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'Dudley now a shadow of its former self' - Your letters, plus when Hollywood came to the Black Country Living Museum

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The Black Country Living Museum has been the setting for many films, including the latest Peaky Blinders drama. Here, in 1985, Felicity Montagu and Kenneth Branagh filim a scene from Alan Plater’s Coming Through, an historical drama about D. H. Lawrence also starring Helen Mirren.
The Black Country Living Museum has been the setting for many films, including the latest Peaky Blinders drama. Here, in 1985, Felicity Montagu and Kenneth Branagh filim a scene from Alan Plater’s Coming Through, an historical drama about D. H. Lawrence also starring Helen Mirren.

Our town now a shadow of itself

Dudley was at one time a little gem; people didn't have to go anywhere else to shop or to find entertainment, it was all good stuff and the community itself was second to none. People looked forward to going into Dudley, it was a wonderful little town. We had a theatre with class acts and entertainment, it later went on to be a bingo hall and then was pulled down.

The churches were always open for prayer; they have been sold off or closed. Our heritage, school buildings etc. all sold off. I can remember very well Dudley down to the business people like Bill Whitmore from the fish mongers, a big friend of my fathers. Everyone used to meet up when they shut shop for a drink at the Little Barrel on a Saturday night.

I have so many memories. Merry Hill did have a part to play in the demise of our town, but I believe people would have returned. However there was nothing to come back for. Our wonderful councillors have seen to that. All we have left is a dirty filthy town, shops we have nothing in common with, high parking fees and rents. Of course we have our seating area on the Market Place where you can sit, if you can stand the filthy bird mess and wonderful view.

Judith Fisher, Tividale

UK defence a laughing stock

Oh dear just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, our spineless Prime Minister surpasses his idiocy. 

Our poor British citizens in Cyprus have no protection from being bombed!