New Futures for Birmingham`s Historic Buildings

Remembering Iain Davies

Posted March 2nd, 2021 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

We just wanted to reflect on one of our past trustees, Iain Davies, who died last month. Iain joined the board as a volunteer director in 2005 and worked with us for six years. He really enjoyed history and historical buildings and Birmingham. It ...

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Chris Upton: A West Midlands’ Treasure

Posted October 5th, 2015 by Sarah Hayes with 9 Comments

Our first Literary Bus meeting was at Blakesley Hall in 2010. This picture became synonymous with the project, with Gollum peering behind Chris in Blakesley’s beautiful gardens. © Anne-Marie Hayes I first met Chris 10 years ago while working at Museum of the ...

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Sponsored Marathon in aid of Birmingham Conservation Trust

Posted November 6th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

My name is Katie Kershaw and I am one of BCT’s trustees. I became involved with the Trust because I am passionate about historic buildings and my home city of Birmingham. I am enormously grateful for the fantastic work that the Trust ...

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The Empire Cinema

Posted October 3rd, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 2 Comments

The Empire Cinema, Sutton Coldfield This week’s Friday Photo is of one of the city’s few remaining Art-Deco buildings, the Empire Cinema (formerly the Odeon) in Sutton Coldfield. Built in 1936, it was designed by Harry Weedon and Cecil Clavering, and is a Grade ...

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The Friday Photo: Water Orton Bridge

Posted September 19th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 1 Comment

Today’s Friday Photo is of a Scheduled Ancient Monument on the outskirts of Birmingham, marking the physical boundary between Sutton Coldfield and Warwickshire. Known locally as the Water Orton Bridge, it dates from c.1520 and is a pack-horse bridge built by Bishop John ...

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The Friday Photo: Blakesley Hall

Posted September 5th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

This week’s Friday Photo and my first ever Friday Photo, is of a building that’s very close to my heart; Blakesley Hall, one of the city’s last surviving timber-framed buildings. After working at Blakesley for nearly eight years, since the age of 20, I certainly ...

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Introducing a new member of the Friday Photo Team

Posted September 5th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

Hi everybody. My name is Anne-Marie Hayes, and I’m really excited to be part of the Trust’s Friday Photo Team. I have worked in museums across Birmingham for nearly nine years in a number of different roles, and have a keen interest in history and ...

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Volunteering for Birmingham Conservation Trust

Posted August 24th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

  Supporters and volunteers at a recent ‘pub’ quiz and film night at The Coffin Works. Louise has been volunteering with us for two years now and is an integral part of our team. Here, she explains why she loves working for the Trust ...

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‘Homecoming’

Posted July 27th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

Dawn, as an ex-funeral director, has been an invaluable source of information on the project, helping me developing my own knowledge of coffin furniture. Six months ago I embarked on what was possibly the most daunting (and exciting!) task of my career so ...

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From Cabinets to Coffins

Posted July 14th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 3 Comments

  Possibly Newman Brothers’ first coffin-furniture catalogue, circa 1894. Familiar with brass since 1882, they continued to use this material in their new business venture producing coffin furniture from 1894 onwards. © Newman Brothers at The Coffin Works.  One of the most common questions ...

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