FROM SOHO HOUSE FROM TO SOHO ROAD SOHO HOUSE A trail map by pupils at Rookery School TO SOHO ROAD This leaflet was written and illustrated by INTRODUCTION Rookery School’s pupils From Soho House along Soho Road, you can Writing by: be a time traveller discovering Handsworth’s Innaya, Faiza, Nay’Quwone, Munasar, Varandeep, Amrit, Sarish, Destiny, Eboni, Shanice, Chandani, Abigail, amazing story. Bobby, Imaan, Mahek, Yaseen, Suhana, Dhaya, Nazifa, On Soho Road, the busiest street in Handsworth, Freud, Lakhwinder, Kristyna, Krrish, Usayd, Syeda, you can explore a world of science and industry Justin, Malayka, Shanai, Salma, Zaaida, Jacob, in the past and present – and the future. Godfred, Shafiu, Aryaan, Madiha, Hanny, Syeda, Jaya, Kulpreet, Ganga, Javaid, Khainel, Aman, Iosif, Léia, Working as apprentices with Secret City Arts, Shareen, Karan, Sienna, Ricky, Ayaana, Adem, Kyle, we have created two films and this trail map. Pamela, Anshdeep, Ashdeep, Gurpreet, Ria, Amber, Our work will reveal some of the secrets waiting Leeman, Rares, Joshua to be discovered. Drawings by: Kulpreet, Destiny, Madiha, Nazifa, Dhaya, Aman and Salma www.secretcityarts.com www.rookeryschool.co.uk With special thanks to: William Gallagher (writer), Marcus Belben (apprenticeship workshop), Liam d’Authreau (filming), Marc Reck (production), Miss Hemsted and Ms Whyley (class teachers), Miss Lacken (art teacher), Mrs Loane and Mrs Balan (Partner Head Teachers) A trail map by pupils at Rookery www.rookeryschool.co.uk www.secretcityarts.com School Design: davewalshcreative.co.uk. Printed by Pinstripe Print Ltd 2017. IF SOHO ROAD COULD TELL ITS HISTORY Some members of the Lunar Society argued passionately against slavery. Can you spot this scene in our film? ‘There they go again. As I feel the soft moonlight fall Matthew Boulton knew that slavery was wrong, gently on my cool cement skin, so do I feel these nightly but he wanted to sell his steam engines around the world, including to plantation owners in the figures trudge across my earth.’ Caribbean. We should know this history, Soho Road might tell of shiny horse-drawn carriages for it is very important. clip-clopping away in the light of the full moon. It would tell of nervous apprentices running through Handsworth, trying not to be late. They worked long hours, these APPRENTICES THEN AND NOW young apprentices. Apprentices learn skills as they work. People with skills ‘There is one fragile girl who always catches my eye. teach the apprentices all they need to know. She is always late. I see her sweeping milk on the floor. Young people worked as apprentices for Boulton and Every night she goes home Golden Men: statue of Murdock (left) Boulton and Watt, Watt at Soho House and Soho Manufactory. From the age Broad Street, Birmingham with a mark on her face. of 13, they would sign an apprenticeship contract so they Could it be a punishment?’ wouldn’t quit their job. Maybe they wanted to carry on with GOLDEN MEN AND WOMEN MATTHEW BOULTON school years, but they had The ‘Golden Men’ of Handsworth started out as three AND JAMES WATT to earn money young and ambitious people. Here in Handsworth, who for their will be the ‘Golden Men and Women’ of our generation? Matthew Boulton and James Watt, together with William families. Murdock, changed the world with their brilliant creations here in Handsworth. We signed HANDSWORTH FUTURE They employed contracts as over a thousand Here in Handsworth, we dream of becoming astronauts, apprentices people at the Soho careworkers for older people, artists, doctors, engineers, to Secret City Manufactory. famous youtubers, nurses, swimming trainers, video Arts, part of the game designers and vets. creative industry In the late 1700s contributing to they invented a An apprenticeship contract with Matthew Boulton Here in Handsworth we intend to help and care for Birmingham’s powerful new form and James Watt over 200 years ago. The wiggly people, so they are loved and happy. We intend to cure economy. top was cut by hand to prevent fraud of the steam engine. illnesses and to stop the We have They exported homeless population from learned many skills: as historians, writers, artists, their steam engines Steam engine invented and increasing. We want to manufactured by Boulton and Watt film-makers and trail-guides. around the world. develop new technologies to help disabled people move faster, and software THE LUNAR SOCIETY 1765-1813 REMEMBERING BOULTON AND WATT to make the world a better place. Boulton and Watt were Locally in Handsworth, Nationally we remember members of the Lunar Society, we can find memories of Boulton and Watt as they Here in Handsworth we dream of making food for which met each month, often Boulton, Watt and their are shown on the £50 note. the world to love. We dream of owning our own car at Soho House (left), Matthew colleague William We feel very proud! company, employing people so they have a job. We dream Boulton’s home here in Murdock in road names. of owning an enormous mansion and a Lamborghini limo. Handsworth. They discussed Some Birmingham schools different scientific experiments and colleges are named Here in Handsworth, we learn to communicate and share, with oxygen and how to make after them, such as to achieve, to be problem solvers. We need determination, electricity, learning and sharing Matthew College and resilience, respect, confidence and courage. new science. James Watt College. Map of Making this trail guide Specialist search Soho Road (Not to scale) Road We went out hunting for industry, skills, clues and Working in ten small specialist teams, evidence along Soho Road. Once we started looking such as Skills Detectives, Foodists on our home patch, we found we might see things and Alphabetists, we searched for we have never seen before. It’s good to be curious Holyhead Allied Bakeries evidence along Soho Road – and we because it makes us smarter! West Bromwich came up with lots of questions too! Keep your eyes open next time you walk along Can you answer them? Which team Boo Soho Road. There’s so much to look at, and so many t will YOU join? You can find out more e h n Str about what each team found here... clues to find! ee La t y Road dr eet y r oker n t Ro S SKILLS DETECTIVES SOUND GATHERERS ou tt F Which skills can you see We listened for sounds in a Queens Local skills and industries W Road Head being used in Handsworth Soho Road, such as birds today? Where do you think tweeting and car brakes people learned these A huge number of opportunities are out there. squealing. What other skills? Which of these Many jobs are on offer, in bakeries, schools and sounds can you hear? skills would have been restaurants. You may pick up a job because it looks Which sounds would you used in the past? fun or you just need to get out of the house, but you Rookery School also have heard in the year don’t realise what kind of hard work goes into these. 1800? Can you find a SCIENTISTS Soho Foundry sound that links to AD Our role was to spot today’s Skills, skills are what you need! You need passion, industry? Road science-related evidence focus and determination, and skills to follow the rules, Murdock eg electricity, biology, designing, confidence, strategies and good posture. TRANSPORT SPECIALISTS chemistry. How has that As we say, a little resilience takes you a long way. We looked at different Road changed? Have you ever n RO SOHO types of transport and how ulto seen an electric car? But what do you think? What skills will YOU need? Bo people travel today. How And where can you learn them? COMMUNICATORS would transport have been How do we communicate different in Boulton and now? Newspapers, emails, Watt’s time in the 1800s? sending letters in the Can you spot unusual On this ground letterbox. Why do we use transport on Soho Road? phones? How has this changed? Who walked on this ground 250 years ago at the ALPHABETISTS time of Matthew Boulton and James Watt? Inventors, FOODISTS We found the whole apprentices, servants, maids, butlers and industrialists, Our team explored alphabet on Soho butchers and bakers. different cultures and Road! Can you make food on Soho Road. Why your own Soho Road Today on this ground walk apprentices, bakers, barbers, do you think there are A-Z? doctors, pharmacists, nurses, shop owners, clothes more fried food places Apple sellers, lawyers, teachers, accountants, architects and than healthy ones? Is this Barber many more. Handsworth what society wants? AD Co-operative Library In modern day Handsworth are people of different STORY-MAKERS Diamond faiths and cultures and people from many different Can you look out for Emoji Fa Soho Manufactory countries. cto unexpected things and Fluffy slippers ry (demolished 1848) RO SOHO Roa make up a story with Gold d ideas from shop names or Hula hoops St Mi c ha el’s Road Villa Ro ad So ho A ve Soho House P ark Av Pinstripe e Print AD SOHO RO Birmingham City Centre Road Holyhead Allied Bakeries West Bromwich Boo t e h n Str ee La t y Road dr eet y r oker n t Ro S ou tt F a QueensRoad W Head Rookery School Soho Foundry AD ad Murdock Ro Road n RO SOHO ulto Bo Handsworth AD Library Fa Soho Manufactory cto ry (demolished 1848) RO SOHO Roa d things in shop windows? Iceland St Have you noticed the stone Jamin foods Mi c men holding up arches? KFC ha el’s R What could their story be? Lebara What can you spot oad Mango Villa HISTORIANS on Soho Road today? Ro Nails World ad The Historians’ teams Onions looked for clues in the You’ll need to keep your eyes open to Paddy Power environment about the find all these details on Soho Road! Qualitex So past, such as dates, street ho A Raaz ve names and historic Soho House buildings.