https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66421163
The popular Crooked House at Himley, near Dudley, is completely destroyed by a blaze.
Oh look, another historic building going up in flames shortly after it was bought by developers. Coincidence, I'm sure.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Last month, it was confirmed the owners, Marston's, had sold the popular Black Country landmark to a private buyer for "an alternative use".
The Crooked House was a popular attraction in the West Midlands for decades after Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries bought it and converted it into a pub in the 1940s.
Visitors flocked to see the distinctive building and witness the illusion of coins and marbles appearing to roll uphill along the bar.
In March, Marston's listed it for sale with a guide price of £675,000 but thousands of people signed a petition in the hope of keeping it as a pub.
Watch commander Chris Green, from Tipton fire station, said: "The crews had to roll out 40 lengths of hose from the Himley Road which was the nearest hydrant."
Conservative MP for Wolverhampton North East, Jane Stevenson, tweeted: "Really sad to see - this pub is part of our local history.
I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Didn't even realise this had happened, I always liked that pub! Classic Wolverhampton though, there is a history of 'Accidental' fires...
Article from just a few days ago https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66337783
Alternative use, apparently.
Exactly. "Alternative use" of a listed building where said listing is extremely inconvenient to the developers. They didn't even wait until the ink was dry.