Down To Earth in The City gets an airing

 Welcome To Brum

A series of exhibitions at The Arches Project, hosted by Evette Edmeade

The Night Air

Down to Earth in The City was aired last night (23rd June 2022) at the marvellous Arches Project on Adderley Street, Deritend.

City Archaeologist, Dr Mike Hodder gave an inspiring talk about the origins of the early market and trading settlement around St Martins Church, and the ancient roads carrying traders from far and wide.

The central site we now call the city centre holds a fascinating story, and thanks to Mike and other Archeologists, the story slowly unfolds to a new audience.

The 'Ever-changing Birmingham' story will no doubt be written one day, presenting Birmingham in all its glory as a perpetually changing City with 12,000 years of evidence, enabling a vision of the ice age environment, via beetle remains and a later woodland setting with pollen identification, through to the early farming settlers, the market place and the mediaeval growth leading to industrialisation.

Outside currently, is a chaotic scene as the High Streets of Digbeth, Deritend and Bordesley undergo another transformation, leaving the pedestrian somewhat confused as they negotiate the slalom of Heras fencing, but the motor car deterrence is also evident, allowing for a somewhat peaceful, Sunday morning-like atmosphere. Peaceful, yet chaotic, a dichotomy indeed.

Taking advantage of the never-ending city centre upheaval, we have an opportunity to grasp new vistas as the demolition unfolds; there we see St Anne's on Alcester Street, exposed to the pedestrians of the High Streets of Deritend and Bordesley for the first time in decades.

Wider panoramic vistas are temporarily evident, before the City rises to once again obliterate.

From Upper Dean Street looking South-East across the former wholesale market, towards Highgate Park, The Rowton House and St Albans Church, the prominent tower blocks at Highgate stands above all else.

Today the city prepares the foreground site for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games 2022, and soon this open space will once again attract the attention of the archaeologists, as this was the former site of the Moated Manor House. 
The current development plans for this site are, as yet unknown.

From Alcester Street
a fine Roman campanile, the structure was built privately as the chapel of a hostel for working boys by Father John Lopes. He was an Anglo-Catholic clergyman who in 1915 before the building was finished, joined the Church of Rome. The small basilican church was never used for services. Indeed, it has always served secular purposes. (Birmingham History Forum)

From Alcester Street towards Digbeth and City Centre
St Martin' Spire left of centre

From Alcester Street towards The Old Crown

At 10pm on the walk home, the night air is still and warm and pervades with the smell of beasts from the nearby abattoir. 

It could be that the current clean air zone regulation is successfully and beneficially impacting the local atmosphere and the pervasive sheep odour is now prominent when previously it was masked by car emissions.

It prompted thoughts of the early beast markets as Birmingham's population grew rapidly through the middle ages and into the industrial turmoil. The demand for meat grew alongside, and new market spaces and increased trading created an influx of noisy and odorous cattle, sheep, pigs and fowl. An immense attack on the senses for all animals involved, humans included.

One of the discussions at the opening event was about Birmingham's perceived and somewhat faltering ability to promote itself. The Brummies are down-to-earth people, we agreed, happy in their own skins, no-nonsense, no-pretence, not boastful, humble maybe, and yet confident in knowing who they are.

I suggested that communication with the market traders will give us a good idea of what's important to Brummies, and what's not. Next project for me!

Next exhibition at The Arches-