EXPERT COMMENT LAST UPDATED : 05 AUGUST
This week (Monday 5th August) marks the one-year anniversary of the fire which destroyed Britain’s wonkiest pub, and a Psychology Lecturer at Birmingham City University (BCU) says that the continued outpouring of grief for the building shows just how deeply people care about their history.
The Crooked House pub in Himley, in the West Midlands, was demolished 48 hours later and has since roused a campaign to protect the UK’s heritage buildings.
Fiona Brook, Lecturer in Psychology, and Deputy Course Lead for BSc Psychology and Counselling at BCU, explains why people from across the world are still grieving for the loss of a pub, a year on.
“The reality of grieving is that it is a process that is different for everyone and for every loss that is experienced,” said Ms Brook. “For some, it has galvanised a movement to preserve their cultural and heritage, while for others they still feel the pain of part of their personal and familial narrative being lost.”
“This is part of the reason why the demolition of The Crooked House has had such an impact and continues to be spoken about a year on.
“When The Electric Cinema in Birmingham closed earlier this year, there were similar outpourings of grief. Many may have been inspired by The Crooked House campaign and ‘normalised’ the grief of a building, as well as the cultural significance attached to it.”
Ms Brook, who is also a private psychotherapist, explains that grief never goes away completely: “Over time, your life grows and expands around that experience. You may go days, weeks, or even years without thinking about or feeling that grief.
“But then there may be times when that feeling is activated again, such as an anniversary. This is completely normal!
“Campaigners involved are not simply grieving a pile of rubble, these emotions are tied into something far more significant but less tangible.
“A year on from the fire, it shows just how deeply people care about their culture and history, as well as the lengths people will go to in order to restore it.”