in the UK. First you need to pay the petrol. Second you need to pay for the parking (then get anxiety that your time is up and you will get fined). Thirdly if you live further away the train prices are like travelling in first class airlines these days. Now we have this car/clean zone tax.... All this combined makes it easier and affordable for me just to get this delivered (as much as i want to go in city centres/markets every week, financially they killed it.....
Its also why i've stopped going into London now. Everything is just concreted over with corporations. Lots of the small markets are declining, hard to get to. This is just a small bit of the pie, there are worse problems but all this goes together into the sesspit of the state of the UK is in 2023.
@Liliana “May” oh no..... really?! They probably closed down public toilets like they have where i live too...
Stay away frm London at all costs!
Very interesting video! I am amazed by this fantastic market. Sorry about all the closed stalls, but the rest was so great. We have nothing like this where I live. There is a farmers marked with a few stalls a couple of times a month, and the prices are high beyond belief. There are also some small international shops though, but nothing like this great market. It is a crime they demand all the fees for using a car to get there.
Markets like this used to be the pride of most British towns up and down the land Torunn
@@WendallExplores there were markets here many years ago too. But not this size though... and definitely not this diversity 😊
Middle class seems to have more fun
I used to come here once a week on a regular basics every Thursday from Coventry I would hang around until they started to drop the prices at 5pm. Sometimes I used to drive here, but due to the congestion charge I no longer come in my car, so I would get the train instead. I would buy lots of the soft summer fruits when they were in season and come home with bags full at a very cheap prices. The big difference is that I would have to carry heavy bags full of produce down to the station to get the train and once back to Coventry is was a journey on a bus to my home. From those Halal butchers I could buy a whole lambs liver for 50 pence. I wish I lived closer to the market, as Coventry does not sell as cheaply as in Birmingham. I'm afraid Birmingham local Government have done no favours for the introduction of the congestion charge to the customers and traders, as I am certain a lot of people have been discouraged coming to the Birmingham market as I have been. Bad Move Birmingham City Council you have become too woke.
It's the same for all markets throughout the U.K.
I spent the late eighties and early nineties here travelling there and Hurst street on Saturdays and occasional weekdays to buy vintage clothes ,music and of course veg at the end of the day in the outdoor market. I used to buy early hip hop in Tempest and Virgin when it was in Dale end where mcd is now ,Summit in the Bull ring, (and the cellar on corp street)and occasional breaks and beats at Reddington rare records.
Brum(town as the wonderful locals call it) had spirit and life and elements of danger to teenagers...like the Oasis and Folio 50 did when it was in both locations. The rag market was amazing how when they knocked the old one down...and the new one looked exactly the same and the traders did not change LOL. So the question I ask ...Don Christies (which you felt the dub bass through the walls of the Rag) ...when you left the worlds most slender shop....what did the sign say as you left by the door??...true brummies should know this..thanks for posting a great video
I live in Grantham, 20 years ago we had a thriving country market. now it is totally decimated to a handful of stalls
IDK about this one? As a child my family shopped n the greengrocers, they were one of the rich business families in the town. They supported a few suppliers and shop assistants but when the supermarkets gradually moved in, many many more jobs and careers developed. I'm quite a bit older than you my friend, but offal meat is unlikely to ever make my shopping list either. I acknowledge the memories of past times but I embrace change especially when it benefits many.
Oli,You have inspired me to go to a market or a farm shop and I am 65! Got very lazy during covid -everything is home delivery currently.
We have become disenfranchised from our humanity.. get to the Market my friend 🙏
Way cheaper in the Market. I've always found Farm shops very enticing, and end up buying loads. Then I see the huge prices ....
I’m a brummie but I haven’t been to the city centre for years now. Used to work there for years so that’s probably why I stay away these days. Great video though, Im 38 tomorrow and I remember growing up in the early 90’s and we always used our local fruit & veg man and butchers in Rednal. Now it’s the supermarket. Working shifts it’s convenience I suppose. Wish it was different but sign of the times I guess. I’m in Kings Heath now and I couldn’t even tell you where the decent local stuff is. There’s a few places but it all looks like a dogs dinner and I’m guessing if they do have a hygiene certificates then they’ve made them on Microsoft word themselves lol.
I was there last week and i can say it was a really good experience.
I always prefer traditional wet markets like this than supermarkets. It’s where you can generally see more fresh goods and more selections. Likewise I like supporting the small family businesses. They don’t have much profits like the big supermarkets do.
Yea they killed Wednesbury as well. Closed the indoor market to build Morrisons. To be fair Morrisons did provide the Money to rebuild. But as normal Sandwell used the money for something else. Then slapped in Parking Charges and Killed the Town. They have not got a Clue. Just need to raise Money at any cost. Now we have a Town full of Barbers, Hairdressers, Charity shops and Take Aways. Fair play to Wolves council keeping charges out of Bilston. We closed our Shop which had been trading for 80 years. Because we realised it was rapidly going down hill.
Really great video coverage!👌👏🏼🤩
Absolutely love Birmingham indoor and outdoor markets.
The food is the best I have ever seen in the country.
Wonderful variety, value and quality authentic ingredients.
The Frankfurt Christmas Market is immense around Christmas time too.
For years/decades I've only bought meat from the Birmingham markets. I'd really urge everyone to give it a visit to experience the price and quality compared to the vacuum-sealed crap you get in supermarkets.
Brilliant and sobering report. CHAMPION!
Ohhh, missing Birmingham. I regularly go to visit my family and though I spend time roaming around the high end shops, the best of my veggie and fruit shopping will always be at the open rat market. St. Martins Market is where I buy my meat, fish, seafood, Asian condiments and all things I am happy to spend my money on. Love those markets, I always end up with full shopping bags of goodies. It’s sad to see a lot of closed shop. I was there in November to December last year and I noticed more Chinese shops and restaurants have opened, near the open markets. Thank you for this video.
You can see BCC has really been waging war on locally owned small businesses - over the last 50 years they've been all but eradicated from the city centre. It's a huge pity - it used to be that money spent in Brum would stay in Brum, spent by business owners, but now it's all just consolidated up into a multinational corporation's accounts & swooshed away to a tax haven.
When you bought the phone cover and had to find an ATM so you could pay by cash you highlighted a very real problem these days: general lack of cash. I've almost converted completely to using my debit card so regrettably that mostly excludes me from easily using what street markets I have locally unless I make a point of remembering to go to an ATM beforehand. Another great video. Thanks a lot.
Such a shame to these traditional markets go into decline.
Local govt should be promoting independent traders as part of the city's heritage. Even offering incentives.
If anything they seem to be putting the nail on the coffin with parking restrictions.
Nice to see you back in the Midlands Wendall, the rag market in brum used be a thriving place, it's been years since I've been there. All the mainstream stores are all the same, not much variety.
As Yr video's show. The uk is in so many way on it's ar#e. That said, in contrast there is a powerful, wonderful energy in the heart and action of many of it's multi cultural inhabitants. United we stand, divided we fall so let's pull together and make it a more creative and compassionate country. Go team ❤
Hi mate … good to see someone make a real brummie vlog it took me back in time into the 70’s. Would be a regular fixture going to the rag market with my dad, you struggled to walk through because of so many people in the market back then, seeing it almost empty is such a shame.
Nowadays i run a food business just on the other side of the town centre, it really has changed so much
Doing a great job mate , sub’d aswel
Great video mate, really enjoyed it, I didn’t even realise that the market had so much to offer. I’ve been walking past them and straight into the Bullring for years. But certainly will start shopping there now. Thanks
Great vlog Me and my wife always shop at markets all around the world
Birmingham Market is amazing
Glad you enjoyed
''At the bullring shopping centre, there's a smile on every face. From the moment that you enter you know it's a friendly place'' ..... late 70s TV add for the Bullring. I have had it stuck in my head for over 40 years
Its nice to see St Martins on here, it takes me back to when I was a kid! 👍
Good to make a report on this. I came here when the old markets were right beside the church. I remember one trader saying :come on honey, spent your husband's money. So much more different stalls. I miss that
Just found ur channel and think its brilliant that you are highlighting whats going on and the effect its having on the smaller local businesses. Its good to see the sense of community that still exists in places like this even if it is gradually dwindling.
It looks like a fantastic market there are not many of them left when I was a child in London in the 80s we had some great markets sadly they are no more
The meat market you visited the meat was well prepared and it was so clean
We used to have a local grocery he was there years then Sainsbury’s opened and put him out of business
hey man am commenting because you make nice and wholesome videos
Market owners are deliberately being priced out of the market for the benefit of big business.
Thanks for this video. I live about 5 mins walk from the market and should be shopping and supporting these traders but I just go to Tesco. The range and value of the available products is amazing.
It’s way more fun too
I’m 53 . I born in bham. Moved to London. 1991. I still miss bill ring😢❤
Very imformative well done bringing attention to this its happening worldwide and it matters,, l was born in birmingham but live in Cairns Australia ,,insanely expensive here ...hope you put more videos eg Markets around uk how people are effected these days ,,good on you from downunder!😊
Videos from down under hopefully end of this year 🤞
Good video, look after the small traders, they do care,.. Personal service, .. God bless them all hard working individuals,
Since the former store-holders closed their businesses and new traders moved in most people stopped shopping at the market. And even though there is a food crisis many still won't shop there. I use to love it my mom was shopping there since the 60's.
Internet shopping and supermarkets have killed it.
Great guy supporting the smaller business ..we should look out for small business. Its alot more personal love it
I remember the old bullring, sadly they have done the same to my city Liverpool, utterly ruined st.johns market and put all this ridiculous stuff that was not needed, we already had major shops on Lord Street , so Liverpool 1 was an utter waste of money, ironically when we won capital of culture in 2008 we won that mainly on the basis of our live music venues, many of which have been smashed down. Also shops such as Quiggins got wiped to that place was my childhood i loved it there and clubs like le batues and Heaven n Hell in the alt scene even the krazyhouse has gone now utter disgrace and now the council complains they ain't got money for nothin well they pissed it all up the wall with that stupid liverpool 1 shopping centre and why the hell we got a Hilton hotel in Liverpool is beyond me
Good stuff Ollie. Shropshire lad here but I used to work in Brum. I moved even further away than Cornwall when I retired, to the middle of France to be exact, but generally I prefer to shop in the local markets, the quality is better and I'm supporting the locals not the shareholders who have to much money anyway.
Great video. I wish the council would consider a discounted congestion charge ticket to visit the market. I'm sure with modern technology it could be scanned to show that you attended the market.
Good idea
I used to wag school and go to the market every week...just to get the broken chocolate caramel biscuits a couple of the stalls had. There used to be an army and navy store by the church...got my parka there. But, the best thing was the donut shop that was at the top of the ramp as you went through the under passes at the back...best donuts anywhere. The 70's were much better to grow up in.
The good old days 👍
Ahhh this doughnuts 😍 and then a go on the roundabout
Birmingham markets use to be one of the best markets in England.
i only seen bullring. since the bullring opened. my dad used to go there regular. need start goin with kids here
Nice vid and you got good way with people. All the best bro
🙏
Those steaks look amazing mate, definitely better than Tesco's. I think we should celebrate our cosmopolitan culture and look at the positives rather than the colour of folks skin. Good reportage mate.
PS I bought my VW camper van from a guy who I met near the Bullring. I then drove down to Cornwall for a visit then over to Southwest France. I still have it here in Cornwall.
Thought you were gonna tell me the wheels fell off on the M5 🤣
@@WendallExplores No mate, went down to Cornwall to see family then Plymouth to Rosscoffe then 330 miles down to our gaff and it never missed a beat. German engineering see. 😌
Just discovered this channel it’s great, you are absolutely right about the market life of Britain I used to love it and made many friends and found some gems in places around London It is sadly missed
You said to the woman running the pet stall that you lived near Penzance. I live in Penzance and enjoy your channel, keep up the good work mate.
So right about the lost experience of shopping at markets and the characters who work there.
Looks like a Good Market.
More people should give there money to these people rather than fat corporations like you meantioned.
While watching your excellent video i Noticed the lack of plastic wrapping around fruit and veg compared to big companies…which is brilliant.
The row and the rag markets in brum are the 2 best places to find a bargain
Can't beat a traditional market, the butcher's looked fantastic! Luckily here in Spain the markets are alive and well. Interesting vlog, thank you 😊