Lovely blog post (click here) from Simon Felton about the possibilities of the new excavation taking place next to the newly refurbed offices at Baskerville House, to study the archaeology before work begins on a new central library.

He has dug out the map above which shows now lost canals and tells us the dig aims to

to look for the remains remains of an old canal wharf, the Union Mill and the house of John Baskerville – one of the city’s 18th century printing pioneers on the site of what will be the new Library of Birmingham.

How fantastic to ncover the site of Baskerville’s house. What font should we use to describe what is found?

This afternoon both the Telegraph and the BBC are reporting the purchase of Evans brothers by English Heritage. To quote the BBC:

Dr Simon Thurley, chief executive, said its loss “would not just be a blow for Birmingham but for the world”.

He explained: “We now need to secure its long term future both as a business and as somewhere people can learn about the source of goods with which Birmingham supplied the Empire.”

The Jewellery Quarter has a network of 19th and early 20th Century terraces with workshops built in the back gardens.

The JW Evans building was described as “unique as the most complete repository of the traditional craft skills, industrial processes, tools, machinery and archive materials that epitomise this important facet of our industrial past”.

The city council said English Heritage’s commitment builds upon “great work” already under way to preserve and enhance the area.

Birmingham Conservation Trust has been working on finding the best route forward for the remarkable buildings and the history they hold. This is complex problem to unravel but it’s great news to know that JW Evans is secured.

A surprising piece by Paul Dale on the Birmingham Post blog (link here) about how the council views the possibility of the current Central Library (above) being listed. It seems Clive Dutton the director of regeneration would demolish it regardless of whether it was listed or not.
Paul Dale reports…

An interesting intervention from city council regeneration director Clive Dutton when addressing a meeting of the seven architects shortlisted for the £193 million Birmingham library project.
….Dutton rose to put all those present straight over the matter of the Central Library in Paradise Forum.
The 1970s building would be demolished come what may, even if campaigners succeed in having it listed, Dutton said. “Whether or not that building is listed it will come down,” he added for good measure.
…Whatever he says publicly, Dutton cannot know for certain that the council would succeed in obtaining permission to demolish the library if the building is listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
If we rule out the likelihood of a midnight raid by bulldozers, with Dutton at the head of the demolition crews, the best that the council could do would be to ask the DCMS for permission to flatten the building.

Photo Credit: Martin Hartland

Very short notice but this is bound to be worth a free visit:

Date: Tuesday 8 April
Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Library Theatre, Paradise Forum, Birmingham
City Centre

Recent archaeological work carried out during new developments in
Birmingham has revealed remains of all periods of the city’s history.
These include prehistoric pits, Roman settlements, Anglo Saxon landscapes,
medieval buildings and industries, also steam engines and glassworks from
more recent centuries.

“Archaeology in Birmingham: an update on the past” is an illustrated talk
by Archaeologist Dr Mike Hodder at the Library Theatre, Birmingham City
Centre, at 1:00pm on Tuesday 8 April. His talk will concentrate on recent
discoveries. Admission is free and there is no need to book, just turn up
on the day!

Mike said, “Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed a lot to us
about Birmingham’s past. These new finds demonstrate the great variety of
archaeological remains we do have in Birmingham and they have changed some
of our ideas about the city’s history.”

www.birmingham.gov.uk/archaeology

Our Director, Elizabeth Perkins, will be speaking about Newman Brothers at this evening meeting run by the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

Icomos UK is one of the bodies responsible for advising Unesco on World Heritage Sites, so it’ll be good to see them in an area of Birmingham which some believe warrants such a status. (Others have mixed feelings and still others don’t see the point.)

If you would like to go, the whole event is from 6.30 to 8.30 on 23rd April 2008 at the School of Jewellery at Vittoria Street, B1 3PA. Tickets range in price from £8 to £12.50 and you can find more details on the flyer which you download from here.

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.

June 19th sees 2008 sees Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter Discovery Centre host the Paradise Preserved? West Midlands Cemeteries, a conference organised by the Garden History Society in association with Birmingham’s Victorian Society…

“There will be talks on the history of 19th Century cemeteries with particular reference to West Midland examples, the present state and conservation of cemeteries, English Heritage and historic cemeteries and a vision for them. We shall visit Key Hill and Warstone Lane Cemeteries in the afternoon with an optional tour in the evening of London Road Cemetery, Coventry, designed by Paxton. Speakers include Ian Hussein, Jonathan Lovie, Sarah Rutherford, Jenifer White and Birmingham City Council Conservation Officer, Toni Demidowicz.”

For more information try this link and thanks to D’log for spotting this.

Stories, stories, stories. That’s what history is. But someone has to tell them. If you’re interested in the overlap between British and Sikh heritage then you can help.

With its organisational motto and mission statement of “bringing history and cultures together” ASHT seeks to highlight Anglo Sikh Heritage throughout the UK. Having secured funds from HLF for three years we are now entering an exciting developmental phase. Outreach, education and research are key to the future direction of our work and we are looking for dedicated and energetic volunteers to support our work.
We have several volunteer opportunities available:
• One volunteer is required immediately for 1-3 days a week based at our Walsall office, to assist in the daily operations, website development, image research and undertaking oral history interviews.

Contact Gurprit Basran for further details
01922 721 504
gsb@asht.info
www.asht.info

Free entry and drinks to a series of debates/talks about architects and how they might make Birmingham a better place. For more see the Birmingham Architectural Association. Hat tip to Rob.

The BBC, Arts Council, Audiences Central and others has launched a hugely ambitious arts project for the West Midlands - one which you can join. I know from the Birmingham Flickr group how many people are passionate about taking pictures of buildings in the city. The Big Picture allows you to add you pictures (of anything or anyone in the West Midlands) as part of a bid to make the biggest photo montage yet created.

It has the added advantage of using photography, which is one of the most accessible art forms. Anyone with a mobile phone and some sort of internet access can join this project - and lets home they do! It’s not the first time the BBC has used flickr - Picture of Britain was also tied into the enormously popular photo sharing social-network. However there a little more to this project.

I just want to mention a couple of individuals working on the Big Picture. Jon Bounds has been helping to keep this website going for almost two years now (thank you Jon). Stef Lewandowski is (amongst other things) a key member of the Birmingham Flickr Group of photographers (both professional and amateur - all talented and passionate about this city). Congrats both.