New Futures for Birmingham`s Historic Buildings

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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A flavour of Italy on Constitution Hill

Posted June 14th, 2015 by Katie Hughes with 2 Comments

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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Friday Photo: Old Yardley Village

Posted December 20th, 2014 by Anne-Marie Hayes with No Comments

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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Friday Photo: St Edburgh’s Church

Posted November 7th, 2014 by Anne-Marie Hayes with 3 Comments

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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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: 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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‘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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Beautiful Birmingham Terracotta

Posted June 23rd, 2014 by Katie Hughes with 2 Comments

Discovering Birmingham’s extensive collection of beautiful terracotta buildings. Red, bold, ornate and beautiful…these are some of the words which spring to my mind when I see the striking Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street built in 1891. For me, it is the material which provides the ...

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