Moseley
From Wikipedia Mirror
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Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, two miles (3 km) south of the city centre. The area is a popular and cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and other independent retailers.
It is located within the Moseley and Kings Heath Ward of the city, in the constituency of Hall Green.
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History
Moseley was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Museleie.
St. Mary's Church, Moseley was licensed by the Bishop of Worcester (authorised by Pope Innocent VII) in February 1405, and the 600th anniversary was celebrated in 2005 with a series of special events. Moseley itself developed around a Victorian shopping area known as Moseley Village.
Spring Hill College (Moseley School), a Gothic revival construction built in 1857, is located in the south of the district. Former pupils include the comedian Jasper Carrott and the musician Bev Bevan.
St. Anne's Church, Moseley was opened in 1874.
Moseley was served by Moseley railway station from 1867 to 1941. It was opened by the Midland Railway on the Camp Hill line. A previously named Moseley Station on the same line changed its name to Kings Heath Station upon the opening of the station.[1]
In some respects Moseley and the surrounding area suffered a serious decline in the last part of the 20th century. Much property fell into neglect, and problems with crime, drugs and prostitution became commonplace. During this same period, however, with a great deal of cheap accommodation on offer, it is arguable that Moseley also enjoyed its most creative and cosmopolitan phase as the focus of artistic and student communities.
The area has since recovered and is now one of the more affluent suburbs in Birmingham, although parts of north Moseley continue to suffer deprivation. The area has a mixture of residential properties, with some streets being among the most expensive in the city and others consisting largely of social housing and other rented accommodation.
Local band Ocean Colour Scene flourished in the mid-1990s British Britpop–indie scene with songs such as "The Riverboat Song", inspired by locations within the suburb of Moseley. Their most successfulTemplate:Fact album was Moseley Shoals. Moseley is also the birthplace of Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.
The suburb is the spiritual home of the great Moseley Rugby Football Club, regular cup finalists in the 1970s and 80s, and still regularly hosting one of the top 14 games in the country. Their new home is a few yards from the Moseley border at Billesley.
The politician Joseph Chamberlain had his Birmingham residence at Highbury, on the edge of Moseley. The property was entrusted to the city after Chamberlain's death and is currently used as a conference venue and location for civil ceremonies.
Michael Slattery is arguably Moseley's most famous resident. He rarely ventures outside of the village and can oft be seen frequenting The Cocks enjoying his tipple of choice, a 'Harvey Wallbanger'.
Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien spent many of his early years in Moseley, living close to Sarehole Mill in Hall Green and Moseley Bog, which many peopleTemplate:Who believe were the inspiration for the Shire in The Lord of the Rings. Planning permission has recently been acquired for the erection on Moseley Green of a Template:Convert high statue of Treebeard, an Ent from The Lord of the Rings, made by Tolkien's great-nephew, Tim Tolkien. Other famous residents of Moseley include some of the band members of UB40.
Present
Today, a monthly Farmers' Market in Moseley - set up by the Moseley Neighbourhood Forum- has won various awards including best FARMA Certified Urban Farmers' Market 2009 and in 2009 local farmer Dominic Butler won the Most Unique Produce award with his micro blue beetroots. Similarly, Moseley has a well defined and established community spirit and ethos, exemplified by Moseley Neighbourhood Forum - a neighbourhood forum - that works to develop the village for the betterment of everyone. The Moseley Society exists to protect the heritage of the area; meetings of the Society discuss and debate a wide range of local issues and the interests of its residents.
The Moseley Community Development Trust (CDT) is looking to invest in the social and physical capital of the area. Established with funding from charitable trust funds and with the support of the Moseley and Kings Heath Ward Committee, the CDT is now managing a series of initiatives to improve the environment of Moseley.
It has its own monthly magazine, Birmingham 13, reporting on local events and personalities.
Also, a group of volunteers have formed known as Moseley in Bloom (MiB). Much like the Moseley Community Development Trust, the group undertake many projects which look at the greener issues around moseley. Many projects take place throughout the year to enhance the landscape of Moseley as well as renovate dilapidated areas.
Every summer Moseley hosts Moseley Festival, a festival of arts and culture that sees people in the community come together and hold a series of music, art, food, cultural and sporting events.
Moseley Folk festival happens later in the year, and attracts big names from the world of folk.
Moseley is also home to many pubs, restaurants and cafés. Examples include:
- The Fighting Cocks public house with a partially heated (and partially undercover) beer garden.
- The Cross pub and wine bar.
- The Bulls Head public house
- The Junction public house, formerly The Drift
- La Plancha, a tapas bar opened in 2005.
- The Prince of Wales public house with a partially heated (and partially undercover) large beer garden.
Education
Moseley has two secondary schools, Moseley School, a language college and Queensbridge School, an Arts College.
