Pete over at the Custard Factory blog points us to a visit to Birmingham from Tate Modern’s own blogger Tom. Tom called Birmingham the “Warm Heart of England” and writes:

the most successful design elements of Birmingham are where the old and the new come together, creating a sense of somewhere that shouldn’t work, but does. Battered old pubs and markets squashed next to new civic icons; the weight of Dickensian industry alongside relics of the Sixties. This is what I think of when I think of Birmingham, and it warms the heart.

This Birmingham exists despite the planners best efforts. It seems the most inspirational spaces are there by happy accident. Maybe the best way to design the best spaces is to let it all happen naturally? To re-use buildings that already exist, rather than always ripping them out and starting again.

That is exactly what I think every time is see the back to backs nestling among Bimringham’s new build apartment blocks.

I noticed an interesting site linking to some of our material on the Back to Backs. Jacqui from the Ratheram Family have been exploring their history. She has traced her GGGG Grandfather back to Birmingham

My ancestors were Labourers, Brass Casters, Pig Iron Welders, Cabinet Makers, and Gas Lamp Makers. Most of these jobs would have paid low wages and many of the families had up to 8 children or more.

The Ikon is hosting German artist Jürgen Partenheimer from 2 April – 18 May who will use Perrotts Folly as part of his work. The gallery tell us:

Partenheimer’s work is rooted in abstraction across many forms, expressing connections between art, poetry, music and literature, and importantly their place in everyday life. His is a philosophical investigation, work being an intellectual exposition of emotion, which in turn is considered an expression of life. In drawings and paintings of visual fragility, shapes, lines, colour and systems of repeated motifs, establish a poetic sensibility alluding to conditions of daily existence, challenging our usual interpretations of that which surrounds us.