I usually produce an annual calendar highlighting the manmade damage that the local chemical industry inflicted (and still does) on the Oldbury/Tipton area, but this year I’ve decided to champion something that they will never destroy- NATURE.
For all the poisonous crap that Albright and Wilson and Rhodia dumped into the lagoon, for all the shite of industry that the Hurst Family and others dumped around and on top of that to make profit on the adjoining land, for all the “crap sites for residential” that Barratt Homes built, THEY FAILED. THEY FAILED because their plans failed to stop nature, its unpredictable resilience, tenacity and agents guided to protect it against their unscrupulous plans.
Despite the toxic crap, plants have grown back, wildlife has returned in the most unlikely places and the flap of a tiny butterflies wings have heralded the turn of the tide.
The small blue butterfly, and established colony off Temple Way
So the area despoiled by the chemical industry and polluted by conmen “regenerators” has had other ideas, much more simple but infinitely more powerful than any pathetic politician fronting a quango talking about “growth”. NATURE will always fight back, it will silence liars who claim to be “environmental consultants” but are just developer cocksuckers, it will foil policy planners who are the same, and it will outlast any toxic nuggets that man dumped in folly, to be a place where things can live.
Below are some examples of flora and fauna of the area in question, some of them now on the red list making a complete mockery of the nonsense about this area being of low conservation value as those who only are interested in house building avarice or their agents try to portray.
Sheepwashrattlechaintempleway calendar 2026