Redditch .wmv: 1950eliz on YouTube
A mixture of video and photos takes us back to 2011.
It was the time when sticking your feet in a tank of small fish in the shopping centre was a trend popping up all over the country.
Unfortunately, the new Woolworths building was empty after the business employing 27,000 staff nationwide went bust in the credit crunch. Over in the old Woolworth’s building, Tony’s Hanyman Centre was about to close, as the owner was retiring after 40 years of trading.
Heaphys Menswear opened in Redditch in 1831, during the reign of William IV, making it one of the town’s oldest businesses.
Redditch in 2011 was a town defined by its unique status as a "New Town" second-generation experiment, grappling with the complexities of a post-industrial identity. By this point, the town was nearly half a century into its radical 1964 redesign, and the cracks and triumphs of that master plan were equally visible. For a well-educated observer, 2011 offered a fascinating study of urban planning, economic resilience, and the subtle shift in the social fabric of the West Midlands.
The Urban Master Plan: Radburn in Maturity
To understand Redditch in 2011, one must first recognize the "Radburn" principle upon which it was rebuilt. This design philosophy prioritized the separation of pedestrians and motor vehicles, creating a labyrinth of "distributor roads"—the famous Redditch roundabouts—and segregated bus lanes. By 2011, these distributor roads, often obscured by deep embankments and heavy landscaping, meant that the town remained remarkably green, even in its most industrial sectors.
However, the "New Town" aesthetic was reaching a stage of architectural fatigue. The Brutalist and modernist structures of the 1960s and 70s were being viewed with a more critical eye. The town center, dominated by the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, remained the primary economic engine. In 2011, the Kingfisher was more than a retail space; it was the town's civic heart, a climate-controlled environment that sheltered the population from the increasingly vacant look of many traditional British high streets. The center had recently undergone refurbishments, including the "Hub" area, to integrate more leisure and dining options—a move necessitated by the burgeoning competition from nearby Birmingham’s Bullring.
Economic Transition: Beyond Needles and Springs
Redditch’s historical identity was forged in the needle and fishing tackle industries, but by 2011, that heritage was largely confined to the Forge Mill Needle Museum. The town’s economy had successfully, if painfully, transitioned toward light engineering, logistics, and automotive supply chains.
The proximity to the M42 and M5 motorways made Redditch a strategic node for distribution. In 2011, the industrial estates of Moons Moat and Washford were busy hubs, yet they were sensitive to the broader economic climate. The UK was still feeling the "long tail" of the 2008 financial crisis, and in 2011, the local economy was defined by a cautious recovery. While the massive MG Rover collapse at nearby Longbridge in 2005 was six years in the past, its ghost still haunted the employment statistics of Redditch, where many former automotive workers resided. The town was increasingly becoming a "commuter dormitory," with residents utilizing the cross-city rail link to Birmingham New Street.
The 2011 Census: A Demographic Snapshot
2011 was a pivotal year for data, as it marked the national census. The results for Redditch revealed a town of approximately 84,000 people. The data showed a community that was relatively young compared to the wider Worcestershire average, but one that was beginning to see the first "bulge" of the original New Town pioneers entering retirement.
The census also highlighted a subtle but significant increase in ethnic diversity. While Redditch remained predominantly white British, there was a growing population of Eastern European residents, particularly from Poland, who had integrated into the town’s manufacturing and logistical sectors. This demographic shift brought new life to areas like Mount Pleasant and Headless Cross, visible in the changing storefronts and the increased variety of goods in local markets.
Politics and Governance
Politically, 2011 was a year of consolidation. Locally, the Redditch Borough Council was navigating the challenges of "Austerity Britain," a policy directive from the Coalition Government in Westminster. This meant that 2011 was a year of difficult decisions regarding local services, from library funding to the maintenance of the town’s extensive parklands.
In the 2011 local elections, the political landscape remained competitive, reflecting the town’s "bellwether" status. Redditch has historically been a swing seat, and in 2011, the local debates centered on the preservation of the Alexandra Hospital. The "Alex," as it is known locally, was—and remains—a visceral point of contention. Proposals to move key services, such as maternity or A&E, to Worcester were met with fierce community resistance. In 2011, the hospital was not just a medical facility; it was a symbol of the town’s independence and its right to self-contained infrastructure.
Leisure and Environment: Arrow Valley and Beyond
One of the unqualified successes of the Redditch master plan was the Arrow Valley Country Park. In 2011, this 900-acre site was the town’s premier leisure asset. The Arrow Valley Lake provided a space for sailing and fishing, while the network of trails offered a respite from the urban density.
Cultural life in 2011 was anchored by the Palace Theatre. This Edwardian gem, nestled in the heart of the modern town, provided a necessary link to the pre-New Town era. Its programming in 2011 remained robust, offering everything from amateur dramatics to touring professional shows, serving as a reminder that despite the concrete and the roundabouts, Redditch possessed a deep-seated cultural appetite.
The Digital and Social Landscape
Socially, 2011 was the year that digital connectivity began to fundamentally rewire the community. It was the year of the "Arab Spring" and the London Riots, events that were consumed in real-time on smartphones, which were becoming ubiquitous in Redditch homes. The local newspaper, the Redditch Advertiser, was transitioning into a digital-first entity.
This digital shift also began to affect the physical town. The first signs of "click and collect" were appearing in the Kingfisher Centre, and the traditional High Street models were beginning to struggle with the nascent but accelerating power of Amazon. In 2011, the town was still "physical"—people met in the town square near the church of St Stephen—but the virtual world was starting to thin those physical crowds.
Retrospective: The Legacy of 2011
Looking back, 2011 was a year of "middle age" for Redditch as a New Town. The bold, utopian visions of the 1960s had been tempered by the reality of economic cycles and the wear and tear of time. The town was no longer "new," but it hadn't yet become "old" enough to be viewed with purely historical nostalgia.
It was a town that worked. It wasn't as picturesque as the Cotswold-fringed Evesham or as historically "spa-like" as Droitwich, but it possessed an industrial pragmatism. The Redditch of 2011 was a place where people from all over the UK and Europe had come to find work and a modern home with a garden. It was a town that proved that even within a landscape of concrete distributor roads and endless roundabouts, a genuine, vibrant community could flourish.
The year ended with Redditch looking forward to the London 2012 Olympics, a sense of national pride beginning to swell. For the residents of the town, 2011 was a year of holding steady, protecting their local hospital, and continuing to adapt the needle-making heritage of their ancestors into the high-tech, logistical future of the 21st century.
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