Crooked House film screened three years after fire
BBCA documentary about the history and demise of a famously wonky pub has been screened to an audience in the Black Country.
It is almost three years since the Crooked House in Himley, Staffordshire, caught fire before being demolished - sparking outrage and a campaign to get it rebuilt.
Now, a film has been produced to keep the history and the heritage of the venue alive.
"We need to keep telling people we're still here and we're still fighting. We want it back to what it looked like before the fire," said main campaigner Paul Turner.
Documentary maker Luke Reader said it was not only the Crooked House people were worried about.
"It's about the area of the Black Country," he said. "The region itself is suffering so many buildings being demolished and it's a shame that history is being erased.
"We've got so many buildings that aren't listed and even the Crooked House wasn't listed."
There was praise for the new film among those turning out to see it.
"I think our heritage is slowly disappearing," one person said. "The documentary was fantastic and that picture at the end which shows what it's going to look like - it was beautiful to see it like that."
The 18th Century pub was ravaged by fire on 5 August 2023 and the owners ATE Farms Limited were ordered to rebuild it.
Former MP Marco Longhi said they did not simply want the pub to be rebuilt, however.
"Leaving things as they are is a huge problem for both South Staffordshire Council and Dudley Council, because of all the fly tipping at the entrance and along the lane," he said.
"Rebuilding it means actually creating the conditions for a future pub there to be successful."
Staffordshire Police treated the fire as arson and arrested six people in connection with the incident and later released them on bail.
The force said a file was with the CPS and its investigation continues.
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