Search Results for: steve hickman

What’s the storey?

Here’s a quick one that’s piqued my intent and left me pondering, so I thought I’d share it – friend of New Hall Mill Alan Dawson has asked a really excellent question about my frequent 365daysofbiking muse, Shenstone Railway Station.

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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The water, of course!

Our intrepid urban explorer, the young David Evans, has been out and about on the mean streets of Walsall Wood again, searching for his nemesis, the lost brook of Brook Lane.

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Posted in News | 6 Comments

Wood work

This is a post for top reader, contributor and friend of the blog David Evans. A couple of days ago, he emailed me asking if I had any old maps covering the general Walsall Wood area. Well, it took me … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Laying a sound foundation

Long term readers and local history buffs will recall reader, contributor and friend of the Brownhills Blog Steve Hickman supplying material relating to his great grandfather, Joseph William Taylor, master bricklayer and craftsman of Stonnall. Well, Steve Hickman and Julian … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Keepers Cottage, Footherley: In better days

This is another heads up for readers interested in local history, particularly of the Stonnall area. Julian Ward-Davies and fellow Stonnall historian Susan-Marie Ward have been busy compiling another great historical paper, this time about Keeper’s Cottage, the now crumbling, … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Where’s your woggle?

Top contributed, reader and Stonnall history buff Steve Hickman has, once again been in touch. He’s unearthed a great photo of the Shenstone Scout Troop in their Sunday finery in 1962. Steve poses the following question: Hi Bob, I came across this … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sand in the machinery

More great stuff on the saga of tank testing in Shire Oak Quarry. Hot on the heels of contributor David Oakley, Steve Hickman has obtained another great account from Ron Harris, a member of his family. A big thank you … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Memories of Old Stonnall

The fantastic, resourceful and dedicated Julian Ward-Davies has been in touch to point out that there’s a new article on his blog entitled ‘Memories of Old Stonnall’, a collaborative work with Gordon Mycock whose memories of his life in the … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Stories from the front

David Evans has been very busy this week supplying a wealth of further material relating to the wonderful history of Arthur Burton MM. First of all, he sent a copy of Arthur’s diary entry relating to White Chateau, Ypres. My … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Features, Followups, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tanking along…

The question of tank testing in Shire Oak Quarry is ongoing. I’ve received a large number of fine contributions from David Evans, not least this email communication between him and the Tank Museum…. From: David Evans Sent: 26 September 2011 … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

1444 Squadron Air Cadets at summer camp, late sixties

Just had this cracking email from top contributor Steve Hickman, relating to Friday’s piece about the 70th anniversary request for photos and information relating to 1444 Squadraon Air Training Corps in Brownhills. Steve is a star, and I never cease … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Grand Day Out

  Last week, I was sent this fantastically evocative image by top contributor Steve Hickman. I know it’s not quite Brownhills, but I know there were, and maybe still are, several members of the Walsall Motorcycle Club in our locality, … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Walsall Wood, 1902

Last week, blog regular and top local history buff Steve Hickman sent me a .PDF scan of a remarkable map. The sheet shows Walsall Wood, I’m fairly certain at 1:2500 scale and is dated 1902, although the footnotes say it … Continue reading

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Charting an unseen place…

1902, Second Edition Ordnance Survey map, of Stonnall, 1:10000 scale. Click the image to download the high-quality PDF. It’s with great thanks that I can share the above map with the readers of The Brownhills Blog – found in a … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Made of bricks

While we’re on the subject of the Hickman family, Steve contacted me with an interesting photo of his  great grandfather, William Taylor, with this fascinating bit of local history. In all the focus on the mines and allied trades locally, … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A winter place

I was contacted a couple of days ago by reader Steve Hickman, who previously provided such an excellent investigative thread into the geographical changes around Stonnall and the Chester Road in the last century. Steve has supplied a couple of … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A body of evidence

  It’s not often that I feel the need to lift an item out of the comments and publish it as a post of it’s own, but yesterday, Paul Ford, Walsall Local History Centre expert and research genius stunned me. … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Local media, Local politics, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

High Street in the 1930’s

This week’s pictures from the past feature is specially selected for reader Steve Hickman, who’s sent me a fascinating enquiry about Stonnall, in respose to which I’m currently putting together an old mapping post about changes to the area. Steve … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Mr. Thomas Platt, Brownhills, circa 1930

After I featured some 1930’s photos of Brownhills High Street for Steve Hickman in this week’s old photo feature, Steve mailed me a really interesting image, for which I am immensely grateful. Steve had this to say: Great photographs thanks … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Stonnall Mysteries

To my shame, some weeks ago reader Steve Hickman asked about the road changes around Stonall in the early part of last century, and ever since, I’ve had a post almost ready to go. My work, however, was eclipsed by … Continue reading

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The lost post of Stonnall

Way back in the mists of time, top reader and contributor Steve Hickman asked a question about when I thought the Chester Road was diverted from Stonnall Village. I started researching a reply, but in the interim, top amateur landscape … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, planning, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments