Tesco's Barnstaple was awash with policemen and the old white tent covering the murder scene, bet they don't get that sort of excitement in Birmingham.Had one of my rare visits to Brum this weekend, grandson's birthday. Fleeting visit to city centre, FREE parking at King's Norton, frequent fast trains into town, two went past while walking from the car park but another came almost as soon as I got to the platform, all with six carriages! Eventually found my way out of New St. station up to the library, saw Phyllis Nicklin photo exhibition, did a lookup in the archives, the staff were so, so helpful. Back home in sleepy Devon and found there had been two murders while we were away, things like that don't happen here.
echo your sentiments john...so the library now needs another £11 million spent on it...its only been open for 7 years...not surprised though as where others thought it the best thing since sliced bread i always thought it a white elephant from the start which resulted in half the staff and opening hours cut and only open for one saturday in every month so yet again the people of birmingham are sold down the river...
lyn
I totally agree with you Lyn, throwing good money after bad and all that
Just a few observations from a retired [Birmingham] librarian:
1. The new building: attrocious. too small, lots of wasted space, poorly guided and few staff to help. Local Studies & Archives in particular inadequate in space & staffing. Try using a run of Kellys directories - can't use in situ, often no seating close bye and you risk getting pressed in the mobile stack - that is if you can get it to work.
2. The John Madin building had its problems but at least there was more stock available on the open shelves and more staff to help. Local Studies Dept in particular was brilliant.
3. The Victorian Library: clearly distance leads to rose coloured spectacles. Rat infested, chewing books up in the stack - serious health hazard. Totally inadequate facilities - lucky to get a seat a lot of the time. A horrible building - well past it's use by date.
I guess it all depends on how you found them when using.....
I remember the "last concrete eyesore" being built. I used to work just off Broad St and sometimes I would walk into the centre of Brum to meet my girlfriend ( now my wife ) and go past the building site which had a small viewing area. The hole for the foundations was absolutely huge. It seemed like 4 or 5 stories down to the bottom. I have always speculated the this was intended as a fallout shelter for the great and the good of Brum. Can anyone else remember it being built?I have just read in one of the rags online today, that the above monstrosity needs £11 million over the next 10 yrs spent on it . This will enable it fit to occupy . How long has this been up , this replaced the last concrete eyesore that lasted about 40yrs if that . I've said it once and I will repeat it yet again , what in heavens was wrong with the original library ? That was up for nearly 200 yrs , does the council like wasting money on eyesores and non starters ?
Thanks very much Morturn. I am glad someone else has remembered it more or less the same as me after nearly 60 years.I too recall it being built too, and the enormous excavations around the site. A significant part of the A38 tunnel was built by cut and cover and there was also a very large underground car park built for the council house.
I am in no doubt that a fallout shelter for the great and the good was built, but whether or not this was incorporated into to the anchor project, which was being built around the same time, I don’t know.
I remember the "last concrete eyesore" being built. I used to work just off Broad St and sometimes I would walk into the centre of Brum to meet my girlfriend ( now my wife ) and go past the building site which had a small viewing area. The hole for the foundations was absolutely huge. It seemed like 4 or 5 stories down to the bottom. I have always speculated the this was intended as a fallout shelter for the great and the good of Brum. Can anyone else remember it being built?
Regards from Redruth
Arnold
Unfortunately old buildings do pass their sell by date and it takes an enormous cost and effort to make them fit for their original purpose or convert them to another purpose. What we have to make sure is that the new building is better than the building it replaces. Even St. Peters cathedral in Rome was built on the site of the old cathedral which was demolished.i admit that although the original library was not really suitable for modern day usage it just seems a shame that it did not receive some tidying up and used for something else...sadly i never went inside it
lyn
Unfortunately old buildings do pass their sell by date and it takes an enormous cost and effort to make them fit for their original purpose or convert them to another purpose. What we have to make sure is that the new building is better than the building it replaces. Even St. Peters cathedral in Rome was built on the site of the old cathedral which was demolished.
I was a member of the old library, I seem to remember it as rather dark and dismal place with some of shelves were on galleries reached by cast iron spiral staircases. I don't think it could be saved.
Regards from Redruth
Arnold
I remember the "last concrete eyesore" being built. I used to work just off Broad St and sometimes I would walk into the centre of Brum to meet my girlfriend ( now my wife ) and go past the building site which had a small viewing area. The hole for the foundations was absolutely huge. It seemed like 4 or 5 stories down to the bottom. I have always speculated the this was intended as a fallout shelter for the great and the good of Brum. Can anyone else remember it being built?
Regards from Redruth
Arnold