Type=image;ImageID=5126;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Dale Street Flats in Wolverhampton;TitleClass=strong;
Type=image;ImageID=5127;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Grange Court in Graiseley;TitleClass=strong;
With their first hand accounts now available to listen to for free, local people have shared their experiences in their own words through a selection of oral history recordings.
The recordings are part of an archive relating to the Black Country's tower blocks and they can be heard at Type=links;Linkid=4153;Title=distinctly black country;Target=_blank;.
They have been produced by Block Capital, a Heritage Lottery-funded project which is investigating the history of 1960s high rise in the region. Block Capital is hosted by the distinctly black country network, a heritage group based at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: "This is a fascinating piece of social history which charts the rise and fall of tower blocks across the Black Country and will be of interest to anyone who wants to find out how their community has developed over the years."
All the oral history recordings have all been produced by volunteers and they will be added to during 2014, creating a record of dozens of face to face interviews with tenants, former tenants, council employees and others.
The interviews collected so far cover experience of living in tower blocks from the 1960s to the present day, and they have preserved for posterity what it was like to move into the towers when they were first built.
Kevin Aston, one of the interviewees, moved into the new Bolton Court flats in Tipton as a child. He said: "I was so chuffed about it that I went to school the one day, and I think I brought 3 of my school teachers home to show them the flats - much to my mum's surprise."
They also record the deterioration and eventual demolition of some of the 276 blocks, which some say started in the 1970s or 1980s. They include Lion Farm in Oldbury, which were captured by the renowned photographer Rob Clayton prior to demolition and recorded at Type=links;Linkid=4154;Title=Lion Farm Estate;Target=_blank;.
While there are plenty who are happy to have seen them go, others say the notorious reputation of some tower blocks was not deserved. All these different points of view can be heard via the distinctly black country website - Type=links;Linkid=4153;Title=distinctly black country;Target=_blank;.
The website hosts a wide range of archive material for web users to browse, but project leaders are still on the lookout for other people who would be willing to be interviewed about their experience.
Paul Quigley, Project Researcher, said: "Many of the tower blocks have been pulled down, but it's important that we don't lose first hand experiences of what it's been like to live in them - through good times and bad."
Anyone interested in contributing to the project should visit Type=links;Linkid=4155;Title=distinctly black country - A History of Council Housing;Target=_blank; or discuss the project with Chaz Mason on 01902 552040.
- released: Friday 12 September, 2014