Moseley B13 Magazine November Issue 513

MOSELEY NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE 513

COCO IS HOME!

RETURN OF A FAMILY MEMBER

B13 MAGAZINE

SI LOC 19 NC AL A 73 E ND V O C

£1

BREAKING TRADITION:

MOSELEY VIOLIN MAKER

ART4NATURE:

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

VICTORIAN MOSELEY:

LOSS OF ORIGINAL FEATURES

MOSELEY BOOKS:

EDUCATIONAL CURATION

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MOSELEY B13 MAGAZINE

NOV20

EDITOR Mark Baxter (editor@moseleymagazine.co.uk) THE TEAM Ian Cook, David Isgrove, Stephanie Silk, Maria Arroja Ferreira, Tipton, Debbie Aldous, Max Jalil.

PHOTOGRAPHER Position Vacant CONTRIBUTORS Colin Troth, Pam at Moseley Violins, Martin Jeffers, Andrew and Emma of Moseley Books, David Spilsbury, Janet Berry, Moseley Society Local History Group.

PROOF READER Jane Barry BUSINESS MANAGER Martin Jeffers ADVERTISING Position Vacant SOCIAL MEDIA Position Vacant TREASURER Leanne Holloway (accounts@moseleyb13.com) DESIGN John Northam (j.p.northam@dosime.co.uk) MAIL Moseley Publishing House Ltd. Moseley B13 Magazine, c/o: Moseley Exchange, 149-153 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JP. ONLINE instagram/moseleyb13mag facebook.com/MoseleyB13Magazine twitter.com/MoseleyB13Mag info@moseleyb13.com www.moseleyb13.com PHONE 0843 289 3665 BOARD David Isgrove (Chair) Stephanie Silk (Editorial) John Northam (Business) COMPANY SECRETARY Position Vacant LEGAL STUFF Moseley Publishing House Ltd is a non-profit voluntary run company based in England & Wales. Company No. 07786560.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or part, without express permission.

All material is believed to be correct at the time of going to print.

COVER Debbie Aldous

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WORDS FROM THE

EDITOR

Life is a little grim at the moment so it’s great to have some good news to share with you in the K9 shape of Coco, the local dog stolen from near Moseley Bog, but now thankfully back with her family (our cover star and pages 8-10). You’ll also be cheered

by Tommy Quang’s just for fun look at King Arthur in Moseley (26-28), with the shock claim that the Round Table is buried under the village green! One for The Moseley Society to excavate?

We chat with Alex Janonyte, an instrument maker at Moseley Violins and cover the story of how she found her way into the profession (12-14). There’s also a look at Moseley Ecycles, a new business doing wonders for the environment (16-17).

07 Oh, and apologies to Moseley Record Fair for the gremlins that crept into last month’s heading for their anniversary. They were of course celebrating ten years and not twenty as the headline stated.

Enjoy the magazine!

2020 PUBLICATION DATES

ISSUE COPY SALE Jan (no issue) Feb 15 Jan Mar 19 Feb Apr 18 Mar May 15 Apr Jun 20 May Jul 17 Jun Aug 15 Jul Sep 19 Aug Oct 16 Sep Nov 21 Oct Dec 18 Nov

25 Jan 29 Feb 28 Mar 25 Apr 30 May 27 Jun 25 Jul 29 Aug 26 Sep 31 Oct 28 Nov <

IN THIS ISSUE

30

08

04

NEWSHOUND

07

INES CAFÃ&#x2030; RESTAURANT

08

COCO IS HOME!

11

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

12

A MOSELEY VIOLIN MAKER

16

MOSELEY ECYCLES

18

MOSELEY MEMORIES: OPTIONS AND CLOSURES

20

VICTORIAN MOSELEY: LOSS OF ORIGINAL FEATURES

22

MOSELEY SOCIETY: LOCAL HISTORY GROUP

24

ART4NATURE

26

KING ARTHUR IN MOSELEY

29

JUST TO SAY...

30

MOSELEY BOOKS

24

The Bohemians of B13 - Mo + Lee

no. 72

By Mark Baxter

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEWSHOUND

Tipton, the B13 Newshound Twitter: @B13Newshound / Instagram: @tiptonb13

CONTROVERSIAL SCHOOL ROAD ‘MODAL FILTERS’ ARE HERE School Road’s temporary ‘modal filters’ – two large planters – have been placed in the road close to its junction with Greenhill Road and Greenend Road. The planters are aimed at stopping through traffic. However, there are concerns about whether they may cause new traffic problems elsewhere.

The trial temporary ‘modal filters’ are supposed to allow through those on foot, bike or mobility scooter, but not cars or other motor vehicles. A lockable sturdy vertical metal pole has been placed between the planters, meaning there is no easy through access for cars or other vehicles.

The main area of concern is that traffic blocked by the filters may divert down neighbouring roads such as Blenheim Road, Prospect Road and Greenhill Road, adding to traffic overcrowding in these narrow roads.

The aim of the School Road modal filters is to avoid ‘rat runs’ where motorists use School Road to avoid the congested A435 Alcester Road when travelling from Moseley to Kings Heath. When School Road traffic is reduced, it is argued, the neighbourhood will become quieter and the air cleaner, and streets will feel safer.

A city council ‘Information Briefing’ drawn up in late 2018 gave more details about the filters, saying: “The road is only ‘closed’ to people driving through the area; people are able to walk or cycle through for local journeys. Residents and visitors will still have vehicle access to all properties, sometimes via a slightly different route.

Deliveries can still be made, and rubbish collected.”

Although the scheme is said to be temporary it is unclear how long it will last. The council ‘Information Briefing’ gave the following guidance: “An experimental traffic order such as this can stay in place for up to a maximum of 18 months. During this time, the impact of the measure is monitored and assessed to review how it is operating The modal filters. A metal pole is now positioned in between and inform whether it should remain in the two planters place.

“If it were proposed that it should be turned into a permanent intervention then this would be subject to formal consultation. It is good practice for an experimental traffic order to remain in place for a minimum of 6 months, but the nature of this is such that it can be suspended or withdrawn at any point if circumstances require this.”

As mentioned, the scheme has led to concerns that traffic approaching the filters will divert down surrounding roads like Greenhill Road. A letter has been sent by three Greenhill Road residents asking two local city councillors and the city council’s Travel Demand Manager to commit to additional traffic calming/ reduction measures if the modal filters lead to a worse outcome in Greenhill Road in terms of increased traffic, excessive speeding and cars being parked at the top of Greenhill Road which “prevent access or impede turning”.

Several other modal filters have been placed in Kings Heath centre and another on the King’s Heath/Moseley border in Cambridge Road by the roundabout and Cambridge Road Methodist Church.

GREEN LIGHT FOR NEW MOSELEY TRAIN STATION – AFTER A 79-YEAR WAIT Moseley’s new train station has been given the green light. The station will be one of three new stations on Birmingham’s Camp Hill railway line and planning approval comes shortly after Birmingham City Council approved plans to construct the other two stations on the line – Kings Heath and Hazelwell.

The Camp Hill line closed to local passenger services in 1941. Since then it has been used only for freight and non-stop passenger services. When opened, Moseley Station will provide regular train services into Birmingham New Street, with quick journey times offering commuters a genuine alternative to car travel. Platforms will be provided on both sides of the tracks, accessible by lifts and steps, and there will be a vehicle drop-off point and storage for 52 bicycles.

Councillors unanimously voted to approve the plans at a council meeting. There were however concerns raised by residents about safety for pedestrians and cyclists at the access point on St Mary’s Row, some of which have been addressed. Another criticism was that the public address system may be too loud for residents living nearby. Council officers said there could be a condition to limit noise. There were also concerns about the planned drop-off and pick-up zone and lack of access from Woodbridge Road.

Despite these concerns, the West Midlands Mayor Andy Street stressed the high level of local enthusiasm for the new station: “The community was overwhelmingly supportive of reopening the Camp Hill line to passenger services for the first time since the Second World War. But they did raise some concerns about the traffic light junction and we listened, looked again and found we were able to redesign the entrance. The new station at Moseley will provide residents with easier and faster connections to Birmingham city centre and the wider West Midlands.”

Cllr Martin Straker Welds (Lab), Moseley, said constituents had been campaigning for this “for

The planned Moseley Station looking towards Kings Heath

decades”. He said: “We hope and expect Moseley station will be networked across the region through the activation of the Bordesley chords [a plan to unlock extra train capacity at Moor Street Station].”

The planned station concourse at street level

Councillor Ian Ward, WMCA (West Midlands Combined Authority) portfolio holder for transport, and leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Rail travel has a major role to play in our efforts to reduce traffic congestion and improve our air quality in Birmingham and this is an important step as we work to reopen the Camp Hill Line to passengers.

“Improved connectivity to the city centre will also draw investment to Moseley, Kings Heath and Stirchley, unlocking opportunities for local people and creating jobs.”

The present Camp Hill line between Woodbridge Road and St Mary’s Row

A SIGN OF THE TIMES The neon sign says it all, really: “COVID-19 DO NOT MIX WITH OTHER HOUSEHOLDS”. Yes, we do need to be on our guard. The Moseley area has an above average number of Covid-19 cases, with the whole of the city being in the Tier 2 High alert level where people are not able to mix with other households indoors.

While we are not currently in Tier 3 (Very High alert) at the time of writing, the situation nationally is under constant review.

Moseley residents are advised to follow the well-publicised guidelines for wearing face masks, practising social distancing and other measures to slow the spread of the virus, as well as following the rules for High alert level areas.

VAPING STORE OPENS ON ALCESTER ROAD NanoSTIX, a new vaping store, has opened behind a colourful frontage at 144 Alcester Road, Moseley, in premises previously occupied by beauticians Musach who have now relocated to Balsall Heath.

NanoSTIX says it aims to help adult smokers with a cost-effective and viable alternative to smoking. NanoSTIX products are not intended for use by minors or non-smokers.

Featuring a lightweight stainless steel casing, the compact NanoSTIX device is said to deliver a “cleaner and smoother experience to smoking with the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes removed along with the leakage and complex assembly of standard vape kits”.

Available in packs of three, 1.5ml NanoPODS come in a wide range of flavours including in-house brand Fantasi, and have a pre-added nicotine strength of 2%. NanoSTIX are rechargeable using a micro-USB and contain an inbuilt battery for ease of use.

Opening hours of the Moseley store are 12 noon to 6pm on Monday to Friday and 11 am to 3pm on Saturdays. For further details phone 07535 509159.

COVID-19 FORCES KATSU KITCHEN TO CLOSE PERMANENTLY Katsu Kitchen, the Japanese inspired restaurant in Woodbridge Road, has been forced to close permanently because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A message on the restaurant’s website and Facebook page said it was closing from Sunday, October 18th. It said: “We have tried to keep open for some time now but the pandemic finally took its toll on Katsu Kitchen.

We would like to thank all our loyal customers for your support over the last 16 months, it’s been an amazing adventure. We will be back in some form or other so keep

checking our page out.

Thank you all again.”

The team behind the restaurant started out in August 2018 before opening their establishment on Woodbridge Road. News of the closure was met with sadness, with many customers leaving comments on social media.

Ian Cook

Moseley B13 Magazine

SOMETHING COOL HAS COME ALONG:

INES Café RESTAURANT

The large, for too long empty, building that was once The New Inn on the corner of Moseley and Edward Roads has re-emerged as a cool and beautiful venue.

Inés Café Restaurant opened on 7th October, a profusion of pink blossom, perfect peacocks, romantic seating and a fusion menu to suit all tastes.

brief stay before you happily tuck in to the dish finally settled on from the wide range of tempting choices on offer.

One week after its opening, I pop in again to see how they are faring. Inés is choc-a-bloc with cool and beautiful people all suitably socially distanced.

The atmosphere is as lovely as the surroundings.

“How are you doing?"

I ask the young waitress who so courteously tended our table the week before.

"We're fully booked," she smiles, "Have been almost all week."

Don't you just love it when faith pays off?

They will also be offering breakfast from mid-November. I can't think of a better place to greet the day than in the warmth of Inés.

Oeufs Royale, croissant and Karak Chai is what I fancy for my first matitudinal foray.

Wonder what you will choose?

Follow on instagram @inesrestaurant www.inesrestaurant.co.uk

You have to be brave to open a new venture in these unpromising times. Inés is a triumph of faith in the future. It deserves to succeed and succeed it will.

The staff are all young, welcoming and attentive without being intrusive.

Food is beautifully presented; a bowl of dry ice at your table brings a cloud of romance and mystery as it arrives for a info@moseleyb13.com

Tessa Kate Lowe

Moseley B13 Magazine

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FOOD & DRINK

COCO IS HOME!

THE RETURN OF A FAMILY MEMBER On the evening of Tuesday 13th October we got that call! An individual had seen Coco and the car, and was aware of her theft and phoned us. We passed on the details to the police and at 11:30pm we got a call back from them to say they’d got her. We were both a bit hysterical when we heard bouncing like Tigger in our pjs!

Coco the local dog made headlines when she was snatched ahead of a walk in Moseley, but was thankfully reunited with her family after a widespread social media campaign. Moseley B13 Magazine chatted with Chris and Roz about the traumatic theft of Coco and her happy return to the family...

Chris and Roz, tell us what happened to Coco...

How has Coco been since her return?

On Thursday 1st October, Roz took Coco for her daily walk at Moseley Bog. She parked in her usual place in the car park on Windermere Road and as she locked the car Coco was snatched and bundled into another car and driven off at speed. We were devastated: we’ve had Coco since she was a pup and she is part of our family. Our children were distraught; our young son was crying himself to sleep at night, we were all in bits.

We obviously reported her theft to the police, we got witness statements and a description of the individual who stole Coco, we got hold of CCTV from local residential addresses and were ultimately able to get a car registration number from that.

Having spoken with the police and a couple of dog-theft charities we quickly realised that the best way to get Coco back was if someone recognised her and reported it. So we started the social media campaign #FindCoco to raise awareness and hope that someone would do the right thing and make a call to us or the police.

Coco was obviously very tired for a few days, in need of a bath and some grooming and a whole lot of love but is now back to her old self.

How important was the social media campaign in helping to find Coco?

The social media campaign was vital to getting her back we’d never have received a tip off without it. The local support was amazing and very humbling. The help we have had from friends, family and complete strangers was overwhelming. It was not just offers of support but people actually contacting police, media and other organisations on our behalf.

What do you think can be done with laws and deterrents regarding dog theft? (Dogs are still regarded as property when it comes to theft rather than as sentient beings and part of the family.)

Dogs are fundamental parts of many families, so to be classified the same as a tablet or mobile phone simply isn’t right.

The law definitely needs to change with custodial sentences for offenders. There also need to be other changes such as

When did you hear that Coco had been located?

COMMUNITY

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one central microchip database, stricter rules on breeding, maybe reintroduce dog licences etc. Dog thefts have doubled since pre-COVID as the prices have risen, so sellers who are charging ridiculous amounts of money for (non pedigree) dogs need to take some responsibility.

Charging so much does not guarantee good homes and encourages theft and puppy farms. There are other vetting procedures that can take place for genuine breeders whose priority should be the welfare of the pup.

Any final thoughts, Roz and Chris?

Finally, we are elated to have Coco back but this wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have happened without the support of the local community in raising awareness and some good old-fashioned policing, so many thanks to you all for reuniting our family.

Welcome home, Coco!

Mark Baxter

editor@moseleyb13.com

COMMUNITY

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FREE SCHOOL MEALS:

ENGLAND 2020 It’s unlikely that many of you will have missed the ongoing fallout after MPs voted to reject a proposal to provide free meals for disadvantaged children in England until Easter 2021.

Inspired by footballer Marcus Rashford’s high-profile campaign, many businesses and councils across the country offered free meals Marcus Rashford to stop children going hungry during half term at the end of October.

Free school meals were provided by Sorrento Lounge in Moseley Village, Pete’s Pan on Yardley Wood Road, Billesley, and Cleary’s Irish Bar on Moseley Street, Digbeth. It’s likely many other businesses will be stepping in to help at the time of writing.

It’s an understatement to say that 2020 has been a difficult year and these meals will be a lifeline to families who have found themselves struggling even more so during the pandemic. Studies have already discovered the grim yet inevitable findings that the effects of Covid-19 will make the equality gap even wider, and the poorest in society will suffer the most.

The realities of Brexit are also on the horizon, and 2021 offers us an uncertain future, especially for those without a safety blanket of any kind. info@moseleyb13.com

As someone who had free school meals as a child in a single-parent family, I know the difference it can make for families struggling with the cost of living. With the poverty trap ever present, growing up in a working class household in 1970s and 80s Britain was never easy, although I fear it is even harder now after a decade of cuts and austerity, and the lockdown over the last six months. A recent article for Tribune stated that most children in poverty are in working households, and offered the following statistics: “TUC analysis from 2019 showed child poverty in working households had risen by 800,000 since 2010 to 2.9 million – and that government policy on social security accounted for most of the rise in child poverty. More than 485,000 children (over 60%) in working households had been pushed below the breadline as a direct result of the government’s in-work benefit cuts.”

Marcus Rashford has worked for some time to dispel the notion of feeling shame or guilt in seeking help and support.

Unfortunately, foolish and fanciful generalisations about families misusing free meals, and the follow-up ‘advice’ to those living on low incomes about how to cook on a budget (“foraging for apples” was one of the infamous social media quotes) helped to undo some of Rashford’s stigma breaking campaign.

Britain is still a place of snobbery, prejudice and classism, and we should be fighting against that in all of its forms, as well as making sure children are fed and given the hope of a more equal and balanced society.

Mark Baxter

editor@moseleyb13.com

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COMMUNITY

BREAKING TRADITION:

A MOSELEY VIOLIN MAKER Alex Janonyte, 22, has just joined Moseley Violins having recently graduated from the Newark School of Violin Making.

Alex chats to Moseley B13 Magazine about how she got into the profession, and her new life in Moseley.

I loved it! The course drew out my creativity and gave me new skills in woodworking. It pushed me beyond anything I had done before. At the beginning of the course, I had to choose between guitarmaking and violin-making. Because I

played the double bass, a member of the violin family of instruments, I went for the violin option.

After finishing the course, I wanted to improve my skills further and I found out about the Newark College of Violin Making.

I studied there for three years and got lots of workshop and making experience. This year, when I graduated with a degree, I was pleased to have the opportunity to work at Moseley Violins, where I repair and restore all the instruments of the violin family.

How did you get into violin making?

Leaving school at 16, and having wanted to be a nursery worker since a very young age, I started a course in childcare. However, I soon decided that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for me and I looked around for something else. I had played the double bass at school and in the Glasgow Youth Orchestra, and was attracted to a twoyear musical instrument-making course at the local college.

ARTS

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What do you enjoy about being a Luthier (musical instrument maker)?

I enjoy making and repairing musical instruments because I can lose myself in the task, just focusing on using my skills and creativity to make something amazing. I enjoy the challenges and problem-solving which many repairs present. There is not always one solution to achieve the best result and there is a great satisfaction in making decisions that end in a good outcome.

I am learning to play the violin, and I really enjoy demonstrating the instrument to younger people who come to the shop for their first instrument. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspirational to see them respond to the sound and see the beginnings of the passion that the violin can arouse.

What sort of instruments do you like to make and why?

At Newark, I fell in love with the Brescian style of violin-making from Italy.

I am drawn to that style because it is the beginning of violin-making as we know it today. Instruments then were made quickly and by candlelight, and so tool marks still show on the instruments. They were still precisely made but have more character. I enjoy carving the inlay on the back of the instrument, in keeping with the Brescian style, though sometimes I add in my own designs too. Stradivarius, the violin-maker that most people have heard about, came later and was based in Cremona which had a different style of making.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your experience of working in this traditionally male occupation?

In Glasgow, my college tutor warned me that most of the people on the course would be older men â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and I was one of two women amongst 20 students. In the trade, I think there is much more acceptance info@moseleyb13.com

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ARTS

of women makers now. However, when I buy tools, the suppliers are not always convinced that I know how to use them.

At Newark, about a third of the students were women and from all around the world. It was a very supportive and non-judgemental environment. It’s important to not allow yourself to think you can’t do something. Also, to keep trying different things until you find the thing you love to do.

have learnt a lot about Moseley by reading Moseley B13 Magazine, so I am grateful for that.

After lockdown lifts what do you hope to do?

I’d like to join a local orchestra and I am really looking forward to seeing live music again – especially at Symphony Hall.

I’d like to continue making and

You moved to Moseley during lockdown, develop more of my own style. My main how has that been? goal is to make a double bass. But I also would like to continue to repair and I had worked at Moseley Violins for restore. One day, I hope to be able to work one day a week while in my final year on a famous instrument – famous either at college so I knew the people there. because of its maker or its player. Until Moseley Violins is a lovely place to work; then, I will enjoy developing and honing very welcoming and supportive and the my skills and experience. work is very interesting. There is always something new to see and learn.

Everyone I have met in Moseley has been very friendly and I love living in such a diverse and interesting community. I info@moseleyb13.com

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ARTS

MOSELEY Ecycles Mark Guest is a man with a varied compact kit on the market, giving bikes career, having worked over the years as a converted by Moseley Ecycles a very teacher, an engineer and a music promoter, streamlined look. to name but a few. Mark, a keen cyclist, became How does the business interested in Ebikes work? about a year ago and It begins with a this interest ultimately telephone call. Before led to the creation and anyone commits to launch of his brand anything we arrange to new company, Moseley come and see them and Ecycles. Moseley B13 their bike, and carry out Magazine caught up with a free suitability check.

Mark to find out more...

The vast majority of bikes are suitable for What gave you the idea conversion but we for Moseley Ecycles? always check first. We I had been will explain how the interested in Ebikes for kit works and can even a while. I had grown weary of the heavy arrange for people to have a go on an Birmingham traffic and was also concerned Ebike to see how it feels to ride one. about the environmental impact of making If the customer is happy then we so many short car journeys. I converted arrange to have their bike converted. my existing bike to an Ebike and I loved We come to their home so they are only it. Dramatically cutting down on the short without their bike for a short time. car journeys saved a lot of money on fuel, plus I got to be out in the fresh air more which I love.

I started getting lots of questions from friends, families and work colleagues about my Ebike and I realised that there was definitely a demand. When Covid-19 hit and the lockdown began, it was obvious that curiosity around Ebikes was at an unprecedented high.

I felt that the best way for people to have an Ebike was to convert their existing bike. This is the most cost-effective and How long does the conversion take? environmentally friendly way of doing it.

A typical conversion takes about 3 The idea for Moseley Ecycles was born. hours.

Where did things go from there?

I checked out quite a few suppliers until I found what I thought was the ultimate Ebike conversion kit. While some kits can be bulky I sourced the most COMMUNITY

What are the legal aspects of Ebikes?

We use UK legal conversion kits, so the Ebike is still classed as a bike. An Ebike is limited to 250 watts and 15.5 miles per hour, and the rider needs to 16

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turn the pedals for the power to come on. What has the customer feedback been?

This means that there are no insurance or We are getting fantastic feedback licence requirements for our bikes.

– customers love the experience as well as the positive environmental impact.

Do I still get exercise when I use an Older riders say that they have regained Ebike? their confidence in terms of cycling and You certainly do. You choose how appreciate that they can have a little much power you want to use. One click of extra help when they choose. a button disables the power completely.

It’s really up to you how much you want to What is your competitive advantage use the power. over other Ebikes?

I would say: firstly, convenience: we

are the only firm that operate remotely, i.e. do the conversion at your residence; and secondly, the cost-effectiveness of our Ebikes. A low-cost Ebike costs £900 while a good one is well in excess of £2000, while we charge just £595 to convert your existing bike.

So what should you do if you are interested?

You can check us out at Moseley Ecycles on Facebook, visit our website www.moseleyecycles.co.uk, or simply call 0121 442 6079 and ask for Mark.

We are happy to carry out a free suitability check on your existing bike and arrange for you to have a go on an Ebike to see if it’s right for you.

Who are your typical customers?

Our customers are varied and range from people who want to ditch the car for work to others who love cycling but just want a little extra help with the hills.

We have also had a lot of interest from people who want to avoid the imminent Birmingham congestion charges.

info@moseleyb13.com

Martin Jeffers

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COMMUNITY

MOSELEY MEMORIES

OPTIONS AND CLOSURES Moseley Grammar School’s curriculum from the second year on was a kind of human algorithm, in which choices were made from various options, year by year.

Our first options were music, woodwork and art. Not surprisingly, Stan Adams (see September issue) had already picked his specialist music group, so they had gone straight to the Music Room.

The Art group was escorted upstairs by a prefect to the Art Room, just across the corridor from the Music Room, so our lessons were often conducted in a pleasant musical atmosphere. The Art Master was one of Headmaster Major Robinson’s veterans of World War I. John ‘Gabby’ Woodhouse was named after a similarly wizened, grey-haired and bearded support actor in many Western films, ‘Gabby’ Hayes. Gabby Woodhouse, though, had suffered from shell shock – what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).* Some boys mocked his regular absences and shakes, but my

The rest of us gathered in the Woodwork Room, presided over by ‘Cyril’ Fletcher, named after a famous fifties radio comedian, but otherwise sharing none of his characteristics, like humour.

He briefed us rather firmly on our options and then said, “All those wanting to do Art, stand over there with Spilsbury.” This public confirmation of my incompetence made me shrink as I shuffled to the assigned spot. Ironically, five years later, as an engineering apprentice at Austin’s Longbridge plant, I proved quite able at wood and metal handwork in the Toolroom.

HISTORY

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Actor ‘Gabby’ Hayes

immediate group recognised someone needing sympathy.

We particularly appreciated those occasional moments of clarity, when he gave quiet, informed advice on our work. www.moseleyb13.com

In the second year, 2A and 2B had done basic Latin as an introduction to the serious intellectual skills we would need as we progressed and it then became a third-year option, against the craft subjects. Latin had two attractions, one rather trivial, the other serious.

The primer we used had a frontispiece engraving, showing a bare-breasted Boadicea (Boudicca) leading her troops into battle against the Roman infantry. It was much like Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, of 1830.

The other significance of Latin at that time was that all universities (there were not many) had Latin as an entry requirement. Since I had already absorbed the school’s academic ethos and saw myself on that road, I opted for Latin.

At the end of the fourth year, though, Dad dashed all my ambitions in that direction by saying they could not afford to keep me on after the GCE exams in the fifth year. It was a real blow, but I knew we were poor and there was no

M O S E L E Y

§ Designer Frames

point in contesting it. But, if I was not going to university, why should I continue with the boring grind of Latin grammar and translation exercises? What about my strong interest in Art? I talked to my form master and he negotiated a rather cold interview with then Art Master, ‘Abe’ Lincoln. Naturally, he suspected I was a shyster, looking for an easy way out, but he reluctantly agreed that I could join his class until Christmas, to see how I got on.

In those days, every class was graded every term. By Christmas, I was 3rd in the class, and 1st by Easter, going on to get a good GCE pass. I felt fulfilled.

David Spilsbury

*Thanks to Dr Colin Harris for his knowledge of the sad consequences of John Woodhouse’s military service in World War I.

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www.pabari.co.uk | 0121 449 0845 14 St. Marys Row, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8JG

Since

1985

VICTORIAN MOSELEY:

LOSS OF ORIGINAL FEATURES I remember a funny scene in one of The photographic examples I show Mike Leighâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s films in which a confused old have occurred quite recently, and within lady was asked by a crass estate agent a few doors of each other. Sadly these whether she still had her original features - the agent was of course referring to her house!

I can report that in Moseley such features are disappearing fast through a steady assault by mostly speculative developments.

Many of the large Victorian and Arts and Crafts houses for which the borough is renowned are being systematically stripped of their character as these large houses are turned into multi-occupancy flats. This normally involves loss of original windows and doors, and now even the removal of brick bays (see photos, below).

houses are just beyond the Saint Agnes conservation area (see map), and there are now calls for this CA to be extended. This will hopefully encompass all of Oxford Road where it stops too short to be included.

Moseley also has a bigger CA which includes large chunks of Moseley Village, including Salisbury Road and the outstanding Chantry Road and Amesbury Road (see link at the end of this article). To increase protection further, Article 4 directives are placed on both these CAs, designed to prevent crucial features like original windows and doors being removed without permission or stipulating that replacements that are allowed must HISTORY

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match what is being replaced. Strangely, most CAs do not have this extra layer of protection, so that, for instance, the first 1930s CA in England, at School Road, Hall Green, has been ripped to shreds over the last 20 years.

degrades and the hinges go they are only fit for the scrap heap, creating more plastic pollution and thus adding to what is now a massive problem.

The only way to ensure that Moseley retains its character against damaging change is by protection of these Conservation Areas.

Unfortunately, too many large period houses are bought for their development potential, and the council resources required to monitor these places have been severely cut over the years. For example, there is a lack of photographic evidence to help monitor any changes so that any unlawful changes can be logged by the enforcement team. I believe there are now only one or possibly two conservation officers to cover the whole Even within these more tightly of Birmingham and its 25+ CAs. controlled areas too much change is being allowed, clearly through a lack of The bottom line is that any individual enforcement. For example, Salisbury Road who feels strongly about these issues has suffered quite badly in recent years. can help to monitor any insensitive Thankfully, Chantry, Amesbury and Saint changes by personally contacting their Agnes Roads are beautifully intact. There local councillors and/or Birmingham City are some real gems here, with most of Council: the enforcement team is legally these houses built in the late 19th century required to act on any complaints, but it and into the early Edwardian period in a can be a slow process. loose ‘Arts and Crafts’ style, and a number of them being statutory listed. These Colin Troth three roads should be seen as of national importance, and they surely rival places like Bedford Park, London, in quality.

Top photo, page 20: House had The big problem of course is the original Gothic style windows but cancerous growth in the use of PVC, replaced by PVC. 130 yr old door also initially employed for windows but now removed. Bottom photo: Whole canted for doors too. Windows and doors in brick bay was removed. Map: Saint Agnes this material are not only aesthetically CA. Central Moseley CA link here: https:// illiterate, they are also not ‘maintenance- www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/ free’, one of their original selling points. file/1250/moseley_conservation_area_ They are in fact difficult to maintain, good map for maybe 20 years, and once the plastic info@moseleyb13.com

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MOSELEY SOCIETY:

LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Sorrento was originally a private home built in the second half of the nineteenth century on Wake Green Road. From 1911 it was a home for the poor and needy until Neville Chamberlain bought it in 1916 in his capacity as Director of National Service (Citizens Committee of Birmingham, on behalf of the Ministry of Pensions) to be

Sorrento Maternity Hospital Sorrento in the 1930s

women on low incomes, later becoming part of the NHS. In 1931 Sorrento had twenty beds, but this number eventually increased to eighty, handling around 2,500 deliveries a year.

The area around Sorrento was built up by that point, and sited opposite was Toc H where the disabled soldiers went to have a drink. Highfield House (now the Moseley All-Services Club) was a Franciscan convent and orphanage and its meadow, stretching up to Wake Green Road, was gradually filled up with houses.

used as a convalescent home during the Great War, for recovering soldiers, many of whom were paraplegics. In 1929 the City of Birmingham took over Sorrento and it became a maternity hospital for

Rear Exterior of Sorrento 1985

Sorrento in the 1950s

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built buildings were the boiler house and the delivery and theatre suite.

Dr Victoria Mary Crosse was appointed obstetrician to the Sorrento Maternity Home in 1931. She was the Senior Medical Officer for the new Premature Baby Unit and is well known for reducing deaths among premature babies.

Simple Outpatients Department Sorrento 1985 equipment was used, such as baby beds with pockets for The hospital expanded into several hot water bottles. In 1945 she wrote a book Victorian houses in Anderton Park Road called The Premature Baby, which became and Wake Green Road. The only purpose- an international best-seller and was the basis for care in many other premature baby units around Britain and further afield. She set up other projects, including a breast milk bank and an outreach team of health visitors for follow-up care, and pioneered the use of incubators. She was one of the first practitioners to realise the connection between high levels of oxygen used in incubators and blindness in some of her tiny patients.

The hospital was closed in 1993 and a retirement complex, Sorrento Court, was built on the site of the house.

Janet Berry

Do send us any memories you have of Sorrento Maternity Hospital (moseleyhistory@gmail.com). See the Moseley Society website for more about the history of Sorrento (moseley-society. org.uk/local-history).

Dr Mary Crosse

info@moseleyb13.com

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Art4Nature B13 had a profound influence on my life, and even today has a very special place in my heart.

I was five years old and playing in my back garden at Sarehole Road. I must have had my fill of playing with Humpty Dumpty and got bored with my pedalpowered racing car. It was time to explore the world beyond my back gate!

After a short distance, I discovered the River Cole. I remember throwing grass and sticks into the water and watching them float downstream. Then it happened: I heard a loud, repeated sound.

Every time I heard it, I turned my focus to where the call had come from. Whatever was creating the sound was travelling fast towards me!

a Kingfisher. She saw that something powerful had stirred inside me and, with love and patience she started taking me on trips along the Cole and to wonderful places like Cannon Hill Park, Moseley Bog and Swanshurst Park.

Today, as I write these words, our planet’s rich biodiversity is in trouble.

Earth’s wildlife populations have declined by two-thirds in my lifetime and the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth.

One thing gives me cause for great hope: the power of people and community. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of how important our green spaces are. For many they have provided a special sanctuary to maintain health and wellbeing. They are the lungs of our city and I do hope you agree that we must celebrate them and befriend them.

The Art4Nature project is open to everyone, and it’s easy to get involved: ● Take photographs or create artwork that captures the seasonal beauty of your local Birmingham green spaces. ● Once you have started doing this, please email details of the green spaces to info@team4nature.co.uk and we will add them to the Art4Nature project map. ● Continue creating photos and

Then, I saw it and my little heart raced. A flash of bright blue and orange, which turned just yards away from me and headed back along the river towards Sarehole Mill. This was the moment that I fell in love with the natural world.

I had to draw it and I had to find out more about it. My Nan helped me discover that this amazing creature was ARTS

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artwork that capture the seasons, then submit up to four photos and any artwork to us via info@team4nature.co.uk before 1st August 2021. ● You will then be invited to a local event, where all photographs and artwork submitted will be credited and exhibited for the public to enjoy. ● A panel of judges will select one photograph from those received for each green space. The public will then vote for their favourite photographs, taken in each of Birmingham’s ten constituencies. ● The photo that receives the most votes in each constituency will be used by Birmingham award-winning artist Steve Lilly, the official Talking Pictures TV artist

special signed version. The series will also feature the city’s ten favourite birds and butterflies, as voted for by the people of Birmingham. ● This commemorative series and merchandise will raise funds for local bird and butterfly conservation projects.

Art4Nature has a wonderful project team, including: Birmingham Open Spaces Forum: a volunteer network bringing together people with an interest in the city’s green open spaces; Butterfly Conservation West Midlands: helping to bring back beautiful butterflies and moths to our neighbourhoods; ChangeKitchen CIC: working closely with Moseley Community Development Trust and using the power of good, ethical, nature-friendly, locally sourced food to change lives; West Midlands Bird Club: finding birds and other wildlife in an urban setting can be like searching for treasure. Whether it’s a Blue Tit, Hedgehog, Kingfisher or other species, the ‘jewel’ stays long in the memory. The club is championing urban birdwatching across the city.

The most important Art4Nature partner is you! You have the power to tell the story of nature, to document it and highlight the source of great hope that lies in community spirit. You can influence family and friends through these stories, photographs and artwork.

To find out more and get involved in the Art4Nature Birmingham project, please visit team4nature.co.uk, email info@team4nature.co.uk, follow @ and The Dad’s Army Museum artist-in- BhamArt4Nature on Twitter or join the residence, to create an artwork series Art4Nature Birmingham Facebook group. that commemorates the city’s green spaces and nature. Steve’s other clients include Birmingham Comedy Festival and Chris Millward (Co-founder of Team4Nature) The Heritage Foundation. The creator of the photograph will be presented with a info@moseleyb13.com

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TOMMY QUANG’S WORLD OF STRANGE

KING ARTHUR IN MOSELEY King Arthur: a tale of a legendary leader of the Britons in the late fifth/ early sixth centuries.

Romance, mysticism and battles against the Saxons all took place in and around Arthur’s court in Camelot, usually thought to be somewhere in the west country. However, new research from a local man is making historians think again, with the controversial theory that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table actually lived in Moseley.

The shocking revelation comes from the local amateur historian (and when I say amateur, I mean amateur) Norbet Snappingbrace, after he claims to have come into the possession of an ancient book entitled King Arthur: King of the Moseley Clan, King of the Britons.

Mr Snappingbrace spoke to me about how he ended up with the book. “I bumped into a fella one day who was in a rush and carrying a curious-looking book. He said it was extremely old and was about how King Arthur was from Moseley. He was on the way to donate it to the Moseley Oxfam Bookshop, but I stepped in to take it off his hands.”

According to Norbet, Geoffrey of Monmouth, one of the early Arthurian writers, made a spelling mistake in his work History of the Kings of Britain, and Moseleylot, the true location of Arthur and his knights, became Camelot. Mr Snappingbrace recently gave me a tour HUMOUR

of local sites he claims are in the revisionist history of the Arthurian legends, taking in a five-hour pitstop in the Elizabeth of York pub.

“Moseleylot was where Moseley Village now stands. The legendary Round Table was a place of learned debate and it seated the wise, noble and courageous knights of Moseleylot.

From the clues listed in the book, I strongly suspect the table is located under the lavatory floor buried beneath the village green.”

Norbet described more details of the book, saying, “there’s a reasonable chapter on the magic of the wizard Merlin and I think you’d like it, but not a lot”. He also went on to tell me how Moseleylot had a stall selling fine and slick chainmail for knights – not necessarily the latest and most fashionable stock of the time but dashing nonetheless – sited on St Mary’s Row. The stall was known by locals as the Ye Slicks’ Good Knight Fare, and it managed to stay open for many centuries, surviving plague, civil war, and even regular dragon attacks, although no one was ever sure of its opening times.

Norbet claims Moseleylot was a bit like the TV show Game of Thrones, but with a lot less nudity. He also went into detail on the book’s final chapter about the end of King Arthur’s life. “Arthur became nostalgic for the glory days of his kingdom, constantly asking his aging knights if Moseleylot was better back in 26

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King Arthurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camelot. Probably a lot like Moseleylot.

I asked Mr Snappingbrace if I could see the King Arthur book, but he began babbling about how he couldn’t find it as his house was really untidy due to “losing all motivation during lockdown”. He then swiftly finished his ninth pint before running off to catch the no.1 bus.

Was King Arthur the original Moseleyite?

Was Moseley the real Camelot?

We’ll probably never know but I would be cautious when walking close to the lake of Moseley Park and Pool. A hand could rise from the water offering you the mighty sword Excalibur.* Is the Round Table under Bog Island?

the day.” Arthur eventually left and joined the up and coming Stirchley clan, before meeting his end on the Isle of Avalon (close to a traffic island on the modern Pershore Road).

Mr Snappingbrace’s story is problematic, as the area as a castled kingdom in the fifth and sixth centuries contradicts historical evidence, and there are also no references to ‘Moseleylot’ in all known documents and history books.

Undeterred, Norbet is planning to run tours of the sites and he is also crowdfunding for blue plaques to go on the locations of the alternative Arthur story. “I can’t wait to stick the plaque where Lancelot had his first snog with Arthur’s wife Guinevere: it’ll go on the side of Flakes fish shop.”

Tommy Quang

*If so please hand it into the Moseley Park and Pool Mythical Ancient Swords of Sovereignty Lost Property Department. If it remains unclaimed after 31 days you will be entitled to the kingship of Britain.

Flakes: Blue Plaque planned for Arthurian infidelity?

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JUST TO SAY...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor, I wonder if this is the ugliest building in Moseley? Or perhaps it is actually in Balsall Heath? The postcode changes but it’s seemingly somewhere around this point on Alcester Road. Maybe your readers have a different contender for the dubious honour of the title? ¬ Cheers! Grace (on the cusp of B12)

My name you pronounce so rarely As if you are ashamed of me.

Like a plague or disease just to eradicate me.

If I were lines on a piece of paper You will take a rubber and rub it out.

I mustn't forget my place: I don’t exist.

Katerina Chamberlian

MOSELEY BOOKS Nobody got less interesting by reading of the Young Adult genre which has seen more… books like The Hunger Games and Noughts and Crosses getting many young people As lifelong readers and lovers of reading, but we wanted to offer a bridge books we have always sought to share this to adult books. passion and get more people reading. As Part of the difficulty for young people educators, we have become particularly in accessing that particular market is that ardent supporters of young readers. they don’t know where to start. The And this has culminated in the launch of difficulty for parents is knowing what’s Moseley Books. appropriate to buy for their young people.

And that’s where we fit in.

Books are empowering and elevating…

If you are still reading, there’s a strong chance that that’s because you agree with us that reading is important and rewarding. Perhaps you have struggled to engage a reluctant teenage reader, or not known how to satisfy a voracious one, or maybe you are the reader and would just appreciate some guidance on how to read more widely? Our books are arranged in collections based around themes. There is a ‘coming of age’ category, a ‘modern classics’ category, and collections designed to question your assumptions about the world and gain cultural capital.

And this is really where the link to Moseley comes in. As well as our being local to the area, the bohemian and liberal thinking ethos that pervades Moseley fits right in with our philosophy of challenging convention through literature. We are keen to promote reading as an act of rebellion. In an age where immediacy and technology reign, the humble book now Moseley Books is an online book offers something different. It’s a chance curation and subscription service aimed to engage more deeply with the world and at getting amazing literature into the with the ideas and lives of others. hands of young people. Aiming primarily at the 16-25 year old market (but really Have a look at our collections on the with no upper age limit) we have opted website at www.moseleybooks.co.uk to promote challenging and hard-hitting books that address big issues and pack a real punch. We don’t deny the appeal COMMUNITY

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are exactly the ideas that young people are grappling with anyway, we think that giving them access to books can be reaffirming, illuminating and engaging. So our books may well contain swear words and we do not shy away from sex, drugs and rock’n roll. Instead of putting more barriers in their way, let’s remove the barriers and open up their eyes to the amazing world in which we live and the imaginations of those with whom we share it.

Far from its just being a local venture, we have high hopes for the ethos at Moseley Books gaining traction and a whole new generation of readers accessing high-quality fiction. We would love for you to join us in that goal.

Perhaps you will buy one of our subscriptions for yourself or for a young reader in your life. Or perhaps you will just follow us on social media and hopefully connect with other like-minded readers.

Our chief aim is to get more people reading more widely, enjoying books and sharing thoughts about amazing works of literature.

We hope to empower parents to encourage reluctant readers or support avid ones.

But more than that, we hope to help all readers find new authors, genres and books, to help them fall in love with reading.

We would love to hear your thoughts on our project. Help to support a new local business – get in touch through our website at www. moseleybooks.co.uk or, even better, buy yourself or someone else a subscription!

Everyone has a right to read…

At Moseley Books we believe that everyone has a right to read. Some people need a nudge in the right direction and others just need to be given the opportunity to read something a bit different – to break out of their echo chamber.

Our books contain big ideas and we acknowledge that some of the themes can be mature and gritty. But these ideas can be found in equal measure in Young Adult fiction and totally shielding young people from this can be counterproductive. We seem more on edge about what our children are reading in novels than what they are accessing online, and maybe this is because we feel we have more control over books. But recognising that these info@moseleyb13.com

Andrew & Emma of Moseley Books

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