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Tag Archives: David Oakley
Local history for a distant son
I thought today I’d just do a small post highlighting a couple of sites that will be of interest to many readers, but mainly to blog stalwart David Oakley, who I sadly gather hasn’t been in the best of health lately.
Posted in Bad Science, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged A brief history of Darlaston, Bev Parker, birthday, Bullstake, Darlaston, Darlaston Remembers, Darlo, David Oakley, fallen, FH Lloyd, GKN, green, industry, Local History, Local politics, Redevelopment, Rubery Owen, Staffordshire, Walsall Council, Walsall politics, war memorial, Wilkings and Mitchell
3 Comments
The lights that shone bright in the Blackout
On the continuing theme of wartime Brownhills, air raids and the social upheaval that went with all that, I dug into the newspaper archives for examples of people fined for breaking the lights-out rules.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1940, air raid., bicycle light, bike, Blackout, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cycle rides, cycling, David Oakley, Lichfield, Lichfield Mercury, Local History, offences, petty sessions, Staffordshire, summons, Walsall Wood, war
14 Comments
The days of the Soccer Slaves
Longstanding reader and contributor to the Brownhills Blog David Oakley writes to me to raise this interesting question – it seems there was a third local footballer of note hereabouts, as well as the Great Dickie Dorsett and Cecil Poynton.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged Birmingham City, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cecil Poynton, Clayhanger, David Oakley, Dickie Dorsett, famous, football, Lichfield, Local History, New Photos, Rushden, Shelfield, soccer, Soccer Slaves, Staffordshire, Ted Duckhouse
9 Comments
The far pavilion
I said I’d return to the subject of Walsall Wood F.C. in due course, and today, I have some interesting pieces of the jigsaw to throw in, courtesy of readers. I’ve got other contributions on the subject to come, too, which will be developed in a subsequent post.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1935, 1936, Booth, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, David Evans, David Oakley, Events, Express & Star, FC, Football club, Lichfield Mercury, local blogs, Local History, McClean, Mycock, Pavilion, Peake, Pedro, Peter Cutler, Seedhouse, Staffordshire, Stand, Things to do, Walsall Wood
8 Comments
A spectator writes…
What I really enjoy about doing this blog is those times when we get a historical snippet, then explore it through various avenues, take it and run with it. Often, this not only reveals the story to be different to that originally stated, but also a fascinating journey through what would otherwise be lost local history.
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Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1936, Booth, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, David Evans, David Oakley, Events, Express & Star, FC, Football club, Lichfield Mercury, local blogs, Local History, McClean, Mycock, Peake, Pedro, Peter Cutler, Seedhouse, Staffordshire, Stand, Things to do, Walsall Wood
6 Comments
Special delivery
I recently asked for memories of midwifery and midwives locally, as we haven’t much historical record in that vitally important area. To my immense gratitude, David Oakley – an exiled Walsall Wood mon whose comments here have done so much to illuminate our history – has come up trumps.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Castlefort, childbirth, Colac, cycling, David Oakley, Emalac, Lee, Local History, McGuire, Memories of old Walsall Wood, Midwife, midwifery, New Photos, Nurse, Prenatalac, Staffordshire, VE Day, Walsall Wood
11 Comments
Bless this tiny house
Many of us may not have noticed the diminutive House of Prayer in Coppice Road, Walsall Wood. In my lifetime, I don’t think it was ever a place of worship; I remember it being used as another add-on yard for the ubiquitous Ken Hodges Builder’s merchants, and when that closed, being converted into a private residence.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged AH Craddock, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Chapel, Church, Clayhanger, Coppice Road, Croddock, David Evans, David Oakley, Ken Hodges, Local History, Methodism, New Photos, Redevelopment, Staffordshire, The House of Prayer, Walsall Wood
19 Comments
Bowled over?
Here’s a quick one for Friday. Reader and top Walsall Wood whizz David Evans has finally managed to get hold of a full copy of the Aerofilms image of Walsall Wood from 1926. This is an interesting one, as it’s not yet listed on the archive of Aerofilms work.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Aerial photograph, Aerofilms, bowling, bowls, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, club, David Evans, David Oakley, green, Julie Le-Moine, local blogs, Local History, New Photos, Pubs, Shire Oak, Staffordshire, Walsall Wood
21 Comments
Meet me on the corner
This blog is getting quite large. At over 1,050 posts and over 5,000 comments, there’s an awful lot of material, and my mind, addled by caffeine, work junk and bicycle gear ratios isn’t all it could be. This leads occasionally … Continue reading
Posted in Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Beechtree Road, Brownhills local history, Brownhills UDC, Catholic, Chapel, Church, Collins, David Evans, David Oakley, Derry, Graham Harrison, Henry Harrison, Jenny Langford, King Street, Local History, New Photos, Old maps, Pubs, Staffordshire, Walsall Local History Cente, Walsall Wood
17 Comments
A Fold on the map
This one has largely, I’m sad to say, passed me by. In the run up to Christmas, subsequent busying about and illness, I’ve not had time to dedicate myself to this particular subject, for which I apologise wholeheartedly. David Evans … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Bill Bacon, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Commonside, Daryl Preston, David Evans, David Oakley, Friezland Lane, Jenny Langford, Local History, Old maps, Shire Oak, Staffordshire, The Fold, Walsall Wood, Wrekin View
20 Comments
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