THE BLOXIDGE TALLYGRAPH
The online Community News and Local History Magazine for Bloxwich & District - Edditid by a Bloxidge mon!
Bloxwich Library And Studio Theatre USER FORUM
Bloxwich Library & Theatre undergoing transformation (Picture: Stuart Williams)
A specially-formed user group is working behind the scenes with library staff to help ensure a great future for literature and culture in Bloxwich.
Bloxwich Library and the attached Library Theatre, opened 1960-64, are currently undergoing major refurbishment and remodelling to make the facility, which is being renamed Bloxwich Library & Studio Theatre (B.L.A.S.T) as state-of-the-art and user-friendly for the 21st century as it was cutting edge when it opened in the swinging 60s.
The library's B.L.A.S.T. User Forum, a group of interested Bloxwich citizens formed a year ago as part of public consultation on the redevelopment, continues to be busy offering ideas and support, working with library management, while construction workers are busy on the mammoth task which is expected to take until around the end of July this year to complete.
FROM LIBRARY & THEATRE TO B.L.A.S.T.
Apart from the latest library facilities for adults, children and students, there will also be an integrated cafe, exhibition area, public toilets and other facilities merging the library with the upgraded Studio Theatre. The multi-use theatre is being refitted and will have completely new adjustable seating and video projection facilities, reflecting and updating upon the 16mm projection cinema which was an integral part of the original development.
Unique in the Midlands when it was built, and still unique in Walsall Matropolitan Borough, the completed development will be a much-needed cultural centre both for Bloxwich and for the rest of the Walsall area once it is open.
READY FOR B.L.A.S.T. - OFF!
B.L.A.S.T. User Forum now has its own section of The Bloxidge Tallygraph - this page and other facilities, downloads etc which will develop with the User Forum and B.L.A.S.T. itself over time.
Please keep coming back for the latest on B.L.A.S.T. and the User Forum!
B.L.A.S.T. User Forum Contacts
You can contact us in the following ways:
Via Twitter: http://twitter.com/BloxwichBLAST
By email: bloxwich.blast@googlemail.com
By post (please enclose an s.a.e): c/o Ms. Dina Teppin, Area Librarian - North, Beechdale Library, Stephenson Square, Beechdale Estate, Bloxwich, Walsall WS2 7DX.
B.L.A.S.T. and B.L.A.S.T. User Forum Documents
Documents for you to download - we'll do our best to keep you in the picture!
B.L.A.S.T. User Forum meeting minutes:
MINUTES OF BLAST MEETING 16 01 2010
CUNNING PLANS - the old Bloxwich Library & Theatre and B.L.A.S.T.:
Original plan
The original 1954 plan for the 1960 Bloxwich Library can be downloaded here in jpg format, courtesy of Walsall Local History Centre via this link.
New B.L.A.S.T. plan
The combined layout plan for the refurbished Bloxwich Library and Studio Theatre is available in pdf form, courtesy of Walsall Council, via this link.
You can zoom in on the details using your PDF viewer. If you do not have one, you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader via this link.
History of Bloxwich Library & Theatre
For information on the past history of Bloxwich libraries and the theatre, follow this link.
Bloxwich Library Works under way
Bloxwich Temporary Library (picture: Stuart Williams)
Dateline: 21 November 2009
Bloxwich Library, one of the busiest and most popular libraries in the borough began a major transformation on 1 November, during which it will become Bloxwich Library and Studio Theatre.
The library, in Elmore Row, has been temporarily replaced by a portakabin on the forecourt (see picture, above), operating a limited service with a small selection of stock and reduced opening hours.
Contractors E Manton Ltd from Birminghamhave now stripped out the interior of the library and the attached theatre ready for major refurbishment and rewiring, expected to take around nine months.
Bloxwich Library was state-of-the art and unique in the area when it opened in 1960, together with the attached Library Theatre which is also being refurbished. Unlike the dark and forbidding libraries which preceded it, the new structure was light and airy, and supported a wide range of activities, especially when the Library Theatre was opened in 1964.
When it was built, Bloxwich Library Theatre included a projection room and £1000 worth of 16mm film projection equipment, enabling a Bloxwich Film Society to be formed within weeks of opening.
It was also the home to several theatre companies over the decades, but was sadly used less and less in recent and developed problems due to the buildings age and inadequate maintenance.
The plan is to return the combined Bloxwich Library and Theatre to its former status as a lively, flexible and inclusive facility for learning and culture in the heart of the village.
The new facility will include a local access point for council information, exhibition, display and performance areas, a cafe, meeting rooms and a children's reading garden. Other benefits include improvements to the energy performance of the building.
The combined layout plans for the refurbished Bloxwich Library and Studio Theatre are now available in pdf form, courtesy of Walsall Council, via this link.
These are exciting times for library users and fans of literature and culture in Bloxwich. Once the works are completed, they should be able to benefit from an integrated facility unique within the borough, something which we can all look forward to and be proud of.
However in the meantime, library users needing more extensive facilities than the temporary library cabin will need to look further afield, perhaps to Walsall Central Library itself, which if travelling by bus is probably quicker to get to than the other local libraries at Blakenall Heath or Beechdale.
For Bloxwich Library contact details and opening times, follow this link.
Bloxwich Library about to begin transformation
Bloxwich Library (Picture: Stuart Williams)
Dateline: 16 October 2009
Bloxwich Library, one of the busiest and most popular libraries in the borough is set to undergo a major transformation after contractors were appointed earlier this week.
The library, in Elmore Row, will be closed from Monday November 2 and transfer to a temporary library facility which will open on Tuesday November 10 on the forecourt, operating a limited service during the period of work.
A £1.2m grant from the BIG Lottery Communities Libraries fund, awarded in July 2008 will transform the now-dilapidated venue, which was state-of-the art and unique in the area when it opened in 1960, together with the attached 1964 Library Theatre which is also being refurbished, into a lively, flexible and inclusive facility for learning and culture in the heart of the town.
Contractors E Manton Ltd from Birmingham were appointed in October and building work is expected to take around 9 months to complete, starting on Monday November 9.
Councillor Barry Sanders, Walsall Council's portfolio holder for leisure and culture said: "This is a very exciting opportunity for the people of Bloxwich. The library and theatre are in a tired 1950s building which does need updating and re-modelling.
"It's going to be remodelled internally and will benefit from an external facelift, providing a modern library environment fit for the 21st century."
The new facility will include a local access point for council information, exhibition, display and performance areas, a cafe, meeting rooms and a children's reading garden. Other benefits include improvements to the energy performance of the building.
Councillor Sanders added: "There will be a temporary library facility available during the construction work and we will be letting members of the community know its opening hours. We urge library visitors to bear with us during the building programme and we'll aim to keep disruption to the service to a minimum."
Sue Grainger, head of libraries and heritage in Walsall said: "Library visitors have seen huge changes at our libraries made possible by the Library Modernisation Programme. We're extremely proud of these new facilities and delighted that work is now due to commence at Bloxwich Library. The space will be transformed to an exciting, friendly and accessible venue which will offer leisure, learning and cultural opportunities for the whole community.
For information on the history of Bloxwich libraries, follow this link.
