Here’s a great email I’ve received from reader Louise Sedgwick about her memories of Jasmine Cottage, up on Wharf Lane, Brownhills. The warm, lovely memories Louise shares sit nicely alongside those of Michael Sarsfield from Wharf Cottages, featured a few days ago.

I know that Louise is looking for any pictures she may have, for which I’m very grateful. But does anyone else have an image of these cottages? Surely there must be one lurking somewhere… please, if you have, do get in touch.

This fragment of the 1:2.500 1962 Ordnance Survey map of Anglesey Basin shows Wharf Cottages, the old stables, and Jasmine Cottage. Click for a larger version.

The whole fascination of this only came to light by chance, flicking through Ray Shill’s book, and goes to show why I love curating this blog so much, and why it’s worth the time and effort. Last Friday, I had little or no idea that Jasmine Cottage existed. Now, thanks to reader involvement and the generosity shown, we’ve uncovered a whole history, and some surprising incidentals.

Thanks to all.

Louse Sedgwick wrote:

Dear Bob,

I have read your page with much interest and noticed in one of your blogs you were interested in more info on Jasmine Cottage.

My Grandparents lived here until they had to move (due to compulsory purchase due to M6 toll road) in 1989. I have some fantastic memories of a great childhood growing up with life within it’s walls.

There were 2 large fields which homed horses and a large orchard to the rear of the property which my grandad kept chickens and ducks and grew all manor of vegetables it even housed its very own beehives.

To the front of the property was an extensive Lawn which ran parallel to the road.

Anglesey Wharf and cottages, from Ray Shill’s book ‘The Wyrley and Essington Canal Through Time’.

As kids we used to build dens, catch rabbits (or in our case spend hours sitting in a stable watching a cardboard box propped up with a stick and hoping an unsuspecting bunny might fancy a nibble on the rather suspect carrot lying beaneath 🙂 .. something tells me it was an attempt to keep us kids out of our usual mischief a cheap ploy which we fell for on more than one occasion), we hung ropes from trees and made swings, made mud pies, ete gooseberries and home grown peas till we were ill, and in the winter (if it snowed) my grandad built the most amazing snow slide from the lawn down to the drive (which was only a drop of a couple of feet but felt sooo much further :). We had a childhood unlike any of our friends, everyday was unlike any other day.

My Grandparents did not want to leave their home and fought to stay, but found themselves in an unwinable situation that saw them relocating elsewhere in Brownhills where they saw out their remaining time (which unfortunately was only a few years).

Jasmine Cottage was always a place that was filled with people enjoying life no matter what, a place that will always hold a special place in my heart

I hope i have tried to help a little in understanding our time at Jasmine Cottage, as it turned out it lasted longer than my grandparents did which is a shame.

Louise Sedgwick