Birmingham: Elmdon Building & Old Tower

[IanFarquharson]

Guys who worked in the building just a couple of weeks ago are now in Hangar 2.
They don't think they will ever go back into the old building.

 

[Ianbutty]

Here's the plan.

The old terminal is purchased by the National Trust , restored and turned into a living museum /visitor/viewing centre along the lines of the back to backs mention by Richard (by the way they are in Hurst St by the Hippodrome ) it could encompass the history of the airport and aviation in Brum including Spitfire manufacturing at Castle Brom and Lancasters at Longbridge. The Lancasters (also Stirlings i think) were shipped in kit form to a shadow factory the other side of the railway in Marston Green and after assemblyfrom then towed to the airport over a temporary bridge to be flown out.. Aircraft from the past can be displayed outside the terminal .

The name shall be ELMDON no other will do.

Sorted, anyone got the money?

Got paid yesterday and tomorrow is the big 53, so if I get any vouchers which with the monthly salary should be enough, so just send me your bank details including pin number and security questions and I promise to transfer the money...honest.

 

[Dadjet]

So how do we sell the idea to the national trust and more importantly to BHX itself? Also thought about crowd funding however that works. An online petition, whatever it takes...

 

[Dadjet]

Yesterday BHX put padlocks on the building, such a sad state of affairs. What I believe the airport have told a former tennant is that they won't be doing anything with it within the foreseeable future, as much as it would suit them to knock it down they don't think they can because although it is no longer listed, it has some sort of preservation order (cough cough) that won't allow it to be demolished if somebody objects...I for one will be objecting!

 

[wolfheze]

My guess is a fire will breakout leaving the BHX management simply no choice but to demolish whats left.

 

[wolfheze]

Here's the plan.

The old terminal is purchased by the National Trust , restored and turned into a living museum /visitor/viewing centre along the lines of the back to backs mention by Richard (by the way they are in Hurst St by the Hippodrome ) it could encompass the history of the airport and aviation in Brum including Spitfire manufacturing at Castle Brom and Lancasters at Longbridge. The Lancasters (also Stirlings i think) were shipped in kit form to a shadow factory the other side of the railway in Marston Green and after assemblyfrom then towed to the airport over a temporary bridge to be flown out.. Aircraft from the past can be displayed outside the terminal .

The name shall be ELMDON no other will do.

Sorted, anyone got the money?

Stirlings were indeed assembled at Marston Green then towed over the railway line before being test flown and delivered. I'm sure most people already know about the one that took off with the elevator locks still attached and came down I think in the grounds of Elmdon hall. The shadow factory was still there when I was a lad still resplendent in its camouflage paint.

 

[richard winterbourn]

Thank you to all those who have added further information to my original post suggesting the redundant Elmdon terminal be turned into an aviation museum based on the Spitfire. I still think that would be a worthwhile use for this building but in the light of what Rollo and Wolfheze have said, Stirling bombers and Lancaster could also feature in some form as Birmingham was also pivotal to their construction in Marston Green.

If the airport authority does not anticipate any development of this building and site in the foreseable future due to lack of funding then i think it is only right that, as an aviation support group based around BHX, we should make our feelings known to them. That we exist as individuals and as a cohesive group firmly against demolition of Elmdon might make them think about alternative uses with funding from elsewhere.

Elmdon is a rare opportunity to save an iconic airport terminal: demolition would be a wilful act.

 

[Brum X]

My guess is a fire will breakout leaving the BHX management simply no choice but to demolish whats left.

 

[Seasider]

Would the local Civic Society be interested in preserving it?

 

[pomplemoose]

would it also ,have a tribute to Honiley airbase , as I believe that is where the beacon stands now .

 

[Ianbutty]

Would the local Civic Society be interested in preserving it?

Only way to preserve the building will be a viable use. On its own it is worthless so it needs to be integrated into a larger redevelopment. Plenty of scope for that. Hopefully they will just mothball it although it is the type of building that will be demolished in a long bank holiday weekend so that no one has a chance to stop them doing so.

It is a gem of a building!

 

[wolfheze]

would it also ,have a tribute to Honiley airbase , as I believe that is where the beacon stands now .

Beacon or at least the top of it is at the Midland air museum at Baginton.

 

[wolfheze]

Petition now started on the Elmdon aerodrome Facebook page

 

[Dadjet]

Hello,

I just started the petition "birmingham airport: Save the original Elmdon Terminal Building at Birmingham Airport" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

My goal is to reach 1000 signatures and I need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

http://bit.ly/2GH6gtO

Thanks!
Chris

 

[wolfheze]

Really pleased someone has taken the time to do this👍

 

[richard winterbourn]

I will gladly sign the petition. Having raised a few concerns about this myself i have also undertaken some independent action and 10 days ago i wrote to Birmingham Civic Society about the possible threat of demolition of this iconic building. I have received a courteous reply acknowledging the points i raise and the promise that they will reply as soon as possible.

While i am still waiting i am happy to reprint here the terms of my letter:-

Elmdon Terminal, Birmingham Airport

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you with regard to the above terminal which i fear is in grave danger of being left to disintegrate to the point that the owners of the building may wish to demolish it and redevelop the site.

I was born in Birmingham but have lived for the past 50 years in Herefordshire so i am not 'on the spot' to monitor what is happening to this building. However, i always believed this building to be an icon of air travel of the time when it was built, which i am told was in the 1930s. When i was younger i also flew from the Elmdon terminal on numerous occasions.

What saddens me now is that i have heard suggestions that the building was recently badly damaged by water during severe winter weather. In addition, the owners (which i presume are the owners of Birmingham International Airport) have padlocked the building and have indicated that they have no plans for this building --- for the forseable future....

This to me sounds like the actions of an organisation which is prepared to bide its time, up until the point when it can make the claim that it is beyond repair and its future would be best served by demolition.

This would indeed be sad when one considers what uses this iconic building could be put to; uses that could be linked to aviation in Birmingham, most notably the Spitfire fighter and the Lancaster bomber which were both assembled during the war only a stone's throw away in Marston Green.
As the Civic Society for Birmingham can i ask if your organisation has any views or concerns for the Elmdon terminal, or indeed if it has made any representations to the owners of the building.
I believe it would be such a loss to Birmingham and aviation in the city if this building was lost when, with intiative and drive, it could be transformed into a history of the Spitfire, Lancaster and Halifax, planes which helped save Great Britain during the dark days of the Second World War.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Winterbourn

Of course, as and when i receive a reply i will inform those on F4A who are interested.

 

[Dadjet]

Brilliant Richard. We need letters like that sent to all kinds of organisations!

 

[Elmdon80slad]

I have also signed.

Good luck.👍

E.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Signed 👍

Kevin

 

[wolfheze]

Would it be possible to move the petition to a more prominent place on the forum to get the maximum amount of exposure? There must be quite a number of people that who don't looķ at anything in the Birmingham section that would be happy to sign