New Futures for Birmingham`s Historic Buildings

The Coffin Works ‘Hard Hat’ tour

Posted March 23rd, 2014 by Joe Turner with 3 Comments

Along with a handful of other Birmingham Conservation Trust volunteers, trustees and members – including former BCT Director Elizabeth Perkins, who started the project over a decade ago – yesterday I had the privilege of a ‘hard hat’ tour of the work ...

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Arts & Crafts Architecture in Birmingham IV: CE Bateman

Posted March 20th, 2014 by Joe Turner with No Comments

I didn’t have to look far for the inspiration for my next Arts and Crafts post. Firstly, Charles Edward Bateman was from Castle Bromwich – possibly its third most famous export after the Spitfire and the drummer out of Duran Duran – ...

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Arts & Crafts Architecture in Birmingham III: An Arts & Crafts (former) library

Posted March 4th, 2014 by Joe Turner with 11 Comments

On my way out of town through Longbridge last week I took a short detour down Leach Green Lane to take a look at the old Rednal Library, which I’d heard was built in an Arts and Crafts style. What I found ...

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The Grammar School On The Green

Posted March 1st, 2014 by Birmingham Conservation Trust with No Comments

I visited St Nicholas a month or so ago with my good friend Pat. She had invited me and my friends Tanya and Rob on a tour of the Grammar School and Tudor house on the Green, Kings Norton. Pat is a volunteer ...

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A wander through Highgate

Posted February 12th, 2014 by Joe Turner with No Comments

For reasons too dull to recount here, a couple of Saturdays ago, I took quite a long walk to St Andrews through Highgate. Although I know surrounding areas pretty well, and I often see the imposing tower of St Alban’s Church popping ...

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Arts & Crafts Architecture in Birmingham II: AS Dixon & the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft

Posted February 4th, 2014 by Joe Turner with 15 Comments

The Birmingham Guild of Handicraft was an Arts and Crafts organisation established in 1890 by local admirers of John Ruskin and William Morris. The Guild’s motto was ‘By Hammer and Hand’, and it produced high quality hand made pieces of metalware and ...

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Arts & Crafts architecture in Birmingham

Posted January 19th, 2014 by Joe Turner with 5 Comments

When I used to sit in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery sketching William Morris patterns for my Art GCSE coursework, I didn’t quite realise the important role Birmingham played in the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement. And, in turn, the influence the ...

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Birmingham’s Hidden Spaces

Posted December 30th, 2013 by Joe Turner with No Comments

This week’s Birmingham Post has a fascinating pull out on Birmingham’s Hidden Spaces, some of which is also available online. Put together with Birmingham-based Associated Architects, there are some interesting stories and great photos from inside the Council House and its clock ...

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Happy Christmas Birmingham! From the Horse Fair to the Frankfurt Market

Posted December 23rd, 2013 by Joe Turner with No Comments

Well, Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market (as featured in last week’s Friday photo) is over for another year. As it has been running for 12 years* it is almost a heritage asset in its own right now, and – love it or hate ...

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Their name liveth for evermore: Brandwood End Cemetery

Posted November 9th, 2013 by Joe Turner with 4 Comments

Brandwood End Cemetery (as featured in Tracey’s Friday Photo a couple of months ago) in Kings Heath is a fascinating and peaceful place to visit, especially at this time of year. It was opened in 1899 – by George Tallis, Chairman of ...

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