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A piece of Wolverhampton’s history disappeared for good when crowds gathered to watch the demolition of the Goodyear chimney.
Watch our exclusive video.
Video journalist Nicky Butler witnessed the end of an era on Sunday morning.
The landmark, once part of Wolverhampton’s busy industrial life, is making way for a new development.
Former Goodyear workers were among the crowds who assembled to see the chimney go.
Younger people with fresher associations with the chimney were also present to give their views.
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17 Comments
Seems history is 2nd to housing needs. That chimney has been an icon of wolverhampton for decades, it was in no obvious need of repair (springfield brewery/low level station style) and these developers just turn up and knock it down without anyone batting an eyelid and even having the cheek to turn the demolition into a farce by having a schoolkid and former employee pressing the button. Thought there would of been more of a protest to be honest, i must be one of a few who really didnt want this to be knocked down
Old to new? More like history into another bland housing/industrial estate
Its a pity none of the people interviewed even gave a thought for the 100s of men and women who had worked here over the years and still were working there in the 90s when all the rumours started about the plants closure. Of course Goodyear denied all the speculation but still managed to wring the necks of their workers right to the end hoping they would leave , like i did, without a redundancy payout due to morale being so low…Still a bitter taste 8 years on……..i wonder if the funds invested by goodyear unions on behalf of the workforce will ever be seen by the workforce or will they be lost for ever…..but that is another story……
It’s a shame the black country museum did’nt whant it.
it was big, it was blue, it was big and blue and its gone, gone forever, bye bye
Disgusting. This tower should have been preserved
i worked at Goodyears in the late sixties,i started when i was only 18 years old its a sad day for wolverhampton now its gone,i can not understand why they are building houses on the site when no one can afford to buy them
What a sad day and an end of era my dad worked there for over 35yrs and had very good memories there. I grew up round Wolverhampton and always saw the chimney from my house its going to be ashame not to see it from the skyline. Pity it had to go as there not much of the landmarks here in Wolverhampton.
tragic loss.
I’d bet my mortgage a replica of this will end up being built probably for the black country museum, and they’d wished they’d kept this one from being destroyed. What a waste.
No 9. a tragic loss - its a chimney!!! or was.
Will be strange it not being there , next eyesore to flatten ,I vote the Molineux!
i have lived around th area for 16 years and the big blue chimny has not done any harm to people.It was a great landmark for wlverhampton and it was sad seeing it go !
Shame to see these landmarks come down. Brings something different to the skyline.
this is very sad !!
why does this useless government and local councils want to keep building houses when there’s thousands of new houses already empty no ones buying at the moment this nu labour spineless weak useless government have taxed the last bit of cash spare we had to spend on luxurys.
What’s the betting that St Modwen will need a finacial bailout on this one.
As I understand it there around 850,000 houses standing empty in this country. And the same again up for sale.
Where is the housing shortage?
No loyalty shown from America to keep the plant open,like we continue gave them with our soldiers lives to attack IRAQ.Then the stack would still be working like the local men.Sad day for Wolvo.