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Tag Archives: coal
Life after the war
I still have a little of the very popular Mavis Woodhouse material to come – so far we’ve had the Foxes Row and Victor Haines articles, the Fred Shingler film of Newtown, Mavis’s recollections of the mining history, the curious disappearing cottage, and memories of Sunday School in the small community on the Watling Street.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged 1953, 2015, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, card, Chasewater, Chirms, coal, coronation, David Evans, Foxes Row, history, Howdles Lane, identity, Lichfield, Local History, Mavis Woodhouse, memories, mining, New Photos, Newtown, Norton Pool, Rent Book, Staffordshire, Things to do, Watling Street
9 Comments
I’m after all the tanners!
The Mavis Woodhouse material featured here of late is a local history gift that just keeps giving, and yesterday, I had a fascinating email very kindly sent to me by Ann Grinstead, the lady who edited the initial copy of Mavis’s family history, subsequently later edited for the blog by the young David Evans.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged 2015, Anglesey Basin, Ann Grinstead, Barbara Cassidy, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Bucket, Chasewater, coal, Cox, David Evans, Foxes Row, history, Howdles Lane, JB, Lichfield, Local History, Mavis Woodhouse, memories, mining, New Photos, Newtown, Norton Pool, pit, Staffordshire, Things to do, Watling Street, Wide
3 Comments
A huge black cauldron
Mavis Woodhouse really started something when she kindly donated her family history material to the blog – the Foxes Row article was very popular, the Victor Haines material had us all head scratching, and the film of Newtown that was so newly relevant has had a huge number of views.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged 2015, Anglesey Basin, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Bucket, Chasewater, coal, Cox, David Evans, Foxes Row, history, Howdles Lane, JB, Lichfield, Local History, Mavis Woodhouse, memories, mining, New Photos, Newtown, Norton Pool, pit, Staffordshire, Things to do, Watling Street, Wide
5 Comments
Let’s have a butchers…
An enquire that interested me particularly came in last week from Martin Williams – Martin doesn’t say where he’s from, but I’m guessing he’s not local; he raises the interesting question of the Poxon family and their businesses.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Abbatoir, AE, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Butcher, coal, Councillor, Haulage, Lichfield, Local History, Local politics, Martin Williams, Poxon, poxon Road, Reginald Poxon, Son, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall Wood
42 Comments
The scars were always black
The generosity of Mavis Woodhouse in allowing David Evans, myself and you readers to share her privately produced family history book is really proving to be a rich source of discussion, debate and new local history tangents – the Foxes Row article was very popular, the Victor Haines material had us all head scratching, and the film of Newtown that was so newly relevant has had a huge number of views.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged 2015, Anglesey Basin, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Bucket, Chasewater, coal, Cox, David Evans, Foxes Row, history, Howdles Lane, JB, Lichfield, Local History, Mavis Woodhouse, memories, mining, New Photos, Newtown, Norton Pool, pit, Staffordshire, Things to do, Watling Street, Wide
18 Comments
For the want of timber
Last week I featured an article by local history Rapscallion Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler about a text, available for free via Google Books called ‘Black Diamonds or the Gospel in a Colliery District’ written around 1860 by mystery author HHB.
Continue reading
Posted in Cannock Chase, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1889, Andy, Black Diamonds; or The Gospel in a Colliery District, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, CCMHS, coal, Dennis, Ellen, Foster and Co, Google Books, Gravestone, Headstone, HHB, Lichfield, Lichfield Mercury, Lloyds, local blogs, Local History, mining, Pedro, Peter Cutler, pits, Rev J.B. Owen, St James, Staffordshire, Things to do, Thomas, tragedy, Walsall, Walsall Wood
4 Comments
Diamonds and dust
This is an important one, and I think there may well be more to follow, as top local history wonk Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler is not one to let sleeping dogs – or local history matters that are niggling him – lie.
Posted in Cannock Chase, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Black Diamonds; or The Gospel in a Colliery District, Black Diamonds; the Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Catherine Bailey, CCMHS, coal, Foster and Co, Google Books, HHB, Lichfield, Lloyds, local blogs, Local History, mining, Pedro, Peter Cutler, pits, Rev J.B. Owen, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall, Walsall Wood
1 Comment
As far distant as the millennium
Found coincidentally to reader Alan Harvey’s request for more Norton Canes, this article on the village, from the Saturday, 30th January 1886 copy of The Graphic, is a remarkable travelogue written by a visitor to a small, dirt-poor community, just before everything changed.
Posted in Churches, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged 1886, Alan Harvey, change, coal, community, Conduit Colliery, hardship, In a Staffordshire village, Lichfield, Local History, mining, Norton Canes, Old maps, Pedro, Peter Cutler, Poverty, Staffordshire, The Graphic
25 Comments
My Fair Lady
This is a wonderful article from local history rapscallion Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler which I think readers will really, really enjoy. Peter has developed a reputation hereabouts for being something of the iconoclast; formerly he has not pulled punches in his … Continue reading
Posted in Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Churches, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills local history, Chasewater, coal, Coppice, Hanbury, Heath Hayes, Hussey, local blogs, Local History, mining, Panoramio, pit, Politics, Staffordshire, Things to do
41 Comments
Rock and coal
Here’s one that is certain to create debate, comment and further articles. Alerted to it in the last week by both Gareth Thomas (Geographical whizz from Lichfield District Council) and Paul Daniel (data whizz behind the mechanism that keeps local news site The YamYam running so brilliantly), it’s a book scanned and published by that wonderful resource Google Books.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged BGS, Book, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Chasewater, Clayhanger, coal, Common, download, Engine Lane, Geological Survey of Great Britain, J Beete Jukes, local blogs, Local History, mines, mining, Museum of Practical Geology, Old maps, Shire Oak, South Staffordshire Coal Field, Staffordshire, Things to do, Twitter, Victorian, Walsall Wood
2 Comments
12 good men – The verdict
So, the final instalment. Regular readers will recall that we’ve been discussing the fatal explosion at Pelsall Coal and Iron Company, that took place in December, 1887. The inquest into the deaths, having been adjourned, was resumed, and this is … Continue reading
Posted in Bad Science, Environment, Events, Followups, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community
Tagged 1887, adjourn, Andy Dennis, Birmingham Daily Post, Boiler, Canal, coal, Company, Events, Explosion, inquest, iron, Local History, New Photos, Pelsall, Peter Pedro Cutler, Richard Burnell, Staffordshire, verdict
13 Comments
Footage of Grove Pit Disaster, 1st October, 1930
A tip of the hat yet again to local history wonder [Howmuch], who in addition to spotting the Chasewater newsreel in the British Pathe archive, was busy over the weekend rooting through other video archives for the benefit of likeminded … Continue reading
Spot the difference
Whilst out and about, I’ve noticed the remarkable proliferation of new monuments to former mines and their workers. I’ve commented on the subject in several posts to this blog, in particular to what I see as the wastage on the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Just plain daft, Local History, Local politics, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, CAM Engineering, coal, Hednesford, Hednesford mining memorial, Local History, mining, Mining memorial, New Photos, Panoramio, Piccadilly, Piccadilly mining memorial, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood mining memorial
4 Comments
