What it's really like living on 'rough' estate where This Town was filmed
Residents at the Druids Heath housing estate in Birmingham where This Town was filmed have said their estate is "even rougher" than how it is portrayed on television.
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The new BBC drama by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been the talk of the town over the last few months as film crews have been spotted at a number of locations in the region.
One of the main locations is the high rises at Druids Heath in south Birmingham – Saxelby House, Kingswood House and Barratts House – where locals told Birmingham World the reality of life there is even rougher and 'more violent' than the hit TV show portrays.
Knight said: "These blocks are beautiful when pigeons are flying at them and if you live in them, the view is amazing and you can see the curve of the earth."
The actual buildings used in the show now stand empty and neglected, but residents who live nearby say the show romanticised an otherwise dangerous area, and that Knight's comments are 'a bit of an insult'.
Some say the suburb on the outskirts of Birmingham city centre can be a no-go area after dark.
In 2018, two cats were thrown to their deaths from Kingswood House while a taxi driver was filmed being beaten up by a passenger outside the flats in 2020. Locals say the estate has continued to be troubled by crime while This Town 'almost glamorises' the poverty they have to live in - even 40 years on.
David Palmer, a 49-year-old hotel porter, told Birmingham World: "The show hits the nail on the head in some regards but doesn't scratch the surface of working class life in others. I think it's rougher here than the show makes out to be honest and has been since the 80s.
"People here were left to suffer and crime has been rife for as long as I've known. You do feel quite exploited when your area is used for entertainment. I believe it is a fair reflection of the city though, it doesn't try to sugar-coat the problems of the day, and it feels authentic in some parts.
