The Argent Centre, Birmingham

Visit to the Jewellery Centre as part of a trip to Birmingham. Robert's Mum and Dad both worked in local factories here -his Mum making pen nibs and his Dad ,whistles. The Argent Centre is home to a pen museum which I would not have visited in a million years under my own volition but turned out to be quite interesting, particularly with the family link. Pen nib making was definitely woman's work (cheap labour) and whilst unskilled, women needed to be extremely quick to make the quotas.

I loved the mid 19th Century building all around the area-this is a grade 11 listed building and now home to a number of small businesses as well as the museum. The amazing number of windows lit the various small workshops.