Friezeland Lane Working Men’s Club committee photo from, I’m guessing, 1964. I’m keen to identify the gentlemen in the picture, as the history of this club, and others in the area, isn’t something we’ve covered enough on the Brownhills Blog. Picture kindly supplied from the Lynk family archive and scanned by David Evans.
Reader Ant Hill got in touch a week ago (sorry about the delay…) and asked the following question:
I have been asked by a family member to help them with work on a project of building a games room. It is to be based on a games room they were in along with myself as a child when we used to go with our dad to the local working mens club near our home, of which he was on the committee.
Friezland lane WMC was obviously on the aforementioned road, Friezland Lane, between shire oak and coppice road. Not a single person who either went there or lived nearby has any photographs or in fact anything what so ever from the place and wondered if you or any viewers could shed light on it?
Many thanks for your time, and stick with this blog friend, it’s the talk of the town, in the best sense…. Happy new year to you and all readers.
Regards,
Ant Hill
Happy New Year, Ant, and thanks for the lovely words. This is an interesting question. That there [Howmuch?] – who’s a confirmed Walsall Wood Mon™ – has mentioned this many, many times.
the only thing we’ve done on the blog relating to it was the history of the Pagett/Lynk family, which can be read here. There’s some great stuff in the comments from local lad Porktorta, amongst others.
The Friezland Lane Club was a hub of the community. Folk drank there, played sports in teams based out of there, whole families went on huge, organised day trips from there. They had live music and entertainment most weekends.
Locals held Christening parties, wedding receptions, and I daresay a few wakes, too. There must, therefore, be loads of photos of this great institution around – maybe as background to to aforementioned events.
We have next to nothing about this club. It’s almost like it never existed. Similar ones, like Walsall Wood and the Wood Labour Club, are also largely absent from the photographic record.
Please, people, what have you got? Both for Ant Hill and the wider community. There was a whole life here, and it seems lost to us. Let’s see what we can find.
BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.
1948 image of the club committee, featuring Enoch Pagett, first row, third left. See text for link to the original post. Image from the Lynk family archive, scanned by David Evans.