A one-day course designed to help people to research their family tree before 1837 will be held on Saturday 9 October 2010 at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham.
The course, co-ordinated by Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry (BMSGH) ,will cover Parish Registers and Bishop’s Transcripts; indexes; poor law records; early Wills and Inventories. Most of these records prior to civil registration in 1837 are held at local record offices and libraries and are not available on the internet.
The course starts at 10.00am and finishes at 4pm. The cost is £5 for non-members of the Society. The Society’s bookshop will also be available on the day.
For further details, please contact Jackie Cotterill on 01562 743912, email: gensec@bmsgh.org or visit the BMSGH website on http://www.bmsgh.org/
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Dawn to Dusk in the Black Country by Giggetty
Brian Langtry, the founder member of the Black Country folk group Giggetty, has contacted me recently. Many years ago he did several black and white drawings featured in The Blackcountryman magazine, several of them illustrating the poems of Jim William Jones Dudley’s foremost serious poet who is featured on the “Dawn to Dusk” CD.
The album “Dawn to Dusk in the Black Country” was the first and best selling album produced by Giggetty and copies can be seen to change hands on auction sites quite frequently the album having become something of a collectors item.
Brian has recently digitally re-mastered the album, which can be purchased from http://www.giggetty.co.uk/ and is now setting about getting the availability of this to the many interested folk of the Black Country.
I have suggested that Brian pens something for the next issue of The Blackcountryman, so we can learn a little more about Giggetty's past.
The album “Dawn to Dusk in the Black Country” was the first and best selling album produced by Giggetty and copies can be seen to change hands on auction sites quite frequently the album having become something of a collectors item.
Brian has recently digitally re-mastered the album, which can be purchased from http://www.giggetty.co.uk/ and is now setting about getting the availability of this to the many interested folk of the Black Country.
I have suggested that Brian pens something for the next issue of The Blackcountryman, so we can learn a little more about Giggetty's past.
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
TIPTON HARRIERS CENTENARY PROJECT - NEWSLETTER 3, MAY 2010
What’s been going on? It has been some months since we last updated you on what has been going on. In some ways the project has been overwhelmed with kind responses and offers of information to the various appeals.
The focus has been on the first 50 years and various material has been assembled to allow a “write up” of the period to 1960. This has been painstaking work involving trawling through minute books, newspaper archives and every copy of Athletics Weekly to try to find details of the Harriers and their athletic & social activities.
Each archive has to be scanned, read and documented properly and then returned safely. A number of informal interviews have been done with the likes of Allan Rushmer, Doug Fownes, Ron Bentley, Jack Corfield, Fred Tonks, Joe Gripton, Keith Boydon, Alf Breakwell & Harry Haden who have all given a fascinating insight into the Harriers and what the Club meant to them.
Keith Atkins & Peter Griffiths have done a presentation on the Harriers & the Project at the Public Library in Tipton attended by around 30 people. Later in the year the Library hopes to have a presentation on Sport in Tipton with the Harriers & Athletics playing a significant role. More on this when it arrives.
What is still to be done? To give you some idea of the scale of the work done to date there is already over 2400 pages of A4 notes in the form of a chronology that lists what the Harriers have been doing over the years. This document, in it’s own right, forms a significant historical statement of the history of the Harriers. It will of course continue to grow as new facts, figures and stories are unearthed and added. A large amount of facts are being amassed, but this needs filtering and transformed into a readable and interesting document.
There is a significant period to cover. The group have yet to look in detail at the career and contribution of Jack Holden, and to cover the Track & Field aspects of the Club that took off during the early 1970’s. Early approaches have been made to to Ray Fletcher & Alan Clay for their recollections on this aspect of the history. It is hoped to interview past members such as Roger Walters (sprinter and renowned coach) for their recollections of the sport in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when track and field league competition was just taking off. This will compliment the material contained within the extensive writings of Roy Langford.
If you have any thoughts, recollections or ideas as to who should be spoken to then please get in touch.
What will be produced later this year is something that will relate the history, evolution and spirit of the Harriers. To this end Peter Griffiths has started the massive task of authoring this document.
It appears that the Club have lost track of a number of key club trophies and cups. We would like to try & track them down in order to photograph them and restore them to their proper place. If you know the whereabouts of any Club awards please let us know.
Official Function & Reunion Plans - Sadly unable to report much progress on this matter as the Club Committee have only just started to devote time and effort into thinking about the Centenary any events it plans to hold to help celebrate the occasion. Tom Wood, current Chairman, says this is in now in hand.
How Can You Help? We may have been inundated but that does not mean we do not want to hear from you. If you have any material and recollections that you feel could be included then please come forward and contact any of the three named at the bottom of this entry. If you feel you can write something down then please do so. It does not matter if it is handwritten or typed. If you are in contact with any other old members or their families then please pass a copy of this on to them. Also please let us have their contact details.
What are we after? One aspect we feel we would like to explore is to see if we have any old film material taken of the Harriers in action. Does anyone have any old cine films that contain footage of say road relays, track meetings, boxing day handicaps? Have they been converted to video/DVD? If you have, then please get in contact to add this different historical aspect to the project.
It is now clear that we are missing Club Minutes from 1976 onwards and would like anyone who may be has sets hidden away in a file/box to let us have them. Copies of AGM Annual Reports etc. would be a good insight as they often contained a resume of the activities of the club during the year.
We are still after any of the following:
Old photographs
Scrapbooks
Club magazines
Newspaper cuttings
Race programmes
Race results
Tipton 10 Mile Race Results
Club badges & stickers
Club Ties
Old club memorabilia
In fact we are interested in anything if it relates to Tipton Harriers. It doe not matter if it is just 1 or 100 items. We are interested.
We would like to borrow any items and as part of assembling as big an archive of material on the
Harriers for future generations we will then get them scanned/photographed. This might take a few weeks depending on how much there is.
Rest assured it will be safe with us and by helping out we will be preserving a valuable part of our local and national heritage. So get in your lofts and sort us out some stuff!
Please get in contact with Keith Atkins (see below).
Contacts
Keith Atkins – 01902 674335
36 Shenley Avenue, Woodsetton, Dudley, DY1 4LR
Pete Griffiths – 0121 458 2880
62 Old Oak Rd, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B38 9AJ
Chris Holloway – 01225 309124
tipton.harrier@yahoo.co.uk
The focus has been on the first 50 years and various material has been assembled to allow a “write up” of the period to 1960. This has been painstaking work involving trawling through minute books, newspaper archives and every copy of Athletics Weekly to try to find details of the Harriers and their athletic & social activities.
Each archive has to be scanned, read and documented properly and then returned safely. A number of informal interviews have been done with the likes of Allan Rushmer, Doug Fownes, Ron Bentley, Jack Corfield, Fred Tonks, Joe Gripton, Keith Boydon, Alf Breakwell & Harry Haden who have all given a fascinating insight into the Harriers and what the Club meant to them.
Keith Atkins & Peter Griffiths have done a presentation on the Harriers & the Project at the Public Library in Tipton attended by around 30 people. Later in the year the Library hopes to have a presentation on Sport in Tipton with the Harriers & Athletics playing a significant role. More on this when it arrives.
What is still to be done? To give you some idea of the scale of the work done to date there is already over 2400 pages of A4 notes in the form of a chronology that lists what the Harriers have been doing over the years. This document, in it’s own right, forms a significant historical statement of the history of the Harriers. It will of course continue to grow as new facts, figures and stories are unearthed and added. A large amount of facts are being amassed, but this needs filtering and transformed into a readable and interesting document.
There is a significant period to cover. The group have yet to look in detail at the career and contribution of Jack Holden, and to cover the Track & Field aspects of the Club that took off during the early 1970’s. Early approaches have been made to to Ray Fletcher & Alan Clay for their recollections on this aspect of the history. It is hoped to interview past members such as Roger Walters (sprinter and renowned coach) for their recollections of the sport in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when track and field league competition was just taking off. This will compliment the material contained within the extensive writings of Roy Langford.
If you have any thoughts, recollections or ideas as to who should be spoken to then please get in touch.
What will be produced later this year is something that will relate the history, evolution and spirit of the Harriers. To this end Peter Griffiths has started the massive task of authoring this document.
It appears that the Club have lost track of a number of key club trophies and cups. We would like to try & track them down in order to photograph them and restore them to their proper place. If you know the whereabouts of any Club awards please let us know.
Official Function & Reunion Plans - Sadly unable to report much progress on this matter as the Club Committee have only just started to devote time and effort into thinking about the Centenary any events it plans to hold to help celebrate the occasion. Tom Wood, current Chairman, says this is in now in hand.
How Can You Help? We may have been inundated but that does not mean we do not want to hear from you. If you have any material and recollections that you feel could be included then please come forward and contact any of the three named at the bottom of this entry. If you feel you can write something down then please do so. It does not matter if it is handwritten or typed. If you are in contact with any other old members or their families then please pass a copy of this on to them. Also please let us have their contact details.
What are we after? One aspect we feel we would like to explore is to see if we have any old film material taken of the Harriers in action. Does anyone have any old cine films that contain footage of say road relays, track meetings, boxing day handicaps? Have they been converted to video/DVD? If you have, then please get in contact to add this different historical aspect to the project.
It is now clear that we are missing Club Minutes from 1976 onwards and would like anyone who may be has sets hidden away in a file/box to let us have them. Copies of AGM Annual Reports etc. would be a good insight as they often contained a resume of the activities of the club during the year.
We are still after any of the following:
Old photographs
Scrapbooks
Club magazines
Newspaper cuttings
Race programmes
Race results
Tipton 10 Mile Race Results
Club badges & stickers
Club Ties
Old club memorabilia
In fact we are interested in anything if it relates to Tipton Harriers. It doe not matter if it is just 1 or 100 items. We are interested.
We would like to borrow any items and as part of assembling as big an archive of material on the
Harriers for future generations we will then get them scanned/photographed. This might take a few weeks depending on how much there is.
Rest assured it will be safe with us and by helping out we will be preserving a valuable part of our local and national heritage. So get in your lofts and sort us out some stuff!
Please get in contact with Keith Atkins (see below).
Contacts
Keith Atkins – 01902 674335
36 Shenley Avenue, Woodsetton, Dudley, DY1 4LR
Pete Griffiths – 0121 458 2880
62 Old Oak Rd, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B38 9AJ
Chris Holloway – 01225 309124
tipton.harrier@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Blists Hill Victorian Town
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, is one of eleven museums and galleries in the running to win the Art Fundprize 2010 of £100,000.
The Museum celebrates and preserves the heritage of the early Industrial Revolution and there are many links between the area and the Black Country.
You can vote for the Museum at http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/ this would be a worthy museum for Black Country Society members to vote for.
The Museum celebrates and preserves the heritage of the early Industrial Revolution and there are many links between the area and the Black Country.
You can vote for the Museum at http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/ this would be a worthy museum for Black Country Society members to vote for.
Friday, 16 April 2010
LAUNCH OF SECOND EDITION OF TALES FROM A CHURCHYARD, ST JOHN'S CHURCH, KATES HILL
LAUNCH OF SECOND EDITION OF TALES FROM A CHURCHYARD, ST JOHN'S CHURCH, KATES HILL
St John's Church Preservation Group is delighted to announce that the first edition of Tales from A Churchyard has now sold out (first 250 copies) and the SECOND EDITION will be launched at a special sponsored booksigning event next Tuesday 20th April at the Quality Hotel, Birmingham Road, Dudley.The event will be sponsored by The Quality Hotel, Dudley.
Everyone is welcome to just come along and there is no admission fee.
Details are :
Quality Hotel (Ward Arms) hosts book signing and launch of second edition of Tales From A Churchyard, St John's, Kates Hill, Volume 1 with author and historian Chris Smith
There will be a short talk by the author about his book Tales From A Churchyard, St John's Church, Kates Hill, Dudley followed by a book signing.
Date: Tuesday 20th April. Time: 10.30am to 12pm
Programme:
10.30am Complimentary Tea/coffee
10.45am Introduction by Deb Brownlee, Chair, St John's Church Preservation Group
10.50am Illustrated presentation by Chris Smith (15 mins)
11.05am Book signing and further refreshments
11.50am Draw raffle
12pm finish
Fantastic sponsored Raffle prizes: (£1 a strip)
•A weekend away for two at QH other hotel in Torquay
•A voucher for a meal for two on a Friday night at QH Dudley
•Bottles
•Signed Tales From a Churchyard book
•Everyone attending this event will receive a voucher for a discounted Sunday lunch at QH (usual price £8.95 for three courses, discount voucher amount £6.95)
Anyone who would also like to be shown around the Quality Hotel on this day can be given a guided tour
The event will be held in the restuarant area of the Quality Hotel. There will be information tables for both the hotel and preservation group
Deb Brownlee "The Tales From a Churchyard book has been a resounding success and really opened people's eyes regarding what a goldmine of local history and famous people we have buried at St John's. Author Chris Smith has provided the most magnificent service to our cause and is donating all proceeds from the sales to our appeal funds. We are really proud to be going into the second edition so soon. "
For further information contact the Quality Hotel on 01384 458070 or St John's Church Preservation Group on 0787 119 5042.
St John's Church Preservation Group is delighted to announce that the first edition of Tales from A Churchyard has now sold out (first 250 copies) and the SECOND EDITION will be launched at a special sponsored booksigning event next Tuesday 20th April at the Quality Hotel, Birmingham Road, Dudley.The event will be sponsored by The Quality Hotel, Dudley.
Everyone is welcome to just come along and there is no admission fee.
Details are :
Quality Hotel (Ward Arms) hosts book signing and launch of second edition of Tales From A Churchyard, St John's, Kates Hill, Volume 1 with author and historian Chris Smith
There will be a short talk by the author about his book Tales From A Churchyard, St John's Church, Kates Hill, Dudley followed by a book signing.
Date: Tuesday 20th April. Time: 10.30am to 12pm
Programme:
10.30am Complimentary Tea/coffee
10.45am Introduction by Deb Brownlee, Chair, St John's Church Preservation Group
10.50am Illustrated presentation by Chris Smith (15 mins)
11.05am Book signing and further refreshments
11.50am Draw raffle
12pm finish
Fantastic sponsored Raffle prizes: (£1 a strip)
•A weekend away for two at QH other hotel in Torquay
•A voucher for a meal for two on a Friday night at QH Dudley
•Bottles
•Signed Tales From a Churchyard book
•Everyone attending this event will receive a voucher for a discounted Sunday lunch at QH (usual price £8.95 for three courses, discount voucher amount £6.95)
Anyone who would also like to be shown around the Quality Hotel on this day can be given a guided tour
The event will be held in the restuarant area of the Quality Hotel. There will be information tables for both the hotel and preservation group
Deb Brownlee "The Tales From a Churchyard book has been a resounding success and really opened people's eyes regarding what a goldmine of local history and famous people we have buried at St John's. Author Chris Smith has provided the most magnificent service to our cause and is donating all proceeds from the sales to our appeal funds. We are really proud to be going into the second edition so soon. "
For further information contact the Quality Hotel on 01384 458070 or St John's Church Preservation Group on 0787 119 5042.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
The Fellows Pub - Dudley
Michael Nott is a journalist from the Wolverhampton Chronicle and is putting together a feature on the Fellows Pub in Dudley which sadly is due to close at the start of April.
The club has quite a history, but Michael is struggling to find any information out on it. He was hoping someone may be able to help me out with the history of the pub, when it opened, what used to go on in there, its importance to the town, ... etc.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Please contact editor@blackcountrysociety.co.uk if you have any information and I will pass it on.
The club has quite a history, but Michael is struggling to find any information out on it. He was hoping someone may be able to help me out with the history of the pub, when it opened, what used to go on in there, its importance to the town, ... etc.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Please contact editor@blackcountrysociety.co.uk if you have any information and I will pass it on.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Broadfield House Glass Museum/Stourbridge Canal
Broadfield House Glass Museum/Stourbridge Canal have announced the 2010 programme of guided walks.
Following on from their successful launch last year, 2010 will again see a series of walks exploring glassmaking and associated industries along the Stourbridge Canal.
'Jewels on the Cut' is a gentle stroll of around one and a half miles (plus return), taking in the historic glassmaking quarter between The Bonded Warehouse at Stourbridge and Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley. The interpreter is Graham Fisher, waterways enthusiast and outreach agent for Broadfield House Glass Museum. Walks indiated are open to the public (under 16's by arrangement) and private group bookings can be arranged separately. Places are limited; further details and booking via Broadfield House Glass Museum, 01384 812745.
Dates are
25 April (Dudley Walking Festival)
30 May
27 June
25 July
29 Aug (Stourbridge International Festival of Glass)
19 September
Following on from their successful launch last year, 2010 will again see a series of walks exploring glassmaking and associated industries along the Stourbridge Canal.
'Jewels on the Cut' is a gentle stroll of around one and a half miles (plus return), taking in the historic glassmaking quarter between The Bonded Warehouse at Stourbridge and Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley. The interpreter is Graham Fisher, waterways enthusiast and outreach agent for Broadfield House Glass Museum. Walks indiated are open to the public (under 16's by arrangement) and private group bookings can be arranged separately. Places are limited; further details and booking via Broadfield House Glass Museum, 01384 812745.
Dates are
25 April (Dudley Walking Festival)
30 May
27 June
25 July
29 Aug (Stourbridge International Festival of Glass)
19 September
Monday, 1 March 2010
Cradley Heritage Lottery Funded project
Dear Editor,
You may remember you were good enough to review Harry's DVD 'A Story of Cradley Heath' some time back in your magazine. The aim of that work was to record how Cradley Heath was before the coming of Tesco's, the demolition of old buildings and construction of the by-pass. When we look at that now, and the state of the High street shops and big market, the change is unbelievable (our description of the present situation is dire).
The present project is aimed at collecting memories, stories, photos etc. of and about Cradley so that they can be captured for the future, and also at encouraging people to participate in the project in this way. Knowledge, and the meaning of photos, artefacts etc get lost as time goes by. Eventually there will be a heritage pack produced and a series of DVDs - Cradley's History and Cradley People, Cradley at Work and Play and Cradley at War.
There will be a Cradley at War Meeting at 7.30pm at Park Lane Unitarian Church Hall in Cradley on Monday 22 March. It's free entry, everyone welcome, bread pudding and tea/coffee, biscuits. Anyone with interest in the project can come along, or contact Harry on the telephone number below.
The 'Cradley Then and Now Group' usually meet at the same venue on the 2nd Monday of the month - £1 admission with free refreshments.
The project will last about 15 months in all, to finish (hopefully) in November. I must emphasise that it is Cradley (where Harry and I were both born and still live) that the project is about, not the Heath!
Hopefully this will reach people who otherwise might not hear about the project, and lose the opportunity to contribute.
Val and Harry Bloomer
Tel: 01384 635969
You may remember you were good enough to review Harry's DVD 'A Story of Cradley Heath' some time back in your magazine. The aim of that work was to record how Cradley Heath was before the coming of Tesco's, the demolition of old buildings and construction of the by-pass. When we look at that now, and the state of the High street shops and big market, the change is unbelievable (our description of the present situation is dire).
The present project is aimed at collecting memories, stories, photos etc. of and about Cradley so that they can be captured for the future, and also at encouraging people to participate in the project in this way. Knowledge, and the meaning of photos, artefacts etc get lost as time goes by. Eventually there will be a heritage pack produced and a series of DVDs - Cradley's History and Cradley People, Cradley at Work and Play and Cradley at War.
There will be a Cradley at War Meeting at 7.30pm at Park Lane Unitarian Church Hall in Cradley on Monday 22 March. It's free entry, everyone welcome, bread pudding and tea/coffee, biscuits. Anyone with interest in the project can come along, or contact Harry on the telephone number below.
The 'Cradley Then and Now Group' usually meet at the same venue on the 2nd Monday of the month - £1 admission with free refreshments.
The project will last about 15 months in all, to finish (hopefully) in November. I must emphasise that it is Cradley (where Harry and I were both born and still live) that the project is about, not the Heath!
Hopefully this will reach people who otherwise might not hear about the project, and lose the opportunity to contribute.
Val and Harry Bloomer
Tel: 01384 635969
Friday, 5 February 2010
Rediscovering the music of a Black Country bugler
The musical heritage of the Black Country is a sadly neglected area, which is a great shame as there are many real gems just waiting to be unearthed and brought back to life. To this end, Stourbridge-born musician Fynn Titford-Mock (now in his final year at Newcastle University) will be co-leading a singing workshop and concert of the music of Black Country composers on Saturday 20th February, with the help of Stourbridge-based youth choir Stream of Sound and their leader Caroline Price. The event is called ‘Come Let Our Voices Join!’
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Captain Ahab's Watery Tales
Mike
I recently came across Eric Richardson's old booklet on the Lost Canals of the Black Country as part of my ongoing search for the remains of the abandoned canals in the area.
I have been posting my discoveries in blog fomat which can be found here:
http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com
I am currently having a look at the Ridgeacre network - your members might be interested.
Andy (Captain Ahab)
I recently came across Eric Richardson's old booklet on the Lost Canals of the Black Country as part of my ongoing search for the remains of the abandoned canals in the area.
I have been posting my discoveries in blog fomat which can be found here:
http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com
I am currently having a look at the Ridgeacre network - your members might be interested.
Andy (Captain Ahab)
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