Because you’re free to read this blog
#365DaysOfBiking- June 17th - I love lupins. These tall flowers grow wild along... June 17, 2013
- June 17th - At Spring Road station in Birmingham, I overheard to... June 17, 2013
- June 16th - Not sure what the deal is here, to be honest. At... June 17, 2013
- June 16th - A ride out to Cannock Chase in the afternoon. The... June 17, 2013
- June 15th - Returning from the Canal Festival at Pelsall, I... June 15, 2013
- June 15th - Yesterday, a local tweeter spotted something amusing... June 15, 2013
- June 14th - The roadside verges and hedgerows are an unusually... June 14, 2013
- June 14th - Headed out to Lichfield late afternoon, and battled... June 14, 2013
- June 13th - I took a diversion from my usual route to Darlaston... June 14, 2013
- June 13th - At Birchills, on the way to Darlaston, I spotted... June 14, 2013
- June 12th - An awful commute from a weather point of view. The... June 14, 2013
- June 11th - What goes up… must come down. It’s been a few... June 12, 2013
- Bob’s music
- R.E.M. – Wait - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Mystery To Me - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Just A Touch - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Two Steps Onward - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Jazz (Rotary Ten) - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Out Of Tune - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – I Believe - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Cuyahoga - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – Begin The Begin - Athens Demo
- R.E.M. – The Flowers Of Guatemala - Athens Demo
Category Archives: Local History
Exterminate! Daleks to invade Aldridge
Martin Fisher contacted me from the Aston Manor Road Transport Museum in Aldridge recently, to let me know about their latest event, taking place this Sunday which looks set to be a must for Sci-Fi fans, Doctor Who aficionados and anyone else into the weird and wonderful.
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Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Just plain daft, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 2013, 23rd June, Aldridge, Aston Manor, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, bus, Bus Museum, Chasewater, Dalek, Doctor Who, event, Events, Facebook, Fancy Dress, Invasion, Local History, Martin Fisher, Meet the Museum, open day, planning, Sci-fi, Shenstone Drive, Transport Museum, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood
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Box clever?
Here’s one to get the researchers and detectives amongst the readership scratching their heads – let’s see what we can turn up, as this is quite unusual and I think there’s some history to be found here
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Allbrooks, Ann Cross, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, case, Census, crate, Family history, history, licensee, Local History, NIPTA, pub, Pubs, Richard Cross, Royal Exchange, Shire Oak, Staffordshire, victualler, Walsall Wood, West Browich, West Smethwick, William Cross, wooden box
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Going with the flow
In the modern world of asphalted roads, acres of hardstanding and housing estates by the square mile, we tend to forget that our landscape is riddled with lost brooks, springs, natural drains and man-made culverts, and all have to be managed to prevent flood and ensure adequate drainage, whilst still maintaining irrigation.
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The water is clean and flows well at this point. Image supplied by David Evans.[/caption] Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged brook, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Coppice House, culvert, David Evans, Drainage, Farm, Kings Hayes, Local History, Marsh, New Photos, Old maps, Redevelopment, Shire Oak, Stonnall, Stream, Stubbers Green, Taylor, Things to do, Transport, Vigo, Walsall Wood, Watercourse, Wetland, Wildlife
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Bicycles. Always a problem.
A great spot here from Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler regarding a report in the Lichfield Mercury of Friday, 16th August 1935.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Local politics, Environment, Just plain daft, Local History, Clayhanger stuff, Shared media, Local media, Shared memories, cycling, News
Tagged Brownhills, Local History, Local politics, Brownhills local history, Silly, Cycle rides, Staffordshire, Norton Canes, cycling, Subsidence, co-op, Humphries, bicycles, sale, Conduit Colliery, Co-operative, Brownhills Chamber of Trade, Sewage Farm, sewerage, Labour Exchange, jobless, unemployed, land, purchase, Emery, Bradbury
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Pictures from Pelsall Canal Festival 2013
Well, the weather behaved, mostly – a couple of sharp showers and a strong wind couldn’t dampen spirits with loads of stalls, activities, people and boats – Pelsall Canal Festival was a great afternoon out.
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Posted in cycling, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Walsall community
Tagged 2013, bad weather, boaters, Boats, Brenda Ward, Canal, canal festival, Cheese Boat, Cycle rides, Events, Narrowboats, New Photos, Panoramio, Pelsall, Pelsall Canal Festival, Pelsall North Common, Rain
3 Comments
Finely tuned aerials
Rather than do the drip-drip-rip thing with the wonderful aerial images shared by top geographic geek Gareth Thomas and Lichfield District Council, I’m going to share the whole set of 1:5,000 aerials of Chasewater and surrounds. All were taken in December, 1976, and show some remarkable detail.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media
Tagged aerial photo, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Chasewater, Chasewater Dam, Chasewater Wildlife Group, Events, Gareth Thomas, June 9 1963, LDC, Lichfield District Council, Local History, New Photos, Norton Pool, Reservoir, Staffordshire
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Pelsall Canal Festival – on all this weekend!
Good friend of the blog Brenda Ward has been in touch to let me know that Pelsall Canal Festival takes place all this weekend, 15th & 16th June 2013 – I attended the last one in 2011, and despite some indifferent, blustery weather it was a great occasion that was well organised with plenty of great attractions for all the family.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Walsall community
Tagged Boats, Canal, Cycle rides, Events, local blogs, Moxley, Narrowboats, New Photos, Panoramio, Pelsall, Pelsall Canal Festival
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Walk on the Wild Side at Brownhills Common this Friday!
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – this Friday there’s a chance to meet and listen to very experienced, knowledgable naturalists and conservationists talk about just what a special, rare habitat Brownhills Common is, and why it requires careful and measured stewardship.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Wildlife
Tagged Brownhills common, Chasewater SSSI, Conifer, Consultation, Countryside Services, Cycle rides, cycling, Events, forestry, Greenspace, Heathland, june 14th, Kevin Clements, local blogs, Local History, Management, Morgan Bowers, Natural England, Plantation, scrutiny, Special, Things to do, tree removal, Twitter, Walsal Wildlife, Walsall, Walsall Advertiser, Walsall Council
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The scale of things to come
Gareth Thomas, top geographical services officer and mapping wonk from Lichfield District Council has been dipping into the aerial photography archives, and sent me a whole truancy of new wonders.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media
Tagged aerial photo, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Chasewater, Chasewater Dam, Chasewater Wildlife Group, Events, Gareth Thomas, June 9 1963, LDC, Lichfield District Council, Local History, New Photos, Norton Pool, Reservoir, Staffordshire
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Choir mastery
Here’s one I’ve mentioned before, but this is a request for information and an early warning – this one is important, and very, very elusive, but I think we should preserve this bit of Brownhills History for posterity, and so that it is not lost – it’s a beautiful thing, and not enough folk know about it.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged balladeer, Brownhills, Brownhills Choral Society, Brownhills local history, choir, Choral, Clayhanger, David Evans, George Fullelove, Local History, Master, New Photos, Plaque, Road, Shelter, Silver Street Methodist Church, Singer, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall Wood, was yer further a miner
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