Man made blunders

Brutalism gone mad or marvellous modernism?

John Betjeman called Stamford one of England's most attractive towns.

Indeed it is a contender for a BBC One programme in the next couple of weeks called Seven Man-Made Wonders.

Inside Out uses the backdrop of Stamford to highlight the contrast with the blots on the East Midlands landscape.

The Architectural Historian Maxwell Craven has taken a journey from Derby to Leicester to Nottingham and Lincoln picking his Seven Man-Made Blunders.

Some are controversial choices including:

* Nottingham Maid Marion Way - renowned for carving its way through the city's historic centre and showing no respect for its surrounding heritage.

Maid Marion Way - brutally cuts through the city's historic core

This urban ring road's abundance of concrete and lack of colour and character make it a popular choice.

* Leicester Haymarket - a brutalistic triumph in the heart of the city centre comes top of the blots for some locals.

* Derby Assembly Rooms - another concrete monstrosity according to critics.

* The Cockpit car park - this lumbering brick and concrete box has few fans in Derby.

And there are many other contenders for the top eyesores in the patch including the entire town of Swadlincote in Derbyshire.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Seven Natural Wonders
• South Derbyshire Council
• Nottingham City Council
• Leicester City Council
• Derby City Council

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Gujarat earthquake

Shattered lives - the Gujarat earthquake

In January 2001 the Indian state of Gujarat was rocked by a huge earthquake.

Inside Out meets the fundraisers who continue to help victims of an earthquake others around the world might have forgotten.

It's five years since an earthquake struck at Gujarat in India.

Among the devastation 25,000 lives were lost.

A further 200,000 people were injured as the earthquake toppled buildings and houses.

The quake measured 7.9 on the Richter Scale with its epicentre around 20 km north-east of Bhuj in Gujarat.

We meet members of the Rushey Mead Foundation in Leicester who have been helping to build a school in Bhuj.

This project is now well under way with two classes running and another one planned for 2006.

We go to Gujarat to see at first hand the help which continues to come from the people of Leicester and show the difference which help from the city is still making.

How to help: The Rushey Mead Foundation, 16 Iona Road,
Syston, Leicester, LE7 1QP.

Tel - 07860 543818

email: [email protected]

Links relating to this story:

• BBC News - Gujarat Earthquake
• BBC Leicester
• Rushey Mead Foundation
• Cause an Effect
• Indian Embassy
• India Disasters

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Graveyard vandalism

Growing concern - vandals are targeting cemeteries

Cemeteries should be places where grieving relatives are free to mourn in peace.

But for many people in the Midlands, this peace is being shattered by thieves and vandals who target the graves of loved ones.

Grave desecration is a problem across the region; memorials are smashed and flowers and ornaments stolen.

Inside Out meets a mother from Newark who decided to have her son's remains exhumed after his grave was targeted by vandals.

We also travel to the graveyard where officials are fighting back by introducing some simple – and effective – security measures.

Links relating to this story:

• Inside Out North East
• Home Office
  Cruse Bereavement Care
  

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites