Drafting

Starting off with another Monday morning meeting, followed by a meeting on Tuesday I was very certain of my goals for this week! Moving from data collections and research into writing drafts for each different section or theme decided upon for the University of Birmingham Survival guide. First among these sections was the draft for the Arts and Crafts movement. An architectural, art and design movement that Birmingham was largely influential in the late 19th early 20th century.

My draft points out the main areas where this influence can be seen, this being predominantly in Edgbaston and Bournville as well as giving a brief introduction into the beginnings of the movement which does have routes in Birmingham. Secondly I began a draft giving a brief description of each of the areas that the Survival guide will focus on these being: Edgbaston, Selly Oak, Harbourne and Bournville.

Likely for me most of the areas are steeped in history with Birmingham being such an old and influential city giving me lots of research and data to work with. Selly Oak seems to have the most exciting piece of information of all being that along the Bourn brook there has been evidence found for Bronze Age burnt mounds which suggest some sort of production was being done here bringing Selly Oak into the prehistoric age. Edgbaston also has some interesting history which is arguably revealed in its naming.

Edgbaston means village of a man called Ecgbald (Ecgbald being an old English name and tun meaning farm). However, it was recorded in the Domesday Book as Celbodestone which seems to suggest the Ecgbald was not around before 1086!.