Persistence of memory

Yesterday, whilst wandering past the former Warreners Arms pub, I stopped to look at the old inn. The condition of this landmark building continues to degrade, and the busy car wash formerly operating there now seems to have closed. I notice some thieving scrote has even nicked the old cast-iron ‘Ogley Hay’ street sign; no mean feet considering it was about 12 feet off the ground. Ijust hope it was stolen for the significance of the object than for a couple of quid at the scrap yard.

Whilst reflecting on this, I started to study the terracotta brickwork on the corner between Ogley Road and the High Street, and spotted something interesting – what was for me, at least, an undiscovered bit of Brownhills history. Scratched into the soft clay red bricks, there seems to be a century’s worth of names. I photographed some of the interesting ones, but there are probably loads I missed. I haven’t had time to research them, but W. Dorsett stood out, as did Humphries with regard to Humphries house, that stands nearby.

Do any of the following names mean anything to you? Please comment or drop me a line if they do.

The Dorsett family were notable in Brownhills in the early part of the last century for their football skills. Dickie Dorset, known as ‘The Brownhills Bomber’, was a celebrated striker. Having played for Wolves, scoring their only goal in the 1939 FA Cup final, Dickie joined the RAF, only playing a few matches during the war. After service, he played for Brentford, Grimsby Town, Liverpool, QPR, Southampton and Aston Villa. He retired in 1953, becoming a trainer and coach for Aston Villa and Liverpool. He passed away in 1999, aged 79. I guess this must be the inscription of one of the family, but no W. Dorsett is mentioned in Sue Lote’s excellent article on the family and their genealogy.