DRUIDS HEATH TOWER BLOCKS: Regeneration in South Birmingham council estate

A day of mixed emotions for Adebola Bloke as he finds out about plans to regenerate Birmingham's Druids Heath estate. We discuss life in the area with Michael Portillo and speak to a resident of one of the tower blocks about what the future holds.
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[@nkskro80]

My old neck of the woods too. I lived in Heath house from 98 - 2002

[@smurchison5765]

Two questions. 1) What did Portillo say to you and will we be able to see you on the documentary they were filming? 2) What's your fascination with tower block from an aesthetic standpoint? Great video as usual. Cheers. Keep Right On!

[@desgardner7169]

I lived in Moor House in the 60s, my block was spotlessly clean and I enjoyed my time there. I can remember the Prefabs that was there before the flats were built, and even the open fields there too! I also lived I Manningford Rd too for 6 years! KRO

[@paddyeejit1954]

KRO

[@standenberg]

Great vid lads (quite poignant too) A trip down memory lane for me 👍🏼 Me Nan & Grandad moved from Small Heath to Druids Heath in the early 1970's. They lived in Pleck House in Winterborne Croft opposite Walkers Heath Park. We used to love going down to Druids Heath when we were kids (1970's/80's). It's always been a proper Blues stronghold (like most areas of south Brum). Me Dad's told me a few stories over the years about The Gladiator pub, the most aptly named boozer in Brum lol……KRO

[@DavoBirmingham2]

Haha, love it mate. A great Blues area to this day that hasn't been tarnished by gloryhunters. This vid was filmed a few weeks back but they've just finished doing up the old Gladiator in the past week or so. It's now a set of 5 flats. 😔

[@mabeluk6272]

Ahhhhh I remember the gladiator. 😀

[@thegreatestsnacks1139]

This is a great video. Davo, I think you two should do little guided tours to all areas of Birmingham. You are the best two people to do it and you seem to have history in a lot of different parts of town.

[@terrydempsey2554]

#Davo My time as a child/kid living in woesley castle/Northfield there was a lot of good memories No 1 will ever take Birmingham from my heart and BCFC KRO

[@sunnymehta367]

I like how this channel is becoming more than just a bcfc fan TV channel. Now reporting and discussing social issues of the city 👍👍👍

[@DavoBirmingham2]

Glad you enjoy it mate. We're still very much a local club (which is a great thing) and I think it's important to show some of the local areas and the issues facing them.

[@sunnymehta367]

DavoBirmingham2 love it :) would be great to see you around Handsworth! It's more a glory hunting area than blues unfortunately :(

[@DavoBirmingham2]

We've done one or two videos round there in the past mate. International Supermarket on Soho Road is our spot for Middle Eastern pastries.

[@SteveyC335]

@@DavoBirmingham2 Where are you? Why don't you do this stuff anymore? Is Adebola bloke OK?

[@legitlee8359]

West Heath,druids heath,kings heath and small heath. All the heaths are good blues areas

[@DavoBirmingham2]

Might have to do a video in West Heath next. #B31

[@mattslater2256]

The Brummie Runner all that is needed now is Blackheath and Whiteheath and you lot would run all the heaths😂

[@legitlee8359]

DavoBirmingham2 110% mate. Sound good to me

[@AbdurRahman-tm2gy]

Balsall heath as well

[@millwallmark7400]

Camera crew looked scared shitless of you two haha. Top lads fair play COYL

[@bp6329]

not as scared as you would be.

[@edenkane4920]

that woman was really beautiful...Mr Kane...seriously she was really pretty

[@josephwatson4644]

Life wouldnt be complete without a Davos diary including Adebola bloke.

[@standenberg]

4:40 "I swear I thought people were just nickin' stuff" A classic one-liner. PMSL! 😂

[@ijazh6790]

I personally don't like tower blocks and think they're a death trap. After Grenfell the council has probably looked at the costs of maintaining the towers compared to houses. Druids Heath will not be the same but will definitely look better after regeneration.

[@Leeann-rz3ei]

I bet you love tower blocks. I bet you live in one and on the top floor and i bet you love it. So tell the truth.

[@nonexistent88]

I will be in Birmingham on 6 September. I’ll visit Saint Andrew’s! Hello from Moscow!

[@SebDangerfield-yu7cm]

I was dragged up in Nechells but grew to manhood on Druids Heath. Half my mates (including me) were Villa fans and the other half were for the Blues (plus a couple of WBA pikey's and even a Man U and an Evertonian FFS). The Heath was never a "True Blue" area, in my experience. But we were all, first and foremost, mates. Which runs far deeper than even a scarf's colours. Nice video, lads. Wish I was there. LOVED the end (where you waited for the blue bus you sad bstrds - LOL) can't argue with that, even though I'm a Villan. Keep up the good work, chaps. Alt-Entertainment, at its finest.

[@millwalljoey8350]

My favourite Davo video ever hahahahahaha

[@NewcastleUnitedOneClubOneCity]

I'm from East Newcaste it's called Byker known as the Byker Wall. Or you could be talking about a place called Heaton #HWTL

[@mabeluk6272]

I moved to druids heath estate when it was just built in 1968.went to sir Theodore pritchett school. Moved away 1980.

[@shaunxthexmod777]

use to live in pleck house on druids lane..shaun the mod 2003-2008 and use to nock around down primrose hill 1990s

[@jamestaylor2376]

The newcastle place you mentioned is probably byker .as in the old byker Grove programme

[@Geoffreytomlinson24]

Brought up in Nechells Davo, kicked out in 1957 to make way for some roadway, shoved off to Sheldon hot water/bathroom/playing fields/still miss the old life, but put 20 years on my life. Saltley Gas works was a killer ! remember my history tho,

[@SebDangerfield-yu7cm]

Cato Street, me. I well remember the gas works and the Milk Marketing Board wagons (as well as the horse-drawn rag'n'bone man a la Steptoe and Son. Ever hear of The Monkey House pub? I lived just up from it.

[@siegeism]

Really glad I caught this video. You filmed outside my family house of 30 years and also outside our shop. Druid’s Heath has been forgotten by Birmingham council since those blocks were built. They were designed not to house people but store people you want to pretend don’t exist. My old school Baverstock serves as a monument stating that nobody in power gives a crap about Druids Heath. However you summed up how I feel about Druid’s Heath it’s good people. It’s like a little village, you know people for ever people have your back, there’s literally no graffiti, no gangs running around stabbing each other it really is a pop next door for a cup of milk place. I’ve worked on a lot of high-profile TV shows but I’ve realised I need to make a film about Druid’s Heath. It’s good people. Thanks again for the film.

[@Dhgsfgdc15665]

Lmao don't make out like it's a good area it's full of graffiti robberys drugs guns stabbings which u don't hear about over this part of town and full of crackheads it's a normal birmingham 💩💩💩

[@stevewood3714]

Why don't adebola bloke feature in the match day videos?

[@RonaldSpriggs-qf4xs]

I lived in Heath House, born in Gommeldon Avenue, 15 years in Ebmore drive

[@nicalev]

Used to live by the 50 terminus during the early nighties, harbinger rd I think. Kro

[@lewisforster6549]

Love these type of vids

[@pogodanderfluff9390]

Gotta say, this video was hilarious! Good stuff. Reminiscing about tower blocks bwhahaha

[@robertcash8494]

Keep Right On!! 🔵⚪️🔵⚪️👊🏼

[@jesswhite9597]

Iv lived here for going on 9 years now and it’s the worst place iv ever lived

[@DavoBirmingham2]

Have you considered maybe moving?

[@peterdeutscher1442]

I know is hell happen is worst all over the UK and Scotland. There is cause badly a load of damps of mouldy in apartments. That is cause-effect health hazards could be poorly repairs and cease of derelict things. Sadly, there are no longer any high-standard safety checks on the apartment tower blocks. Most expensive to create new apartments... I believe that something is right or something has gone wrong... For example; Water leaks burst mains, currently the fault caused the building of fire, broken things in equipment and badly damp of mouldy for people in rooms... People who complains about dampness in the apartment. Now, just sad day in the local could be big change. I don't wonder why is no idea, what is hell happening to those worst apartment cause of damps! Is a lot of money, is the government make some biggest decision create of a big change plan it is... What a waste of local apartment gone bring trouble is!... Wow!! What I lost for words this... Jeez!! 😟😲

[@steveshirley5491]

Davooooo

[@kieranwalker7005]

It's a shame tbf. It clearly doesn't work and can ruin the area tbf. Hopefully it stays alright, I remember doing my driving test round here. They'll probably end up doing it in Northfield, longbridge etc now

[@ammanicalambert6752]

That my mom

[@tomboz777]

Pfft...that's nothing, I walked past Stan Lazaridis in Colmore Row **mumble** (and was too embarrassed to say hi). Don't you feel silly now.

[@sufyaanirfan4962]

Tower blocks as a concept has worked so well for us, I don't know why the fuckin council think there's a better alternative out there. If there was a proven alternative fair enough man but I just feel sorry for the families who have to relocate because of this.

[@bingbong558]

These blocks are vile people hate living here

[@brumsgrub8633]

Arrange a date and do a massive druids heath street party

[@xxxtentacionbromoonlight3453]

Druds heath my minibus passid there

[@millwalljoey8350]

Excellent bald head

[@deanmaddams4265]

You caught a diamond bus Davo... ? Very brave...absolutely rubbish service in Redditch. kro

[@DavoBirmingham2]

They're pretty good round here mate. They tend to be a fair bit quicker as A) drivers don't fool around doing 5-minute change-overs in the middle of the journey and B) people with Travel WM passes don't catch them. Also a return ticket is cheaper and you don't have to have the exact change.

[@jameswinstanley3245]

What is your opinion on walsall as an area?

[@ijazh6790]

Gonna be a proper sell out versus Fulham. I'm hearing we are close to selling out all sides of the ground including the Gil Merrick upper. I'm not sure what the capacity will be with segregation but it will be close to 30000.

[@smudger-s4485]

Was Adebola bloke on about pool farm.

[@deandrelambert-z9t]

THATS MY MOM

[@jamietalbot7254]

Same as us in chelmsley wood Dave. Outsiders looking in think we're scum. But were really not. And majority is bluse on the wood

[@johnhodges7891]

West Heath :::::: KRO :::::: love u davo ::::::

[@DavoBirmingham2]

B31 Blues! 💙

[@samlarsson4505]

Sweden have great tower blocks.Check out Flemingsberg estate,Stockholm.And shitty teams with huge loyal support.Check out Hammarby IF on KZbin!Great channel!! Cheers from Stockholm/Hammarby!

[@adareilly4754]

5 years on still no real change or new buildings

[@Alex-bf7mc]

You two are hilarious hahaha

[@gramefreer9684]

,,,and what happened?

[@TheFilmmad]

Briely hill by merry hill

[@johnmorrissey46]

Hi folks get back to me as soon as you can I would love to do a video with you guys I know I work in London and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden buckle up in Pegleg both do it Teeth it’s also familiar to me get back to me as soon as you can

[@johnmorrissey46]

Sorry I was voice dictating that’s a load of bullshit grew up in Pegleg war duties get back to me soon as you can

[@cherylharewood2549]

Life inside those blocks is horrible.

[@Leeann-rz3ei]

No its not. You love living there.

[@swag69herrr35]

U know someone called packer ?

[@RonaldSpriggs-qf4xs]

Thomas, John and Richard

[@smudger-s4485]

Adebola bloke on about pool farm that is a proper skip.

[@brumsgrub8633]

Very funny

[@tomshuttleworth7120]

Why is he called adebola bloke??

[@johnicocole5166]

Kro