New Year Honours List 2026: 29 incredible West Midlands people honoured by the King, including Meera Syal
King Charles has bestowed New Year Honours on 29 people from the West Midlands for their services to the community - see the full list here


Walsall is historically part of Staffordshire but now forms part of the Black Country. Its heritage in saddle and leather making is remembered in the nickname of the town’s football club, Walsall, known as the Saddlers, and for handbags which were a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II. The Arboretum is one of the town’s main visitor attractions.