Taking An Interest...One of the things we're most encouraged by is the growing interest shown in many of our forgotten buildings. Sadly so many wonderful buildings fall into disrepair or cease to have any further use each year and face a grim and uncertain future. Sir John Betjeman was perhaps the first of many who have tried to save buildings from extinction, particularly Victorian buildings which for many years were seen as eyesores. St Pancras faced demolition in the 1960s but was saved due to Betjemen's influence. Groups such as those behind 'Lighting The Darkness' and members of '28 Days Later' often risk life and limb to photograph neglected sites and buildings and whilst they may not be popular with developers and site owners, they do contribute towards highlighting important industrial sites as well as producing an important photographic record of buildings that few even realise exist. There are also many websites which provide valuable historical information including 'London Underground History' and 'Derelict London' and the list grows each year. Open air or 'Living' museums also try to rescue buildings where they fit into a theme such as the 'Black Country Living Museum' which has dismanted, moved and rebuilt many buildings from the Birmingham area that might otherwise have been bulldozed and disposed of. The museum boasts virtually an entire town, reconstructed from buildings rescued in and around the Dudley area and it remains a popular spot in the Midlands.
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