My WIP book about Red Robbo, and Longbridge stuff.

[Lord Sterling]

On 27/02/2025 at 09:02, motorpunk said:

 Am I the only person who takes time off work to go and visit Stourbridge?! 

Yes.  I live near that place and avoid it as much as possible. 

I did once twice Stourbridge out if interest. I now avoid it like the plague, same with Birmingham. 

[motorpunk]

3 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Yes.  I live near that place and avoid it as much as possible. 

I did once twice Stourbridge out if interest. I now avoid it like the plague, same with Birmingham. 

I like the ugliness of such places; ghost signs and empty pubs, semi-derelict factories and broken roads. They all tell a story. That said, I wouldn’t want to live there. I visited the Longbridge area and was more depressed with the inevitable minimum wage shops and car park concrete misery that (partially) stand where tens of thousands of people once earned a proper living. Will this scruffy patch ever be redeveloped? I’d rather see this than another Costa or student flats.

 

[Lord Sterling]

On 13/03/2025 at 09:06, motorpunk said:

I like the ugliness of such places; ghost signs and empty pubs, semi-derelict factories and broken roads. They all tell a story. That said, I wouldn’t want to live there. I visited the Longbridge area and was more depressed with the inevitable minimum wage shops and car park concrete misery that (partially) stand where tens of thousands of people once earned a proper living. Will this scruffy patch ever be redeveloped? I’d rather see this than another Costa or student flats.

I do too. Believe it or not, if you come to my house, you'll see a bookshelf dedicated almost exclusively to books on Birmingham's past, but I certainly wouldn't want to live there again. It's getting worse.

Sadly, it's down to money as it always is. The developers don't give a fuck about the history of the place and the economy here is utterly bollocksed. A lot of our heavy industries have taken a large fall in favour of "science" parks, offices, small light industrial parks and flats upon flats upon flats.

As a nation, we seem to have gone from an industrial powerhouse to a place where we seem to be pushing pushing paper/emails around (no offence, of course, to anyone who works in offices, I myself was once a shirt and tie desk dweller) but we've done this to ourselves in the relentless pursuit of short-term decisions for immidiate short-term profit that eventually destroy our economy and everything we know around it.

The wasteland pictured above (I think I have a photo of it when it still had some sort of Rover employee sign on it) will absolutely be developed into something forgetfully office-y and self-important.

(The above was a rant, not a fact-finding mission)

[ETCHY]

When I was a kid the centre of Leyland at lunch time was a sea of blokes in oily overalls looking almost like a swarm of  ants. They were out visiting the inevitable pie & butty shops. The town was alive with them. Not now, those days are gone..

[New POD]

14 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

When I was a kid the centre of Leyland at lunch time was a sea of blokes in oily overalls looking almost like a swarm of  ants. They were out visiting the inevitable pie & butty shops. The town was alive with them. Not now, those days are gone..

That's because they only get 40 mins for lunch and the factory is out of the town. 

The nearest shop (sainburys) is 10 minutes drive. And that's after a 10 minute walk to the car park. 

The nearest butty wagon on the industrial estate is would take 20 mins to walk to. 

There's apparently a culture of going to the Leyland lion on the day you retire. 4 people in Product Developmemt retire on the 4th April. You might see a few people in town late afternoon. 

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

That's because they only get 40 mins for lunch and the factory is out of the town. 

The nearest shop (sainburys) is 10 minutes drive. And that's after a 10 minute walk to the car park. 

The nearest butty wagon on the industrial estate is would take 20 mins to walk to. 

There's apparently a culture of going to the Leyland lion on the day you retire. 4 people in Product Developmemt retire on the 4th April. You might see a few people in town late afternoon. 

When I was a kid Leyland Motors/Trucks had North & South works right in the middle of town, two big sites. 

[chaseracer]

On 01/03/2025 at 21:09, Floatylight said:

Do you want an introduction?

He's already got Roger's email address... 😉✊

[motorpunk]

Of course, even after Robbo went, things were not all rosy at Rover.

[New POD]

On 14/03/2025 at 07:33, ETCHY said:

When I was a kid Leyland Motors/Trucks had North & South works right in the middle of town, two big sites. 

Is one of those now the museum ?  

I suspect Leyland us abit like Uttoxeter.  Most of JCB was in the centre of town, but moved out to a bigger greenfield site after a few years. 

[lesapandre]

On 14/03/2025 at 02:56, Lord Sterling said:

I do too. Believe it or not, if you come to my house, you'll see a bookshelf dedicated almost exclusively to books on Birmingham's past, but I certainly wouldn't want to live there again. It's getting worse.

Sadly, it's down to money as it always is. The developers don't give a fuck about the history of the place and the economy here is utterly bollocksed. A lot of our heavy industries have taken a large fall in favour of "science" parks, offices, small light industrial parks and flats upon flats upon flats.

As a nation, we seem to have gone from an industrial powerhouse to a place where we seem to be pushing pushing paper around (no offence, of course to anyone who works in offices, I myself was once a shirt and tie desk dweller) but we've done this to ourselves in the relentless pursuit of profit making short term decisions that eventually destroy our economy and everything we knew around it.

The wasteland pictured above (I think I have a photo of it when it still had some sort of Rover employee sign on it) will absolutely be developed into something office-y and self-important.

(The above was a rant, not a fact-finding mission)

This type of large scale redevelopment is a risky business that requires deep pockets and a steady nerve - as well as a high level of skill. 

The whole site was bought  by one developer - and they can only respond to what the market will bear - in terms of what can be built and return a profit.

I've only been up to the plant twice before redevelopment and it must have been very challenging in terms of demolition and decontamination of the land - together with reservicing - power, water and grey water - together with access and roads. And that's before anything goes up.

As I've not been up to look I can't comment on the quality of the place created - except to say it looks a bit disappointingly bog standard developer vernacular - with a lot of at grade car parks. Low density housing - but again probably just about what they could sell round there.

But as has been said there is not a lot of money about and the area is in a kind of doom-loop - and removing the dereliction was a probable political high priority.

Let's just hopes the jobs created are durable and sustainable. Car manufacturing was on the site for about a century - some going for a single use.

There were some interesting buildings on the site - the Flight Shed was probably the most important- but was said to be at the end of it's safe life - a real pity. It could have formed the nucleus of a very different form of redevelopment.

Developer update:

https://www.stmodwen.co.uk/st-modwen-opens-former-longbridge-west-works-site-to-public/

[lesapandre]

Austin Village survives as a Conservation Area - worth a look.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Village

Lord Herbert Austin is buried in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, Lickey, near his former home at Lickey Grange and Longbridge.

The grave is visitable - the house now in flats.

Longbridge Works 1906 - Herbert Austin is the driver with the bowler - looks like lots of fun.

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

Is one of those now the museum ?  

I suspect Leyland us abit like Uttoxeter.  Most of JCB was in the centre of town, but moved out to a bigger greenfield site after a few years. 

Yep part of it, a road runs through one part of where the factory on that side ran to ( my dad was a Labourer there in the 60s, 70' s early 80's). I can remember waiting with my mum near what is now the museum for him to come out of work with his wage packet & we'd go shopping.

[New POD]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

Austin Village survives as a Conservation Area - worth a look.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Village

Lord Herbert Austin is buried in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, Lickey, near his former home at Lickey Grange and Longbridge.

The grave is visitable - the house now in flats.

Longbridge Works 1906 - Herbert Austin is the driver with the bowler - looks like lots of fun.

4 of those prefabs are for sale currently. 

[lesapandre]

You can actually - live the dream. 

 

[Matty]

On 14/03/2025 at 06:00, ETCHY said:

When I was a kid the centre of Leyland at lunch time was a sea of blokes in oily overalls looking almost like a swarm of  ants. They were out visiting the inevitable pie & butty shops. The town was alive with them. Not now, those days are gone..

I still work in an engineering works in the absolute centre of the town I grew up in. And we do still go to the shop and that in oily overalls. And whilst I do feel like a throwback or an exhibition at Beamish, I continue to appreciate every minute of it.

[R Lutz]

On 27/02/2025 at 09:02, motorpunk said:

Am I the only person who takes time off work to go and visit Stourbridge?! 

I consider a trip to Stourbridge a birthday treat.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, R Lutz said:

I consider a trip to Stourbridge a birthday treat.

You're from Dudley, then? 🤣

[motorpunk]

4500 words done… slowed down a bit by a trip overseas. 

[motorpunk]

5000 words. Am stuck in the ‘90s when Robbo wasn’t doing much, and I went down a fantasy rabbit hole of a Longbridge-themed crazy golf course. His mum died in ‘92, by the way, aged 91ish. She’ll play a massive part in the book later on for reasons I’ve just discovered.

[ETCHY]

Really looking forward to this book. 

I do miss British Leyland,  Austin Morris , Austin Rover, Rover or whatever the fuck the firm were called that week.

They were just so much a part of my life for so many years. Yes they were somehow clueless but had the odd flash of brilliance that they sadly usually managed to fuck up against all the odds. Often by militant unions, workers not putting stuff together properly,  getting customers to do the development work or in house politics meaning cars were compromised either in looks or engineering.. Still cool in their own way though & will always be one big "what might have been".

IMO they just make Ford (who knew what they were doing) seem a bit dull somehow 🤣

 

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, ETCHY said:

Really looking forward to this book. 

I do miss British Leyland,  Austin Morris , Austin Rover, Rover or whatever the fuck the firm were called that week.

They were just so much a part of my life for so many years. Yes they were somehow clueless but had the odd flash of brilliance that they sadly usually managed to fuck up against all the odds. Often by militant unions, workers not putting stuff together properly,  getting customers to do the development work or in house politics meaning cars were compromised either in looks or engineering.. Still cool in their own way though & will always be one big "what might have been".

IMO they just make Ford (who knew what they were doing) seem a bit dull somehow 🤣

 

You missed out Leyland, and BLMC. Plus some earlier ones, Wolseley, Riley, Morris Garages. How far do you go back tho?

[lesapandre]

BMC, MGRover, Rover Group and further back Nuffield too. Spares were Unipart.

There was also for a short while in the late 1950's a stand-alone brand 'Metropolitan'.

[motorpunk]

Went to see this building. A free picture of any BL product of your choice if anyone knows why it’s (in)famous.

 

[inconsistant]

On 21/03/2025 at 19:26, motorpunk said:

Am stuck in the ‘90s

You're in safe company here.

[inconsistant]

^^^ Shirley she must be related to red Robbo?

 

 

[Pieman]

47 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Went to see this building. A free picture of any BL product of your choice if anyone knows why it’s (in)famous.

 

Former Communist Party HQ in London?

[lesapandre]

2 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Went to see this building. A free picture of any BL product of your choice if anyone knows why it’s (in)famous.

 

Donald Stokes birthplace?

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Went to see this building. A free picture of any BL product of your choice if anyone knows why it’s (in)famous.

 

Front styling inspiration for the Vanden Plas Princess?

[Dobloseven]

3 hours ago, Pieman said:

Former Communist Party HQ in London?

What he said!

[comfortablynumb]

I used to visit various areas of Brum fairly regularly. I even went on holiday there a couple of times, yes I know, I was on a narrow boat and canals and Birmingham go together like, well, canals and industry.

Then it was a hive of activity, loads of proper engineering works with the aforesaid men in overalls, a real purpose to it.

I still visit occasionally, usually for gigs these days, how the mighty have fallen, it's just so depressing.