From the aftermath of World War One to more modern times concerning the Trinity Street site. A couple of recent applications have been added to the continuing site development history page on this website. This series of pages are important given the nature of waste deposited at Rattlechain over time, given that “scrap machinery” was one of the many unknown quantities that were noted to have gone into the drink under water down John’s Lane.
It appears that Solvay want to try to leave the past behind them in terms of the pollution record associated with many of the old buildings at the site and has made attempts to demolish quite a few of them. Rhodia in some respects also tried to shake off some of the Albright and Wilson war horse stories. A WW2 phosphorus bomb casing found on the main car park in 1990 (allegedly a German dropped bomb), had pride of place in a prominent location for the remainder of the AW years, yet the French decided for some reason to remove it on their takeover. They were however involved in building on top of ground obviously still contaminated with white phosphorus, as this planning note from Sandwell council appears to confirm.
All this is of course development history. One series of plans replacing another generations, which as landmarks for the community just add to the fall and rise of new ones.
One of the more intriguing of late was the conversion of the former police station, (actually the last development of the AW era), into a temporary practice venue for the Langley band. I won’t explore any links between the site and the band, but perhaps the following orchestrations would be interesting to hear emanating from off this site in glorious stereo.
Toxic- Britney spears
Poison- Alice Cooper
Another day for you and me in paradise- Phil Collins
Hazard- Richard Marx
Gone with the wind (Tara’s theme) – Max Steiner
The tracks of my tears- Smokey Robinson
I almost had a little tear in my eye when I heard Danny Boy, or perhaps it was some phosphoric acid falling out of the sky from a certain chemical factory site.