Party time as museum celebrates

In July 1970, a small group of people met up to talk about how the heritage of “ordinary people” was being destroyed.

Little did they know that their meeting would lead to the creation of one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions.

“The Black Country Living Museum is like a microcosm of what a town used to be like,” says Alan Hallman from Quarry Bank. “I’m a founder member of the Friends of the Museum and I was at that inaugural meeting on July 20, 1970 at Dudley Town Hall. The meeting came about because there was a growing feeling that the heritage of the ordinary people was being destroyed.

“At that time there had been a huge clearance of the slums and new buildings and flats had been put up. As the Black Country started to move forward we became worried that its past might be lost forever.”

Next week the museum is marking its 30th birthday with four street parties, each one celebrating a different area of the Black Country. A party will be held each day from Tuesday to Friday for Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley.

“After that first meeting,” says Alan, “it was agreed that if they raised £25,000 for the museum, this would be matched by Dudley Council. Redundant land on Tipton Road had been returned to the council under the local government’s reorganisation. Once we had secured the land it was decided the best way forward was to create an independent trust.”

Karl Atkins, aged 44, who grew up in Short Heath, Willenhall, says he is looking forward to the street party dedicated to Walsall. “A lot of people say that Walsall is not part of the Black Country – but it had an important role to play in its history,” he says. “The Fried Fish Shop will probably take centre stage at the street party for Walsall as it is a replica of one still standing in Lower Lichfield Street, Willenhall.”

John Hughes, 72, from Penn will be joining in the street party for Wolverhampton. “One of the best things about being on the edge of the Black Country was that on the other side of you there was the country. You really did have the best of both worlds when you lived in Wolverhampton.”

Alan Hallman, 68, will be helping out at the street party dedicated to Dudley. “One building in the museum which is a great symbol for Dudley is the Methodist chapel which was built as Providence Church in 1837 at Darby Hand in Netherton.”

Moreen and Brian Wilkes from West Bromwich will be supporting the street party for Sandwell. “The five towns – West Bromwich, Oldbury, Tipton, Wednesbury and Smethwick – only became known as Sandwell in the 1960s,” says Brian, who grew up in Smethwick. “But each still has its own identity. One shop at the museum which will feature in the celebrations for Sandwell is the bakery, which is a replica of one on Birmingham Road in Oldbury.”