Some of you may be getting gold or silver in your Christmas stocking this year. You can be sure that all Five Gold Rings really are gold by checking the hallmarks. These impressions are applied by one of the UK’s four Assay ...
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Suze, unmistakeably present, second from right, along with Bob Beauchamp, former chair of BCT, Elizabeth Perkins, former Director of BCT, Simon Buteux, Director of BCT and Cllr Peter Douglas-Osborne Since I was asked to write this blog, I have been searching my memory ...
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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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Ceramic tiles, terracotta detailing, floral motifs and carved cornices all contribute to the architectural vocabulary of two unique buildings on Constitution Hill which have a distinctively Italian feel against the backdrop of the historic Jewellery Quarter. Over the past couple of months I have ...
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I chose St Edburgh’s Church last month, and this week I wanted to show the beautiful buildings that make up Old Yardley Village. On the left, you can just about make out the original site of the Ring Of Bells Pub, where ...
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Taken at sunset, today’s Friday Photo is of St Edburgh’s Church, also known as Old Yardley Church, dating back to the 13th century. The church, which was part of Lichfield Diocese is today a grade-I listed building and is nestled away in Yardley Conservation Area. ...
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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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There was good news this month when it was announced that the 28 storey Alpha Tower building at the bottom end of Broad Street/Suffolk Street has been given grade II listed status by English Heritage. This sculptural modernist tower which was built in ...
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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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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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