Black Country news and blogs Thursday 19 October 2017
Local history
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Blog feature
Pearls for Tears. 
Staffordshire Bred 18 Oct 17
Princess Margaret in 1951.
Blog feature
Local history evening taking place at Shenstone Community Library
Lichfield Live 9 Oct 17
The history of Shenstone will be the focus of an event at the village’s library.
Blog feature
Sandfields Architecture
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 8 Oct 17
Sandfields plumping Station is a Gothic Revival masterpiece, a cathedral to the industrial revolution, for years abandon, and for years unloved.
Event
Balsall Heath: Past, Present and Future, 4 Oct 2017 – 8 Oct 2017
Live Brum: What's on tomorrow 1 Oct 17
4 Oct 2017 – 8 Oct 2017 – Community at Moseley Road Art School FREE Balsall Heath Local History Society Presents
Balsall Heath Past Present and Future An Exhibition of Photographs and Artefacts.
Blog comment
Pictures of who?
Lichfield Lore 1 Oct 17
A box of photographs arrived in the post.
Blog comment
Hospital Round
Lichfield Lore 28 Sep 17
A short and sweet post this evening.
Blog feature
New Dudley museum filling up ready for opening later this month
Black Country Bugle 20 Sep 17
EXCITING times at the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre as more and more artefacts arrive in preparation of the opening of the new museum on Saturday, September 30.
Blog feature
Lichfield Waterworks Trust – Waterworks Walk
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 17 Sep 17
Lichfield celebrates it Heritage Weekend – Garrick300 with a Georgian Festival this year from Saturday 23– Sunday 24 September 2017.
Local news
Local history: Project to record heritage of Monyhull Hospital – can you help?
B31 Voices 16 Sep 17
Local charity CASBA are seeking people with experiences of living or working in or near Monyhull Hospital for an exciting project to record the changes brought about by its closure in the late 1990s.
Blog feature
Team Work
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 15 Sep 17
Just look at the improvements the team are making at Sandfields Pumping Station.
Blog comment
Pills ‘n’ Chills and Deli Bakes
Lichfield Lore 10 Sep 17
Yesterday I was in Tamworth for the summer food festival, talking to people about Living in Tamworth (the new monthly magazine I’m deputy editor of) in-between mouthfuls of locally produced pork pies, sausage rolls, blue cheese and spring rolls.
Blog feature
Canals talk launches new season
Black Country Bugle 6 Sep 17
SEDGLEY Local History Society’s new season of talks begins on Thursday, September 14 at 7.30pm in St Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley.
Blog feature
200 year old account book presented to Dudley archives
Black Country Bugle 6 Sep 17
AN INTERESTING item of Black Country history was presented to the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre last week a 207-year-old ledger detailing cash payments on behalf of Viscount Dudley.
Blog feature
Lichfield Waterworks Trust September News
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 4 Sep 17
The next public meeting of Lichfield Waterworks Trust will take place on: Monday 11 September @7.30pm, in the rear meeting room of the The Bowling Green Friary Road Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 6QJ Tel: 01543 257344 The Bowling Green serves some …
Council
Remembering Alf at Tipton Local History Day
Sandwell Council News PR 4 Sep 17
Tipton library will be hosting its sixth annual local history day later this month when they will remember friend of the library Alf Breakwell who passed away earlier this year.
Blog
Study in light.
Staffordshire Bred 30 Aug 17
1952 Lucas-Freelight brochure, recently advertised and sold via eBay.
Blog feature
Geting to Know Our Past People
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 30 Aug 17
Great news folks, we have managed to name all but one.
Blog comment
Photosynthesis
Lichfield Lore 29 Aug 17
Been catching up on messages (I’m sorry if I still owe you a reply!) and saw I’d recently received a lovely email from Claire who leads a volunteer group called the Heritage Gardeners in Glenside, New Zealand.
Local news
Local history: Another chance to see inside Steelhouse Lane Lock-Up
B31 Voices 28 Aug 17
West Midlands Police Museum will be opening the doors on Steelhouse Lane’s 125 year old lock-up once again in September.
Blog feature
Memories of school days wanted for celebrations
Black Country Bugle 23 Aug 17
I AM headteacher at Cradley Church of England Primary School and thought that Bugle readers would be interested in an event we are planning for September.
Blog feature
Brickkiln Croft
Lost Wolverhampton 22 Aug 17
Postcards from the past – Brickkiln Croft Westside Story It was confirmed today 31st May 2017, that The £55 million regeneration scheme for Westside in Wolverhampton will start in 2018.
Blog feature
Heritage Crime and acts of Vandalism
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 21 Aug 17
On Friday 18 August, this individual was filmed vandalising and causing a considerable amount of damage to the Grade 11* listed Sandfields Pumping Station, Lichfield.
Blog comment
Hot to trot
BrownhillsBob 18 Aug 17
I’m not going to beat around the bush, a remarkable piece of local history right out of the blue courtesy of Twitter pal Ben Graham who drew my attention to it an hour ago – those interested in the local history of trotting, Chasewater Stadium and …
Blog comment
Mining for family history in the Wood: Can you help please?
BrownhillsBob 18 Aug 17
Had a great enquiry in this week from Chris Smith, who you’ll remember was researching the Claridges family and shop for the store’s 60th anniversary this year – well Chris is looking for some local history help with her family, including her …
Blog feature
Lichfield Waterworks Trust July News
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 1 Aug 17
The next public meeting of Lichfield Waterworks Trust will take place on: Monday 14 August @7.30pm, in the rear meeting room of the The Bowling Green Friary Road Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 6QJ Tel: 01543 257344 The Bowling Green serves some great …
Blog comment
Human Remains
Lichfield Lore 28 Jul 17
What’s in a name? Quite a lot actually, Juliet bab.
Blog comment
Great local history talk coming this Monday!
BrownhillsBob 28 Jul 17
I’d like to share the following event with readers that takes place this coming Monday (31st July 2017) at Aldridge Library – an illustrated talk on Passchendaele and it’s local connections by Aldridge Great War historians Sue Satterthwaite and Len …
Blog feature
Extraordinary Progress
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 21 Jul 17
The team are making extraordinary progress cleaning away 10 years of accumulated rust, dirt and grime.
Blog comment
A game of Catshill and Mouse Hill
BrownhillsBob 16 Jul 17
We’ve not been doing enough local history here lately, and I’m rectifying that forthwith a remarkable article from David Evans, whose research into what could well have been the first place of worship in Brownhills is stunning.
Blog comment
Classic Motor Show at Walsall Arboretum this Sunday!
BrownhillsBob 15 Jul 17
Friend of the blog and top local history author Clive Roberts has been in touch to let me know that there’s a Classic Car Show on at Walsall Arboretum this Sunday 16th July 2017.
Blog feature
The mystery of the missing Walsall hall
Black Country Bugle 12 Jul 17
BIRCHILLS HALL once stood between the two routes from Walsall to Bloxwich (Green Lane and Bloxwich Road), under what was the site of Tube Investments and Talbot Stead, but is now an industrial estate just to the north of the TK Maxx store.
Blog comment
Higher Education
Lichfield Lore 9 Jul 17
I recently went on a school trip to Stafford Grammar and had an excellent history lesson from the brilliant Mr Bateman, whose knowledge and enthusiasm were A* (or whatever the equivalent is now the grading system has been changed).
Blog feature
Westerly sets the sun.
Staffordshire Bred 5 Jul 17
From The Lichfield Mercury, August 8th, 1941.
Blog feature
Lichfield Waterworks Trust July News Letter
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 3 Jul 17
The next public meeting of Lichfield Waterworks Trust will take place on: Monday 10 July @7.30pm, in the rear meeting room of the The Bowling Green Friary Road Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 6QJ Tel: 01543 257344 The Bowling Green serves some great food…
Blog feature
Artist Aimee is putting the Black Country on the map
Black Country Bugle 2 Jul 17
A UNIVERSITY of Wolverhampton art student is putting her native Black Country on the map in her new solo exhibition at Dudley Archives and Local History Centre.
News
US couple returns WWI soldier’s postcard
BBC News 29 Jun 17
A US couple travelled to Birmingham to hand back mementos they found to the local history group…
Blog comment
Dead Wood
Lichfield Lore 22 Jun 17
One of the many upsides to doing whatever it is I actually do, is that people don’t feel the need to engage me in generic social chit chat about pleasant but dull subjects.
Blog comment
A great local history legend at Walsall Wood Library soon !
BrownhillsBob 16 Jun 17
Just a quick headsup to those interested in Walsall Wood history and who are free on the Wednesday afternoon of 28th June 2017 – there’s a talk featuring the Brownhills Blog’s favourite Wood Mon™ and top contributor, the young David Evans.
Blog feature
Darlington Street
Lost Wolverhampton 5 Jun 17
Postcards from the past – Darlington Street Crawford Wells the Sleep Shop, provides the backdrop for this summer scene offering bargains at their premises on the junction of School Street and Waterloo Road.
Blog comment
Back on Track
Lichfield Lore 28 May 17
Time, once again, is on my side.
News
Community groups create treasure boxes for exhibition in Lichfield
Lichfield Live 24 May 17
Community groups in the Lichfield and Burntwood have been working on an art and craft project for an exhibition in June.
Blog feature
Lichfield Waterworks Trust June News Letter
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 23 May 17
The Annual General Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust will take place on: Monday 12 June @7.30pm, in the rear meeting room of the The Bowling Green Friary Road Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 6QJ Tel: 01543 257344 The Bowling Green serves some …
Blog feature
Victoria Square
Lost Wolverhampton 22 May 17
Victoria Square Two trolley buses pass the top of Fryer Street.
News
Lichfield author to celebrate launch of The Little Book of Staffordshire
Lichfield Live 18 May 17
Kate Gomez A new book by a Lichfield author will lift the lid on the history of Staffordshire.
Blog comment
The Local lost and found
BrownhillsBob 14 May 17
Since I’ve had some downtime this week, I’ve finally got around to reading Clive Robert’s latest book on local history ‘Old Public Houses of Brownhills (Part One)’ which I’ve been meaning to do for some time – and I have to say, it’s a cracker.
Blog feature
A Pre-War Plan
Lost Wolverhampton 8 May 17
A Pre-War Plan – That with hindsight, could have gone better.
Blog feature
May monthly open public progress meeting
Morturn - Sandfields Pumping Station 2 May 17
The next monthly open public progress meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust will take place on: Monday 8 May @7.30pm, in the rear meeting room of the The Bowling Green Friary Road Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 6QJ Tel: 01543 257344 The Bowling …
Blog comment
Interested in the old local buses?
BrownhillsBob 30 Apr 17
Just a quick headsup for the local history and transport enthusiasts out there who may be interested in the story of the iconic Harper Brothers bus company, whose green buses were a common sight around these parts up until the mid 1970s.
Blog comment
What’s up, Cock?
BrownhillsBob 29 Apr 17
Here’s a great one for a Bank Holiday weekend from local history author and history whizz Clive Roberts – and we’re interested to wee what readers think about it.
Blog feature
Happy memories of Princes End in days gone by
Black Country Bugle 20 Apr 17
IN MARCH, in Bugle 1281, we asked readers if they could help the Dudley Archive and Local History Centre identify a photograph that had recently been donated to them.