• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Buildings at risk

Apparently they are:
 
Morturn, is Phillip Harris still in business? Almost served my apprenticeship there.

I know, I bought a bunsen burner off them not too long ago. They had a tip to the left of their building that was then waste land. I would spend hours there racking through it to retrieve the odd thrown out test tube, piece of glass rod or flask.

Mom bought me a Merit chemistry set as a kid, I was totally absorbed with it.
 
I have watched the video with interest, as I am the same age as the eldest boy in the film, and I knew lads that had moved on to that estate near the Bristol Road, I of course was lucky and moved on to the new Bartley Green estate in the early 50's and grew up in the wonderful Warwickshire country side. I agree with Viv slightly one sided, documentary, as it was opposed quite angrily by some people, mainly the elderly, who were frightened about being, (up in the sky), and broken away from their family's and friends, where some had history stretching back generations in the area's being cleared. The council on the other hand were one of the better caring councils and by enlarge were interested in the welfare of the people involved. Nice to see a bit of Birmingham I remembered as a lad. Paul
 
just quick remembrance, a younger lad said either to me or in my hearing, about what he missed from the (old ouse,) thinking he slowly said, "there ain't anybody to talk to in the toilet, and tell me how the Baggies got on). !!! Paul
 
All very worrying, though, as work is now/has been done on them, the Moseley baths and Curzon St seem likely to soon come off the list
 
Last edited:
I must admit there were a few I was surprised to see. Moseley Baths for one since I knew it had just had a lot of money spent on it.
 
No news day Mike ! I thought the same Janice. I suppose a positive point to come out is they’ve been in the public eye again. The more publicity about their condition (or alleged in some cases) the better. Makes people more aware of the buildings, our heritage and the need to support them/maintain them if we want to keep them. Viv.
 
shocking...but as said many times i give up now...noticed my dads old school icknield st is on the list...no surprise there..about 3 years ago i was allowed inside to have a look around..lovely old building with many features...the caretakers house is looking in a bad state now..given its situation off a busy main road i guess it wont be long before its demolished and a mc donalds drive through built in its place

lyn
 
On a positive note, I have been leading the campaign as executive chairman of a charitable trust to save Sandfields Pumping Station, a Victorian Waterworks in Lichfield. This is another important building on the “at risk list”.

Fortunately, I have managed to negotiate transfer of the freehold to a registered charitable organisation and set up a management team. While it is still on the at-risk list, it is now in a safe pair of hands with people who will love it and care for it.

After over nine years of at times hard work, I can now step down for a well-earned rest…

Sandfields-Pumping-Station.jpg
Until the next interesting building need rescuing anyway.
 
oh well done mort....i knew you were on the case with this one...thing is the powers that be just do not understand how important it is to save our historical buildings...we all know and accept that change has to happen and we will lose some buildings but they seem hell bent on eradicating this city of all its fine architecture that can never be replaced and we have nothing for future generations to admire...

lyn
 
Yes well done Mort. A fine building, restored as it was built; with a lot of blood sweat and tears. And that’s usually the point, these at risk buildings will take much more than just money to restore, it takes a massive commitment by people who care too. Viv.
 
Last edited:
On a positive note, I have been leading the campaign as executive chairman of a charitable trust to save Sandfields Pumping Station, a Victorian Waterworks in Lichfield. This is another important building on the “at risk list”.

Fortunately, I have managed to negotiate transfer of the freehold to a registered charitable organisation and set up a management team. While it is still on the at-risk list, it is now in a safe pair of hands with people who will love it and care for it.

After over nine years of at times hard work, I can now step down for a well-earned rest…

View attachment 163467
Until the next interesting building need rescuing anyway.
We’ll done Mort and a hearty congratulations!
 
paul i could weep looking at all those photos on my link...its grade 2 as well but as most of us on here know being a graded building means nothing... :mad:

lyn
Moseley Road Tram Shed - Office Block:

I'm really pleased to see that the office block may be saved by conversion into apartments.

It reminded me that back in 2005 it was bought by a property "developer" who promptly started to rip the inside apart without planning permission and putting the building at risk. Did the council do anything? No of course not! Our Moseley councillor [Martin Mulllany] did his best to protect it and made a video of what was happening to the tram shed. What happened next? Martin was promptly suspended from the council for bringing it into disrepute! You couldn't make it up, could you? Seven years later the "developer" was still ignoring planning requirements etc etc............................ See account at

This is fairly typical of our council in relation to historic buildings. I don't suppose bankruptcy will help.
 
Back
Top