Business News
distinguished guests are among a host of historic items that have been unearthed at Chamber House.
Among the discoveries made
during a reorganisation of Birmingham Chamber Commerce’s archives were signatures and journals commemorating visits from the likes of Neville Chamberlain, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Kings George V and George VI and the Duke of Edinburgh. The Birmingham Chamber of
Commerce Journal reported Mr Chamberlain’s presence at the Chamber’s annual banquet on 29 February, 1932. Then in his second spell as
Chancellor of the Exchequer, he delivered a speech at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham in front of Chamber president E.W. Bache, Lloyds Bank chairman Mr Beaumont Pease, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Mr L. Hore Belisha (who as transport minister introduced the driving test and the Belisha beacon in 1934), Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Overseas Trade Major D.J. Coalville and the Lord Mayor and Bishop of Birmingham. The Chamber’s records also note
that Margaret Thatcher addressed the banquet in September 1987, while John Major opened the new reception area at Chamber House in January 1996 and Tony Blair appeared at a business breakfast four months earlier. These items were among 800
that came to light as a result of an archive project carried out by University of Birmingham students Lucy Moore and Hassaan Abdullah.
Chamber’s rich history revealed V
By Dan Harrison
isitors’ books containing the signatures of prime ministers, royalty and other
Lucy and Hassan uncovered
material dating back to the Chamber’s formation 206 years go, including the memorandum issued after the organisation’s first meeting. The document recognised the
inaugural General Meeting of what was then known as ‘Birmingham Commercial Society’, on 21 July 1813. At the meeting, the High Bailiff,
Richard Spooner Esq, who would serve two terms as Chamber president, proposed setting up the Chamber of Manufacturers and Commerce.
David Bradford, premises manager at the Chamber, oversaw the archives project and said: “The Chamber has a fascinating history spanning more than 200 years, so it has been great to learn about it in greater detail through these discoveries. “More than 800 items that were
either produced by or given to the Chamber have been discovered, including some that date right back to our formation.” The newly-discovered archive material has also placed
Birmingham Chamber’s headquarters under the microscope. Since 1960, the Chamber has
been based at Harborne Road, Edgbaston, in a building designed by brutalist architect John Madin. A prospectus notes how Madin
oversaw everything from the carpets to the floor coverings and art within the building, which at the time was seen as an icon of Sixties design. From 1917 to 1960, the Chamber
was based at 95 New Street – now a Wagamama restaurant.
ABOVE: The memorandum from the Chamber’s first meeting
RIGHT: Premises manager David Bradford with of several signatory books
BELOW: Signature of Neville Chamberlain, recording his visit in 1932
LEFT: The original Chamber House at 95 Chamber House
October 2019 CHAMBERLINK 25
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