Charity Black Country Night Out - Tipton Library Local History Group

Charity Black Country Night Out
(Organised by Tipton Library Local History Group)

The event is being held in aid of Help for Heroes 

Venue: Brook Street Centre, Tipton

Date: Friday 10^th February 2012, 7.30pm  

Ticket price: £8 including hot food

Tickets will be available soon

Tipton Library

17 Unity Walk

Tipton

DY4 8QL

W: www.sandwell.gov.uk

T: 0121 557 1796

E: robert_hazel@sandwell.gov.uk

Full Steam Ahead! Refurbishing the Newcomen steam engine

In 1712 Thomas Newcomen invented a machine which helped change the world… and it all began in the Black Country.

The Newcomen engine was the world’s first successful steam engine, pumping water from mines so that coal and metals could be mined from greater depths and it subsequently paved the way for James Watt’s steam engine. The site of the original engine is the subject of much debate but there is strong evidence to suggest that it operated on a colliery at Coneygree.

Over 100 Newcomen engines were built throughout Britain and Europe in the 18^th century and now the Black Country Living Museum possesses the only full-sized working replica of the engine. Having effectively kick-started the Industrial Revolution, the replica of the Newcomen engine represents one of the Museum’s most historically significant exhibits and when ‘in steam’ is one of its most impressive sights.

Next year the engine will take centre stage in the 300^th anniversary celebrations… but 25 years of service has taken its toll and it needs £60,000 of work to restore it to full working order in time for its birthday celebrations. This work will also mean that thousands more visitors can see it in action, learn about and enjoy it in years to come.

£30,000 has already been raised through the generosity of private trusts, companies and individuals. To support the campaign, you can:

·        Donate quickly and securely online here

·        Donate by cheque or credit card by downloading a donation form

Find out more on the Museum’s Newcomen blog here or by contacting Carolyn Pugh, Director of Development at the Museum: carolyn.pugh@bclm.com, 0121 521 3511.

Black Country Living Museum Trust is a registered educational charity no: 504481

Dressing Up for the Golden Days of Vintage Glamour

Fancy something different for the Sunday before Christmas? Read on:-

An event being staged this December in Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun Hall is set to give fans of all things vintage and retro the chance to step back in time. This time, Central Youth Theatre’s second Vintage Glamour Night has a festive twist. 15 piece live jazz band will be playing a mix of classic dancehall, swing and Christmas favourites all night. With magical decorations and glamorous dresses and suits waltzing around the dancefloor, the event is sure to have a real vintage appeal.

Vintage fan and youth theatre member Alice May (17) says, “I am so excited about the Vintage Glamour Night – I love finding beautiful and original clothes in charity shops and vintage boutiques, and I’m fascinated by the old black and white Hollywood glamour! I can’t wait to have my hair done and enjoy the retro atmosphere”.

Event organiser Jane Ward says, “We were overwhelmed by the success of our first Vintage Glamour Night, and we are bringing the night back by popular demand. There is a real vintage movement going on at the moment, for all ages. With our decorations and live band we are creating an atmosphere where people can get dressed up and feel like they are in the golden days of the dancehalls”.

“Whether you are a fan of the music, the fashion or the dancing, we hope that everyone will come and join the party. We are bringing something really unique to Wolverhampton city centre – the perfect way to start your Christmas with a swing!”

Vintage Glamour Night
Wulfrun Hall
Sunday 18^th December – 7.30pm
Tickets: £7 (£5 concessions)

In the afternoon, members of the youth theatre are staging a Glamour and Romance event, bringing to life real memories of dancing in Wolverhampton through theatre, an exhibition and a tea dance with a live band. The nostalgic event is designed as a celebration of dancing in the area in the 1940s and 50s. Tickets to the afternoon event (2pm) are just £2 each. It is funded by the BBC Performing Arts Fund.

Cast member Katherine Lea says, “One of the most fun parts of this project has been dressing up in the 1940s clothes and having our hair done. Everyone feels very glamorous. We will all be keeping our hairdos for the dance in the evening!”

Tickets and information:

www.facebook.com/centralyouththeatre
01902 572091
jessica@centralyouththeatre.org

Last Call for Palethorpes

Tipton Library's photographic and memorabilia exhibition of Palethorpes will be finishing on Saturday 26th November so interested historians and former employees are reminded to come and see it before it returns to the company offices in Market Drayton

It has attracted many visitors and many ex employees have come into the library to share their photographs and memories. Some of these will be the basis of a reminiscence pack for use by library staff in local residential homes, community groups, dementia cafes and local schools

Robert Hazel, library manager, said "it has been very interesting listening to all the fabulous stories and seeing some of the amazing photogrpahs and it is important to preserve these memories for future generations"

The next event at the library will be an illustrated talk by popular historian Keth Hodgkins entitled 'Tipton from the Air' which will given at the library on Tuesday 22nd November at 10.30am. It is free admission by advance ticket only and tickets can be obtaiined by calling the library on 0121 557 1796

Robert Hazel

Community Library Manager

Sandwell Council... working for you

Sandwell Council

Tipton Library

17 Unity Walk

Tipton

DY4 8QL

W: www.sandwell.gov.uk

GLASS CHARITY CELEBRATES MAJOR MILESTONE

The champagne corks will be a’popping down in Stourbridge on the 24th November when the British Glass Foundation (BGF) celebrates its first anniversary.

BGF Chairman and President of Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum Graham Knowles says: ‘We have come a long way in a short time and are now recognized as a serious player in efforts to secure a happy future for our world class glass collection. My enthusiastic team continues to work closely with others such as DMBC and Complex Development Projects in seeking to promote this vital piece of our heritage for the benefit of everyone. On the occasion of our first birthday I would like to thank everyone who is supporting our efforts to do so.’

Who Do You Think You Are Live 2012

The largest family history and genealogy show in the UK is "Who do You Think You Are Live". It will be held at London's Olympia from 24-26 February.

Having attended the show for the last 2 years as a visitor I can highly recommend the show if you are interested in researching your family history.

In fact, another reason to go next year is because the Black Country Society will be represented with a stand. If you do go, don't forget to call in at our stand.

Tickets are now on sale for the show, click on the link to book your tickets ->> tickets

Mike

Book Writing - Good and Bad

I have just read a blog entry (follow link below) “10 Literary Trends that Need to Go Away” (http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org/blog/2011/10-literary-trends-that-need-to-go-away/).

It made me think about the wealth of quality material available in the Black Country. I am not talking about nationally published fiction or non-fiction, available from the likes of Waterstones and supermarkets. I am talking about local material.

On Saturday night, for example, I attended a book launch in Bilston for Ned William's new major works: "Black Country Cinemas" and "Black Country Theatres". Ned has spent years researching and compiling these works, and what a job he has done. He has also taken the trouble to self-publish them, so he believes in the quality of the work. I have both books, and will be reviewing them in the Winter issue of The Blackcountryman.

I am also talking about the wealth of material that Black Country folk have published over centuries. Fiction from the likes of Jerome K Jerome and Francis Brett Young; and non-fiction from a variety of writers on the whole spectrum of Black Country-related subjects.

We buy a lot of books, in fact I have just had to extend my bookcases in my office to cater for recent purchases. Some of those are modern fiction and non-fiction, but much is Black Country-related and is my reading of choice. There is also a bit of a thrill at finding an out of print book, often from the late 19th or early 20th Century, it is like buying a piece of history - an antique.

Finally, just so this post doesn't sound too much like a rant. I have just installed a new app on my iPad. It is a British Library app and is free to download. It gives access to a whole library of out of copyright books, some are available free of charge, but for a small monthly subscription, you can have access to at least 30,000 (soon to rise to a planned 60,000) books on every conceivable subject. I have subscribed and have already read books by Hackwood on Wednesbury and West Bromwich, and have others that I have ready to read. It is the best £1.99 I have spent this month and I will be continuing my subscription as long as the books keep coming. I think for a historian, that it is almost worth the price of an iPad to get this facility!

Mike

Local Artist Fred Barnefield's 76th birthday exhibition video

Click on the link below to see the youTube video of local Black Country artists's birthday exhibition

Exhibition

Update on National Dialect Day - 22/10/11

The profile of the National Dialect Day has clearly been raised. As Sid put it, the presenter on the regional BBC news programme, 'Look North', used the phrase, 'National Dialect Day', so it exists, just the same as when you put a nameplate on a door.  The key is now to build. BBC Radio Devon got in touch were in touch with organisers to say that they are interested in covering the 2013 bash, and there were radio interviews on BBC Radio Lincs and also Humberside the day before the event. So, as far as the media goes, a message to all future hosts: make sure the Beeb, radio & TV, know all about your event - and all other local/regional/national media, of course.

On the day, 60+ were there in the afternoon for the competition and around 100 for the evening bash.  It seems that the local Lincolnshire food - stuffed chine, haslet, Lincs sausages, etc - went down really well (the stuffed chine quickly ran out ....) It seems like a good idea to do the local food thing - fits in with the heritage angle - recommended for future events.

The three trophy winners were The Bill o' Bows Trophy for a performance of original work in chosen dialect: Andy Robinson (LIncs)

The Sam Laycock Trophy for a performance in Lincolnshire (host county) dialect: Peter Mackinder (Lincs)

The Eric Topping Trophy for a performance in any English dialect: John Routledge (County Durham)

NB Only the host county can, in theory, win all 3 trophies!

The Far Welter'd hentertayunment trophy was introduced for the best 'act' at the evening bash, which went to Sid Calderbank, whoever he is! Like all the trophies, this will travel around, so it kind of embeds the idea of an informal evening bash.

Look out for the 2012 (Northumberland) and 2013 (Devon) events, hopefully we will get plenty of notice and be able to be represented at the event, given the unique nature of the Black Country dialect we should be represented.

Tipton Boat Gauging Station

The Black Country Society has written to Sandwell MBC expressing its opposition to the renewal of planning permission to convert for residential purposes the Boat Gauging Station, Tipton.  In 2007, led by Vic Smallshire, Chairman of the Dudley Canal Trust, organisations such as the Inland Waterways Association, Birmingham Canal Navigation Society, the Black Country Society, the Victorian Society, the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust and Tipton Civic Society campaigned against this development without success.  However, due to the economic turndown it did not go ahead but Stoford Living Ltd has now applied for renewal of the planning permission.

The Boat Gauging Station was built by the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1873 to calibrate boats so that the tonnage they carried could easily be measured and the correct tolls charged.  The process was carried out in two docks inside the building and the Tipton building is unique in this respect, most boat gauging stations having only one.  Although it was last used in 1966 for gauging boats, during its life tens of thousands of boats were gauged at the station.

The building to now part of the Factory Locks Conservation Area, and, as such, should have a degree of protection from development.  It is also a grade II listed building so English Heritage will need to be consulted before any changes are made to the appearance of the building.  However, although Sandwell’s Unitary Development Plan states, ‘The Council will seek to protect the Borough’s canal heritage, including canal side buildings and associated structures and areas around the canal network that are of special interest’ this rare survivor from the canal’s Victorian heyday is under threat.

The nearby Malthouse Stables are a good example of what can be done to convert a Victorian building, whilst retaining a water based purpose, and we would prefer that the Tipton Boat Gauging Station should return to a canal related use.  The Black Country Society is represented on the West Midlands Metropolitan Area Canal Partnership, as is the Dudley Canal Trust, and we would support the latter in the suggestion that the site should be returned to the soon to be established Canal and River Trust who would be best placed, as a charitable body, to raise funds to restore the building.

Spooky goings on at Ruskin Glass Centre

Things will be getting very eerie at Ruskin Glass Centre this Saturday when Kevin Barry and some crafty friends have plenty to see and do to keep young ones amused.

Children will be able to sandblast their chosen Halloween design onto a glass, take part in a painting workshop and even carve a pumpkin with staff and students of Glasshouse College. There will also be treats on sale at the organic cafe all with a Halloween theme.

Earlier today Kevin said; ‘we always like to have activities for children to do but it’s great to have an opportunity to let our imaginations run wild and to invite other craft activities into the Centre to demonstrate and sell their wares’.

There will be a number of demonstrations taking place throughout the day including handmade bead spiders and Merlyn will be giving glassblowing demonstrations using his mobile glassblowing unit in the form of the Stourbridge Lion.

Activities will be taking place between 11am and 3pm for more information visit ruskinglasscentre.co.uk or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Ruskin Glass Centre
Wollaston Road, Amblecote, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 4HF

Telephone: 01384 399419

Black Country Living Museum - new study room

Did you know that the Museum can also accommodate researchers.

The new study room contains a selection from the museum library, as well as some local studies material, the library has a particular emphasis on the iron and steel industry, engineering and coal mining.

It is also possible to research items from the large reserve collection of objects relating to Black Country life and industry held in store.

In addition, they hold archives relating to local life and industry, particularly where these are directly related to the displays, buildings, industry and lifestyles represented on the museum site.

If you are interested in using our research facilities, please contact BCLM to arrange an appointment:-

0121 557 9643 or info@bclm.com

Spoken Words evening - Cradley Heath

David Francis has been holding a spoken word evening at a Cradley Heath pub for the last 4 years. it runs every 1st Friday of the month and is co-ordinated by Stourbridge writer Richard Bruce Clay.

It is an 'open mic' format platform, ideal for new or experienced performers wanting to read their works, there are often Black Country dialect readings and folk music.

David recently hosted a BBC televised dialect event and would welcome performers from Black Country Society members.

The venue is The Hollybush, Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath, B64 5EA

(There is also a comedy night every Thursday if this suited the performer better)

British Glass Foundation receives donation

On Saturday 15^th October 2011, at a meeting of the Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum (‘Friends’) held at Broadfield House, a cheque for £1000 was presented by Barbara Beadman, Chair of Friends, to Allister Malcolm, a Trustee of the British Glass Foundation (BGF).

The amount had been agreed by the Friends at their recent AGM as a gesture of support for the work of BGF.  Allister Malcolm said he was delighted to receive the cheque on behalf of the  BGF and thanked the Friends for their most generous donation which he assured them would be put to very good use.

 

Picture: Chair of ‘Friends’ and proprietor of Plowden & Thompson, Barbara Beadman (left) presents Allister Malcolm, Trustee of BGF, with a cheque for £1,000.

Events Around Wolverhampton

Some events you may be interested in around the Wolverhampton Area:

WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY

Wolverhampton Society of Artists
15 Oct - 14 Jan

The popular Wolverhampton Society of Artists exhibition returns with a diverse
range of styles, mediums and subject matter. Info.

The Black Country in 10 Objects
Until 19 Nov

10 fascinating objects tell the story of the Black Country landscape since
the early Industrial Revolution. Info.

Talk by Ed Ruscha
21 Oct 2.30pm

Renowned artist Ed Ruscha will give a walk-through tour of the exhibition
in a rare appearance in the UK. Info.

BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY

Reverberation: The Art of Bashing Metal Then and Now
Until 26 Nov

Reverberation highlights the region's metal-bashing industries,
and explores current British innovation. Info.

Etched Metal Jewellery Workshop
15 Oct 11am - 3pm

Learn a variety of techniques to create beautiful patterns on metal
with metal-worker Rebecca Gouldson. Info.

Craft Shop Autumn Showcase
Until 19 NovSnuggle up with something cosy and stylish this Autumn
with hand woven scarves and knitted goods. Info.

BANTOCK HOUSE MUSEUM

Exhibition: The Part we Played
31 Aug - 13 Nov

A look at the contribution made to the war effort by Wolverhampton Factories.

Valuation Day: Fine Art & Antiques
20 Oct 11am – 4pm

Items will be valued by Fieldings Auctioneers including ceramics, jewellery,
collectables, clocks, books etc.

Once Upon a Time...
25 Oct 11.15am - 12pm
Come along to the prformance space and listen to a story then afterward create some wonderful crafts.

WOLVERHAMPTON ARCHIVES

Wolverhampton's Black History Display
Until 31 DecThrough original documents, photographs and newspaper reports the stories of local heroes such as Denise Lewis and Tessa Sanderson, George Africanus and Sathnam Sanghera will be told.

Wolverhampton Poetry Display
4 - 31 Oct A display of the winning entries of a poetry competition based
around the theme of Wolverhampton.

Historical Syphons Donated to British Glass Foundation

The British Soft Drinks Association, which is the national body representing the collective interests of UK soft drinks manufacturers has gifted to the British Glass Foundation their collection of historic glass soda siphons and bottles.

The collection comprises about 20 soda siphons and 50 glass and ceramic bottles.  Jill Ardagh, Director General of the British Soft Drinks Association in London, said “We are just about to move premises and sadly will no longer have room for our collection of historic glass soda siphons and bottles.  I am very pleased that we have found a good home for the collection and it is heartening to know that the collection can find a new lease of life in both safe and appreciative hands”.

Graham Fisher MBE, Trustee of the British Glass Foundation, the charity set up to protect the glass collections at Broadfield House Glass Museum, said that he was hoping that in the future the Foundation will be able to arrange an exhibition to show off the collection.  Graham is a keen waterways and glass expert and also well known as an author and radio presenter on 102.5 FM The Bridge Radio. 

 

Graham Fisher New PR & Communications Bod for British Glass Foundation

Well I can't think of anyone better qualified to do this role. Good luck Graham

Graham will now be responsible for all press releases and comments from this office and his contact details are below:-

Graham Fisher MBE – Trustee British Glass Foundation

Telephone: 07885 786826 (mobile) or 01384 270020(home)

Email: grahamfisher@me.com

If you require any further information then please do not hesitate to contact me.

c/o Hulbert Properties Limited,
Peartree Lodge,
Hulbert Drive , Dudley,
West Midlands , DY2 OXW
Telephone: 01384 217984/239019
E-mail: bgf@britishglassfoundation.org.uk

www.britishglassfoundation.org.uk

Registered Charity Number 1139252

Palethorpes Exhibition - Tipton Library

Following the recent success of its food and drink related local history day Tipton Library is pleased to announce details of a special Palethorpes photographic and memorabilia display.

Palethorpe's is a British producer of cooked meat and pastry products and was particularly well known for its branded sausages. Founded in 1859, it was bought by the Bibby Group in 1969 and then by Haverhill Meat Products (a J Sainsbury, Canadian Meat packers Joint Venture) before becoming part of the Northern Foods Chilled Foods division in 1991. Palethorpes is now part of Pork Farms.

The company moved to Tipton in 1896, claiming at the time to be the world's largest sausage producer. The company expanded during World War I, supplying canned meat products to the British Army

However, it lost market share during and after World War II, with restrictions on meat sales due to the amount of meat that was being imported and by the 1960s, with the development of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, the company was experiencing additional pressure.

In 1967 Palethorpe's constructed a purpose built factory employing 400 people in Market Drayton

The memorabilia includes original sausage boxes from the 30s and the photos include shots of the factory never been seen before in Tipton

Community Library Manager Robert Hazel says 'it is a great oportunity to come in and look at part of Tipton's past. The company was a big employer in the area and hopefully the photos will re-kindle some memories.
The exhibition will run at the library until the end of November

Robert Hazel

Community Library Manager

Sandwell Council... working for you

Sandwell Council

Tipton Library

17 Unity Walk

Tipton

DY4 8QL

W: www.sandwell.gov.uk

T: 0121 557 1796

E: robert_hazel@sandwell.gov.uk

For Your Tomorrow documentary WORLD PREMIERE

This event takes place on Monday 24th October 2011, at the Light House cinema Wolverhampton, 5:15 for 6 pm.

About 6 years ago Don Clark began interviewing men from Wolverhampton & the Black Country about their experiences in the Second World War's Burma campaign. He recorded about 80 hours of oral history-style interviews, and this has been used as the basis for a film: "For Your Tomorrow". A link to the website and trailer is below. Sadly, some of the interviewees have since died, but that does further enhance the value of their testimonies.

Although the interviews were the inspiration for the film, the documentary takes some younger local people, whose grandparents died in Burma, on a journey of discovery with living vets who served alongside their grandfathers. Don hopes it is thoughtful and moving, but also quite uplifting and a fitting tribute to the 'lads' who went to fight in the Far East on behalf of all of us, as part of the Forgotten Army. It has a much broader appeal than if it were simply an account of what happened in wartime.

 

The film has been a long and involved project, involving award-winning documentary-maker Christopher Hird, and the editing was done by Paul Oremland, who came up from New Zealand to edit with Don in Tettenhall.

The film website can be found at: http://www.foryourtomorrow.com . The website gives plenty of detail about the film and you can also book tickets for the premier online. Hurry though as they are selling out fast.

There should be a fairly big piece in the 'Express & Star' this week and Don has been interviewed on Radio WM to be broadcast tomorrow (Monday 10 Octoiber), so people will be starting to hear. The film is bound to appeal to plenty of Black Country Society followers.

 

I will be reviewing the DVD in the Winter edition of The Blackcountryman, so if you cannot get to the premier you will be able to purchase the DVD, details will be included in the review.

National Dialect Day

This arrived in my inbox a couple of days ago. The event is on 22 October 2011

 

The East Lincolnshire Dialect Society, aka "Far Welter’d", has been celebrating the joys of Lincolnshire dialect for over 10 years.  Meanwhile, all over the UK, there is increasing interest in local dialects, and in October people from dialect groups all over the country will be descending on Louth for the National Dialect Day.

In 2009, the first ever National Dialect Day was held in Lancashire, bringing together regional dialect speakers from all over the country, from as far afield as Northumberland and Cornwall.  Poets, story-tellers and singers came together to compete in three competitions, with traditional and contemporary offerings.  A group of Far Welters attended that event, and also in 2010, when it was once again held in Lancashire.

Now the competition is on the move.  This year’s event will be organised and hosted by Far Welter’d, and will take place in the British Legion Hall on Northgate, on Saturday October 22^nd.  The competition will take place between 1pm and 5.30pm. 

From 7.30pm onwards, with the competitive side of things out of the way, there will be an evening of entertainment, featuring a wonderful mix of dialects from all over the UK.

Next year the competition will be held in Northumberland in 2012, and in 2013 it will travel to deepest, darkest Devon.  The aim is to raise the profile of local dialects, spoken and written, around the UK, and so preserve an important aspect of our national heritage.

In 2009, Far Welter’d shared a stage at an event in Lincoln Drill Hall with Dr Benjamin Zephaniah, who now lives in Lincolnshire.  One of his passions is local dialects, and he was very interested in Far Welter’d.  He currently spends a lot of time out of the country, but has said he will try to come to the event in October.  

The three trophies presented at the inaugural event in 2009 will travel around the UK with the competition.  They are:

The Bill o' Bows Trophy for a performance of original work in chosen dialect.

The Sam Laycock Trophy for a performance in the host county’s dialect.            

The Eddie Topping Trophy for a performance in any English dialect.

As the underlying theme of this event is local culture, Far Welter’d will be taking the opportunity to show its visitors some good old Lincolnshire hospitality, so there’ll be some tasty local food being served up, including the likes of stuffed chine, haslet, award-winning local sausages and plum bread.

The following day, Sunday, October 23^rd, the town centre will be closed for the staging of a Victorian Fayre, organised by the Town Partnership.  The first such fayre was held in October 2010 and was a huge success.  This is the perfect incentive for our visitors to make a weekend of it in our lovely town, and to help them make up their mind, part of the marketing has included a link to the video of last year’s Victorian Fayre, produced by Louth student, Paul-Arthur Talmard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2VKmMTWgtY          

For further information, please contact Alan Mumby

t. 01507 600055

m. 07941 116559

e alan743@btinternet.com

News from Media Archive for Central England (MACE)

MACE release From 'ATVLand' in Colour - Monday 19 September 2011 From 'ATVLand' in Colour - The History of the ATV Centre - the Most Advanced Studios of Its Time. On Monday 19th September, MACE released From 'ATVLand' in Colour, the first of ten DVDs which, in different ways, will capture the history of the region READ MORE» Search Your Film Archives is Launched Thanks to the Screen Heritage UK Programme, visitors to MACE's website at www.macearchive.org can now use our ADVANCED SEARCH page to browse not only our online catalogue but the collections of the BFI and 9 other regional film archives across the UK. This new search tool is called SEARCH YOUR FILM ARCHIVES READ MORE» Titles from MACE's Collections to feature in BBC's new Reel History of Britain Series  Look out for titles from MACE's collection in Reel History of Britain which started on Monday 5th September at 6:30pm on BBC2. In this brand new 20-part series for BBC Two Daytime, Melvyn Bragg retells the fascinating stories of life in Britain from 1900 to 1970 through the archive collections of the British Film Institute and regional archives across the UK, including MACE READ MORE»

About MACE MACE is the screen archive for the Midlands. We provide opportunities for everyone to connect with the culture and history of the Midlands as reflected in film, videotape and digital moving images from 1896 (the birth of film) to the present day. We do that mostly by collecting, researching, preserving and making available to you what is a truly remarkable body of material. To browse our catalogue, visit our website www.macearchive.org. Media Archive for Central England MHT Building University of Lincoln Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS Tel: 0116 252 5066/Sales: 0116 252 5062 Email: macearchive@le.ac.uk Company No. 3172021 | Charity No. 1100890

Staffordshire Daily Photo Blog

Revd Mark Hathorne, husband of local author Carol Hathorne has his own blog - a new photo each day. Some Staffordshire, some Black Country images. It is well worth a visit.

The 'Staffordshire Daily Photo' (part of the international City Daily Photo family) blog-site has been successfully launched, and has now over sixty postings, going back to April.

Here is the link: http://staffordshiredailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Black Country Cinemas / Black Country Theatres - book launches

Ned Williams two latest books are at the printers and I can tell you about them and the exciting plans being made to launch them on Saturday 29^th October.

Both books are A4 sized hardbacks. The Cinemas book runs to 312 pages and the Theatres book runs to 208. They are both well-illustrated and have attractive colour covers. They will be available as a limited edition and the first 500 copies of each will be signed and numbered. I am delighted to tell you that Ken Dodd agreed to write a foreword to the theatres book, and Julie Walters has written one for the Cinemas book.

They will both be on sale at £25 each. At the launch they will be available at a special offer of £40 the pair.

We would like you to collect books at one of the launch events because they are large books and the Post Office has advised me that the postage is fairly expensive. (£4.50 for one book, £7.50. for two books.) 

The events planned for Saturday 29^th October are as follows:

Spend a morning at the Black Country’s only surviving professional live theatre!

10.30.am onwards: At The Grand Theatre, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1DE.

• 10.45.am. Guided tours of the theatre available, provided by theatre staff. (They have to be booked and there is a charge of £2 – payble to the theatre.)
• At 11.30.am  the book will be formally “launched”.
• Admission to the launch is free. Refreshments will be available.

An Evening of Film and Live Variety to Celebrate the launch of the two new books.

Come and join the author at this sociable and enjoyable event which includes a glass of wine and a meal!

7.30.pm at The Imperial Banqueting Suite, Lichfield Street, Bilston. WV14 0AN

(Formerly Woods Palace/the Odeon cinema – parking in Bow Street, behind the venue.)

• Admission to the event costs £10 – and includes entertainment, a glass of wine and an Indian meal. (You can book a table for eight or ten if you want to make a party of it! Ten seats for the price of 9!)
• The books will be available at this event and each ticket can be used as a voucher worth £5 against the cover price of any book – a range of recent local history publications will be available.
• We really look forward to your company at what will be a unique event!

If you want to order books, reserve a tour of The Grand, or book tickets for the Celebration event on Saturday night, or have any queries, please make contact by phone (sometimes leave a message) or by email.

Telephone: Ned: 01902 773376, Terri: 0121 550 5943    Email: nedwilliams@toucansurf.com.

23 Westland Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 9NZ. Or see website: www.nedwilliams.co.uk

P.S. Two other events are planned: Thursday 10^th November, 2.00pm. The Venue, Dudley: (formerly The

Regent/Gaumont cinema): Afternoon tea and a presentation on “An Afternoon at the Movies – in the Good
Old Days!” and also on Tuesday 15^th November at 6.00pm: at the Light House, Wolverhampton: a
presentation on local theatres and cinemas – and the new book!

Women Chanmaker's Festival

The festival will take place on Saturday 17 September at Beamore Playing fields in Old Hill / Cradley.

This will be a day of music, theatre, storytelling and of course the chain women's march. The Headline act of the day is multi-award winner chris wood as well as support on main stage with all other performers, organised by Roosterspake (Brian Dakin and Lozz Hipkiss).

There will be a small charge on the gate and under sixteens are  free.

 Be great day, some bostin talent

Save Brook Street Community Centre (Tipton)

This mail is just to let you know about the 'Open Day' at Brook Street Community Centre on Friday 26th August from 11am until 6pm.

Please come along, even if you only just drop in, to see what Brook Street has to offer and also to find out what we may not have any more if we lose this popular venue and local hub.

There will be live entertainment, drink, food and more. For details please go to

http://www.brookstreetcommunitycentre.com/forthcomingevents.htm

Due to the circumstance of the centre being under threat of closure Brook Street CC's management and trustees as well as the user groups need all the support they can get so please come along and show yours. As chairman of Tipton Community Association I am concerned about the impact on our group and the threat of losing our operation centre which could greatly affect our ability to organise our full calendar of Tipton events.

We are looking forward to your support.

Thanks & regards.

Malcolm Jones

The Black Country and the White Slaves of England

The Black Country and the White Slaves of England

This exhibition, within the Museum's exhibition halls, displays historic photos of women chainmakers at work, telling the story of how under the inspirational leadership of Mary Macarthur and local trade unionists the women chainmakers staged a 10 week strike, attracting international attention to the Black Country town, Cradley Heath.

Photographs of the protests and processions of Cradley Heath can be seen along with a display of chains and tools that the women chainmakers would have worked with in 1910.

In the Museum's village is the impressive Cradley Heath Workers' Institute, exhibiting further displays about the women chainmakers strike.

Dr Jean Debney, author of 'Breaking the Chains - the Story of the Women Chainmakers from Cradley Heath' will be one of the speakers at the forthcoming Black Country History Day on Saturday 15th October 2011 when she will examine Mary Macarthur's role in the ten week strike.

Where all our grannies worked

Dear all,

There are a couple more items on the distinctly black country website:

Where all our grannies worked

Almost everyone in the country will have a grandparent or great grandparent who worked in industry. Read more here.

The sound of metal on tape?

Do you know of any recordings of metal working in the Black Country, past or present? Read more here.

Rich history in the landscape now online

Just a quick note to point you to the fact that the Historic Environment Record for Walsall and Wolverhampton is now available online.

You can read the item on the distinctly black country website here:

http://distinctlyblackcountry.org.uk/news/

Black Country waterways enthusiast takes new appointment

Waterways enthusiast Graham Fisher has been appointed as a member of the team overseeing the transition of British Waterways to the charitable sector.

 

Graham, a writer and broadcaster based in Kingswinford, becomes part of the the trial Local Waterway Partnerships that will advise on and influence the management of canals and rivers in the North West and the West Midlands.

 

These trial Partnerships, alongside a third trial already underway on the Kennet & Avon Canal, will work with local waterway managers until the new waterways charity becomes fully operational in 2012.

Full details at: http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/newsroom/all-press-releases/display/id/3116

Kingswinford map expert celebrates after scooping two prestigious awards

A Kingswinford map expert is celebrating after scooping not one but two prestigious awards at a cartographic symposium held recently in Macclesfield.

Mary Spence MBE, of High Wood Close, staved off stiff competition from around the world, including National Geographic, to win the Stanfords Award and the British Cartographic Society Award for her map entitled The Environmental World.

Mary, who combines her role as map-designer for Global Mapping (UK) Ltd with her own publishing house Sparrow Publishing, says: 'It is a great honour to win these awards in the face of such giants in the world of maps. I can now allow myself the whole weekend to celebrate before it's back to the drawing board first thing Monday morning.'

Mary Spence is of Scottish extraction but is now based in Kingswinford where she lives with her long-term partner Graham Fisher MBE. Holding a degree in Geography from Aberdeen and a post-grad in Cartography from Glasgow, she has been a cartographer and publisher for all of her professional life.

She is former President of the British Cartographic Society and organiser of better mapping seminars across the UK. Mary was awarded the MBE for cartographic design in the New Year's Honours list of 2004

The Environmental World is an educational map which highlights the influences on our environment, from natural phenomena to problems occurring through man's activities, and follows on from her award-winning The Dynamic World, which examines natural occurrences such as earthquakes, volcanic activity and tsunamis. Both are available from www.mapstop.co.uk

Lighthouse Wolverhampton - The Street Exhibition Talk Thursday 16 June 6.30pm

Peter James, Head of Photographs at Birmingham Library will be talking to Dean Kelland and Andrew Jackson about their exhibition The Street. Pete will be quizzing Dean and Andrew Jackson about their approach to making a new exhibition based on archive images, and will also be sharing his opinions on the responsibilities of archives and how they view their role in preserving a constantly evolving past.

Admission to talk and exhibition is free. The Street continues until Friday 17th June.

Black Country Stories by Martin Parr opens on 1 July. Distinguished documentary photographer Martin Parr will be giving a talk at Lighthouse on 27 July at 6.30pm Tickets £3 on sale now. Black Country Stories was commissioned by Multistory and will run at Lighthouse until 30 September.

For more information visit www.light-house.co.uk or contact Light House on 01902 716055

Chart The Footsteps of The Mercians with The Staffordshire Hoard on Tour!

This summer, follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and embark on a voyage of Anglo Saxon discovery at the first ever touring exhibition of glittering items from the famous Staffordshire Hoard.

The series of free exhibitions will run from 2 July–18 Septemberand chart the exploits of the bloodthirsty Mercians through the heartland of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Merica, with each venue giving visitors a chance to explore a different aspect of the internationally renowned collection.

The grand tour begins in Stafford at Shire Hall Gallery (2-24 July) where visitors can find out how the hoard was unearthed, what archaeological methods were used and how the soil revealed untold mysteries and stories. There will also be a chance to discover how diligent archaeologists worked in secret to save the Staffordshire Hoard for the nation!

The tour then moves to Lichfield Cathedral (30 July-21 August), the origins of which are rooted in the same era that scholars believe the hoard was buried. At this grand venue, visitors can delve into the ‘Christianisation’ of Mercia and the heroic figure of St Chad. This exhibition will also explore the significance of some of the most famous items in the collection, the folded cross, the pectoral cross and the Biblical inscription.

The Hoard will reach its final destination in the ancient capital of Mercia at Tamworth Castle (27 Aug-18 Sept) once home to the King of Mercia’s palace. In homage to the Anglo-Saxon military history of the town, this section of the tour presents the opportunity to discover the bloodthirsty nature of the military items in the hoard, and handle replica sword and helmets! There will also be film footage of the find and a host of interactive exhibits to bring the tour to life.

Discovered in 2009 in a field in Lichfield by amateur metal detectorist Terry Herbert, The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found.

Consisting of around 3500 items the collection has been dated to the 7th or 8th Centuries, placing the origin of the items in the violent and grisly time of the Kingdom of Mercia. This summer’s displays are set to feature more than 40 star items from the world’s largest find of Anglo Saxon gold, including the pectoral cross, the biblical inscription and the seahorse.

For further information about The Staffordshire Hoard On Tour simply visit staffordshirehoard.org.uk, follow them at @StaffsHoard on Twitter, or become a fan of the Staffordshire Hoard fanpage on Facebook.

For more information about events in and around Staffordshire this Summer visit www.enjoystaffordshire.com, join the Enjoy Staffs Facebook Fanpage or follow us on Twitter @EnjoyStaffs.