I tuned in to Breakfast television this morning to get my latest early morning fix of the latest news, to find them talking about the architecture of the sixties. They had an architect and Joseph Watson from the National Trust talking about the aforementioned Brutalist architecture which by and large meant the rather strange concrete monstrosities built all over the country in the 1960s.
I was expecting them both to criticise the strange architectural designs - but they didn't. The architect referred to them as buildings that could be touched and enjoyed and Mr Watson seemed to believe that they are national treasures. So much so that the "Brutalist Buildings" could become National Trust properties of the future.
Much of the item surrounded the architecture at the University of East Anglia which is literally a stone's throw from where we live (or rather two miles if you prefer).
Brutalist doesn't mean what you think it does. The word conjures up ideas of brutality, ugliness and ruination and indeed brutalisation. Brutalism is defined as "an architectural style of the mid-20th century characterised by massive or monolithic forms, usually of poured concrete and unrelieved by exterior decoration." The term comes from the French béton brut which literally means raw concrete.
That would certainly describe the University buildings. From 25th September the National Trust will celebrate the importance of an architectural style that people usually love or hate.
There will be guided tours of some of the best of Britain’s brutalist buildings including the Southbank Centre in London, Park Hill flats in Sheffield and the University of East Anglia campus.
I have never been able to make my mind up about such buildings. Are they art or just a concrete mess? I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm not sure whether I like the buildings at the UEA and the ziggurat style of the accommodation blocks. Perhaps that in itself says that I accept the designs. I can't see tours of the Southbank Centre or the UEA ever rivalling Blickling Hall or Felbrigg Hall, however.
If you want to learn more about Brutalism, there's an excellent web site put together by the Guardian newspaper which is available by clicking here.
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Last night saw the latest meeting of Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association - a group that I had the pleasure of starting a number of years ago with the idea of bring together organisations in three villages working in the fields of fitness, sport and well being.
It has proved a great success and received considerable support from South Norfolk Council which has given us the opportunity to support existing clubs and start up new ones. Once again it was a full meeting that illustrated how much is being done in our villages (Hethersett, Little Melton and Great Melton) to help improve fitness and health (something that was instrumental in our being the first village in the country to be awarded a Prime Minister's Big Society award).
This Saturday sees a major sporting event coming through Hethersett with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish amongst those taking part in the Tour of Britain cycle race. We expect hundreds if not thousands of local residents to line the route through the village. Another landmark day in our village's Olympic legacy journey - more of which at a later date.