Richard Hammond’s grandparents’ former home destroyed due to mosque collapse
The childhood home of Top Gear star Richard Hammond’s mother was devastated when the roof of the mosque next door collapsed.
Eileen Hammond, 69, was born and raised in the terraced house, in Walford Road, Sparkbrook, which saw its two storeys destroyed due to the collapse in the Muslim Welfare Centre’s roof.
Mrs Hammond said: “Richard visited a lot when he was a boy.
“My father had an attic workshop in an area of the house that was destroyed.
“He was a cabinet maker and the top floor of the house was an Aladdin’s cave for the boys.
“It’s a real shame because I was born in the house and lived there for 21 years and only left in 1967 when I got married.
“My parents stayed on until my father died in 1983 and then we sold the property.
“I hadn’t seen it since.
“I haven’t spoken to any of my sons about it yet. I will speak to them at some point.
“They all have very successful careers.”
A grandmother-of-eight and retired charity consultant, Mrs Hammond now resides in Gloucestershire with her husband Alan, 70.
West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service attended the site of the mosque when they were informed by locals of the roof’s collapse. They said the destruction, which saw no one come to harm, was caused by “ongoing works inside the premises”.
