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MRA
Moor Pool Residents Association

The MRA represents the local community of the Moor Pool Estate, a garden suburb of Birmingham. The committee are a small group of volunteers living on the estate. Our aim is to help protect the character of the estate and nurture community connections.

What we do:

• Publish & deliver The Duck newsletter • Host community events • Collaborate on issues with local council • Advise on conservation rules • Advise and monitor on planning issues • Offer community security advice

A small annual membership fee helps fund the work we do across the estate. Subscription details can be found at the foot of this page.

February 2025 edition 135

Welcome to the online edition of the newsletter.

What appears below is an approximation of the printed edition. It has been formatted to render properly on the Web. The printed edition is available here .

What's On - Upcoming Events

Thursday 20th February 10am-12pm

Let’s Do Lego! Free half term Lego play session. No need to book, just turn up! Cakes and drinks available to purchase

Friday 21st February 10.30am-12.30pm

Half-term clay craft: Join us for a morning of crafting with clay and natural materials. £3 per child. No need to book, just come along! Cakes and drinks available to purchase.

Sunday 23rd February 10.30am-11.30am

Traintime: Stay and play session for little ones who love trains. £8 per child. Book your session online.

Sunday 2nd March 7.15pm

Circle Cinema: Film TBC. Further details in this newsletter under News from Clubs and Societies

Sunday 23rd March 10am-3pm

Harborne Handmade Spring Market: 25 of the best local makers selling their unique and handmade products, as well as cake and hot drinks. Entry is free.

Tuesday 29th April 7pm-8pm

Heritage Talk: Warwickshire Regiment, Battlefields of World War I. Tickets £3. Refreshments available from 6.30pm.

From The Chair

Spring is coming. Today as I write the sun is shining and at the Spinney on Carless Avenue there are snowdrops and crocuses in bloom and daffodils, in bud, that will open soon. There has also been a pair of Mallard Ducks on the pool – the first seen for a long time.

However the signs of winter are still evident, not least the mush of fallen leaves that is covering the pavements in places. Wet weather means that the leaves have not dried and been blown away nor has there been any street cleaning by BCC (Birmingham City Council).

Perhaps we can all individually help in a general tidy up? When working on our own gardens at the front might we also clear the pavement? But only If – and it is only if - you are able.

Bins

On the tidiness theme the MRA has complained to BCC about the missed collections of recycling on the Moor Pool Estate throughout the whole of January. Some roads nearby have had their recycling collected but not ours. Cllr. Jayne Francis has responded and says she will try to get action, commenting that this poor and inconsistent level of service is unacceptable. This is a particular problem on the Estate where households need to have open boxes as wheelie bins are impractical. The Council website says these should be emptied next on February 10th. As there is ongoing strike action nothing is certain. Please add your voice by completing the BCC online complaint form.

Many of of us enjoy walking our dogs on the estate but please remember the legal requirement to have your dog on a lead.

Report for AGM

The Association held its AGM on January 25th and my report was presented to the meeting by Committee member Sue Anderson in my unavoidable absence. The minutes of the meeting will be available on the Association website in due course.

At that meeting Andy Argyle was elected to the Committee as Treasurer, taking over from Mike Foster who has stepped down. Mike was presented with a Garden Voucher by way of a small thank you for all his hard work on the Association’s behalf.

MRA Chairman’s Report for 2024

At last year’s meeting I explained why the committee had taken the decision to suspend the regular coffee mornings. We recognised that this would not be popular with everyone and were sorry to disappoint those members who had enjoyed and loyally supported them. However, we hope that the programme of events put in their place has enabled members to meet up socially.

Our first event in 2024 was the Cake Coffee and Chat held at the Carless Eco Centre on a sunny but slightly chilly April day. It was well attended and gave a number of people who had not been to the Centre before a chance to discover it and see what Justine Marklew, The Trust Education and Outreach Officer and her team of helpers are offering.

The July Garden Party at the Nettlefold Garden was not blessed with fine weather which we believe contributed to a lower attendance than we had hoped for. At one point we all had to retreat under the gazebo to escape heavy rain but, undaunted, some of us joined in dancing to the live accordian music. The event was popular with families whose younger children enjoyed the entertainment provided by Major Mustard, Mike Frost. The event was a joint event with the Nettlefold Garden Committee and thanks must go to Nettlefold Committee member Caroline Porter and her husband Luke.

Setting up the Cake Coffee and Chat event and the Garden Party brought home to the Committee our need for some younger blood to help with the more physical aspects of committee work. We decided to put together a list of people we could call upon on such occasions – sort of associate Committee members. Committee Member Carl Parkes is coordinating this initiative.

In September as well as having a table at the Heritage Festival event the Association hosted a Macmillan Coffee Morning and although a donation of £ 200 was made (in contrast with £400 the previous year) , once again numbers were disappointing. It was felt that numbers might have been down coming, as it did, so soon after the very well attended Heritage Festival.

The final event of the year in December was Carols In The Hall, at which mulled wine and mince pies were served. Once again, the singing was ably led by Jules Bellingham with Geoff Salminen on the piano. The hall gradually filled up and we ended with a rousing rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and this seems set to become a tradition!

Throughout the year we have continued to monitor planning applications and as Chair I have been in contact with residents and prospective new residents who have had questions about the restrictions on alterations resulting from the Estate’s conservation status. To give some further guidance which is easy to access, the Association produced its Design Guide. A copy of the document was delivered with The Duck to every house on the Estate and copies were also provided to the Trust Office. It is also now on our website. Additionally we either hand delivered or posted copies to the local estate Agents and letting agents so that knowledge about the Conservations rules and guidelines, which are in place to preserve the very special and attractive appearance of our Estate, may be more widely known. I must acknowledge the hard work put in by Committee member Sarah Hanson to bring this project to fruition.

It has become clear that we are working in tandem with The Trust, and it is hard sometimes to see the join. Add in The Duck and Facebook and I understand why residents on the Estate sometimes struggle to appreciate the difference between the two organisations. The Trust grew out of the Association at the time when most of the Estate was purchased from Grainger plc, a process that concluded when the Offices were acquired at the end of 2023.

There are still approximately 50 houses on the Estate which are owned by Grainger and last year the company indicated its intention to sell these. This announcement understandably caused some anxiety to those residents who are Grainger Tenants. The MRA was able to set up face to face meetings with Grainger for any tenant who wished to discuss their individual situation which varied depending on length of tenancy or personal situation. The Association did not play a part in these discussions limiting its involvement to arranging the meetings. The feedback we received was that the tenants had found the meetings useful.

The Committee believes the time has come to consider the relationship between the Trust and the Residents Association and at the Association’s request we will be in discussion with the Trust shortly. This does not mean that any decisions have been taken about a way forward, rather that we want to explore the possibilities. There will always be a particular role for The Association as it exists specifically to represent the interests of those living on the Estate. In the last twelve months we have seen how proactive the Trust has become in promoting as well as running events at the Hall, Nettlefold Garden and the Carless Eco Centre. Of course, many of us are involved in those too, as well as the many flourishing clubs and societies on the Estate.

We feel perhaps we need to redefine the Association’s role and position.

I end by thanking the Hall manager Barbara Nomikos who is always so supportive, and Clare Gordon, Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator who with Barbara has helped to promote our events. Thanks also to Justine Marklew the Trust Education and Outreach Officer. My thanks also to Norma Mason, Association Secretary and the rest of the Committee who make it possible to put on our events and who support me in my role as Chair. Particular thanks go to Mike Foster who has just stepped down from his role as Treasurer. Mike has been a staunch supporter of the Association and has done a great job.

Chair: Margaret Harrold chair@moorpool.org

Spot the Difference?

Have you ever wondered about the difference between the Moor Pool Residents Association and the Moor Pool Heritage Trust? Why are there two organisations?

Moor Pool Heritage Trust (MPHT)

The Trust is the owner of the Moor Pool Estate which comprises the Hall; the Offices; the Pool; Allotments; The Builders Yard (where the Carless Eco Centre is situated); the garages and various small parcels of land including The Orchard.

It is a Charity.

Its income is derived from hall bookings; grants where available; fund raising including bequests.

It employs three part time staff.

The Trustees are responsible for the overall management of the Estate.

You are eligible to become a member of the Trust if you have lived on the Estate for 3 years. Membership is free. Others may become Friends of the Moor Pool Estate.

Moor Pool Residents Association (MRA)

The MRA is a membership organisation which represents the interests of residents on the estate. It has an elected Committee.

Membership is open to anyone living on the Estate at an annual fee of £8 per household. The MRA publishes and distributes The Moor Pool Duck.

It provides information via its website.

It is responsible for The Design Guide first published and distributed in 2024

It monitors planning applications and provides information to those preparing to submit planning applications.

It will request enforcement by the City Council Conservation Officer where alterations have been made which do not comply.

Often the two organisations work together especially as there are residents and volunteers who are active in both.

News From Clubs and Societies

The Circle Cinema Club

The next film to be shown in the main hall will be on Sunday March 2nd. Film tbc.

Doors open at 6.15 p.m. for the usual refreshments, including hot food and hot drinks. Bring your own wine or beer! The film starts at 7.15p.m.

Tickets £5, Members £1 Available at the door or contact info@circlecinema.co.uk

The Club is always looking for volunteers to help run the screenings. If you can help with setting up beforehand and/or clearing away afterwards they would love to hear from you.

Contact Eloise Lewis
www.circlecinema.co.uk

Moor Pool Reading Group

The group met for the first time in 2025 and incorporated the AGM. We had been reading ‘The Vanishing Half’ by ‘Brit Bennett’. The majority of the group really enjoyed the book, which threw up quite a lot of themes for discussion. This was an author previously unknown to the group and she certainly impressed most of us.

We meet again at 7.30pm in the Lower Hall on 13th March 2025. The book we shall be discussing is ‘Trumpet’ by ‘Jackie Kay’.

We welcome new members and if you are thinking of joining the reading group, we meet bi-monthly, over a glass of wine and enjoy an eclectic mix of fiction. For further information, please contact gillianmorgan1952@gmail.com

Nettlefold Garden

Join us in Nettlefold Garden and help get the garden ready for spring. Saturday mornings March 8th, March 22nd and April 5th, at 10am till noon.

Please wear stout boots and gardening gloves. If you can bring a trowel, secateurs, or a border fork that would be great. Contact: nettlefoldgarden@gmail.com

Moor Pool Skittles Club

If you have not yet seen our wonderful skittle alley with both a flat and crowned playing surface, then do come and pay us a visit.

We are a small but friendly club, always happy to show off this amazing asset. We play most Mondays from 7.30p.m. till about 9.00 p.m.

Within the club there is an element of competition between members but you are welcome to come and have a go. The competition element is around a championship, one each for ladies and men, in both our Winter and Summer season.

The Alley has a great deal of history so do come along and let us share some stories! Please be aware that the club is for over 16 yrs only for insurance reasons; access is via the steps to the lower hall and then up steps from the kitchen area, which can be difficult to negotiate.

For more information contact Tina at tsuzanne444@gmail.com or 07757 967 264

History Corner

Before Wallpaper … Rob Sutton writes;

Our current redecorating involving stripping off 1980s wallpaper has revealed a pattern on a distemper painted surface. We thought this was stencilling but the opinion of a conservation architect is that it is the bleed through from an old wallpaper onto the original distemper surface. Amazingly this pattern has survived two lots of wallpaper stripping at least. Distemper is a traditional, breathable, water-based paint with a soft chalky finish.

Perhaps when removing old wallpaper you have seen similar examples of pattern bleed through? If so we would be interested to see it. Lifting the old carpets also revealed the floorboards stained a dark colour around the perimeter of the room. This brought back recollections of originally there being lino (linoleum) around some perimeters. Lino would have prevented draughts from between the floorboards. Fitted carpets are a relatively modern thing and rooms would just have had a carpet square or rug in the middle.

Linoleum from the Latin word linum (Latin for flax) and oleum (Latin for oil) is a term used for a smooth floor covering made from a solidified mixture of linseed oil, flax, cork, wood flour and pigments, pressed between heavy rollers onto a canvas backing. Linoleum was created by an Englishman named Frederick Walton. Linoleum is considered the first product name to become a generic term.

You may still find protruding bits of tapped off (hopefully) steel pipes which served the original gas lighting in rooms too.

Moor Pool History & Preservation Society www.moorpoolgardensuburb.co.uk

Contact Us

Chair: Margaret Harrold
email: chair@moorpool.org.uk

Subscriptions

Subscription fees are £8. Due (where possible) on 1st January. Payments can be made by standing order or by bank transfer to: Sort Code 30 19 14, Account Number 03808193.