Tag: Catshill Junction

May 16th – I notice the exterior works on the two remaining tower blocks in Brownhills are nearing completion. On Humphries house, seen here from Catshill Junction, the worker’s platform lifts are being dismantled. I’m still not fond of the colour scheme: Most of the building has been painted brilliant white, with the north-eastern faces a slate blue. I think it’s hideous, and looks unfinished. I note the two new flues running up the southern wall, which are from the new biomass communal heating plant… an interesting idea. Let’s hope it’s more reliable than the similarly ‘revolutionary’ underfloor heating installed when the flats were built. 

Last time I posted on this subject, I was jumped on by someone whose relatives were apparently overjoyed to be living in these flats. Funny how the fiercest advocates of these design disasters never actually live in them themselves…

May 4th – Now, here’s a thing. I’ve cycled past this remaining fragment of wall lots lately, mainly to go and see if the swans had had hatched their eggs yet. It stands at the canal side between Catshill Junction and Anchor Bridge, and I think it’s the last evidence of the Iron Foundry that was here at the turn of the century. The foundry didn’t exist in my lifetime – there were industrial units here in the old buildings. I think one may have been a  non-ferrous casting shop. There was also a plant hire company and an accident repairs firm. These were all razed in the 1990’s and Chandlers Keep built – a close of new build housing, named after one of the last businesses here, a boat company. Oddly, this 3 meter section of engineering brick wall, with ancient graffiti declaring approval for Aston Villa, remains.

July 4th – Anyone reading my work would think that I am completely against public artworks. This isn’t the case, there are plenty which I like, but this sculpture at Catshill Junction is not amongst them. A clearly very detailed piece, it has been placed on  a canal bank on the far side of the junction where it cannot be seen clearly enough to discern the detail. Further, it’s overgrown and looks unloved. How much did we spend on this, and what was the point?