please empty your brain below
|
|
You saving the crooked pub for your next visit too? ;)
Lorenzo | 02.04.17 - 3:04 a.m. | #
|
|
Shame you missed out on the legging, a memorable experience!
Al | 02.04.17 - 7:30 a.m. | #
|
Nice to see your photo of the fly tower and side wall of the old Dudley Hippodrome theatre which at present is closed and waiting either demolition or if local people get there way restored to theatre use.
Nearby and opposite you probably also saw the old Odeon cinema Dudley which is now used by a religious group and has been kept in good condition.
About 30 years ago I went to Dudley to visit those buildings and remember the Zoo nearby.
Hippodrome Dudley history,
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/41631
Odeon Dudley history,http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14956
John | 02.04.17 - 7:38 a.m. | #
|
The Black Country Living Museum has always been connected to the Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust via the walkway that spans the canal abutting the tunnel entrance, shown in the photo to the west.
When I was there two years ago the North Bank was a building site and barges departed from the south Bank. This attraction is connected to the Living Museum by an open door, and I found it refreshingly British and quaint that visitors who did the canal first, and parked there, could gain admittance to the Living Museum on a trust basis that at some point they would walk a quarter if a mile uphill to the over elaborate and secure entrance complex, especially when most of the interesting bits of the Museum site are adjacent to the canal.
I thought the Museum was overpriced for what it is, having been born and brought up in a mining valley, but I guess that was because I felt I had gone home...
The canal trip was very exciting and most memorable, and thoroughly recommend it. I, too, want to coincide my next visit to go on the longer trip.
Ken | 02.04.17 - 7:52 a.m. | #
|
It's worth pointing out that on the three times I've visited the Black Country Living Museum (the ticket acts as an annual pass), the trams haven't been running - apparently they've fallen into a state of disrepair and there isn't much money or manpower available to fix them.
Unusually they run on rails 3' 6" apart at the museum, rather than the standard 4' 8 1/2" at almost all other tram museums in the UK. This preserves a sight that was surprisingly common in this country, especially round the West Midlands.
They also run trolleybuses at the museum, with probably the longest running track in the UK, and some quite historic vehicles. They also run some nice vintage diesel buses too.
As you say, well worth a visit if you're in the area, but prepare for disappointment if there aren't enough volunteers to run the vintage vehicles on the day you're there.
/tangent over
| 02.04.17 - 8:14 a.m. | #
|
Growing up in the Midlands, "Day out in Dudley" adverts featuring Lenny Henry seemed to feature in almost every TV ad break.
https://youtu.be/i_YupYdQdlU
I've wanted to go to that canal museum for 30 years!
Dan | 02.04.17 - 8:41 a.m. | #
|
|
Happened to be walking along the canal from King's Cross to the Angel yesterday. When we reached the canal tunnel I was moaning about the fact that we couldn't board a boat and 'leg it through like at the Black Country Museum'. I had a postdoctoral research fellowship for a couple of years at Wolverhampton Poly in Dudley and my partner is from nearby Kingswinford so it is an area we know well. Took me ages to understand what anyone was saying there - partner kept telling me to add an extra syllable to words like toast and film and work it out that way. Still being Stepney raised my accent was a mystery at times to the people of Dudley.
Joan | 02.04.17 - 9:16 a.m. | #
|
I've been to the Black Country Museum a few times - the best was when we took the boat for one of their 'gatherings'. If the boat looked proper historic with no modern stuff (bagged coal etc) on show you got to take it into the museum arm and become part of the ambience. Had to dress up too (I went for WW2 rather than full Victorian) - but got to stay in there all night and they kept the pub open. It was quite eerie.
I'm off to the Black Country for my Easter hols this year - Brownhills and Walsall (before they shut that gallery too).
Sarah | Homepage | 02.04.17 - 11:40 a.m. | #
|
Sadly the lack of volunteers is an increasingly common problem, when you look at how a lot of preservation started - it was often people in their early 20s, most are now in their late 60s early 70s.
Many people keep stuff going because it something that they used in their youth, but if you have no memory of it, why should you volunteer your free time, many have alternative leisure pursuits - like online gaming.
Dudley Zoo reminds me of the old bus station at Walthamstow - although that had flat overlapping roofs in a diamond pattern.
Still anon | 02.04.17 - 11:48 a.m. | #
|
Shame about the Museum & Art Gallery closing
It's so shortsighted of the government to cut funding for what they would probably term "the extras", as it's just leaves an air of grim dereliction in it's wake, that goes hand in hand with so many of the social problems faced by towns where the residents don't have a sense of pride or involvement in it, and youths have nothing to do.
Rant over
Cornish Cockney | 02.04.17 - 12:39 p.m. | #
|
|
The New Art Gallery and Leather Museum are safe in Walsall for the moment. Nine branch libraries are closing though.
Tony Martin | 02.04.17 - 6:55 p.m. | #
|
|
Isn't Ma Pardoes in Dudley too (Lorenzo)? Worth a visit as is the Crooked House too.
Running_Correspondent | 03.04.17 - 9:36 a.m. | #
|
Dudley MBC was chosen from four finalists for the 2016 prize for their skilled and dedicated conservation work to the Dudley Fountain on the High Street. The Grade II*-listed fountain was created in 1867 by sculptor James Forsyth and acted as a grand showpiece for his skills, though it also fulfilled a practical use as a drinking fountain for both cattle/horses (from the low drinking troughs) and humans (from the smaller basins).
http://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/news/west-midlands-group-2016-conservation-award-winner-announced/
jack hopkins | 03.04.17 - 4:58 p.m. | #
|
|
Ma Pardoes (aka the Old Swan) is in Netherton, iirc. Amazing place. Cheap beer. ENAMEL CEILING!!
Sarah | Homepage | 03.04.17 - 5:04 p.m. | #
|
|
Still anon - the old bus station was gone by the time I moved to the area, but Central Parade in Walthamstow has a similar canopy structure.
semi-regular commenter | 03.04.17 - 10:12 p.m. | #
|
|
|
TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy
|