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Birmingham is not in much fear of flooding due to higher sea-levels, despite what people might mock up to sell their online games:
It is quite a way above the water — “highest point west of the Urals” I’ve been told (without knowing really what that meant: in a direct line? still higher that what’s to come further west?) — but is it the highest city in England?
I’d have guessed possibly. But guessing isn’t enough for John Mostyn, who set out to find out for sure. First he asked the Ordinance Survey, they said “we don’t know, go away” (to paraphrase), then he got his MP to ask them. And they snapped to attention (it’s what we pay our taxes for):
On the 11th of November let’s create a modern ritual, a post-millennial cultural cult.
Eleven hours on the eleven bus — join us.
The rules:
Get on the 11C at 11am (or as near as dammit) on 11/11.
Get off the 11C at 10pm — 11 hours later — (or as near as dammit) on 11/11.
You can get on and off the bus as many times as you like (don’t spend more than an hour off bus).
Document your journey; photos, film, writing, cross-stitch, knitting, amigurumi, poetry, blog, twitter, however you like.
Meet up with others as mad as you, if you want.
The point:
A post-cultural, post-sporting, post-everything pyschogeographical document of the city. The clockwise circling will create a centripetal force for good.
As a counterpoint to getting upset and protesting about potential demolition of things in Brum that we like (not that we’re going quietly over the Library or the Flapper - FB group about to hit 800 people), I thought it would be nice to proffer a few candidates for “regeneration”. Regeneration, in this instance, means “make it look nice or knock the sod down”. No easy jibes here, although the Orion Building and Beetham Tower are really nothing-y — and Selfridges needs a wash (it’s filthy up close, especially the bridge).
Here’s a few ideas of stuff that could be happily replaced with more yuppie flats:
The McLaren Building
” A big brown stain in the sky” Blockish and uninteresting, and the most scatological colour scheme on our horizon.
McLaren Building
1 Lancaster Circus
That’s it on the left — the only picture on the internet, and why would anyone take a photo of this supremely boring building. Take the wrecking ball to it and we could see the glory of the Ben Johnston, the fire station, hell even the skateboarding goths.
I have no idea how to protest against the plans to demolish the Flapper and Firkin, but these days the first thing to do is start a facebook group. We’ll see how we go from there.
“how has the situation has changed in the five years since the former Secretary of State decided the building should not be listed [?] In terms of the physical condition of the building, clearly that has deteriorated further…”
Well it has (if it has), because the Council have let it happen — if deterioration of a Council building isn’t their responsibility whose is it? Maybe a building needs listing more if those responsible don’t maintain it.
“and the inadequacies of the building for a contemporary library service in a dynamic multi-cultural community at the heart of a globally relevant city become evermore apparent.”
Listing doesn’t always rely on usage - many people have suggested the building stay, but the purpose change.
“the building has never received a single architectural award since its completion, locally, nationally, or internationally.” “…not a single building by John Madin has been statutorily listed.”
Awww, let’s give it an award now, ‘BiNS Library of the Year’. Let’s not do something because it’s never been done before, not a visionistic argument really.
” the opinion of both the City Council and the overwhelming majority of leading organisations representing the educational, commercial and civic life of the City, together with residents,…”
Opinion of residents? Have we had a vote? Or consultation?
“The accretions to the original building have also clearly detracted from the original monumental statement.”
He means the additional stuff — well TAKE IT DOWN!
“In his authoritative book ‘Building Jerusalem’ published in 2007, Tristram Hunt describes the erection of the Chamberlain Memorial as the apogee of the civic gospel and goes on to say, ` Once a shrine to public service, it is now sullied by the glaring neon lights of a McDonalds and the tat of second-rate retailers.’”
Yes, we hate the MacDonalds too — unsully the library.
Apart from that it was mostly the Council position as has been stated before, I’m still wondering how knock down one building and selling the land for to build another creates “space”.
Well, the period of time to write to the government has closed - for now - so all we can do is wait.
“Sadly, the Tony Juniper discussion evening scheduled for 30th June has been cancelled.
A small replacement event has been organised at the same location for anyone who does not get the notice or would like to attend…
Discussion evening, 30th June, 7:30 til 9pm. Led by Chris Crean, Friends of the Earth West Midlands.
Meeting Room 14, Birmingham and Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham, B3 3BS
Limit of 25 people.”
As a child, I was often taken to our local shopping centre in Perry Barr, north Birmingham (since replaced by a tin shed with pretensions of being a mall) to see a Mynah bird (Acridotheres tristis). It resided in what I now realise was a ridiculously small cage, on the counter of a petshop, and would delight all and sundry by asking repeatedly, “Where’s George?”, wolf whistling, or performing another of its many acts of mimicry.
A Brum made film from Oxfam and Steve Rainbow, in which some locals do some recycling and we amuse ourselves by wondering which supermarket car-park ‘Grace’ is lying down in to create that camera angle.
