Work continues to complete the Withywindle Performance Arena near to Hall Green’s Sarehole Mill. Recently, volunteers from the consultants Price Waterhouse Coopers under the guidance Shire Productions’ Vivienne Wilkes continued with the second phase of the planting of Camomile seedlings in the seating area. The painstaking task involving hundreds of small plants was almost finished and will be completed by members of Shire Productions.

The PWC volunteers at the request of museum staff also undertook other environmental work near the Mill. This included some clearance of the river and construction of a revetment to prevent erosion. The volunteers worked very hard throughout the day and, as well as the valuable results of their work, left a very favourable impression of themselves and their company. Much appreciated.

We are very pleased to report that following persistent efforts, the ford in Green Road has at last received the flashing warning sign we have been seeking. The sign is to alert people to the danger caused by rising waters and to show when driving through the ford is unsafe. It has taken a lot longer than originally expected to get the sign installed due to technical difficulties.

The River Cole is prone to flash flooding and while the river looks peaceful enough in normal weather conditions it can rise very quickly. The force of the water when the river is in spate is also greater than might be expected and is more than enough to carry a vehicle downstream and trap it under the bridge. This has happened on several occasions. Your three Hall Green councillors observed for themselves one such incident involving a trapped car at the time of a flooding this autumn.

The first of our photographs shows Councillor Paula Smith by the new sign and the second gives an indication of the depth of water that can occur when the River Cole is in flood.

My Hall Green colleague Councillor Jackie Hawthorn advises:

“With winter fast approaching many of us like to ‘do our bit’ by feeding the ducks and geese. (Our photograph below shows the pool at Priory Fields.)

Unfortunately, most of us feed the birds with bread and, surprisingly, this can be killing them with kindness. If all that they get to eat is bread, they will starve! One reason for this is that bread swells in their stomachs making the birds feel full and therefore stopping them from eating the healthy, natural food that they need for proper nutrition.

The feeding of white bread also upsets their diet leading to a Vitamin E deficiency and a protein excess causing a condition known as ‘Angel Wing’. In this ailment one or both of the birds’ wings droop and turn outwards with an excessive growth of flight feathers, thus crippling the bird and stopping it from flying. Rotting bread can also cause other deadly diseases and encourage parasites, particularly a duck enteritis that, with a single outbreak, can kill all the birds in the area. Bread can also cause potentially serious impactions of the bird’s crop (the pouch in the bird’s gullet).

Feed them instead on waterfowl seed (which also has the benefit of floating) or corn, pearl barley, sunflower seeds or, best of all, worms and slugs from your own garden!”

Councillor Hawthorn is happy to advise local residents on all aspects of animal welfare issues. You can email Jackie as:  Jackie.Hawthorn@birmingham.gov.uk 

That was the motto of the late lamented Birmingham Municipal Bank from its foundation around 1916 right up to its closure on 31 March 1976.

As readers of my blog and the Birmingham Post will be aware, I’ve been campaigning for the re-establishment of a Municipal Bank for some years. Never was it needed more than now and I’m pleased to say that the City Council accepted (with support from all parties) my resolution last week that consideration be given to this. There is a desperate need for a real alternative operating on near-forgotten principles of service with fairness and responsibility. Many people recall the Municipal Bank (and still cherish their ageing passbooks) and the security that it offered with the council guaranteeing deposits.

The idea would be to offer complete security to small savers and fair and consistent interest rates for saving, to encouraging thrift - even explaining what this is to some younger people today. As well as “Security with Interest” (note the order) there are mottoes inside the old headquarters building on Broad Street reflecting virtues worth re-adopting today such as: “Saving is the Mother of Riches” and “Thrift radiates Happiness”. In other words real prosperity comes through saving in a trustworthy institution and you don’t have to be miserable while you’re doing it!

The Council no longer owns this building, but there are plenty of alternatives, especially as the Council plans to reduce the number of buildings it occupies. Furthermore, a Birmingham Municipal Bank could keep both money and jobs in the city and be the means through which the oft-suggested ‘Brummie Bonds’ could be issued to allow ordinary folk to support civic projects (the Town Hall restoration would have been a good example) while offering a secure return.

There will be some way to travel however since Government legislation makes the establishment of civic banks difficult and restricts the services they offer. But a start could be made with a savings bank (as was done in 1916) with the scope broadening later if lobbying of the Government to restore former powers proved successful. This would be complementary to existing Credit Unions, which perform valuable if small-scale services. And while it is true that the commercial banks could attempt to stifle such an initiative (as they tried to do in 1916) I’m sure that such resistance could be overcome.

Birmingham could lead the way again - just as it did in 1916 and indeed in the earliest days of commercial banking. We are often told that the City should distinguish itself. What better way than by knocking aside the obstacles and putting people first with the renaissance of our own Birmingham Municipal Bank?

I’ve recently returned from the United States where we have been visiting relatives in Massachusetts – hence the longish gap in posting new items on this site - for which apologies. Before this next posting I thought that I would wait a day or two longer to see the result of the United States presidential election the campaigning for which I have had the opportunity to observe at close quarters.

An inspiring victory in my view for an outstanding candidate running a positive campaign on liberal social and economic values. On my blog (see the link on the left-hand sidebar) I reflect on matters related to both Birmingham and Boston. Here, before the next fully local posting I noticed an admittedly tenuous connection (apart from the support of relations!) between the president elect and Hall Green.

The picture above shows the Obama family home. Does this not bring to mind a characterful building that we once had in Hall Green? It reminds me of Highfield House before the developers razed it to the ground (I have just had them written to about the state of the site). But returning to a positive note, let us hope that the benefits that the new president brings will extend in good measure to our own country and the rest of the world.

As residents councillors continue to work together to preserve buildings and landscape and the wider context of Hall Green and nearby areas the information collected continues to grow through research, visits throughout our area and further reflection on what needs to be considered. Supported by conservation officers, visiting experts, former residents and other interested people, we are using what we’ve found out to make cases for local and then statutory listing.

Nothing is too large or too small to be considered. For example, on the grander scale there were proposals made twenty years ago, which I supported, to establish a conservation area that began around Sarehole Mill and, including The Chalet, went on beyond Green Road towards the Stratford Road along the river (this last section now being part of The Shire Country Park). However, this was not accepted by the authorities at that time. Things have changed a great deal since then both in terms of our understanding of what is valuable and the threats that are faced. It is an idea that I think should be revived.

On a lesser scale there is the question of the names given to new streets and buildings. What’s in a name? Quite a bit actually. As we have seen, just keeping these sensible can be a battle, let alone securing names that are consistent with the character and traditions of our area. One good practice that needs reviving is that of local decision making on road names. Ward Committees should be given back the power they once had to set street names. This is how, for example, St Peter’s Close and Aldis Close were named following consultation with residents and public discussion. As deliberations on these and other matters proceed, we have been looking more closely at buildings in Wake Green Road and Paradise and Webb Lanes.

Oddly, it turns out that one prefab was left out of the listing of those in Wake Green Road (we will try to rectify this) and that some of the bungalows in Webb and Paradise Lanes are a very distinctive design similar to some in East Anglia.

As a result of the visit, conservation officers will also look more closely at St Peter’s Church and its distinctive design and construction.

Hall Green is fortunate in many ways, not least in the people willing to devote their time over many years to such very worthwhile endeavours. Ultimately it is people who will preserve place.

Members of the Hall Green Preservation Group convened twice this week. The first occasion was on Wednesday to take a closer look at buildings in Wake Green Road, Stratford Road, Lakey Lane, Shirley Road and Paradise Lane. A good deal of interest came to light and follow-up visits will be taking place in due course.

The second occasion was the following day to review the results, consider next steps and other areas of investigation. Amongst much else in a wide ranging discussion, it was agreed that an area roughly centred on the junction of Wake Green Road and Gracewell Road was well worth considering for conservation as a whole, containing as it does, The Gracewell Homes bungalows, Millmead, The Chalet (already listed) and Tolkien’s childhood home.

We were also advised that the characteristic period pre war flats: Springfield Court, Petersfield Court and Petersbourne Court should be grouped with other similar blocks elsewhere in the city and put forward in that light.

The group will also seek to protect the three allotments in Hall Green Ward (Scribers Lane, Baldwins Lane and The Bridle Path) and the Springfield Road and Forman’s Road allotments in other wards. We also want formal recognition of the medieval ridge and furrows in the Dingles.

Incidentally there is to be an illustrated talk at Hall Green Quaker Meeting House in Hamlet Road at the corner with Stratford Road, on Saturday 11^th October at 7-30 on the subject of the origins of Hall Green Hamlet (approx. 1870) and the early days of the Hamlet Reading Room and the Quaker Meeting.

Members of The Shire Country Park (TSCP) Friends recently revisited the land we are trying to protect between Cubley Road and Green Road. The more you get to know this site, which is larger than might be imagined, the more you realise what tremendous wildlife resource it is. A survey we carried out some time ago recorded that all four bat species were present.

The pond has evidence of newt activity and there are many trees worth preserving including four oaks. There’s also ‘evidence’ of unexpected creatures as you can see, but we have our suspicions!

Residents we’ve met are very keen to keep this haven. However there was, unfortunately, a certain amount of ant-social tipping, particularly building materials and garden waste. The site would clearly merit SLINC status (site of local importance for nature conservation) and almost certainly the higher category of SINC (same, minus the ‘local’). Getting the status recognised is an early step in securing the land as a permanent green area that could be brought under the auspices of TSCP.

The group also visited the green area between the Dell and Moseley Bog below the Wake Green Centre. Again this is a sizeable and interesting area well worth keeping as green land and which could be part of an attractive green way linking the Dell with the Bog so enhancing TSCP.

Part of the land has been used from time to time as a Forest School. There are interesting trees including a small leafed lime that we understand is indicative of old woodland. Certainly the Tolkien brothers would have played there and walked across this when they lived in Sarehole. The land runs up to the pool in the bog, a view of which is shown here.

All of these activities link up with the work of the Hall Green Preservation Group that we have reported regularly on this site. We are fortunate in having many active groups and individuals giving generously of their time who intend to make the most of all that we still have left in and near our area.

Since the telephone system was privatised in 1984 successive cuts have reduced the number of callboxes to 12,747 (there were once about 70,000 of them) of which 4,619 are now under threat from a further cull. To this end BT are going through a consultation exercise which is open until November 1^st. It is to be hoped that the ‘consultation’ in this case means more than it did in the recent round of Post Office closures. But one thing is certain, once again it’s all about money and BT, as if it didn’t make enough already, will be looking to pass on most of the costs of those, if any, that are saved. So guess who you gonna call? Why the local Council of course! In fact, at the very least, local councils need to act quickly to save the historic red telephone kiosks within their boundaries.

Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to mark King George V’s silver jubilee, the red telephone kiosks (designated K6) made their first appearance in 1936.

Councils can either sponsor or adopt K6 boxes within their area. Sponsored kiosks remain fully functioning with the council paying £500 a year for maintenance. BT claims that the maintenance cost is £1,000 (forgive me if I am sceptical) and takes all the income. ‘Adoption’ means that just the historic (I am trying not to use the word ‘iconic’ - but I see that I’ve failed!) box is retained, the telephone equipment being removed. The Council takes ownership for £1 and assumes responsibility for the upkeep.

These options are set out in more detail at:

 www.payphones.bt.com

Having sought clarification, I can report that the City Council will ensure that all of the remaining K6 kiosks will be kept as they are. Most are located in the city centre near the Council House. You can often see visitors being photographed by the telephone boxes. There is also one in Bournville. These beautiful structures have graced urban and rural landscapes throughout the country. We must do all that we can to ensure that the few that are left continue to do so, reminding us of an age that valued many things beyond cash flow.