PigBlog

I’ve bought a slide scanner, and I thought some readers might like to see this photo of Pelsall Common in the early 70s, taken by my late father. It’s me, my mom, and (I think) a next-door neighnour who was friends with my sister stood around my Dad’s Wolseley 16/60 on Pelsall Common- the railway bridge at Fordbrook Lane/Vicarage Road is in the background.

Me and family on Pelsall Common, circa 1973. Click to embiggen.

It makes an interesting contrast with this Google Streetview image form around the same place in 2012:

A similar view in 2012

I can’t work out if the fancy wall and gates are there, but obscured- will have to look.

Staying with the bus theme, I bought a copy of Classic Bus magazine to read at the airport, and it had this rather lovely short article and picture about the last days of Walsall trolleybuses that might interest some people. It’s a big file though, as a full-colour A3 scan.

Walsall Trolleybus near J10 (PDF, 20MB)

Walsall Trolleybus near the site of M6 J10. From Classic Bus magazine.

As the lad himself has detailed, we went to Wythall Transport Museum. It’s a bigger concern than Aston Manor, and well worth a look: Andrew enjoyed himself taking the piss out of my new-found bus obsession, but then getting diverted by the really odd types with notebooks. I got to listen to some Gardner diesels close up, and we got a nice ride out to Henley-in-Arden.

Pictures in the Gallery.

The bad news is that Aston Manor again seem to be about to become homeless: sadly, this is only announced on their Feckbook pages, not on the proper website. Anyone know of a potential new home, again?

A short reference to silly post-pub gameshow Banzai.

I’m now wondering after yesterday’s events (blogged in detail by Brownhills Bob) which historic building in Walsall will be next.

We’ve had the Jabez Cliff building, the church at Melish Rd, another old leatherworks near the art gallery, several pubs, and of course Shannon’s Mill. Prior to that, Great Barr Hall.

So then. What’s next for the unleaded and Swan Vestas treatment, so handy for ridding yourself of an expensive to refurb building?

Will it be The Bell in Willenhall?

The Walsall Workhouse Guardians Building?

Or a mystery item from our diminishing list of historic buildings? (In all honesty, I’m running out of ideas as targets are acquired) Still given the state of our town, something is bound to become vacant and unloved, then burnt and demolished soon.

As The Plastic Hippo pointed out, there’s a remarkable amount of fires involving buildings from either the Statuary List (PDF, 262k) or the local list (PDF 180k). At least the Avion escaped.

This time, I wasn’t driving.

We went to Aston Manor Transport Museum‘s open day in it’s new Aldridge home. The new building is bigger and better for purpose, if not as impressive as the old tram shed in Witton. We had a great time: a look about, a ride in some lovely old vehicles, and a chance (thanks to the lovely people) to see if I can fit properly behind the wheel of a D9 after the PD2 disappointment (I didn’t, properly).

I think I’m becoming a bus pervert: the sound of a Gardner 6LX or Leyland 0600 and a Self-Changing Gears Pneumocyclic gearbox is becoming strangely attractive. Both the Gardner and the Leyland engine are slow-revving, noisy beasts with enough torque to pull anything.

Pics- click to embiggen.

Daimler CVG5 in West Bromwich Livery

Daimler COG5 in Coventry Livery.

Beautiful, Gardner-engined (with crash box) Guy Arab LUF. We had a ride to Walsall & back in this.

Guy Arab IV

One great thing this year: plenty of bus journeys (all included for the admission price- we went to Hardwick and back, Walsall and back, and Chasewater and back on a mix of old machinery), and the fact they met up with steam trains at Chasewater for the train perverts. Great value and fun.

Work is progressing on the Avion. The section that appeared to be getting demolished actually seems to be mostly retained, there’s a new roof in progress (rather than what looked like asbestos sheets), and some impressive windows at the rear, presumably where the original screen was, so a similar treatment to The Imperial, where it works quite well. It surely can’t be long until the building will be watertight again.

Rear of the Avion cinema, 26-June-2012. New roof under construction, and new glass. Click for bigger version.

Well, it seems other people that like the public artwork around Walsall Wood (or at least some of it) agree with at least one part of my post on the matter of it’s asthetic value: It could do with a coat of paint:

Letter in the Walsall Advertiser, August 2011. Click for a larger version.

For what it’s worth, I reckon that the rusting is deliberate. Not so sure about the asssorted bolts, poor fabrication and anti-climb paint. I’ll still tip my hat in the direction of Brian.

…when I’m right. Just under a year ago I predicted

a mysterious fire followed by demolition.

for the Jabez Cliff works, a rather nice, but unlisted building in a conservation zone in Walsall. I speculated that the decision to demolish was already made, and that the building would go, following this statement from Adrian Andrew, quoted in my post at the time:

If it is a new building it would have to be an iconic building. It is a fantastic opportunity for someone to come in and do something special in Walsall.

Mere speculation on my part, you understand- unless I have developed telepathy. The mysterious fire was hardly needed this time (though one might wonder if the cost of the civic arson consultants is less direct cost than normal demolition), as this building wasn’t even listed, not that that makes the slightest difference in this town. Fuck it, it’s only our heritage and history, and we can soon throw up another identikit building on the site. Regeneration in action.

[edit]
For me, this article from Tuesday’s Express and Star says it all:

From the Express and Star, Tuesday 16 August 2011 Click for a larger version

I don’t think this will change the proposal for the health centre as that needed demolition anyway.

In other words, local listing or not, conservation area or not, it was always going to be demolished. This just saves any awkward questions.

For further comment on this, please see both BrownhillsBob and The Plastic Hippo.

Anyone interested in local history around Walsall should check out Stuart Williams’ excellent new blog The Borough Blog.

We’d been meaning to visit AMRTM for some time now, and a recent announcement on twatter that they’re short on funds due to cuts (cuts that have also seen Birmingham City Council start to charge for it’s previously free museums) reminded us, plus we were still feeling a bit tired from working over Easter, so a trip out to Witton/Aston in the car for a change seemed like a good idea.

We struck lucky: as well as the museum (in a wonderful old tram shed, opposite the lovely building of the Aston Hotel, and down the road from The Holte), old buses were running between there and the city centre, via the Birmingham Museums Collection Centre in Nechells, so we got a look at the old buses (including Walsall’s last trolleybus), a ride on two of them, and a look around all the usually unexhibited stuff from the museums.

Both places are really worth a visit: admission at AMRTM is a mere £2 (though I’s encourage anyone to make a donation above that), and the Collection Centre is free- though you need to book.

There’s a few pics in the Gallery.