Why people are still grieving for the Crooked House, by expert psychologist

Fiona Brook, a senior psychology lecturer at Birmingham City University, says the national campaign that has sprung up to get the famously wonky pub rebuilt reflects a grieving process which is as much about people's memories as it is about the building itself.

It is one year today since the pub in Himley, near Dudley, was unlawfully demolished, 48 hours after it was gutted in a fire which is being investigated as a suspected arson attack. The news sparked an outpouring of sadness around the world, and 38,000 people joined a Facebook group dedicated to getting the pub rebuilt. Five hundred people turned out for the One Year On event at Himley Hall on Sunday, with speeches from group co-ordinator Paul Turner, former Dudley North MP Marco Longhi and Kingswinford and South Staffordshire MP Mike Wood.

Brook is not surprised.

"The reality of grieving is that it is a process that is different for everyone and for every loss that is experienced," she says.

"For some, it has galvanised a movement to preserve their cultural and heritage, while for others they still feel the pain of part of their personal and familial narrative being lost.

"This is part of the reason why the demolition of The Crooked House has had such an impact and continues to be spoken about a year on."

Brook says the outpouring of feelings in the wake of the pub's demolition may also have changed the way Britons react to the loss of their heritage.

"There were similar outpourings of emotion when The Electric Cinema in Birmingham closed earlier this year," she says. "Many may have been inspired by The Crooked House campaign and 'normalised' the grief of a building, as well as the cultural significance attached to it."

Brook, who also operates as a private psychotherapist, says that grief never disappears completely.

"Over time, your life grows and expands around that experience," she says.

"You may go days, weeks, or even years without thinking about or feeling that grief.

"But then there may be times when that feeling is activated again, such as an anniversary. This is completely normal."

"Campaigners involved are not simply grieving a pile of rubble, these emotions are tied into something far more significant but less tangible.

"A year on from the fire, it shows just how deeply people care about their culture and history, as well as the lengths people will go to in order to restore it."