#365daysofbiking JournalRecent tracks
Good Morning Starshine
Lynn Kellogg, James Rado & Gerome Ragni
11 months
Good Morning Starshine
Lynn Kellogg, James Rado & Gerome Ragni
1 year
For
C. Duncan
1 year
That Voice Again
Peter Gabriel
1 year
Living By Numbers
New Musik
1 year
Sequestered In Memphis
The Hold Steady
1 year
Good Morning Starshine
Lynn Kellogg, James Rado & Gerome Ragni
1 year
Running
Technicolor
1 year
Tonband Laufspur
Kosmischer Läufer
1 year
Last Night Of The World
Bruce Cockburn
1 yearRecent Comments
Sue on Chasewater Stadium – wha… Steve Stackhouse on Taylor made memories Leslie Winstanley on Taylor made memories Stephen Stackhouse on Taylor made memories Michelle on Taylor made memories
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 1 March, 2019, appeal, Ashley, Brownhills, Challener, Events, Facebook, Hammerton, Lichfield, Lost, missing, New Photos, Police, Shelfield, teenager, Things to do, Twitter
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 2018, 24 August, Brownhills, co-op, CommunitySafety Partnership, Events, home security, local blogs, planning, Police, Shelfield, Tesco, Walsall, West Midlands
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.
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 1958, Bristol, Charles, Ferrie, Howmuch, ICI McKechnie, IMI, Kynoch, Ph.D, physicist, Ralph, rocket, rocket science, Shelfield, Space Reasearch Group, Sputnik, University, Walsall Observer
7 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.
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 A461, Accident, appeal, casualty, collision, crash, deceased, died, elderly, Events, Express & Star, hit and run, Lichfield, OAP, Police, Rushall, Shelfield, Statement, witness
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.
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 19 January, bike, Brownhills, co-op, crime, cycle, cycling, Events, Facebook, Lichfield, mountain, New Photos, Nicki Shutts, Police, Shelfield, Stolen, Theft, Things to do, Trek, Twitter, Vandalism
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.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged Brian, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Clayhanger, Clayhanger childhood, Clayhanger pictures, Edwards, Gwilliam, Ken, Local History, Micheal Edwards, Nacy, Old maps, Sandra, School, Shaw, Shelfield
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.
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 A461, Accident, airlifted, appeal, Brownhills, casualty, collision, crash, elderly, Events, Express & Star, hurt, lady, Lichfield, OAP, Police, Shelfield, Spring Cottage, Statement, Walsall Wood, witness
4 Comments
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.
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 2015, 26 June, 27 June, bin collections, Bins, breakdown, Brownhills, cart, Clayhanger, clean, collection, collection day, Events, failed, green, household waste, information, Local politics, Lorry, missed, Recycling, Refuse, rubbish, Shelfield, truck, Twitter, Walsall, Walsall Council, Walsall politics, Walsall Wood
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.
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 ACV, Alcohol, asset of community value, CAMRA, concern, Derelict, Drug, Events, Facebook, Four Crosses, Hostel, Lichfield, local blogs, Local politics, New Photos, planning, protest, Public Meeting, Pubs, Redevelopment, Richard Worral, Shelfield, Things to do, Vandalism, Walsall, Walsall Council, Walsall politics
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.
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 9, Brownhills, Canary, car keys, Carole, Caz, Ford, found, Green Lane, keys, Lichfield, Lost, New Photos, Shelfield, Shire Oak, Things to do, Walsall Wood, ^
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.
Continue reading
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 Aldridge, Brownhills, Clayhanger, Events, Facebook, Fault, interruption, Lichfield, low pressure, News, no water, Pelsall, Reservoir, Shelfield, Shire Oak, south staffordshire water, Staffordshire, status, supply, Twitter, updates, Walsall, Walsall Wood, Water, water fault
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.
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 Brian Stringer, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills Urban District Council, Clayhanger, Derelict, Drains, flooding, Ford Brook Road, High Heath, Laurence Thacker, lawley Close, Local History, Mill Road, Moss Pits, Pelsall, pumping station, Replacement, School Farm, sewage, Sewer, Shelfield, Staffordshire, Steam pump, Subsidence, UDC, Walsall Observer, Walsall Wood, Williams
5 Comments
Springing a surprise
Lord knows where he found it, but isn’t this picture from the Young David Evans a remarkable thing?
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 Aldridge, co-op, cycling, David Evans, Ind Coope, Local History, Lost pubs, New Photos, Panoramio, picture, Pubs, Redevelopment, Shelfield, Spring Cottage, Staffordshire, Walsall Wood
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.
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 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
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.
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 1763, Clive Roberts, Countess Dowage, Iron dish, Irondish, local blogs, Local History, Mountrath, New Photos, Old maps, Pubs, Shelfield, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall Local History Centre, Walsall Wood
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…
Continue reading
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 Anne Bradbury, Bonita Clayton, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills UDC, Bryan Blumer, Caleb Smith, Chase Inn, Chasewater, concrete, Emma Smith, Facebook, Iron dish, Irondish, local blogs, Local History, New Photos, Old maps, play equipment, Pubs, Reservoir, Sculptor, sculpture, Shelfield, Staffordshire, Things to do, Urban District Council, Walsall Wood, Watling Street
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 1920's, Aerial Photos, Aerofilms, Aldridge, archive, Britain from the Air, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, English Heritage, Local History, New Photos, Pelsall, Pubs, Rushall, Shelfield, Staffordshire, Steve Hames, Twatter, Twitter, Walsall, Walsall Wood
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 Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills Urban District Council, Clayhanger, Derelict, Drains, Ford Brook Road, High Heath, lawley Close, Local History, Mill Road, Moss Pits, Pelsall, pumping station, Replacement, School Farm, sewage, Sewer, Shelfield, Staffordshire, Steam pump, UDC, Walsall Observer, Walsall Wood
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 Dave, David, Events, football, Footy, High Heath, Local History, New Photos, Observer, Pubs, Redevelopment, Shelfield, soccer, Staffordshire, team, Tom Price, Walsall, Walsall Wood, WMC, Working mens club
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 blind, Cycle rides, cycling, daffodils, destroyed, grass cut, greepspace, Mow, mown, New Photos, Panoramio, Shelfield, Silly, Vandalism, verge, Walsall, Walsall Council, Wildlife
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 1958, Bristol, Charles, Ferrie, Howmuch, ICI McKechnie, IMI, Kynoch, Ph.D, physicist, Ralph, rocket, rocket science, Shelfield, Space Reasearch Group, Sputnik, University, Walsall Observer
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 bad cycling, bad driving, bike cam, Cycle rides, cycling, Daft, HGV, Lorry, Shelfield, Silly, sSpring Cottage, Walsall
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 Aldridge, Andy Dennis, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Chasewater, Clayhanger, Coal measures, cycling, first edition, Geology, Local History, map, Mark T, Old maps, Ordnance Survey, OS, pathfinder, Rushall, second edition, Shelfield, Shire Oak, SK00, sk0010, SK43/00, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Walsall Wood
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
Posted in Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Followups, Local History, Local media, News, planning, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged Aldridge, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Chasewater, cycling, first edition, Local History, map, Old maps, Ordnance Survey, OS, pathfinder, Rushall, second edition, Shelfield, SK00, sk0010, Staffordshire
Leave a comment
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 Aldridge, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Chasewater, cycling, first edition, Local History, map, Old maps, Ordnance Survey, OS, Rushall, Shelfield, SK00, Staffordshire
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
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 Aldridge, Bentley, Black Country, Black Country Flags, Black Country tartans, Blakenall Heath, Bloxwich, Darlaston, Pelsall, Philip Tibbetts, Rushall, Shelfield, Streetly, The Bloxidge Tallygraph, Walsall Wood, Willenhall Brownhills
6 Comments
RSS - Posts
