Life in the northern wastes of Walsall
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (9th April 2018) there will be the April 2018 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group. The meeting is at the Bowling Green pub, Lichfield from 7:30pm and…
Thanks to Stuart Williams of Walsall Local History Centre, I can share with readers today another piece in the remarkable jigsaw that is the Ferrie family history – the Ferries, as many old hands will recall, were a larger than life father and son who were well known in Aldridge and Brownhills for their entrepreneurialism and propensity to acts of community largesse and showmanship.
Never one to sit back and let life pass her by, that there Kate Cardigan from the wonderful Lichfield Lore is involved with another project – Lichfield Repair and Share workshop – which takes place this Friday, 16th March 2018 at the Tesco Community Room, Tesco Extra, Church Street, Lichfield from 7-9pm.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (12th March 2018) there will be the March 2018 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Local rail buff Simon Swain has been busy of late covering the momentous and important Chase Line Electrification Project, which is seeing the rail line between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley electrified for hopefully faster and more reliable services.
Here’s a quick one I’ve just noticed going on right now (Saturday afternoon, 24th February 2018) at Walsall Wood FC’s Oak Park ground – a fun day in support of the Teddiesmile appeal.
Old friend of the blog San Brett has been in touch to let me know that her internet radio station Falcon Radio (you can tune in here) will be holding a request marathon in memory and support of Mylee Billingham who tragically died last month.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (12th February 2018) there will be the February 2018 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Hey folks, a little later than hoped it’s the 2018 Brownhills Blog New Year Quiz – and don’t forget the photo competition is also running alongside, and similarly has beer and book prizes to be won!
lds Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (8th January 2018) there will be the January 2018 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Hey folks, a little later than hoped it’s the 2018 Brownhills Blog New Year Quiz – and don’t forget the photo competition is also running alongside, and similarly has beer and book prizes to be won!
Hi folks – I’m getting a lot of enquiries regarding Christmas bin collection arrangements in the borough of Walsall, and since the change to rounds earlier in the year, there is only one simple answer to find out when you bins will be emptied.
Walsall Wood travel down the A5 to Tamworth – can they win back their good form?
No doubt Bill Shaw would chastise me for saying this, but more bad news for the Walsall Wood faithful on Saturday last as they travelled to Ilkeston Town FC, and played a bold match – which I thought would be curtailed by the weather – only to lose 3-2.
Walsall Wood FC are away at Ilkeston Town today – this is a hotly-anticipated match!
Right Walsall Borough folks, listen up – I know some of you are concerned about bin collections at the moment as the service is clearly experiencing difficulties, on the very week that Walsall refuse collection schedules have changed.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (13th November 2017) there will be the November 2017 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
If you’re at a loose end tonight (Sunday 5th November 2017), or are looking for a good firework party to take the kids to, there’s a great event at the Walsall Wood Football Club Ground, Oak Park, Walsall Wood kicking off at 5:00pm.
Two firework and bonfire events this weekend – one in Hammerwich this evening (Saturday 4th November 2017) and the one tomorrow evening at Walsall Wood FC – both events are always a great night out and the weather looks decent, so why not take a spin out?
If you’re at a loose end on Sunday evening (5th November 2017), or are looking for a good firework party to take the kids to, there’s a great event at the Walsall Wood Football Club Ground, Oak Park, Walsall Wood kicking off at 5:00pm.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (9th October 2017) there will be the October 2017 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Hey up people – it seems that in November, there’s a shakeup of of local bin collection days in the Northern Wastes and to this end Walsall Council have been delivering leaflets notifying residents of the changes, which is fair enough.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (11th September 2017) there will be the September 2017 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Local rail buff Simon Swain has once again been busy with the camera and maps, tracing out the history of the South Staffordshire railway line that used to run from Wychnor near Alrewas to Dudley, but called at Lichfield, Brownhills and Walsall on the way.
Dave Moore, the Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire dropped me a line with an interesting social history question regarding the waterworks at Lichfield over the weekend, which I thought I’d share here today as a gentle reminder that it’s the group’s August monthly public meeting tonight (Monday 14th August 2017).
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (14th August 2017) there will be the August 2017 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (1oth July 2017) there will be the July 2017 Public Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Local rail buff Simon Swain last week sent in the above image of one of the last freight workings on the South Staffordshire Line through central Brownhills – and there was a large amount of interest in this remarkably evocative photo.
Local rail buff Simon Swain has been in touch with a remarkable image of Brownhills recording the very last days of the railway here – just before construction of the Miner Island in 1984.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that this Sunday (June 18th 2017), the Third Staffordshire Ironman 70.3 Triathlon will be staged, with a 1.2 mile early morning swim in Chasewater being amongst the highlights.
Just a quick headsup to those interested in Walsall Wood history and who are free on the Wednesday afternoon of 28th June 2017 – there’s a talk featuring the Brownhills Blog’s favourite Wood Mon™ and top contributor, the young David Evans.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday evening (12th June 2017) there will be the Annual General Meeting of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
It looks like we’ve got a missing mustelid – Linzi Woodhouse has been in touch to ask if anyone has seen her pet ferret which has gone missing from home in the Ogley Road area of Brownhills.
Well, Spring Bank Holiday Monday is upon us, and that means that it’s Lichfield Bower Day in Ye Olde City – and I notice our friends at Lichfield Waterworks Trust and Lichfield Discovered are up to mischief…
I note in the last couple of days a worrying report of a lady being followed by a male behaving oddly on Chasewater North Heath, and post the following to warn dog walkers, particularly other women, to.beware.
An intriguing enquiry reaches me from local historian and blog dynamo the young David Evans, who’s after a rather specific bit of history relating to a lost courtyard of dwellings in Brownhills High Street Called ‘The Metz’.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore revealed a surprise today – he’s been on BBC Midlands Today with presenter Bob Hockenhull talking about the remarkable project behind which David has been the prime mover – that of preserving and putting to community use the iconic Victorian building in south Lichfield.
A lovely period piece reaches me from reader David Hughes, who’s been kind enough to scan a complete November 1954 copy of ‘The Omtitis’ magazine, which was the BRD Sports and Social Club newsletter.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this Monday (8th May 2017) there will be a public progress meeting for the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Yesterday afternoon (29th October 2017), Walsall Wood F.C. travelled to Allpay Park at Hereford to face Westfields, who sadly beat the Woodmen 4-0 – this match was a last ditch hope for Walsall Wood to defy relegation, but it wasn’t to be.
Walsall Wood away at Hereford’s Westfields this afternoon: Can the Woodmen pull a win out of the bag and stave off relegation?
Never one to sit back and let life pass her by, that there Kate Cardigan from the wonderful Lichfield Lore is involved with a new project – Lichfield Repair and Share – which starts today (Saturday, 29th April 2017) at Woodhouse Farm, just north of Whittington, between 2pm and 4pm.
It’s good to see local theatre doing so well these days, with not one but great local companies staging shows in the coming weeks – last week I pointed out Brownhills Musical Theatre Company’s latest 9-5 was coming up, and today it’s the turn of Aldridge Musical Comedy Society who have a rather special anniversary this year and are putting on a show to celebrate it.
Yesterday, Walsall Wood FC were visited by Heanor Town, and the home crowd needed a win – sadly it wasn’t to be, and the Derbyshire team left the Wood faithful reeling.
I was elsewhere yesterday afternoon as it’s good cycling weather – but I noticed from social media feeds and enquiries that there was a grass fire on Gentleshaw Common towards the evening.
I’m sad to say that the local area is still plagued by flytipping – the above load was dumped on Friday 7th April 2017 at Barracks Lane, just over the border in Staffordshire, and reported on Facebook by the crew from the Lichfield Mercury.
A turn up for the books a couple of days ago as it appears the folk over at Walsall Council’s Press Office still read the blog – you’ll remember the post from a couple of days ago when I passed on the news that opening of the Local History Centre in Essex Street was being cut back to allow for the move of the archive to central Walsall.
This is just a quick note to flag up some really important news regarding opening hours at Walsall Local History Centre which will, from April 1st 2017, only be open for two days per week, to enable moving of the service to the Central Library in Walsall.
Sandfields Pumping Station champion and public historian extraordinaire Dave Moore has been in touch to let me know that this coming Monday (27th March 2017) there will be a public progress meeting for the Lichfield Waterworks Trust charity, formerly the Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.
Don’t miss your opportunity to attend another fascinating local history talk at Walsall Wood Library this Wednesday, 15th March 2017, when Birmingham Historian and National Trust Guide Clive Katz will be discussing the subject of the Birmingham Back to Backs.
