Ask any 'Brummie' what the Bullring looks like and they'll probably say 'it's covered in discs'. In actual fact, that's only the Selfridges section and most of it is discless.
There was a lot of hype over the new Bull Ring centre. It had been 'about to be changed' for years but no one saw any difference due to lengthy planning procedures starting in 1987. Until 2000 that is, when demolition of the 1960s Bull Ring Shopping Centre began. In September 2003, the Bullring was finally opened and attracted 276 600 people on its first day.
The Bullring takes its name comes from the sixteenth century when a man named John Cooper was given the right to bait bulls there and therefore the historical spelling is Bull Ring, but the name was changed for the new centre, not without angry protest.
Birmingham has held markets on the site since 1166. The baiting of bulls in this country nowadays is illegal and has been since 1835 but the name still remains and the new Bullring shopping centre is apparently becoming very well known in Europe.
The photograph shows the entrance from the upper balcony which overlooks St. Martin's church.
3 comments:
This again in new Birmingham Bullring to me. I knew the history of the name, and remember for a it was renamed the "Pallasades, late 80's.
It's such a strange buiding for a store. Interesting post.
Babooshka,
The Pallasades building is still there. It is connected to the Bullring. The Pallasades apparently lost a lot of custom once the Bullring was rebuilt.
HORRIBLE! What an ugly shop. Birmingham Alabama? Any relation? Neat blog.
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