West midlands Tower Blocks 2 - Page 4

Elizabeth Kinoke · September 23rd, 2005, 12:10 AM

The Brierley Hill estate, over twenty blocks if you count the mid rises.

Elizabeth Kinoke · September 23rd, 2005, 12:12 AM

shame they couldn't get them all into shot here.

Nacho · September 23rd, 2005, 12:21 AM

Thanks for all those EK.

Elizabeth Kinoke · September 23rd, 2005, 12:24 AM

no prob, will try and get pics of the old wrens nest blocks that went as mentioned, they were huge.

Butterfield · September 23rd, 2005, 01:51 AM

wrens nest blocks.....? *thinks* I think you mean Eve Hill where Butterfield Court is. Great pics btw I will try and get some close ups of the Brierley Hill tower blocks at some point.

Butterfield · September 23rd, 2005, 02:10 AM

...but in the mean time if you look closely at the centre of this photo you might just be able to see the Brierley Hill tower blocks on the horizon taken from the top of the Stourbridge multi-storey car park.

Nacho · September 23rd, 2005, 05:59 PM

Makes me cringe when the Post or Mail use 'joy' as in the following article.Every bloody day the same!Pockets of JOY all over the area.Anyway,good to see some blocks getting a facelift.Seems like Sandwell have stopped culling their towers.

Tenants' joy over flats facelift Sep 23 2005
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

By Dale Williams, Evening Mail

TWO high-rise blocks in the Black Country are to undergo a massive £4.8 million refurbishment.

The improvements will dramatically transform the towers in West Bromwich.

The project involves major internal and external improvement work to St Clements House and Wimberger House, in Hallam Street.

Sandwell Homes is working with Sandwell Council's urban design team and West Midlands housing refurbishment specialists Lovell.

The 18-month modernisation project will see major improvements made to 72 flats. This includes new bathrooms and new windows in place of the old metal ones.

The drab concrete exterior is also set to be transformed with the installation of a combined aluminium cladding and render system.

In addition, Lovell will create new communal facilities in each block for use by residents. Other improvements will include refurbishment of the lift systems in each block. The two popular blocks of flats are for residents aged 50 and over.

Tenants have played a key role in planning the new look of the buildings and have voted on the final design proposals

People will continue to live in the flats during the refurbishment work with a resident liaison team on site to ensure that the work goes ahead smoothly.

Sandwell Homes investment director John Clayton said: "We have worked hard to ensure that the residents of St Clements House and Wimberger House have had a full opportunity to shape this scheme. I am sure that it will make a vast improvement to the blocks and the quality of life for residents."

Biosonic · September 23rd, 2005, 06:55 PM

You know what really gets my goat about these buildings? The council.

I am no fan of council tower blocks - generally they were built badly in an era when they had too much faith in humanity and they disassembled communities and stuck them in these soon-to-be-decaying grey blocks. BUT, I see they serve a purpose, and if you get a good one, they are very very good.

What annoys me (and this is aimed at Birmingham City Council not any others because I don't know what they do) is that they pour money into scum-filled tower blocks, replacing windows, tarting up the interior only to have it wrecked, then they demolish it!! There is a fairly new adage in Brum that as soon as you see a council tower block getting double-glazing you know it will be dropped within 12 months.

Now near (ish) where I live there is a really run-down, ugly, dirty, single-glazed tower block and the council won't touch it. Why? Because old people live there. They have security but that's about it, and they LOVE living there - there is a proper community feel, everyone looks out for each other, they are all as quiet as mice and the building is looked after inside. But the council doesn't even have the decency to give it a lick of paint or replace their windows. Why? Don't know - probably hoping they'll want to move out into private old folks' homes or waiting for them to die so they can sell the land without an outcry. Or maybe they've just forgotten about them.

Bastards!!!

Elizabeth Kinoke · September 23rd, 2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfield

wrens nest blocks.....? *thinks* I think you mean Eve Hill where Butterfield Court is. Great pics btw I will try and get some close ups of the Brierley Hill tower blocks at some point.

A friend used to live just off Priory road and I am sure he refered to that Area as Wrens Nest but maybe he/I got it wrong, he used to DJ from a pirate radio station from one of the three, we walked around that way a few times at night to a great indian take away.

Butterfield · September 23rd, 2005, 07:25 PM

Ahhh I see! Wrens Nest is a large estate but that's a bit further on from where the formerly 3 tower blocks stood. I think there was an indian takeaway in a small row of shops directly under one of the demolished blocks which were also demolished

Butterfield · September 26th, 2005, 02:06 PM

Here's Clent Court & Claverley Court in Dudley (seen on the right of the 1st photo). Two identical blocks a few streets away were demolished in 2000.

pirlo_21 · September 26th, 2005, 02:39 PM

"Two identical blocks a few streets away were demolished in 2000."

hopefully the rest of them will bite the dust

Butterfield · September 26th, 2005, 06:40 PM

Yes tower blocks were badly built, ugly etc etc but they're a disappearing part of British post war history whether you like them or not and before they are all demolished someone needs to keep a record of just how war can bring the worst out of people's imagination...

Smileyface · September 26th, 2005, 11:04 PM

I totally agree with what Butterfield says....great pictures btw keep them coming.

Elizabeth Kinoke · September 27th, 2005, 12:25 AM

I'm sorry but street upon street of bland identical "bryant" type houses that blight Britain's estates just make me feel phsyically sick, no detail, no care in the asthetics, taking up more and more green belt land, tower blocks inspire me, they still look futuristic and create a skyline, they can be pleasant places to live and offer great views, if a council piles a load of undesirable's in one place whether it be a tower block or a low rise estate the end result will be the same IMO, most of the wankers from Charlemont farm lived in the council houses and not the tower blocks, or they came from other places to carry out their dirty work in a place that looked dodgy and that the police only visited when they had a tip off.

Smileyface · September 27th, 2005, 12:36 AM

I totally agree with EK too......I'm in a very agreeable mood tonight

Butterfield · September 27th, 2005, 02:14 AM

I completely agree, tower blocks can be inspiring and artistic in a way and it's the people who are housed there that are the main problems. I can't say that I think they're futuristic, but that's why I like them as well as modern skyscrapers - they're like the older relative!

I wish I had a digital camera back in the days of Castle Vale et al, but I sure wouldn't have wanted to live there. But art wise the sheer scale of those kind of estates looked great with the brutalist look and with them being lined up like dominoes. You sure don't get that these days!

tommygunn · September 27th, 2005, 02:18 AM

I take it these are the type of areas where you dont get night time pics.

Butterfield · September 28th, 2005, 08:33 PM

Well there won't be many from me cos my camera doesn't seem to take great night time pics.

Butterfield · September 28th, 2005, 09:53 PM

Here we have Arley Court and Compton Court - two 'H' shaped tower blocks (if you were to look at them from above that is!) in Netherton, Dudley.

Two identical blocks stand nearby but I don't seem to be able to get any decent photos of those, plus it would just look like the same photos repeated.

If I remember rightly somebody fell to their death from one of these a year or two ago!

September 23rd, 2005, 06:55 PM	#68
Biosonic Second Citizen Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 14,320 Likes (Received): 2	You know what really gets my goat about these buildings? The council. I am no fan of council tower blocks - generally they were built badly in an era when they had too much faith in humanity and they disassembled communities and stuck them in these soon-to-be-decaying grey blocks. BUT, I see they serve a purpose, and if you get a good one, they are very very good. What annoys me (and this is aimed at Birmingham City Council not any others because I don't know what they do) is that they pour money into scum-filled tower blocks, replacing windows, tarting up the interior only to have it wrecked, then they demolish it!! There is a fairly new adage in Brum that as soon as you see a council tower block getting double-glazing you know it will be dropped within 12 months. Now near (ish) where I live there is a really run-down, ugly, dirty, single-glazed tower block and the council won't touch it. Why? Because old people live there. They have security but that's about it, and they LOVE living there - there is a proper community feel, everyone looks out for each other, they are all as quiet as mice and the building is looked after inside. But the council doesn't even have the decency to give it a lick of paint or replace their windows. Why? Don't know - probably hoping they'll want to move out into private old folks' homes or waiting for them to die so they can sell the land without an outcry. Or maybe they've just forgotten about them. Bastards!!! __________________ Birmingham.Brilliance

September 26th, 2005, 02:39 PM	#72
pirlo_21 Scaramouche, Scaramouche, Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 2,083 Likes (Received): 17	"Two identical blocks a few streets away were demolished in 2000." hopefully the rest of them will bite the dust __________________ We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm - George Orwell http://babbage.cs.qc.edu/courses/cs341/IEEE-754.html

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September 23rd, 2005, 12:10 AM	#61
Elizabeth Kinoke Wheels... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,043 Likes (Received): 0	The Brierley Hill estate, over twenty blocks if you count the mid rises.

September 23rd, 2005, 12:12 AM	#62
Elizabeth Kinoke Wheels... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,043 Likes (Received): 0	shame they couldn't get them all into shot here.

September 23rd, 2005, 12:21 AM	#63
Nacho Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,674 Likes (Received): 5	Thanks for all those EK.

September 23rd, 2005, 12:24 AM	#64
Elizabeth Kinoke Wheels... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,043 Likes (Received): 0	no prob, will try and get pics of the old wrens nest blocks that went as mentioned, they were huge.

September 23rd, 2005, 01:51 AM	#65
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	wrens nest blocks.....? thinks I think you mean Eve Hill where Butterfield Court is. Great pics btw I will try and get some close ups of the Brierley Hill tower blocks at some point.

September 23rd, 2005, 02:10 AM	#66
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	...but in the mean time if you look closely at the centre of this photo you might just be able to see the Brierley Hill tower blocks on the horizon taken from the top of the Stourbridge multi-storey car park.

September 23rd, 2005, 05:59 PM	#67
Nacho Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,674 Likes (Received): 5	Makes me cringe when the Post or Mail use 'joy' as in the following article.Every bloody day the same!Pockets of JOY all over the area.Anyway,good to see some blocks getting a facelift.Seems like Sandwell have stopped culling their towers. Tenants' joy over flats facelift Sep 23 2005 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: By Dale Williams, Evening Mail TWO high-rise blocks in the Black Country are to undergo a massive £4.8 million refurbishment. The improvements will dramatically transform the towers in West Bromwich. The project involves major internal and external improvement work to St Clements House and Wimberger House, in Hallam Street. Sandwell Homes is working with Sandwell Council's urban design team and West Midlands housing refurbishment specialists Lovell. The 18-month modernisation project will see major improvements made to 72 flats. This includes new bathrooms and new windows in place of the old metal ones. The drab concrete exterior is also set to be transformed with the installation of a combined aluminium cladding and render system. In addition, Lovell will create new communal facilities in each block for use by residents. Other improvements will include refurbishment of the lift systems in each block. The two popular blocks of flats are for residents aged 50 and over. Tenants have played a key role in planning the new look of the buildings and have voted on the final design proposals People will continue to live in the flats during the refurbishment work with a resident liaison team on site to ensure that the work goes ahead smoothly. Sandwell Homes investment director John Clayton said: "We have worked hard to ensure that the residents of St Clements House and Wimberger House have had a full opportunity to shape this scheme. I am sure that it will make a vast improvement to the blocks and the quality of life for residents."

September 23rd, 2005, 07:25 PM	#70
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	Ahhh I see! Wrens Nest is a large estate but that's a bit further on from where the formerly 3 tower blocks stood. I think there was an indian takeaway in a small row of shops directly under one of the demolished blocks which were also demolished

September 26th, 2005, 02:06 PM	#71
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	Here's Clent Court & Claverley Court in Dudley (seen on the right of the 1st photo). Two identical blocks a few streets away were demolished in 2000.

September 26th, 2005, 06:40 PM	#73
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	Yes tower blocks were badly built, ugly etc etc but they're a disappearing part of British post war history whether you like them or not and before they are all demolished someone needs to keep a record of just how war can bring the worst out of people's imagination...

September 26th, 2005, 11:04 PM	#74
Smileyface BAND AID Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: back in Walsall.... Posts: 4,505 Likes (Received): 0	I totally agree with what Butterfield says....great pictures btw keep them coming.

September 27th, 2005, 12:25 AM	#75
Elizabeth Kinoke Wheels... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,043 Likes (Received): 0	I'm sorry but street upon street of bland identical "bryant" type houses that blight Britain's estates just make me feel phsyically sick, no detail, no care in the asthetics, taking up more and more green belt land, tower blocks inspire me, they still look futuristic and create a skyline, they can be pleasant places to live and offer great views, if a council piles a load of undesirable's in one place whether it be a tower block or a low rise estate the end result will be the same IMO, most of the wankers from Charlemont farm lived in the council houses and not the tower blocks, or they came from other places to carry out their dirty work in a place that looked dodgy and that the police only visited when they had a tip off.

September 27th, 2005, 12:36 AM	#76
Smileyface BAND AID Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: back in Walsall.... Posts: 4,505 Likes (Received): 0	I totally agree with EK too......I'm in a very agreeable mood tonight

September 27th, 2005, 02:14 AM	#77
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	I completely agree, tower blocks can be inspiring and artistic in a way and it's the people who are housed there that are the main problems. I can't say that I think they're futuristic, but that's why I like them as well as modern skyscrapers - they're like the older relative! I wish I had a digital camera back in the days of Castle Vale et al, but I sure wouldn't have wanted to live there. But art wise the sheer scale of those kind of estates looked great with the brutalist look and with them being lined up like dominoes. You sure don't get that these days!

September 27th, 2005, 02:18 AM	#78
tommygunn Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,681 Likes (Received): 0	I take it these are the type of areas where you dont get night time pics.

September 28th, 2005, 08:33 PM	#79
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	Well there won't be many from me cos my camera doesn't seem to take great night time pics.

September 28th, 2005, 09:53 PM	#80
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,534 Likes (Received): 215	Here we have Arley Court and Compton Court - two 'H' shaped tower blocks (if you were to look at them from above that is!) in Netherton, Dudley. Two identical blocks stand nearby but I don't seem to be able to get any decent photos of those, plus it would just look like the same photos repeated. If I remember rightly somebody fell to their death from one of these a year or two ago!