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Midlands memories: 16 nostalgic images of making the most of rainy weather

"Rain, rain, go away…" but we carried on anyway!

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By Tania Taylor
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We’ve certainly had our fair share of wet weather in recent weeks, so we’re taking a look back through the Star's archives to days when a little—or even a lot—of rain never stopped the fun.

From the 'disastrously wet' Shrewsbury Flower Show of 1970 that almost didn’t happen, the Staffordshire Regiment band carrying on with their concert despite the showers, youngsters playing in a flooded street, and Lenny Henry bringing sunshine to a damp Staffordshire village.

We hope you enjoy this gallery and are reminded of just how resilient we can be...

July 1987: 'Ashley Festival procession was held through the village, despite pouring rain on Saturday. The only people dressed for the weather were members of Ashley and Loggerheads Ladies' Guild, whose float had a lifeboat theme.' So says the caption'. The accompanying story began: 'Rain badly hit the start of a nine-day festival at Ashley, near Market Drayton, on Saturday. An evening concert in the marquee and a tug of war contest were postponed as the day-long deluge turned the festival field into a quagmire...'
July 1987: 'Ashley Festival procession was held through the village, despite pouring rain on Saturday. The only people dressed for the weather were members of Ashley and Loggerheads Ladies' Guild, whose float had a lifeboat theme.' So says the caption'. The accompanying story began: 'Rain badly hit the start of a nine-day festival at Ashley, near Market Drayton, on Saturday. An evening concert in the marquee and a tug of war contest were postponed as the day-long deluge turned the festival field into a quagmire...'
June 26, 1967: The caption reads: 'Rain did not dampen the spirits of the young men who took part in a piano smashing competition at Claverley on Saturday. Admirers of these faithful old uprights had to grin and bear it as one team after another made short work of the craftsman-built instruments. Here the team from the National Foundry College show how it is done. The event was part of a fete towards raising £1,000 for the rebuilding of the village hall... the present village hall was built of timber in the 1920s and a permanent replacement would cost nearly £10,000.'
June 26, 1967: The caption reads: 'Rain did not dampen the spirits of the young men who took part in a piano smashing competition at Claverley on Saturday. Admirers of these faithful old uprights had to grin and bear it as one team after another made short work of the craftsman-built instruments. Here the team from the National Foundry College show how it is done. The event was part of a fete towards raising £1,000 for the rebuilding of the village hall... the present village hall was built of timber in the 1920s and a permanent replacement would cost nearly £10,000.'
'Youngsters play in the floods in Guy Avenue, Wolverhampton, after a thunderstorm on August 14, 1984.'
'Youngsters play in the floods in Guy Avenue, Wolverhampton, after a thunderstorm on August 14, 1984.'