December 17th – At Kings Hill, passing through on an errand, I noticed the former Kings Hill Methodist Church seems to finally be in the process of conversion to flats. Permission has been outstanding for a while, and the grounds around have been cleared and I’ve noticed workers coming and going for a couple of weeks.

In the morning sun, it looked handsome, and I’m glad it’s being repurposed, rather than lost. 

December 11th – In the midst of an industrial Darlaston winter day, flowers. Outside the derelict, doomed Kings Hill Methodist Church, a beautiful rose grows from the scrub, bringing welcome colour on a grey day. The building is thought to have been sold to a developer, and may be under threat of demolition, which would be a shame.

Not 10 metres away, flowers of more permanence – metal poppies complete the detail on beautiful new railings, erected as part of the refurbishment of Kings Hill Park. They are gorgeous. The designer should be very proud.

Brightness can be found even on the dullest days.

November 1st – Four Oaks Methodist Church: what more can I say. Bloody difficult to photograph at night – passing traffic and the angles make it a tough proposition with my little camera. I think this is a gorgeous building, yet I rarely see it mentioned; designed by Crouch and Butler at the turn of the last century during the Methodist Church expansion that also saw the Mellish Road Church constructed in nearby Walsall. A mixture of Gothick and Perp styles, architecturally it’s a mishmash, but very imposing and impressive. Even more so at night, when it’s beautifully lit. A hidden gem.