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ellbrown

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The architect John Madin has passed away aged 87.

Designer of the old Central Library in Centenary Square.

Obituary - John Madin

John Hardcastle Dalton Madin, was born in Moseley, Birmingham, on March 23, 1924, an only child.
His father William was a master builder and cabinetmaker, who taught Madin bricklaying and carpentry, while his mother Hilda was artistic and encouraged her son to draw and paint.
The family lived in a detached Victorian villa at 158 Yardley Wood Road, Moseley, where father and son built a conservatory and an extension together.
Madin attended Stanley House School in Edgbaston and by the age of 12 was convinced he had to be an architect.
On leaving school in 1940 at 16, Madin found a job in the Corporation architect’s offices in the Council House in Birmingham where one of his duties was taking the City Engineer, Herbert Manzoni (1899–1972), his lunch while he sat next to the large coal fire in his office.
When Birmingham was bombed in 1940, Madin did fire-watch duty from the clock tower from where he could see most of the city centre and mark on a map where the bombs had fallen.
Encouraged by Manzoni, Madin began his studies in the autumn of 1940 at the Birmingham School of Architecture, then part of the School of Art in Margaret Street, close to the Council House.
 
Hi ellbrown: Thanks for posting the messge on John H.D. Madin's passing. I met him many years ago when I worked for Sir Robert Douglas (Civil Engineers) Ltd. in Erdington. I remember Douglas's having some subcontracts in the Birmingham Post & Mail building and one of the interesting things I remember was that the Machine Hall in the building had to have the printing presses put in before the building was built.
The Printing presses were deep underground. I addressed many letters to him and had to put all of the letters for his certification after his name on every letter. He lived to a good age and I like the tribute to him by Alan Clawley who wrote a book last year about John Madin's life and accomplishments. https://www.birminghampost.net/news...rmingham-architect-john-madin-65233-30105353/
 
The architect John Madin has passed away aged 87.

Designer of the old Central Library in Centenary Square.

Obituary - John Madin
Hi ellbrown: Thanks for posting the messge on John H.D. Madin's passing. I met him many years ago when I worked for Sir Robert Douglas (Civil Engineers) Ltd. in Erdington. I remember Douglas's having some subcontracts in the Birmingham Post & Mail building and one of the interesting things I remember was that the Machine Hall in the building had to have the printing presses put in before the building was built.
The Printing presses were deep underground. I addressed many letters to him and had to put all of the letters for his certification after his name on every letter. He lived to a good age and I like the tribute to him by Alan Clawley who wrote a book last year about John Madin's life and accomplishments. https://www.birminghampost.net/news...rmingham-architect-john-madin-65233-30105353/

my dad Jeffrey Dry was at school with John Madin, Stanley House. I had an old school sports day programme from July 1935, both my dad and John are shown as entrants to various childrens races. I will dig out the school sports details and post on BHF.
 
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