#365daysofbiking JournalRecent tracks
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Lynn Kellogg, James Rado & Gerome Ragni
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Lynn Kellogg, James Rado & Gerome Ragni
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For
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That Voice Again
Peter Gabriel
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Living By Numbers
New Musik
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Sequestered In Memphis
The Hold Steady
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Lynn Kellogg, James Rado & Gerome Ragni
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Bruce Cockburn
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Tag Archives: Stuart Cowley
Picture this: A Chasewater childhood
A wonderful one reached me yesterday morning from old pal of the blog Stuart Cowley, whose memories of growing up at Chasewater in the 1960s and 70s have been some of the most popular posts in the history of the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community
Tagged 1960's, 60's, amusement park, Blumer, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Chasewater, Chasewater Dam, Chasewater Wildlife Group, childhood, Cycle rides, Local History, memories, New Photos, Norton Pool, Panoramio, pleasure park, Reservoir, sculpture, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Wildlife
6 Comments
The long march: 50 years of jazz band history
Readers who’ve been hanging around this ramshackle, leaky village pump for a while will no doubt remember how we’ve touched here on the history of local marching bands, particularly the Burntwood Blue Birds Jazz Band.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Environment, 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 2015, Book, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Burntwood Blue Birds, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Royals, Chasewater, Competition, Events, Facebook, Jazz bands, Lisa Ashby, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, New Photos, Parade, reunion, Rushall, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Things to do, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Red Caps, Wendy Jones
16 Comments
Cliff and the Bluebirds – not Dover, but Birmingham!
Last week here I featured a film clip made be photo restorer and friend of the blog Lisa Ashby, celebrating Brownhills and the Black Country – Well, Lisa’s been at it again, and made a lovely clip about The Burntwood Bluebirds, the award-winning marching band from Burntwood.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Followups, 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 Wood stuff
Tagged Blue Birds, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Burntwood, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Wakes, Chasewater, cinefilm, clip, Competition, Events, Facebook, Film, Jazz bands, Lisa Ashby, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, mini-train, New Photos, Parade, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Take me Higher, Things to do, Wendy Jones
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Burntwood Blue Birds reunion this evening
As usual, I’m a bit late to the party with this but this is a very important announcement for anyone who was a member of, or is interested in the marching bands so popular in our area that were huge from the 1930s onwards, but particularly in the 60s-90s.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Environment, 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 17 October, 2015, Book, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Burntwood Blue Birds, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Royals, Chasewater, Competition, Events, Facebook, Jazz bands, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, New Photos, Parade, re union, reunion, Rushall, St Matthews Sports and Social Clube, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Things to do, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Red Caps, Wendy Jones
3 Comments
Marching through the memories
Long-term readers will remember well friend of the blog Wendy Jones, who donated so much material to the blog – both in the form of photos of the area before the mM6 Toll came through, and her main interest, the history of local marching bands, particularly the Burntwood Blue Birds Jazz Band.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Environment, 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 2015, Book, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Burntwood Blue Birds, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Royals, Chasewater, Competition, Events, Facebook, Jazz bands, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, New Photos, Parade, reunion, Rushall, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Things to do, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Red Caps, Wendy Jones
1 Comment
Don’t disrupt the bingo!
Today, reader and longstanding friend of the Brownhills Blog Stuart Cowley mailed me the above wonderful image of Chasetown Working Men’s Club Committee from years past, when Stuart’s Dad was involved.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Local music, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged A.Willets, B.Stansbie, bingo, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Charles Cowley, Chasetown, CIU, club, Coppice Road, D.Wolfe, day trip, E.Walker, Friezland, G.Atkins, H.Lewis, H.Whitehouse, Institute, J.Bartram, J.Brawn, J.Collis, J.Sarsfield, J.Wolfe, kids, Lane, Lanour, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, Local politics, Middleton, New Photos, P.Cage, Sankeys, Shire Oak, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, T.Bridewater, Things to do, W.Cliffe, W.Seedhouse, Walsall Wood, Working mens club
2 Comments
Strike up the band!
This is a huge post, but it’s just so wonderful I couldn’t butcher it – Wendy Jones has been working hard and supplying me with loads of material relating to her time in the Burntwood Blue Birds Marching Jazz Band.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Followups, 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
Tagged Blue Birds, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Burntwood, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Wakes, Chasewater, cinefilm, Competition, Events, Facebook, Jazz bands, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, mini-train, New Photos, Parade, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Take me Higher, Things to do, Wendy Jones
7 Comments
The march of time
I think it’s fair to say that in writing and curating this blog, fate occasionally turns up some remarkable material – whatever else this thing I labour over has done, it has actually seemed to have connected people to their history, and on rare occasions it has put back in touch people who were once familiar, but became separated by time or distance.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, Followups, 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 Wood stuff
Tagged Blue Birds, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Burntwood, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Wakes, Chasewater, cinefilm, Competition, Events, Facebook, Jazz bands, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, mini-train, New Photos, Parade, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Take me Higher, Things to do, Wendy Jones
5 Comments
Local or distant?
This is nice, quick one that came in at the weekend from reader and friend of the Brownhills Blog, Stuart Cowley, whose passion is Marching Jazz Bands and their history…
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Environment, 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 1936, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills Sylvians, Carnival, Competition, Events, Jazz bands, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, New Photos, Parade, Riverway, Stafford, Staffordshire, Staffordshire Past Track, Stuart Cowley, Things to do, Walsall Wood
1 Comment
The spirit of radio
Here’s an interesting piece from reader and friend of the blog Stuart Cowley – I spent my teenage years glued to Beacon and miss it’s old, original incarnation terribly before the days of playlists and targeted marketing, the station was radical, quirky and had real Black Country personality.
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Posted in Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged 303, 70's, 80's, 90s, BBC, Beacon, Carl Chinn, Dick Sheppard, Don Maclean, Hospital, Jacqui de Creed, Lions, Local, Local adio, Local History, local music, media, Radio, Stuart Cowley, Things to do
14 Comments
Let it bee
Reader and friend of the blog Stuart Cowley asked me if I’d plug this talk for him. It is, of course, a pleasure. Anyone who wants anything publicising, please do contact me.
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Posted in Chasewater, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Walsall community, Wildlife
Tagged Apiary, Beekeeping, Bees, Chasewater, Community Cnetre, David Batterby, Events, Gardening Club, Hednesford, Panoramio, Pye Green, Stafford Bee Group, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Things to do, Wildlife
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Marching on
I’ve had a blistering article mailed in from reader and friend of the Brownhills Blog, Stuart Cowley. Stuart, you’ll recall, has written and supplied some great material on the subject of Chasewater, and his pictures and recollections of the cafe there have been very popular.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Environment, 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 bilston, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cannock, Carnival, Chase Royals, Chasewater, cinefilm, Competition, Events, Facebook, Heath Hayes, Jazz bands, local blogs, Local History, marching bands, New Photos, Parade, Polesworth, Rawnsley, Rushall, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Tameworth, Things to do, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Red Caps, Ynysowen youth band
87 Comments
A Chasewater childhood
Regulars will remember that recently, I featured a post from reader Stuart Cowley, who generously recounted mhos memories of of summers spent in and around Chasewater, where his family worked at the cafe.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community
Tagged 1960's, 60's, amusement park, Blumer, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Chasewater, Chasewater Dam, Chasewater Wildlife Group, childhood, Cycle rides, Local History, memories, New Photos, Norton Pool, Panoramio, pleasure park, Reservoir, sculpture, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Wildlife
15 Comments
Memories of Chasewater
I’ve had a great email from reader Stuart Cowley, about growing up and spending summers helping his family out at the cafe in Chasewater in the 1960s. It’s a really touching, well-written piece. I remember the Chasewater of the 70s, when it was running down, but at it’s height it seems to have been a real leisure attraction.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Events, 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, Wildlife
Tagged amusement park, Blumer, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Chasewater, Chasewater Dam, Chasewater Wildlife Group, childhood, Cycle rides, Local History, memories, New Photos, Norton Pool, Panoramio, pleasure park, Reservoir, sculpture, Staffordshire, Stuart Cowley, Wildlife
30 Comments
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