Tag Archives: Shenstone

What’s the storey?

Here’s a quick one that’s piqued my intent and left me pondering, so I thought I’d share it – friend of New Hall Mill Alan Dawson has asked a really excellent question about my frequent 365daysofbiking muse, Shenstone Railway Station.

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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Can you help find this lost wedding ring?

A sad enquiry reaches me from reader Susan Forster, who’s husband has had a bit of bad luck over the New Year break.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

It’s not Christmas without the cards

I’ve had this one in preparation for a while, and to paraphrase, it’s an absolute boster of a post – regular readers will remember with fondness Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe, who has previously sent scans of some remarkable postcards of Brownhills, a stunning large set of Aldridge, and another bunch from Aldridge and Stubbers Green – all of which were collected by her late father.

 Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe. Continue reading

Posted in Cannock Chase, 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, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Swept everything before it

Last weekend, I revisited for the first time in ages the subject that was once so prominent here – Chasewater dam – but not in reference to the recent renovations, but to the creation of the reservoir and the failure of the earthwork dam in 1799.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Shared memories, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Thanks for an ingratitude

From time to time, I like to feature articles out of old gazetteers here on the blog – they are a great love of mine, and they help shine a new light on old, familiar places, as well as giving a neat insight into the times they were written in.
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Posted in Churches, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Leaving hibernation

We’re a third of the way through March, and daffodils are out, the sun is high in the sky and spring is in full effect – I left in the afternoon for a quiet, fast spin – I ended up on a 45-miler around Lichfield, Croxall, Edingale, Harlaston, Whittington, Weeford and Shenstone.
[caption id="attachment_17934" align="alignleft" width="300"]How Shenstone looks best: in silhouette How Shenstone looks best: in silhouette[/caption] Continue reading

Posted in Churches, cycling, Environment, Events, Features, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

I think that nails it…

Periodically, I’ve expressed my intrigue at the history of Chesterfield Lodge, at the tiny hamlet between Wall and Shenstone – Chesterfield is a small place, but has some remarkable architecture demonstrated in its houses and farms.
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Posted in Churches, cycling, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Mapping for change

Here I can share with you four excellent quality 1:10,560 scale maps – we don’t cover that scale issue much on the blog, as oddly, they’re quite scarce online in scanned or digitised form – they are generally poor quality even from professional map service companies, with contrast and other image aberrations.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A freshly fallen, silent shroud of snow

Today, I left for work as usual and after a bit of a battle, got to work, only to find it was closing up and everybody was going home. Undeterred, I cycled back into Birmingham and caught a train back to Blake Street, from where I went for a wonderful snowstorm ride around the backlanes of Footherley, Shenstone, Chesterfield and Hilton.
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Posted in cycling, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mind the Gap

The enquiry about the local Watford Gap sparked way more interest than I expected, to be honest, so this morning, I decided to test the theory postulated by Andy Dennis that the area really was in a ‘gap’ between the hills of north Sutton.
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Posted in cycling, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, News, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Bridging the Gap

Here’s a quick question, asked of me today by the redoubtable Linda Mason. On the border between the modern counties of the West Midlands and Staffordshire, right on the edge of Little Aston/Hill Hook is a junction on the Old Birmingham Road, where Blake Street and Watford Gap Road intersect it. It’s called ‘Watford Gap’.
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Posted in Churches, cycling, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Along for the ride

Just before Christmas, I got hold of a new bike cam. It’s a GoPro HD Hero black edition, which has some pretty nifty features, including less distortion from the lens and better performance in low light. I’ve been using it ever since I got it, but the weather and dull commutes haven’t been conducive to decent ride videos.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, cycling, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local media, News, Shared media, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fill your boots… it’s boom time

I ‘d just like to draw attention to a couple of blog posts here for the benefit readers. I know I’ve plugged both of these authors recently, but to be quite honest, their work is blowing me away. We really are living in excellent times for local history – so many people are coming forward with their stories, unhindered by publishers and commercial pressure.

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Posted in Environment, Features, 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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Remnants

Yesterday, I cycled over St. John’s hill in Shenstone, and up through the churchyard and down into the village. Shenstone is a remarkable church, but never one of my favourites, as I find it’s dark, Victorian gothic to be overdramatic … Continue reading

Posted in Churches, cycling, Environment, Features, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Shared memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where’s your woggle?

Top contributed, reader and Stonnall history buff Steve Hickman has, once again been in touch. He’s unearthed a great photo of the Shenstone Scout Troop in their Sunday finery in 1962. Steve poses the following question: Hi Bob, I came across this … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Charting an unseen place…

1902, Second Edition Ordnance Survey map, of Stonnall, 1:10000 scale. Click the image to download the high-quality PDF. It’s with great thanks that I can share the above map with the readers of The Brownhills Blog – found in a … Continue reading

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Forever Autumn…

 

Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, cycling, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local media, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments