Moor Pool Hall Heritage Day 2025

Take a read into what our Pink Ladies volunteers got up to at Moor Pool Heritage day!

Moor Pool Heritage Day took place on Sunday, 14th September, and our Pink Ladies did us proud, representing us on the stall once again.
Moor Pool Hall is not only the home of Keep Dancing Harborne but was also the host venue for our Keep Dancing for the Commonwealth Project in 2022.

The festival celebrates the unique heritage, architecture, and vibrant community spirit of the Moor Pool Estate, one of Birmingham’s “best-kept architectural secrets”. This year marked 10 years of community ownership and will focus on the Heritage Open Days theme of “Architecture.” The festival is part of Birmingham’s Heritage Week, which is part of Heritage Open Days across the nation.

The day was full of activities, including guided tours, self-guided trails, and performances such as Capoeira Brazilian dancing and Sovereign Brass Band. There were taster sessions from regular clubs: line dancing, sporting activities (Edwardian skittles, bowling, tennis, snooker), Strings Club, Capoeira, Mini Athletics, and more. The day was for all the family as there were family-friendly experiences: face painting, bug hotel trail, craft activities, LEGO corner, seed bombing, clay house building, cake stalls, homegrown produce, and local history displays. The festival offered the chance to explore the estate’s lush green spaces and heritage buildings.

We want to give a massive thank you to our volunteers from the day Tina Hackett, Chris Spink Barbara Hall Jean Hudson and Tina Warren. You ladies bang our drum so loudly, spreading awareness of our classes throughout Birmingham and for that we are so grateful!

It seems like one of our Pink ladies had rather a lot of fun being next to the police museums stall…

How brilliant does Barbara look!

Moor Pool Hall estate was created in the early 1900s by John Sutton Nettlefold, inspired by the Garden City movement and its principles of health, community, and access to green space. Construction of the estate began in 1907, with local architects Martin & Martin building roughly 500 Arts and Crafts-style houses over 54 acres. Moor Pool Hall officially opened on November 5, 1910, intended as a social and cultural hub for residents.

I bet some of our Keep Dancing Harborne Dancers recognise this space!

The Hall’s facilities included a unique Edwardian skittle alley (possibly the only one of its kind in Britain), a snooker and billiards hall, and space for dances, performances, and meetings. The Hall served as a venue for festivals, plays, markets, and gatherings, reflecting the estate’s commitment to creating social wellbeing and creativity in Harborne.

Since 2014, the Hall and other community assets have been managed by the Moor Pool Heritage Trust, following a successful community bid to save and maintain them for future generations. Moor Pool Hall stands today as a living symbol of early 20th-century progressive urban planning and community co-operation in Birmingham, continuing to host events that honours its rich heritage and architectural significance.

Thank you for reading our reflective blog on the Moor Pool Hall Heritage festival 2025, we hope to take part in more events in and around birmingham in the future! Keep updated via our monthly newsletter for events near you!

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC run weekly Keep Dancing classes, suitable for older adults across, Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Sandwell and online. Keep Dancing will teach you dances from around the world with no need for a dance partner. Find your nearest Keep Dancing class here.     

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC also runs classes to support carers in Birmingham thanks to Funding from Forward Carers CIC. Find out more about our Keep Dancing for carers here

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