BLACK COUNTRY SLATED AGAIN (YAWN!)

21-12-2007

The Black Country has come under attack (again) in a new book which describes the “depressing industrial squalor” in the area around the Oak House in West Bromwich.

Readers Digest has just published “Discover Britain’s Historic Houses” – but uses an article by Simon Jenkins written in 2003 to describe Sandwell.

He admires the Oak House, but says, "West Bromwich needs all the historic buildings it can find. This languishes in all its glory, a Cinderella amid the most depressing industrial squalor, even for the Black Country."

That’s brought a robust response from Sandwell’s cabinet member for leisure Linda Horton, who says the book ignores the area’s massive regeneration efforts over recent years. 

She said:  "I'm glad we're included in the book but I'd like to point out without our industrial heritage and strength the country would have been a lot poorer.
 
"Mr Jenkins sounds like he's copying the proverbial antics of Queen Victoria who passed through West Bromwich with curtains drawn so as not to be disturbed by the 'squalor' of people making a living.
"Yes, there is a lot of work to do but a lot has been done. We've put millions of pounds into regeneration and making Sandwell and better place to live, work and play.
 
"And we've got some tremendous historic buildings and sites across Sandwell, a lot more in fact than many other areas of the country.”

Linda’s Top Ten historic sites in Sandwell
 
1 Oak House

2 Manor House

3 Sandwell Valley and Park Farm

4 Galton Valley (Heritage Centre, bridge and canals)

5 Haden Hill House and Park

6 Balaji Temple, Tividale

7 Cobb's Engine House

8 Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, Smethwick

9 St. Bartholemew's Church, Wednesbury

10 Warley Woods Park

What are your favourite historic sites around the West Midlands.