On the Real Side

Why do some towns die and others thrive?

My Christmas ski holiday got me thinking again about what makes towns and communities function and what happens when they stop.

Jan 12 • 

Niall Crowley

2

1

December 2024

Smethwick: Postwar history, family mystery

Reflections on the history and troubles of this once mighty industrial town where Charlie Chaplin was born in a gypsy caravan and Malcolm X came to find…

Dec 20, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

3

Way down in the hole!

Holes large and small were a surprisingly important part of the Black Country economy and mythology. Dudley and Oldbury had so many, it's a wonder these…

Dec 5, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

6

Skiing and the Return of Low Expectations

Demands by academics to 'shield' working class kids from 'middle class' pursuits like skiing, theatre and museums smacks of what happened in schools…

Dec 2, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

4

November 2024

Year Zero for Jaguar cars?

Critics have ridiculed the Midland car maker's new brand revamp as 'Woke', but in seeking to erasing its past and looking to 'culture' for salvation…

Nov 21, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

5

Hung, Drawn and Cancelled - is it the end of Bonfire Night?

Guy Fawkes Night was a centuries old people's tradition that wrestled away from us by councils and safety campaigners.

Nov 6, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

1

October 2024

The Tribal Rites of Saturday Night

The passing resemblance between UK subcultures like the Mod Northern Soul scenes and the US phenomenon Saturday Night Fever turned out to be no…

Oct 25, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

3

All 'Concrete and Crossroads' or Capital of Culture?

This second post on Birmingham Masterplans focuses on the 1990s when city bosses decided to turn their back on manufacturing and look instead to…

Oct 23, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

September 2024

Birmingham Gothic

The city's planners and politicians never were much interested in its history, architectural or otherwise. But a few neglected gems from the city's…

Sep 29, 2024 • 

Niall Crowley

4

July 2024