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Golden Lion Cannon Hill

So it is Mike! (Didn't scroll down the page.Doh. Gawd, a few too many holiday tipples). Well at least it's listed, that's good news. Viv


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good luck with your fight to save the Golden Lion,Lyn..its disgraceful that has been left to fall in to rack and ruin.
 
brummie60 said:
good luck with your fight to save the Golden Lion,Lyn..its disgraceful that has been left to fall in to rack and ruin.
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thanks steve but i doubt if i could single handely save it (wish i could)...just want to know what if any plans there are for it...will keep you all informed..

lyn
 
I am getting no replies from sent emails...?? Is that telling us something???
 
hi folks it has now been over 2 weeks since i received a reply from councillor ian wards secretary saying that he was looking into the positon with the golden lion and would get back to me....to date i have received nothing from him so i have sent him another email asking for a reponse to my enquiry...will keep you all informed..

lyn
 
If you can't do this alone, you should try and contact the friends of the park https://www.cannonhillpeoplespark.net/discovery/discovery.html . If they haven't got a current campaign, they should know a lot more about who to deal with. The link takes you to their discovery page (the golden lion is tab six) the contact link is at the bottom of the page although I suspect twitter (feed on welcome page) or their comments page will get more of a reaction. Other than that, if you're in the park, you could try the cafe/ranger station. I think they have some other contact details.
 
update on the golden lion..

hi folks well ive had a direct response now from ian ward and the reply is just what i expected...as you will read we can either contact the chair of the heritage strategy group phil davis by phone or email...i will certainly be doing this but i fear it will take everyone on this forum to bombard him before this historic pub is saved...





Thank you for your email. Apologies for the delay in responding to you.

I am aware of the issue and the history of the Golden Lion and agree that it is an important part of the history of Birmingham. Unfortunately, there are currently no firm plans for relocation or further work on the building as the City does not have the resources to restore this building and would require funds to be raised outside the Council.

However, the building is on the list of projects reviewed by the Heritage Strategy Group, which includes partners from English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as Civic Society and other key bodies. You may be aware that it is featured as one of the buildings in the Civic Society's recently launched "Re-Imagine" project, aimed at finding ways to protect, and re-use, some of our historic property portfolio. The Chair of the Heritage Strategy Group, Councillor Phil Davis is aware of the issues with the Golden Lion and has offered to have a further conversation with you. I have copied him into this email. He can be contacted on 303 2039 or emailed directly.

The City Council continues to protect the building with the resources available. The supporting scaffold was renewed on the Golden Lion in 2012. Following this, funding was identified to conduct surveys of the building and these are in process. The work will include a structural survey and the drawing up of internal floor plans and external elevations before the building is re-secured.

Kind regards

Councillor Ian Ward
Deputy Leader
Birmingham City Council
Tel : 0121 303 1292 / 4155

-----Original Message---

























kind regards

linda harrington (member of the birmingham history forum)

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Lyn

Well done once again for at least prodding Mr Ward into a response. I see he confirms that the scaffold is only to help the building from not falling down and not protect it in any way. It seems to me that for a little more outlay at the time when this scaffold was erected in 1996 would have at least stopped the building decaying to the point that it has got to now. It won't be that long now until they declare that it is a risk to public safety and demolish it.

Just a thought I wonder if they are still paying rental on the scaffold or if they had the common sense to purchase it at the time it was erected. 18 years is a long time to pay hire charges.
 
hi ya phil...to be honest my feeling on this is that in 1996 the council most likely did intend to retain the golden lion and maybe even move it back to digbeth but then along came more important things like HS2..THE NEW METRO LINE and of course THE NEW LIBRARY..which resulted in once again our historical buildings being tossed aside and forgotton until they get to such a state that demolision justifies their actions..places like the golden lion is REAL history...we have seen it before phil and will see it again...

lyn
 
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Charlie said:
Just emailed Mr Davis Lyn. We can but try!
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well done charlie..i always say there is no point in moaning about it if we dont make our feelings known and so long as we try if we do fail then at least we can say we cared enough to try...i am really hoping that others follow your lead:encouragement:

lyn
 
update..

hi folks i emailed councillor phil davis 2 days ago and have received his reponse which is below...lets hope we get some answers soon..


Thanks for your note.
Through Cllr Ward's office I've asked for an updated assessment on both the condition of the Golden Lion and the costs involved in making repairs.

Money to support Cannon Hill Park comes from various sources. Increasingly Govt cuts mean the city has to make grant applications to Heritage Lottery to repair historic buildings. I am happy to raise the possibility of such a bid for the Golden Lion, but we need to understand the costs first and how the building might fit into a wider Cannon Hill Park plan to raise funds.

Once I have further information I would be happy to discuss the future of the Golden Lion again.

I hope this is helpful

Sincerely

Cllr Phil Davis
City Heritage Champion
 
morning carol....to be honest right now i cant think of any other building (and i know there are many) that is more worthy of a heritage lottery grant..i am pleased with the reply from mr davis in as much as at least there is the possiblily of applying for one..we will need to keep everything crossed on this one but at least its a start...

lyn
 
Personally I think parks department would be the last thing on the agenda. The council want to spend money on
In this state of affairs. Certainly as no value to the community
There is one or two government building that want sorting out before parks of any think schools sports education and exercise playing fields
Are more of important and do not for get this metro is costing us money it must be difficult for the council on how and where to spend and save money
Within this city best wishes astonian,,,
 
morning alan.....in my humble opinion the golden lion pub is of great historical importance to the city of birmingham...its just sitting in cannon hill park and getting into a worse state as every year goes by...we can only hope it will be saved..

all the best

lyn
 
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Well done once again Lyn, at least Mr Davis is now aware that not all the people in Birmingham are prepared to sit back and watch the Golden Lion fall down. I have to say that I would have thought all the measures mentioned by Mr Davis would have been taken quite some time ago, if not then someone has been very lax in their job.

Why does the Golden Lion have to fit in with the wider plan for Cannon Hill Park it has stood there for 103 years and that is only 48 years short of the park itself, it is part of the park now and it wouldn't be the same without it. Why cannot it be renovated to serve the same purpose it always has or even an additional tea room?

If they are going to move it back to Digbeth, then let them get on with it and not wait until there is nothing left to move but a pile of rubble.
 
absolutely agree with all you say phil....like you say a small tea room or even a museum would both be ideas..cant see them moving it back to the eastside now as there is to much going on around that way already... i will be putting those ideas to mr davis once i have received further info from him...wont take this lying down phil...empty promises are easy to make its action that is needed here and fast..

lyn
 
Charlie said:
At least you had a reply Lyn., that's more than I've had yet!
Charlie x
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charlie carl chinn has had very similar replies over the years in his quest to save the golden lion so i am not expecting miracles..like i said earlier..empty promises are easy to keep..

lyn x
 
If you go to the Hidden Spaces exhibition at Curzon Street Station (closes tomorrow) it has a room with reuse ideas for At Risk Birmingham buildings. Including the Golden Lion! Whether any of those ideas by the people who entered the competition goes ahead, I don't know!
 
Hi Lynn,
Hope you are well and enjoying the weather I am just coming back to your thread you started on the lion pub I cannon hill park
Well I have to addmitt I was not fully on the ball regarding g the lion and the history which seems to have slept my memory of the lion
From all those years ago and never realized it was oriniginsly in digbeth all those years back to 1930
Image just been reading a book and with a picture of the golden lion pub when it was in digbeth 1930
And how it stated it was moved to cannon hill park well I am totallysurprized and shocked to see and recall and knowing its turning
Into a complete rubble I think its a disgrace and ashamed to hear such things as happened end
I can only presume these Victorians thought of it as we do today and for our he art it age of today and that it was moved for road widen I g in 1930
And transported to cannon hill for the what I term as of tested years the toffs as KT was a high grade standing park of Birmingham as I recall
Along with huge green hot house that was producing bananas in those days
Along with the Birmingham botanicle gardens I can recall as a little child paying 3 d in old money on a Sunday afternoon
But getting back to the lion I am now all for signing any petition to please bring it back to digbeth along with the crown pub that hold
Birmingham heritage as Phil says why not bring it back to digbeth
On the caption I am reading at this moment with the picture of the golden lion its stating the reason as to why and whom by

This what it states ,,this atmospheric photo from the 1930.s shows the golden lion,inn and the church of saint. John. The baptist
On high street ,deritend, after the second world war, the golden lion, was moved to cannon hill park, whilst the church and other
Building wetre knocked down. For road widening thanks to Mr h c. Lacy ,
So now I see what you and Phil are seeing it as monument of brum heritage and given now as I seen last week when I came down through Moseley
How the area as changed dramiticaly I think yes , yes, rebuild it I was told by some one area years back from some one I know very well in Shelly park just the side of the park area years back I was told in conversation that's before all the building of the area took place that they said big things are becoming to the area
After seeing the cricket ground and the changing around the police quarters. It seems to be bearing fruit
I say well done Birmingham council continue and include the golden lion back to its former glory and let it road loud forbirmingham
Best wishes Lynn Alan. Astonian,,,,
 
hello alan the golden lion dates back to around 1520 and it was removed from digbeth in 1911 and has remained there ever since...all we can do is hope and prey that the council see fit to restore it to its former glory but im not holding my breath on this one...

have a nice day alan

lyn
 
The thing is Lyn, if they are not going to restore it, are they actually going to watch it fall down so there is nothing left but a pile of rubble?
 
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