Tag Archives: Selwyn Smith

And whose army?

Oh boy, is this a cracker – this wonderful enquiry came in yesterday from Derek Broadhurst, who’s found a very curious postcard which may shed light on the derivation of the name ‘Barracks Lane’, which is the road that funs from the A461 Lichfield Road at Sandhills, right over to the A5 Watling Street, east of Newtown.

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Rhyme and reason

While service is operating on reduced power, I thought I’d share this curious mystery – over the new year period, a Brownhills history group was created on Facebook, and it’s proved to be very interesting indeed.

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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Bombs Over Brownhills

Now, this is a great article for a lazy Sunday, and one which I suspect may raise some comment within the local history community, where I know there to be still much debate about the war and exactly how Brownhills was hit by enemy air attacks.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Ain’t nobody here but us chickens

A great spot here yesterday from top Walsall Wood Mon, history wonk and local author Clive Roberts, who’s been as intrigued over the years as I have by the history of Crestacre, the former ‘lost’ isolation hospital in Barracks Lane, Brownhills.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

On the Crestacre

Readers will no doubt recall that one of my earliest obsessions on the blog four years ago was the ‘lost’ isolation hospital, owned by Brownhills Urban District Council, and marked on early maps in Barracks Lane, just atop Springhill, on the Brownhills/Ogley Hay border.

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Those glorious vanilla days of childhood…

David Evans, top reader and local history buff, has been at it again. David has sent me the following recollection, which I thought I’d share with the readers out there. Remember, we’ve mentioned the local ice cream men – Selwyn … Continue reading

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Shop local…

I thought it was about time we revisited some of the lost shops and stores in Brownhills. I’ve heard lots of people – particularly commentators here – reminisce about Selwyn Smith’s shop, and Cooper’s seems somewhat legendary, too. Was this … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments