Who Cares: A New Way Home - BBC TV 1959 - Birmingham Slums Clearance Documentary

A 2009 repeat showing on BBC Parliament introduced by Anthony Howard
RT billing -
This film, the second in a series made in co-operation with the Civic Trust, tells the story of a family who move from the slums into a new housing estate in Birmingham. It shows something of the feelings of a young widow, her two boys, and their cat, from the day that the removal van arrives until they have settled down to a new way of life.
Introduced by Douglas Jones.
thanks to the original capper

[@rosieleat6868]

I was born in slums in London in 1961 - we were rehoused to a two bedroom council flat when I was two - my mum (only 20 at the time) said that it was like moving into a palace after the slums. Soon enough the ‘palaces became housing estates that were dangerous places - too many people crammed together, too many fathers not loving their kids. I ran away at five to find the country side. That’s another story, but that’s where I am now, in another country far away, and far away from towns in the beautiful countryside, close to nature and I thank my lucky stars every day :)

[@martinkennedy2400]

...excellent

[@minkgin3370]

Surely, it’s the people that live there that make an estate a dangerous place to live……nothing to do with the actual housing. Far better for every home to have it’s own bathroom/toilet, a bedroom for the children instead of having to share with parents. My school friend moved out of an unloved 1-Up,-1 down house with no washing facilities except a sink in the kitchen with a cold tap & a shared toilet with others in the yard. She had 3 brothers whom she had to share a bedroom with. Ask her which house she would rather live in when they moved to a new 3-bed Maisonette with a bathroom/toilet & her own bedroom ?

[@liamkatt6434]

@BB.639.. Your opinion is always respected. But it is only YOUR opinion and you have no right to force YOUR beliefs or non beliefs on anyone else. It is 2023 not 1523.

[@liamkatt6434]

Canada I bet. Me too!

[@andreaharding4971]

You should write a book about that 😊

[@SisterDogmata]

When these areas were redeveloped the residents were told they would have better safer lives. A lot went on to live in tower blocks, their communities were destroyed and so was their way of life. So sad. It happened in a lot of cities in the UK. It would have been so much better to rebuild the homes and keep the community together.

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

For the life of me I cannot think why this was done aside from the lining of pockets, the chickens have now come home to roost in the form of an asset strip of my hometown; the catalyst of which is this 'so called' bankruptcy.

[@SisterDogmata]

Definitely all about money and land grabbing! Sad thing is it's still going on! I'm old enough to remember what it was like growing up in a community, we played together, went to school together, and everyone knew everyone. We can all see now what the last half century has all been about! Best wishes.@@user-ty2oe8jb9q

[@davem9208]

Even though this film was only from 1959, showing all those new houses and flats of the day, they have all gone now, replaced by more modern flats and apartment blocks. The park, shown as a mess before it was even in place, has also been built upon, so not much greenery around here now.

[@SisterDogmata]

So sad to see how it all changed. And not for the better.@@davem9208

[@davem9208]

In the neighboring estate of Ladywood, just down the road from Bath Row/Lea Bank in Birmingham, the local council has announced plans to spend an est £2.4 billion over 25 years to demolish the whole estate and redevelop it, quadrupling the numbers of residences, taking it from the current 7000+ to over 28000. Current tenants have been told that they will be able to apply to move back into the area upon its completion, but as this work will, (no offense intended as I used to live there), vastly improve its standards, it makes the option of rehousing the displaced tenants questionable. Most of the park areas are going to be built on, so very little greenery will be left. No doubt those in power think that this is a good idea. Good luck Ladywood. I will keep a watch on the area. Dave. Ex Cavell House, St Vincent St West.

[@jamesg324]

People back then had a tough existence, no doubt I'd struggle with it. But one thing I envy is the sense of community that seemed to exist back then. I live in a modern high-rise and it's very soulless. I think there's a lot to be said for having good neighbours, and having family and friends living nearby.

[@gormenfreeman499]

It is diversity that causes a lack of community. Even in U.S different types of europeans like Germans, French, English and Italians etc living in the same communities creates some animosity.p and loss of trust. Thats why the police system in the united states became brutal as it is to keep it all together so different groups arent praying on each-other.

[@gramlimo]

I was born at 56 Latimer Street in 1953 the removal van is coming down Latimer Street at 9.43 and crossing Great Colmore Street into Wynn Street. The Colmore Arms Pub can be seen on the right just by the van. Generations of my family lived in Latimer Street and the courts, Great Colmore Street, Wynn Street, Bell Barn Road, Irving Street, Sutton Street, Cregoe Street and Bishopgate Street from 1850 to 1960 in all of these streets. several of which can be seen in this footage. So lucky to have this bit of archive film :)

[@buskingkarma2503]

There accents take me back to the Birmingham of my childhood.

[@ohmeowzer1]

I love the kitty in the film..the true star

[@kiwitoffee]

'Birmingham will be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe' says the councillor. I wonder what he, the planners and the architects would say about what became of these re-developed sites.

[@Funkywallot]

Crime ridden, insecure,impoverished migrant camps, maybe ? Its all over Europe. Same

[@megacrazyt]

ask enoch...

[@roomullan3050]

Trouble is the people of today are nothing like those hard working decent folk

[@redbeki]

The flats were liked at first. But it soon became clear, how the communities were destroyed! All high rise were built with cheap industrial methods, and simply don't work. The people were shafted, big time..

[@marktaurus206]

Birmingham is a ugly grey city full of depression everyone is down trodden the place is a dumping ground full of undesirables a very segregated city people are backwards and uneducated then and still today, accent is another problem.

[@josephcollins7334]

How well-spoken the officials were! It is a way of speaking that has gone now, replaced by ugly and common talk.

[@richardbrown1189]

What a tragedy that so many Georgian and Victorian houses were "cleared" to make way for jerry-built properties, many of which were themselves demolished after barely half a century. The only thing that was wrong with the original houses was that they were neglected. If they had been in located in up-market areas and properly maintained they would be highly desirable today.

[@heinkle1]

Agreed - these “slum” houses are now highly sought after, especially in places like London. Extraordinary longevity where left standing - no filler walls in sight, cool during the summer. Only problem of course is the poor efficiency, which matters when tackling housing stock emissions.

[@Mitch-Hendren]

To be fair the Birmingham houses were back to back . The back of one house shared its back house wall with the one in the next street behind or court yard. Shared toilets no way of extending them . A lot of space indoors wasted by staircases they had to be 3 stories high to provide 3 rooms and to top all that off built of porus brick on compacted clay no proper foundations . The tower blocks everyone forgets were only meant to last 30 years . After that they either had to be replaced or refurbished this was known when they were built . If they themselves became slums it was from lack of maintainance or they simply got too old it was all about speed of replacement, not necessarily quality. And large panel concrete construction was a scandal all of its own . They werent even built right in the first place . The Victorian houses in places like London , liverpool etc could be modernised, extended, bathrooms fitted because they tended to have yards or full gardens . And I totally agree no need to knock a street down to fit 30 bathrooms . This was finally realised by the 1980's but in Birminghams case the only real option was demo and rebuilding

[@ajs41]

I don't blame them for trying out new ideas in the 50s/60s, even though a lot of them didn't age well.

[@dandronemoan4041]

@@Mitch-Hendren Exactly - a fallacy of saying they built homes better in yesteryear - we don't see the ones that weren't built well.

[@simonrich3811]

Many of the Victorian terraces built for workers, were erected cheaply and quickly and prior to the 20th century, they were built without damp proof courses, without proper sanitation with the exception of a single cold water tap and basic drainage. At the time of their clearance it was considered more appropriate to demolish them rather than retro fit or renovate them, because of their fundamental flaws and the lack of green spaces and room to extend them. The low rise, brick built flats of the 1950s were an improvement for many people and efforts were made to build shopping centres, schools etc. However, as we know, whilst the modern facilities of the new developments were initially greatly appreciated, by the time of the larger 1960s developments, the lack of social facilities, amenities and sense of community soon became apparent, as did the shoddy construction of the prefabricated concrete blocks and lack of money to maintain them. 1950s and 1960s architecture is unfashionable these days, but we must be careful to preserve the best examples from every era.

[@Oliver-tm7jm]

If anyone is interested in seeing these flats for themselves....the ones shown at 10:07 on the documentary are the last ones standing from the estate and are located on a triangle plot of land (looking from Google Maps) which is sandwiched between Grant Street, Wyn Street and Great Colmore Street in Birmingham. The flats have since been overclad with insulation but are easily recognisable by their odd shape. The school they talk about which is yet to be built is James Brindley Academy and still retains some of the 1950's cladding but has been extensively extended and modernised. The maisonettes and flats shown on the drawing at 12:36 have been bulldozed totally and the park has since been remodelled and renamed "Moonlit" and "Sunset Park".

[@martinnorth2680]

Thank you, I was looking on Google maps without much luck until I saw your comment

[@Oliver-tm7jm]

@@martinnorth2680 Glad it helped - it took me a good hour to find them!

[@Oliver-tm7jm]

@Simon Simoney How many years ago was that?

[@jimbog8397]

Hi Regarding the flats at 10.07 is that Grant street to the left of the flats? Cheers

[@museonfilm8919]

Seems like the City planners did more damage than the Luftwaffe ever did.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

But they did it with a smile and a smirk.

[@michaelfoy]

We'v Allways said that, In Portsmouth where I was born, the centre was Flattened, AS was Exeter where I live now.....But they needed to clear the bombed areas which were vast.....The intention was good, but the results looking back now? Vandalism on a huge scale......

[@ritaroad]

As an American the planners don’t seem sinister. It looks like they tried to build a little utopia. The home seen looks very nice but utopia is not to be found on earth.

[@stevenhoughton1406]

Great film I wish I could see more films like this about Birmingham. The irony is those new estates they built were a disaster with lots of crime and antisocial behaviour and most of the estates don't exist anymore they only lasted until the 90s

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

How could you pay attention ? Did you not see this man’s teeth ?

[@marcp3788]

@@handsoffmycactus2958 grow up boy

[@L1am21]

You could kick a football between them teeth

[@see6052]

The same happened to all new build estates all over the UK built at the time. It's the people and society that changed. Can't blame the town planners. I can think of lots of places now where areas have either been re developed or completely new developements with amazing, beautiful. High quality modern housing.... the areas still end up trashed and rough. You can't change the people

[@john111257]

I was brought up in council property, and our neighbourhood looked out for each other, worked hard, paid their bills, friendly...even shook hands with the rent man, paid cash, no hint of the lousy future...proper days of community

[@Bluedog4712]

Ha! Bleedin thieves the lot a ya! “Shook hands with the rent man” more like hid under the table when he came round!

[@Enthusiasmisgood]

@@Bluedog4712 why so full of scorn?

[@Enthusiasmisgood]

@@Bluedog4712 why so full of scorn?

[@Bluedog4712]

@@Enthusiasmisgood hahahaha! I was pulling his leg, which I am sure he knows that!

[@alistairkewish651]

And the behind- the-scenes corruption went in, unnoticed? You must have not known about the greasing of palms to allow contracts to be * made possible *. There was no golden age of honesty. Corruption and toadyism are as old as the hills.

[@lionelburch3697]

I did wonder what happened to Captain Mainwaring after the Home Guard, glad to see he found a role in Birmingham knocking down houses!

[@priyaxo8116]

Don`t tell him Pike.

[@redlightspellsdanger7177]

“Don’t panic!”

[@billygibbons8601]

On a similar note; Now I know what Alison Moyet did before she found fame as a singist. Didn't know her name was Matthews though.

[@Mummyjen2012]

It really is something to remember for us modern kids. We have bad days just like anyone. But we do have it so much easier. I don’t know about everyone else but i couldn’t have survived post war Britain, neither my parents. Our grandparents are all amazing...those citizens in care homes right now..let’s treat them with the utmost respect because it’s the least they deserve!!

[@kevinbaird7277]

Well said Jennifer, I too would have struggled immensely with the austerity of post war Britain, never mind the carry on with Germany and all the falling out and shooting, I can only imagine the huge grind people suffered in those days, incredible fortitude was needed to just make it through your day, hats off to the generation that overcame and made good the damage whilst making a brighter happier life for all.

[@drewjohnson9498]

We have less money, less chance at a decent education due to the cost, our health service is being slowly privatised, very little chance of owning a house, more and more can't afford a car, wealth inequality is going up and things are only getting worse.

[@stevenaustin8274]

@@drewjohnson9498 you obviously weren’t born in the fifties or early sixties virtually no one owned a car very few working class would ever get to go on to further education or get a degree no gap years just starting work at fifteen in order to bring a wage into the household compared to the present it’s another world

[@moniquem783]

I agree that they were an amazing generation and achieved incredible things in the face of such immense difficulties. However, I do think we would survive if we found ourselves in the same situation. You find a way to survive because there’s simply no other choice. Look at Ukrainian citizens. They suddenly lost all of the luxuries of modern life and they’re carrying on. They have to. I’ve become very interested in ww2 in the last few years. Particularly the British home front. If we went through a similar thing now, we would be short on skills. Back then, pretty much every woman knew how to cook from scratch, how to sew, how to knit, how to mend garments, how to preserve food etc etc. Now it’s only weird eccentric types who know how to do those things! Hopefully there are enough of us to teach others if the need should arise, but if you’ve ever been interested in doing something crafty or making something yourself, learn how to! It just might come in very handy one day. And befriend that weird eccentric who doesn’t follow fashion trends and gets excited about making soap or hand knitting a hat. She’s a goldmine of skills!

[@xr6lad]

@@drewjohnson9498 and you still have it better than 1945.

[@robharding4028]

I was 2 back in 59, I wish I was still of that age.I would have lots to look forward to, like another 62 years on planet earth.

[@robharding4028]

@Lauren Lewis I don't wish to insult your intelligence, But I don't want to live another 62 years from now, i'm talking from 59 to the present day, which, as you said who would want to live another 62 years in this day and age, Not me that's for sure, The worlds gone completely mad.

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

I've heard it said that we are not immortal; but we are, however eternal robharding4028 your spirit will live on and occupy a new 'space suit'

[@tastytae]

​@user-ty2oe8jb9q that's a sweet thing to say, I like your thinking

[@mabeluk6272]

I was born in the slums of Birmingham alexander street and moved to the brand new druids heath estate in 1968. Fantastic memories. ♥️

[@solsol1624]

Obviously a PR film, and the council seemed to have their heart in the right place, but the bit showing the caretaker saying the people cared for the place, as he was sweeping up their rubbish was heartbreaking.

[@tomservo56954]

Trash can blow in from outside...

[@rosieleat6868]

Yes :(

[@solsol1624]

I didn't think of that, really hope you are both right ☺

[@poppyjons56874]

the bloody caretaker was an actor brought in for the filming lol

[@davem9208]

When you think about the film, were you to estimate that the older of those two kids was, let's say, 15 at the time. That was 1959, four years before I was born, so that would now make him, if he's still alive, around 79. I'm 60 and still remember how that area was back in the mid 70s, when it was not as bad as it seems to have become now. I wonder what he would think of it himself nowadays?

[@TimmsMJ]

Lovely to hear the Brummie accents, getting rare these days. :(

[@angelamary9493]

Yes Birmingham a where Brummies are the Minority

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

Amen to that -@@angelamary9493

[@johnbowkett80]

​@@user-ty2oe8jb9qStill a few of us left . 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@workrestandplay]

Having lived in similar slum housing in Nottingham as a kid, I can understand why they wanted to replace with new builds. Just a tragedy that the new builds were done on the cheap - maybe it would have been better to have a longer replacement programme but to a higher standard

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

There's a world of difference between building something cheaply and doing the same thing poorly. The bottom line is that the 'profit motive' poison all municipal projects and is a breeding ground for corruption; the fruits of which my poor hometown is suffering right now. Absolute rooks.

[@janruudschutrups9382]

6:18 Mr. Cholmondley-Warner has such an eloquent way of speaking that can make any subject matter come to live.

[@matthewgregory9665]

I’d rather they just rejuvenated than gutted. The history and culture in Birmingham is just fantastic.

[@rogerfholder]

Well well well. I never knew Arthur Lowe was Birmingham's Housing Manager before he became Captain Mainwaring.

[@khalidalali186]

When Birmingham wasn’t part of Pakistan!! My God, it’s true, it’s actually true. It was actually an English city after all. Who would’ve thought?!

[@stevenshackleford5630]

That was a great documentary of a past age. I believe the area described as Bath Row is now called Lea Bank and much of what we saw in this movie was cleared and redeveloped around 20 years ago. My Mom lived there in Bell Barn Road's Victorian housing until 1953

[@Saxoncloset]

So what went wrong with these giant council estates that promised such wonderful communal bliss??

[@laurastuart3814]

@@Saxoncloset Single Mums. Benefits. Drugs.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

@@Saxoncloset Unemployment, crime, vandalism, anti-social behaviour. All due to poor parenting and poor education.

[@Sun_Moon77]

That looked like England. It doesn't look like that anymore.

[@tonto716]

They all ended in kingstanding

[@johnturner3455]

"A new way home" for the houses, "diversity is our strength" for the people. Both turned the identity of normal, working communities in England to rubble.

[@djbethell]

Thankfully.

[@bilobath6093]

England waa never English at the beginning all were foreigners Vikings norman saxons Romans and who knows what

[@Sun_Moon77]

@@bilobath6093 yeah, and before that it was Pangea and before that there weren't even humans around, only unicellular beings or who knows what. I mean, since England was stablished a country , not separate counties

[@stellayates4227]

The two youths at 15.15 on their bikes are so sweet and polite. They are turned out in suits and one wears a tie.

[@zandramorgan440]

Those days were proper. People were cultured.

[@ajs41]

@@zandramorgan440 True.

[@jimfixer9589]

Nowadays they would be carrying machetes and selling crack.

[@2Tricky]

Because they knew they were going to be in the documentary so they wore their Sunday best. Every word scripted and rehearsed.

[@Efferpheasants]

@@2Tricky Easy to be cynical today with cameras and editing suites everywhere, but most people at that time had never engaged with the filmmaking process in their lives, so they had no comprehension of presenting the right image or refining their image with rehearsals...If you look at old home movies today when the camera is pointed at them, there is a look of some suspicion and clamming up with embarrassment rather than the need to perform like today.

[@sandgrownun66]

I was the original capper of this in 2009. I uploaded this and coverage of the 1959 UK General Election, to UKNova, as part of a request. I've got the originals somewhere, on an old IDE hard drive. Not a new fangled SATA one of course.

[@marklanders1615]

You can see how well meaning the city leaders and planners were. They also thought they knew what people needed and wanted. The people were not asked enough nor were they brought into the planning process enough. A problem with the slum clearance and redevelopment of the 1950s and 1960s was it was rushed. There were also too many flats and the blocks of flats were too big. People like houses with a garden more. There is no mention of public transport links being improved or extended.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Good points.

[@PhilUKNet]

The year before I was born and remarkable how many people spoke with an RP accent. Apart from the Queen's Christmas speech it's seldom heard these days.

[@Ben-jq5oo]

In many European countries these estates are still safe, functional places to live. The residents don’t feel second class, without a stake in their society. They know how to parent positively and understand the importance of community. I’m thinking of Germany, Holland, Scandinavian countries. What happened to the British psyche in the years following this documentary?

[@PhilUKNet]

The HDB programme has also been very successful in Singapore.

[@18in80]

Well said. Very true.

[@adebolabloke6962]

3rd world. Sadly it's true.

[@martiniv8924]

My Brother worked on demolishing the old back to back houses in Deritend in the 60’s , a stones throw from the bullring , not really a sad day when those old back to back houses went, but what was a tragedy bordering on criminality was the demolition of the fine old buildings demolished in the city for Sir Herbert Manzoni’s dream of a ‘motor city’ where the car was king, no green spaces, just huge concrete car parks and road access, he had no sympathy for the old city 🤨

[@ashyclaret]

Ballsed it up forever.

[@Afro3461]

Yes, together with Alderman Frank Price, who were both responsible for destroying some of the finest Victorian buildings in the city centre in order to be replaced by millions of tons of brutal concrete monstrosities, which thankfully, have also been demolished and replaced!

[@janicebull9283]

It was better then .The tower blocks of flats shoul never have been built in my opinion people wasn't ment to live on top of one another.alot of people didn't want to move a lot was forced to move .Flats are horrible to live in especially for children.

[@janicebull9283]

People loved there gardens flats took that away from people.Flats very depressing the people who planned them never lived in them they had beautiful houses to live in .

[@smadaf]

"Do you think people are going to appreciate it and look after it?" "Oh, definitely; yes. I do." Camera tilts down to broom sweeping up litter left by people who appreciate their environment and look after it.

[@johnaboardviolet237]

This was was a promotional film and it needed to show the caretaker doing some work. Do you not realise that this scene as all of the other scenes were staged. Or are you naive to think that all of those people in the film just happened to pass by to be interviewed and filmed.

[@smadaf]

@@johnaboardviolet237 , that's the point.

[@anenglishlife7210]

When young people had good manners and gratitude. How things were going to change over the next few decades.. getting worse and worse.

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

Sadly, this is the case the 'world over' the price of progress' I'm told. It is my contention that it is WE who must make a stand and declare bad behavior unacceptable.

[@ajs41]

Excellent quality film for 1959.

[@bullringbirminghamnostalgi2527]

God, my Dad was 8 years old back then. I keep hoping to catch a glimpse of a younger him or a younger family member on these old videos but Tbf I don’t think I would ever totally be sure if it was them.

[@mggilleshope6828]

They came out of slums, only to have them go into slums also. Getting out of the flats these days is harder.

[@ajs41]

It all depends on the attitude of the people living in whatever place it is. Anywhere can end up having the atmosphere of a slum if people don't bother to keep things going.

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

You can take the people out of the slums but you can’t take the slum out of the people.

[@angelamary9493]

Love the old Street lamps ..

[@highlightoftheday7058]

I lived in one of the tower blocks on this estate back in the mid 80's. Chatsworth tower. Just up the pathway was the Accident hospital on Bath Row.

[@johnbowkett80]

I was raised in a back to back terraced house in Lower Essex Street , Birmingham in 1956 . Two up , two down with shared toilets in the courtyard . Then moved to St Martins Flats just down the road ..... Now live in Moseley . A true and proper Brummie . 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@seriagungnurastarlight]

Nice & informative.

[@kjell-jorvikyvind5205]

A really interesting video. Very much enjoyed the topic and to see just how people and attitudes have changed 🙂

[@josephlane8621]

I absolutely love ser Herbert’s little slide show 🙏

[@smiggo1481]

Good people make any area a nice place to live for the community introduce a number of bad ones into the area and it quickly becomes a crap hole.

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

That is largely true, however I'm working in a 'very nice' residential area of London's West End and some of the people I encounter aren't so nice.

[@smiggo1481]

@@user-ty2oe8jb9q Yeah they can look down on people if they are stuck up their own arses but they probably ly won't stab you?

[@robertdore9592]

@@smiggo1481 What they can do to you is far worse; how do you think most of them make their money?

[@smiggo1481]

I don't mind people making money as long as they don't steal mine !

[@Mummyjen2012]

My nana recently deceased born in 1942 lived in Wolverhampton for most of her life. She was born during a bombing...i don’t think I will ever understand just how hard she and my grandad had it growing up in the post war Birmingham slums! I feel very privileged, really

[@JulieWallis1963]

Wolverhampton is a different city. It’s not Birmingham. Otherwise I agree very much, we ‘young ‘uns’ have no idea.

[@blackcyclist]

Unfortunately this well intentioned vision ended up becoming one of the most deprived areas in England. Eventually most of the area was bulldozed. But fortunately from the ashes arose hundreds of luxury apartments. Thus the slum problem was once again solved.

[@benitopussolini544]

Oh yeah,very fortunate,for the rich!

[@blackcyclist]

@@benitopussolini544 whoops, looks like you missed the course on ironic sarcasm 😂😂

[@xr6lad]

Nothing wrong with that. It gets tiring to have my man servant kick the poor out constantly. It aways delayed the first course.

[@blackcyclist]

@Don´tbehasty but reading is always clear. 😁

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

@@blackcyclist- Oh how I miss my hometown at times 🤣🤣

[@jaksongpg]

Anyone remember Anderton Street? Lived there from 63 -69 at house number 112. Went to Nelson Street School, played in Summerfield Park and used to go up to the reservoir. Families I remember: the Shepherd's, the Kenney's, the locklin's (spelling??). My mate lived aroung the corner in Mark Street - Gerald Hunting. Our families moved to Kings Heath in 1969. Kids wore school uniform and I saw semi detached houses for the first time, I thought it was posh. Moved to Goldsmith road. Ring any bells?

[@mabeluk6272]

My grandparents lived at anderton street from before the war. I was brought up at druids heath estate in the 60s and 70s and went to maypole school.

[@jaksongpg]

@@mabeluk6272 Hello, nice to make contact with someone who lived in the same street (or your grandparents did).

[@margaretpepper3550]

In 1959 I was 15 & still at school in Stepney. I vividly recall the bombsites in the area. Everyone I knew was poor. Today we have comfortable homes & prosperity. But when I look around I realise that we have lost everything that made Great Britain.. Great Britain.... As regards post war tower blocks they look like high rise asylums to provide bread & circuses for the peasants...

[@frankbing1]

Gotta love the part at 12:20 where Mr Wallace the caretaker was asked, do you think people will like and take care of it, and is answer was, oh yes I’m sure they will whilst sweeping up litter left behind by the residents lol…

[@andymoore4103]

Love to see the state of the place now!

[@ajs41]

All depends on the attitude of the people living there of course.

[@millyarscott8656]

Depends where in brum you want to see.

[@imtheking2101]

Full off smack heads and crack heads

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Mostly demolished!

[@HansDelbruck53]

This guy is the poster boy for what the rest of the world means by British dental care.

[@waynegoodman3345]

This are looks like Lee Bank?... which was redeveloped again about 20 years ago then after all these post war buildings fell into rack and ruin.I knew the area well as my sister lived there in the 1990s.

[@DJ-uk5mm]

I remember living in the ‘barrier flats’ in Brixton. They were actually quite nice. With south facing balconies and nice views…. Although some crazy sh*t allegedly went down I never noticed.. but then…in do live in a dream world

[@jacketrussell]

I remember visiting family friends in the 50s. They lived in a tenament block on Piggott Street near the Accident Hospital on Lea Bank.

[@missmerrily4830]

Oh my gosh, how we used to allow ourselves to have it done to us in those days. We were so compliant and the result was that many people were just moved along to what became the new set of slums.

[@th8257]

Notable that they built a secondary modern near the housing development rather than a grammar school. It underlines the rampant class divisions in Britain at the time. If you were working class, you were expected only to be slung on the scrap heap of secondary moderns to prepare you for a life of work as factory fodder. Grammar schools would have been built in leafier, more middle class areas.

[@imansfield]

Some kids are thick, some kids are brainy. It’s a fact of life. I’d hardly call a secondary modern school a scrap heap.

[@th8257]

@@imansfield yes, some kids are intelligent and some aren't. The point is that they were automatically assuming that working class kids in the area had no chance of passing the exam. Mate - you clearly know nothing about secondary moderns. You went to one because you failed your 11+ exam. The council was therefore working on the assumption that the local kids had no chance of passing. It's appalling looking back, but if you went to a secondary modern, you were considered a failure who couldn't pass the exam. Even though in many cases, really bright kids failed the exam because of other reasons - really bad schooling, bad family life etc. It was an absolute tragedy. Your chances in life were completely curtailed. No chance whatsoever of going to university unless you really, really stuck in and went to night school. Secondary modern kids were forever looked down on, even though many of the kids who did end up in secondary moderns were really bright but had been given no chance at all. Secondary moderns did more to keep working class kids down than anything else, which is why the labour party abolished them in the 1960s. I don't understand why you're defending them.

[@maskedavenger2578]

It was mainly comprehensive schools that were getting built around that time ,the secondary moderns came earlier & the Grammar & the High schools were long established in posh & rougher areas of British towns & cities ,decades before WW 2 . The more academic & the technically minded working class kids ,could pass the 11 plus & earn a place at a high or grammar school . The comprehensives in a lot of cases provided just as good standard of academic education as some of the grammar & high schools . The secondary modern schools catered for kids who had maybe less academic skills but were gifted with other talents & skills .. This system provided eduction to suit all types of pupils both academically gifted & those more practically gifted . Successive Labour & Tory governments have not improved the eduction since the late 1950’s ,they have spent more time meddling with it & using it as a political football . This is why you now have have kids working in fast food gaffs who can’t get a simple order correct ,& they are usually the ones also studying at uni .

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

Well said indeed. This is why infantry regiments recruited directly from those secondary modern schools - quite literally seeking 'cannon fodder'.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

@@maskedavenger2578 I passed the 11+ but went to a comprehensive school because my parents couldn't afford the cost of the grammar schools.

[@ohmeowzer1]

The boys seem nice I wonder what became of that family

[@MrGranfield]

Sir Frank Price was a great son of Birmingham and lived to the grand old age of 95.

[@chrishull9983]

I really enjoyed this - a look into times long past for better of for worse - all comments posted thus far I could not possibly disagree with and would support. I was fascinated however at 06.20 showing the start of the presentation - that surely must be an example of analogue "PowerPoint" - I cannot imagine how long it took to prepare, or should I say "build" that....incredible.

[@johnboyle3297]

We lived in a back to back house outside toilet (shared with others) and were glad to have that roof over our heads, then we moved into. Maisonette near the town centre with an indoor toilet of our own, but we missed the community spirit of our old home, some years later we were offered a 3 bed house which was like having a palace. Sadly a lady call Thatcher ,previously knownfor stealing bottles of milk from millions of needy children, thought of a great idea, that being to sell off the council houses (giving tenants the right to buy) but did not allow funds raised by this to be -lowed back into creating new social housing, thus contributing in no small measure to the housing shortage of today.

[@christinephipps8236]

my late husband was brought up in back to back in Hockley.

[@bertiewooster3326]

I've just arrived at dover with 300 other homeless foreigners can we all have a house each...oh thank you UK now to get the family here 8 kids plus one in the oven .

[@simoneast1973]

When they were all clean and new and neat they actually looked all right. The downfall of these types of development was neglect and lack of maintenance.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

They were cheaply and shoddily built. Never meant to last.

[@zandramorgan440]

Thank you ever so much for this documentary, I love Birmingham, I have studied and lived in Birmingham. 💕💕💕 I visit regularly; I am considering moving back to Birmingham 🙏🏽🦋🙏🏽🦋🙏🏽🦋 I have many friends and relations there.

[@PSG81]

Birmingham is amongst one of the Worst places to live in the UK. It's not what it once was.

[@Blossom1948]

Don't listen to other people B'ham is still a great city 👍👌

[@sarto7bellys]

@@Blossom1948 I'm a Brummie and no I wouldn't move back to where I grew up, Handsworth / PerryBarr, it was nice enough in the late 50's to mid 70's then went rapidly downhill !

[@hugoskucek]

What a shame they didn't reform the homes and make them better.Birmingham destroyed many many beautiful old buildings, churches etc .Dreadful destruction in the 60's My great Aunt and Uncle lived in lovely little cottages off waterworks road in Edgbaston.a very happy community there and people taken out and stuck in ugly Council flats in tall building.Lonely and sad lives . Very sad that those days were sad for these people .Why could they have not done work on these old buildings ,a bathroom and kitchen ..Tragic ...waste of good buildings -and great communities for the poor people .

[@stellayates4227]

Unfortunately that is a story repeated across many of our cities where we lost beautiful old buildings that just needed repairs and updating.

[@benitopussolini544]

Corruption,same old thing.jobs for the boys,bungs and toff filth taking from the poor.nothing will ever change until we hang the lot of them!

[@davem9208]

I knew the old Bath Row/Lee Bank area very well in the 70s. and when, at 13.15, the one guy mentions the block of flats that were going to be built "at the corner with Bristol road", I think he is referring to what would become Haddon Tower. My late grandparents lived there on the 13th floor, flat 81, and the Secondary School was Lea Masons. I think it is still there too.

[@MrDAVIDGBJONES]

My back garden was attached to lea masons, coldbrand grove it was called. I used to to st lukes primary school

[@davem9208]

Small world. I don't actually know St Luke's as, although I only lived in Lakewood back then, it was only by vising my grandparents a few times a week that got me over to Lee Bank. I remember the park with its shallow paddling poll, that was nice.@@MrDAVIDGBJONES

[@angelsone-five7912]

Look at Birmingham now - concrete and.......................something I can`t mention.

[@gregbouchard414]

Keep up the great work on KZbin am a big fan of u do a rally good job on here keep up the good work on KZbin hove a good day on KZbin form Greg

[@joeoconnor5400]

Anthony Howard what a giant of a political commentator. What would he have made of politics in the UK now? He was a legend along with Tony King.

[@annikahjarrett6218]

There was a lovely big park, now it’s half the size and flats

[@warrenalexander5285]

All those genuine Birmingham accents in PR film. Actors from the BBC Repertory Company script by the Birmingham Housing Department.

[@poppyjons56874]

yes all fully paid actors in the film eh! mmmmmmmm bloody propaganda film

[@brianmorecombe2726]

Probably one of the worst things they did was make tower blocks.Years later there was bitter criticism of cramming people in small spaces.Lifts broke,crime increased as the recession took hold and living conditions were poor.

[@user-ty2oe8jb9q]

...and as per usual; we, the electorate are the guinea pigs/ test pilots. The people who design these places should be made to live in them IMHO.

[@womblediehard123]

When Birmingham was a city full of promise and now quite the opposite sadly!

[@marktaurus206]

Birmingham has always been looked down upon because of the accent and the city was a grey ugly concrete Jungle grey and miserable screaming poverty.

[@LabRat6619]

Should do a documentary about the mosques there.

[@ianthompson662]

look no foreigners

[@jonesroberts3640]

Exactly but the media say it wasn't back then when Birmingham was white in those days and never has been mixed and even today areas are segregated where whites live in many areas amongst their own kind.

[@ohmeowzer1]

Loved it I wasn’t born yet

[@Umbrey_Dunctum]

As a West Midlander I've long been fascinated by Brummies using the long vowel sound of 'a' eg as in larf as opposed to 'laff' And I hear the guy @10:21 say 'larst' September. He didn't sound stereotypically Brummy in the standard 'working class' sense, unlike his partner. Fascinating. BTW I'm not trying to be snobbish ; I'm Walsall working class.

[@woden20]

Now new arrivals are the priority.

[@thischannelhasnoname5780]

They knocked down one set of slums and replaced them with another

[@sarahgt1533]

Beautiful old buildings gine forever

[@davids9192]

Slum housing was not beautiful and I lived near there. That said, the replacements ended up no better hence why most have been demolished to be replaced by modern slums and high end appartments.

[@Blossom1948]

My brother's sister and I were born in Latimer st Brum we all had a wonderful childhood and wanted for nothing we had the most wonderful mother and father God rest them both ❤️...a lot of the old houses were in good repair I know ours were..my father maintained it very well he was a master painter and decorator and could put his hand to anything..my mother a wonderful lady great cook and provider ...it was all down to greed yet again to bulldoze all the houses and surrounding areas to the ground..we had every shop you could think of around bath row and cregoe st area...my brother came home from Canada only a few years ago and we walked around our old area where Latimer st once stood and it was like a ghost town not a shop to be seen!!!!! ..very sad indeed ..we loved our childhood back in those times..I liked some of the comments here and agree with them...

[@oliverpearson1577]

A look at life in a major European city before drugs came.

[@p.istaker8862]

I was a little disappointed not to hear any commentary from either Mr. Grayson or Cholmondeley-Warner.

[@davem9208]

Hands up...I may need to make an apology and corrections to a previous comment I made about the flats where the caretaker was seen sweeping up. I thought that they had been demolished and the area redeveloped, but checking maps and street view, there are at least three still there. Not sure how many of those blocks there were in total back then though. It just seems that it is the rest of that estate that has been redeveloped, leaving those lucky tenants where they are. I bet you they are happy about that though.

[@philipoconnor4263]

The cat was their first meal at the new house.

[@matthewtrow5698]

What a grand folly that was. Instead of upgrading and fixing the old housing stock - so much better than the nightmare they built, they tore them all down and ripped the life out of areas. It was a social experiment. I note that all the people in this movie talking about how amazing it is, are all white upper middle class males. As if the people who lived there were just proles - subservient - which indeed, at the time, they were. Whilst the modern buildings that replaced the slums were, for a while, better in terms of health and services, they were worse in terms of social bonds. Over time, as we now know, these buildings fell into disrepair - damp and mould. The area around was blighted due to the rise of the motor car, leaving little green spaces and little option for people to congregate and socialise. This in turn, led to social bonds breaking, a rise in crime and a general lowering of happiness - all those swanky new buildings were a complete waste of time and money. It did teach us lessons, I guess - but these lessons were learned through misery of the people who were effectively booted out of the slums and shunted into these concrete "cities in the sky". Yes, it absolutely cut down on physical diseases - the sanitation was massively better - but it led to social disease, loneliness, isolation.

[@JP-vz1xs]

I note that all the proles were white aswell. It's a disgrace, all these white people everywhere.

[@davidjoy7654]

Mr Chumley Warner sounds like this chap.

[@mikematthew4950]

Born that year! I wonder if any of those, new at the time of building are standing today??

[@v2GamingEU]

my grandad was the caretaker of brinklow tower highgate they lived in flat 5 as it went with the job my nan used to clean the drs surgury that was beneath the flats and my mom cleaned tge drs house we had some great times visting and staying over at weekends

[@howler6490]

Perfectly good housing which required modernisation...but developers don't pay out for that. Note all the posh voices...in charge of course...and on auntie beeb. Grand chaps, every one of them. In scotland, such estates were called "schemes", same as the "projects" in the USA...these were the titles given by the top-dogs. They're not showing the areas of big tower blocks or big flat blocks where everything is the same,

[@laurastuart3814]

I thought it was lovely to hear people speaking English properly. So rare these days.

[@stermindelves4251]

@19 :00 towards the end of the vid that must be Bristol Street/ The Bristol Road beyond where they propose the ‘new’ school. How it’s changed

[@ianhawdon3680]

When kids had respect of their elders

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

They were hand-picked!

[@stefantrbovic936]

The snob planners should have kept with smaller estates of semi detached houses. Dumping families into new slums in the sky was catastrophic.

[@margaretfarley5364]

The school they are talking about building was first called Lea mason it was to replace St Thomas's on bath row I went there from St Thomas's it was later called St Thomas children's centre

[@Blossom1948]

Yes Margaret I attended Lea Mason I lived in Latimer St...it was terrible what they did to the area people were happy I know our family were..there were shops of every kind on the doorstep ..my brother came home from canada a few years ago and we walked around the old end ..it was dead as a dodo..not a shop in sight bloody terrible 😥

[@malcolmjawohowelll2892]

I sense a terribly patronising mindset in this snippit of social history .How small mindedness and the class system go together too often especially in the past

[@arnoldarnold4944]

Past

[@ajs41]

I disagree. I just see people trying to be positive and optimistic about the future, instead of being negative like many people are today.

[@Pommy1957]

It was a little telling the new school planned was a secondary modern, not many working class kids would be expected to attend a grammar school.

[@w1swh1]

@@ajs41 Yes I agree with you. It's easy to look back and mock. Much harder to come up with new ideas, some of which work and some don't.

[@peterchristophervertannes5283]

The responses from the ordinary folk and children seem to be quite contrived and rehearsed wouldn't you say.

[@ChangesOneTim]

It does look set up as a propaganda film for the authorities

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

I fear those children were in danger. That man seemed like a nonce.

[@T1M6]

Quite wrong. We young'uns were quite polite and respectful in those days.

[@ashyclaret]

@@T1M6 Not that dumb though.

[@poppyjons56874]

yus they are all bloody actors no paid actors lol lol lol oh for lol eh!mmmmmm i have since seen the care taker in films and on television too mmmmm

[@andy199121]

A minority in Brum now

[@jonesroberts3640]

Loads of whites in Birmingham just areas are segregated and divided and racism is a big issue in BIRMINGHAM AND WEST MIDLANDS.

[@jakeb7912]

Loads of whites in Birmingham.

[@andy199121]

@@jonesroberts3640 is racism the issue or enforced mass immigration by a government that never had permission?

[@syrren]

Nice film....I wonder what its like there now

[@secondcity11]

Much of it gone and rebuilt with new estate.

[@yell50]

Go on to google earth you will find buildings changed drastically plus the multicultural aspect of the local community

[@jakeb7912]

@@yell50 Birmingham is not Multicultural its racist and segregated with no integration at all people live separate lives.

[@yell50]

@@jakeb7912 Actually I disagree with you in part, the west Indian community have have integrated well with the white community its predominantly muslim Asians who refuse to mix they set themselves apart. Go into certain areas of birmingham such as Handsworth, saltley just two areas of many and the difference is obvious all the shops and schools in those areas are almost 100% Asian. I am not saying this to be racist, as anyone can visit these areas in Birmingham and see for themselves I feel the Asians keep themselves apart because of the religious dogma. In the interests of unity i dont see a solution while religion sets the boundaries.

[@jakeb7912]

@@yell50 Rubbish there is loads of hatred between black and white and you will find Birmingham and the west midlands has a lot of race hate crime especially in schools there has been a article saying that many kids have been expelled from school regarding racial abuse mention in Birmingham school and Solihull, when you look at Birmingham its very segregated and one of the most segregated cities in the UK go to areas and see how divided people are yet the stupid liberals say its mixed diverse load of rubbish there is no integration from no race be it Whites, Blacks or Asian people live parallel lives and that's how it is ,most whites move away from blacks and Asians period that's a fact.

[@Atherosdel]

I will admit when they moved us out of the slums we had a much bigger home with indoor plumbing. The house we moved in still had a outdoor toilet. We moved to Elswick Road.

[@annikahjarrett6218]

We lived off bell barn road, In these new flats so sad they didn’t even last for 45 years. They should have kept the old houses

[@johndean4765]

Annikah your so right they could have kept the old houses they could have been renovated. What they did was not only demolish those homes and also the friendly local corner shops but also destroyed the close knit community.

[@FlightProgramAborted]

Love it how you can tell when she’s lying, when here yes flicker shut. lol it’s hilarious, follower by Cpt Mainwairing

[@mikepett4575]

They destroyed the city, I grew up in Birmingham and can tell you than my grandparents and great Aunts/Uncles were devastated in what they did. Far from the greatest city in Europe I can say it is a Sh*t hole. what once was a great city is now almost unheard around the world.

[@ajs41]

Did people in Europe really known about Birmingham in the 1950s?

[@mikepett4575]

@@ajs41 BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) made many famous guns during WWII and was the largest motorcycle manufacture in the world in 1950s. James Watt and Mathew Boulton developed the steam Engine there. It was the centre of the industrial revolution, building cars, trains, aircraft and other motorcycles, it was the Detroit of Europe. Fort Dunlop was once the largest factory in the world not to mention Lucus the list goes on. If they didn't know about it they must have had their head up their bum.

[@jamb6600]

@@mikepett4575 great comment.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

@@mikepett4575 Coventry was the Detroit of Europe, not Birmingham.

[@mikepett4575]

Where did I say anything about Detroit? @@golden.lights.twinkle2329

[@tarquin12]

This is an outstanding piece of social history, made even more powerful by the first-hand comments of those people interviewed. There is the (now, in the light of history, heartbreakingly optimistic) outlook of town planners as they planned acres of building and concrete with little green space. Domestic facilities were undoubtedly better,. with indoor WCs, ready hot water, and reliable heating (as one of the lads comments), but in the process community was disrupted and something desperately important was lost. Of course, in the manner of those times, I doubt if the residents of the ill-fated slums were actually asked what they wanted/aspired to, and the tone of some of the planners and housing officials does sound rather condescending. Maybe we are now less compliant, but these residents had little option but to have stuff done to them, and were given a whole 24 hours to decide if they liked a property. Totally impossible, administratively, to let them view two properties and choose, so it seems! It's easy to comment, as we now inhabit a different world in many ways, and no doubt the early residents of the blocks of flats found them a great step forwards. One wonders how long it actually was before the dream began to fade. I have a great respect for the people of this post-war generation, who had been through so much and deserved better than that which was meted out to them by well-intentioned officials who were nevertheless lacking in critical insight in many ways.