Tag Archives: Ian

Great news – Lauren found safe and well

OK everyone thanks for all the shares etc. Lauren has apparently turned up safe and well. Thanks for your help and vigilance! Cheers,  Bob. An urgent appeal has come in from Facebook this morning – Tammy Louise Kinsey is appealing … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Welcome to the pleasure grounds

I am indebted to friends of the blog and top local historians Clive Roberts and Stuart Williams who both sent me copies of the following image of Coalpool Pleasure Grounds taken I believe around 1910.

Pleasure ground Coalpool Continue reading

Posted in Churches, 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, Walsall community, Walsall Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

In Coalpool did Brewer a pleasure ground erect?

Last week I revealed the mystery archive where I’d been finding all those great architecture pictures, and also pointed out that the filing system was curious, in that there seemed to be several dislocated images in the system – including the one of ‘Harden Hall’, which actually turned out to not be a Walsall image at all.
Untitled 13 Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Harden not so fast, sunshine!

For a few weeks now, I’ve been featuring images here from an archive I haven’t named, but is remarkable – not just for the content, but for the quirkiness and inaccuracy of some of the content.

Untitled 13 Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jessica Labon found safe and well

Just this second heard that Jessica Labon has been found safe and well – stay tuned please, that’s all the info I have for now.
1957900_10204357104304299_9016581586540297450_o Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Express & Star, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Urgent: Help find missing Jessica – police issue statement

An urgent appeal has come in from local dad Ian Labon, whose daughter Jessica has not been seen since Thursday evening (Thursday, 6th November 2014) – West Midlands Police are involved, and I’m asking all readers to keep a look out and if they know where Jessica is, to please ask her to contact her parents.

1957900_10204357104304299_9016581586540297450_o Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Urgent: Please help find missing Brownhills teenager

An urgent appeal has come in from local dad Ian Labon, whose daughter Jessica has not been seen since yesterday morning (Friday, 7th November 2014) – West Midlands Police are involved, and I’m asking all readers to keep a look out and if they know where Jessica is, to please ask her to contact her parents.

1957900_10204357104304299_9016581586540297450_o Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Express & Star, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Django unchanged

It’s been over a year now since I noted the sad news of the passing of Paul Degville, jazz musician extraordinaire and leading light in the formerly little recorded jazz scene that existed around the Crown Pub in Brownhills in the 1970s.

Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Crowning glory

I’m sure you’ll remember that way back, I featured some recordings of live Jazz being played at the Crown pub in Brownhills West, by amongst others, Ken Rattenbury, Paul and Fred Degville – very respected musicians -this was lifted from a reel to reel recording of Meanwhile, Down at the Local, a program then broadcast by BBC Radio Birmingham.

Crown Sextet Continue reading

Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A request from the Degville Family

A touching and lovely message comes to me from Jackie and Sammie Degville, who are undertaking the race for life in aid of Cancer Research in honour of their beloved husband and father Paul Degville, who died following a protracted battle with the illness in January.
Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In memorial: Paul Degville

Following on from the sad news of the passing of Paul Degville, Ian Bourne has been back in touch to ask if I’d let readers know about a memorial service taking place on the 23rd January in Ledbury, and to thank readers for their kind wishes and memories.
Continue reading

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

A sad announcement

A few people have contacted me now to inform me of the sad passing of Paul Degville. Paul was a great musician and his music played a fascinating part in Brownhills musical history.

Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Crown jewels

I received a great email yesterday from reader David Danks relating to the great archive recordings of the Degville band and live music at The Crown pub in Brownhills in the 1970’s. I’m astounded at the huge level of interest … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Events, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

All jazz hands on tape deck!

Here’s something very special, which I’m immensely proud and humbled to share with readers. It shows what a great online community we all share in Walsall, and the generosity of time, spirit and expertise that exists within it. I’m sure … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Magic and loss

Spare a thought for jazz enthusiast and all round good-egg Peter Barker. Having found and converted the soothing, stunning, seventies sounds of jazz at The Crown in Brownhills, he discovered another recording, and attempted to convert it too. Sadly, the … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local music, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Uncategorized, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

All that jazz…

When Peter Barker approached me the other day with his found recording of jazz at the Crown in the 1970’s, I found it interesting, but wasn’t sure how the readership would take to it. I needn’t have worried, as reaction to … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Events, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments