Tag Archives: Shelfield

Good news: Ashley Hammerton Challener home safe and well!

Great news everyone! Lynne Challener has been in touch to tell me that Ashley has just (this morning, 4th March 2019) returned home following going missing on Friday evening. Lynne says he’s OK but hungry. Thanks to all who went … 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Meet your local coppers this Friday in Brownhills and Shelfield

There’s another local police pop-up event coming at Brownhills branch of Tesco next Friday, 24th August 2018 where you can meet the local policing team and discuss issues that are important to you. Police will be at Brownhills Tesco and … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local media, News, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The race for space

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.

Bessie Continue reading

Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Urgent: Police appeal for witnesses to Rushall collision

Walsall police this afternoon issued the following appeal for witnesses to come forward who may have seen the Mercedes Convertible, pictured below, on Wednesday last (19th April 2017) after in was involved in a collision on the Lichfield Road in Rushall, as a result of which an elderly man lost his life.

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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Express & Star, Followups, Interesting photos, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Urgent! Bike stolen from Shelfield

This morning (Thursday, January 19th 2017) at 7:10am a Trek 7300 bike like the one above but in white was taken from outside the Co-op at the former Spring Cottage in Shelfield.

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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, cycling, Environment, Events, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are you Shaw?

Here’s a very quick enquiry for readers about a local family now spread far and wide, but involving one of the blog regulars.

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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Police appeal for witnesses to Shelfield collision

Yesterday (Wednesday 5th August 2015) there was a nasty traffic accident at the Spring Cottage junction on the A461 Lichfield Road at Shelfield, in which an elderly lady was seriously hurt.

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Some bins not emptied today – leave them out folks….

I’m hearing that today (Friday 26th June 2015), some bin collections were missed in Brownhills, Walsall Wood and Shelfield, apparently due to a truck breakdown – these things happen.

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Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Crossed purposes again

On or around April 29th 2015, the Four Crosses Pub – the last true boozer in Shelfield, and a popular local pub I’ve enjoyed in the past – closed suddenly, and was boarded up, which has caused understandable outrage amongst pub-goers and real ale fans in the area.

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Posted in Environment, Events, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local Blogs, Local media, Local politics, News, planning, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Have you lost some keys?

It seems that reader and long time friend of the blog Caz has a somewhat unique talent for finding and reuniting lost property with it’s owners – not content with finding, catching and reuniting last month’s lost canary with it’s keeper, Caz has found a bunch of keys in Green Lane, Walsall Wood.10548241_566318253490532_6051210102728345453_o Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Water supply issues in Brownhills, Aldridge & Pelsall

Seeing lots of reports of folk with no water or severely reduced pressure in our area, as far away as Aldridge, Brownhills and Pelsall – here’s the latest updates.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, It makes me mad!, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Gathering moss

The Clayhanger subsidence and pumping station thread seems to have provoked much interest in the past week – there has been a great deal of reader comment, and I have further bits to add to the story in coming days.
clayhanger Continue reading

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, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Springing a surprise

Lord knows where he found it, but isn’t this picture from the Young David Evans a remarkable thing?

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Posted in Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 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.
Ted Duckhouse, Birmingham City Continue reading

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Get some Iron

Here’s a quick one. Reader and local history researcher Clive Roberts dropped me this email a week or so ago in relation to questions about Irondish/Iron Dish, between Walsall Wood and Shelfield. Readers will remember that this courtyard of houses – that possibly contained an alehouse – stood about where the car sales lot is today, just on the Shelfield side of Jockey Meadows.

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Posted in Environment, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Conundra arising

Right, you lot. I’ve had some interesting enquiries in recent weeks and rather than spin them all out, I thought I’d post three together and see what folk know about them. I know you mostly like a challenge, and flushed with the success that was the puzzle of The Grange from last week, everyone should be on a roll…
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Air borne

I’m very encouraged today to note that positive action is being taken by English Heritage and its partners in Scotland and Wales to conserve and make available the Aerofilms archive of aerial photography of Britain from 1919-1953. Aerofilms, as the … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Downstream

Thanks to reader David Oakley and the ever-diligent [Howmuch?], I’ve since found out that my speculation that Moss Pits was the location of Clayhanger Pumping Station to be utter twaddle. I’d heard the name before, yet couldn’t locate it. Since … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Features, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local politics, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Team work?

Here’s an odd little one for the football buffs. I know very little about this clipping other than the text that accompanies it. Reader Dave sent it me a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been trying to fit it … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Events, Features, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where have all the flowers gone?

I know i’ve covered this on my 365daysofbiking Tumblr journal, but this issue deserves as wide an audience as possible. On my way through Shelfield this morning, I noticed that Walsall Council had been mowing the grass verges along the … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Science, cycling, Environment, Events, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, News, Shared media, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Build a rocket, boys!

This just in from the ‘You couldn’t make it up’ department. Top local history ferret [Howmuch?] spotted this article in the archive of The Walsall Observer, from the issue of Friday, 3rd January 1958. Charles Ferrie was the father of … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

What the hell?

Scenes from a cycling life, part 937b. I feature this here because it’s still making me scratch my head. Friday, 27th January 2012. Spring Cottage junction in Shelfield. I’m turning right, and the wagon coming the other way is turning … Continue reading

Posted in cycling, Environment, Events, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, News, Shared media, Social Media, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A cartographic history

In my recent post ‘Other people’s maps’, I featured an excerpt from a secondhand 1951 issue 1:25,000 scale map I’d acquired from a map dealer. The map  – with Brownhills at its heart – carried some rather unusual hand written … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Clayhanger stuff, cycling, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Local media, News, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The second coming

After the last post in which I made available the 1969 Ordnance Survey first series SK00 map of Brownhills, I can now present the map that replaced it. The first edition of the second edition (confused? You should be…) was … Continue reading

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The last of a generation

As promised last weekend, thanks to the diligence of reader and co-conspirator [Howmuch?], I can now make available full scans of the 1969 issue Ordnance Survey sheet SK00, covering Brownhills and north Aldridge. This is a 1:25,000 map, based largely … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Followups, Local History, Local media, News, planning, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Dish of the day

Top reader, local history ferret, plotter and friend of the Brownhills Blog [Howmuch?] raised a good question the other day that readers may be able to assist with – particularly those of a Walsall Wood/Shelfield persuasion. He posed the following … Continue reading

Posted in 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 , , , , , , | 13 Comments

PigBlog – All Change at Stubbers Green

Over at the Pigblog, the Stymaster is currently working his way through a whole shedload of old slides and cine film that were taken by, and belonged to, his old man. Initial results are fescinating and fit well into the … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A flag for Brownhills?

Earlier this month (twitches in seat awkwardly), I received a mail from Philip Tibbetts MA, who has been working on an ongoing project to design flags and tartans for the towns and villages of the Black Country. It’s an interesting … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments