Brownhills developments.

It has been slowly sinking in to my thick head that i enjoy reading blogs, and had aught to try blogging myself.

I have been using Facebook for a couple of years or more now, and had the great pleasure of meeting some old long lost school friends while doing so. One of my friends, introduced me to an amazing blogger by the name of Brownhills Bob. I have followed Bobs blog's with enthusiasm over the last 12 months, and have consequently been introduced to other interesting bloggers in our area, well Walsall area anyway. Bob's blog centers on the happenings in and around Brownhills, he also covers other interesting villages etc as he rides around the countryside on his bicycle. So thank you Bob for setting the blog seed in my heavily composted brain.

I live in the shadow of the new buildings which are going up at a rate of knots at the bottom of the high street. These buildings now occupy the ground which once had the wretched 3 story maisonettes stood on it. For those who have not been to Brownhills for a while, two of the four high rise have now gone. Those that have been demolished are Wayne house and Bailey house (where i once lived). Humphries house and Severn house are in the latter stages of a refurbishment which has left Humphries house in a shade of pastel Blue and cream. Not sure it looks right yet, but it could only be an improvement on its old facade. Severn House (kids always knew it as block Severn) however has not been fully revealed by Wates and WHG. All of Brownhills maisonettes have now been raised to the ground. The buildings which i live in the shadow of are about 5/6 of the way through the building stage. They are modern looking thinks with curved and sloping roof's. the facade comprises of wood and render, again in pastel shades. The building which replaced the Maisonettes next to the Anchor pub, is the one which is 5/6 the way through developments. The building going up opposite the old Anchor garage is in the embryonic stage, however it will be much like the other building once completed.

Lets hope that WHG see fit to move a suitable type of tenant into these new buildings. It would not take long for the buildings to fall into a state of disrepair should they be filled with "dole dossers" and the like.

Below are two images. Top one is Humphries house in the latter stages of renovation, looking from the canal side.
Second image is of the old gully at the bottom of Hodgkins close leading through to Anchor bridge. This gully will be lost once the new buildings are complete.