Regular readers will remember that I put out an appeal here recently to contact Robert Webster, creator of the lost Brownhills local history site ‘Webster’s Genealogy and Brownhills Local History ‘. Well, as I reported here, thanks to dedicated sleuths reading the blog, I made contact with Robert and put the idea to him that The Brownhills Blog could run some of his lost content, to which Robert has graciously agreed. I thank Robert for his fine act of Brownhillian felicity.

Anyone who’s searched for material pertinent to the history of this area will know only too well that it’s a shifting thing; sites come and go and something one could find one week is offline the next. Those of us who remember Robert Webster’s work will remember the detail and painstaking research that must have gone into his unique content. I’ll be pleased to host here some of the best and most unique writing on our town, to enable a new audience to enjoy it again.

Stay tuned, there’s some great history stuff coming up, and once again a tip of the hat to Robert. Cheers, old chap.

Robert Webster wrote about a lost Brownhills, like this shot of the old gasworks from the book 'Memories of Brownhills Past'.