When new, the blocks looked pristine and sharp, but they were already plagued with unreliable lifts and construction faults. The construction and growth of these buildings must have been quite a culture shock for the older residents of Brownhills. Taken from ‘Memories of Brownhills Past’ by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington.

Fellow local blogger, Clayhanger man and wildlife expert Chaz Mason has recently posted the following request on his blog. I’m so intrigued by it that I reproduce the post here in full.

I am doing something very different at the moment working for Wolverhampton City Council on a Lottery Funded Social History project and one of my duties is to recruit volunteers to do some of the interviewing and research.

The project covers Walsall, Sandwell and Wolverhampton and involves research into the rise and fall of High Rise Council accommodation throughout the Black Country. Some of these blocks were built, lived in and demolished within a thirty year time span and there is a genuine danger that much of the social history associated with this way of life may be lost forever if we don’t start to record it soon.

I appreciate that most of you won’t be interested in this but you might know someone who is, if you do then ask them to contact me on the work e-mail Chaz.Mason at Wolverhampton.gov.uk

There will be some really useful training sessions and possibly some educational field tips for those involved. It should also be possible to reimburse most relevant expenses for active participants. You will also get the opportunity to develop some relevant research and recording skills and industry-relevant experience to put on your CV to support any future career goals too.

You would have to become a formally registered volunteer which involves the completion of some paperwork but I am hoping to provide some sessions where I get to meet the volunteers and get this all sorted at the same time so it shouldn’t stress anyone out (apart from having to meet me).

Put your thinking caps on and let me know if anyone is interested – Chaz

I’m interested in the history of social housing, and it’s progression, and I feel the history of tower blocks is very significant, both socially, political and culturally. I’d love to see locals involved in this project – We still have Humphries and Severn houses, but Waine and Bayley house, together with the tenements of Silver Court Gardens are lost, and with them, the community and experiencers they contained.

Chaz is a lovely bloke who’s very committed to the task in hand, and also an expert on local wildlife. He’s another of my local heroes, so if you’re considering getting involved, please be assured that you’re working with one of the best.