Happy Black Country Day! 🏭🥳🍻

Kittylester, are you by any chance the same Kitty who is a friend of Pam's in Appian Close? Apologies if I have the wrong Kitty, it is an unusual name.
Happy Black Country.

I live in Wolverhampton and I don't think Wulfrunians consider themselves to be part of the Black Country; but then, I'm a Brummie wench so how would I know?!

SandraF

I live in Wolverhampton and I don't think Wulfrunians consider themselves to be part of the Black Country; but then, I'm a Brummie wench so how would I know?!

Get off this thread! Now!!! 😾

In 2012 I was living in New Mexico and had to see a GP for some routine meds that I'd run out of. She was a lovely woman who refused payment on the grounds that she'd spent a year in Wednesbury on an exchange programme as part of her medical degree.

I bought her a bottle of wine from Walmart instead!

I have bought my husband a couple of Black Country inspired t shirts. He has one with a zebra on it. The slogan reads 'Z is for stripey oss'. There is also one with 4 babies crawling across a zebra crossing with the slogan 'Babby Road'.

Didn't know there was a Black Country day! Bostin aye it?

I’m an ex-pat - born and brought up in Wednesbury but have lived in South London for the last 60 years. Met my husband at Tipton Grammar School, we came to University in London and stayed here. No relatives left there now but I belong to The History of Wednesbury Facebook site to keep in touch.

Its amazing how many people comment how friendly and approachable we are. I love our flag.
I really must visit the Black Country Museum again especially as they have that new street. I get all nostalgic over Hobbs Fish and Chip shop.

NannyJan53

Didn't know there was a Black Country day! Bostin aye it?

My SisIL always says bostin'
She is from the Potteries.

Great to see the BC championed here on GN. And to see how many of us there are both far and near.

Cheers, all you BLers! 🥂

OMG, dh was born in Walsall Wood and he has never mentioned Black Country Day.
I shall be having a chat when he gets in from the Friday night ritual 3 pints.
Happy Black country day ,ope it`s a bostin one lol.

I’m a proud Brummie, even though I haven’t lived there since I was 11.

My maternal Nan is buried in the Black Country, she lived in a small cottage in Cheslyn Hay, which I remember as being pretty dire in the 1950s but I’m sure things will have improved over the last 70 years.

When we visited the Black Country Museum a year or so back and I heard the humour of the locals, I felt so nostalgic for those days of my childhood when my parents and I would laugh so much at the jokes we heard.

I hope you have had a happy BC Day Fanny 🥳

I lived in the Black country from 1964 until 2019. Never knew there was a Black country day . But I get annoyed when people claim Birmingham and Wolverhampton are black country they are not.

Black country covers Dudley,Sedgley,Gornal wood,lower Gornal,upper Gornal, Stourbridge,Wollaston ,Wollescote,Lye,Quarry bank ,Cradley, Cradley heath, Netherton, Brierley hill,Pensnett, Kingswinford and a few more I can't think of off the top of my head.

The black country was so name because of all the heavy industries like chain makers and including glassworks. Because it has a large canal network raw materials where shipped in and produced goods out.

In Gornal they used to say you put a pig on the wall to watch the band go by. Never found out why. Faggots and pease is a favourite dish. Pease is grey peas you soak in bicarb before boiling.

Himley hall was where the Lord of Dudley lived. When I left it was council offices and weddings could be held there. Beautiful grounds and fishing ponds.

Even though I had a happy time being brought there . I suffered bullying at Ellowes Hall school daily which made my life a misery some of the teachers where as bad as some of the pupils .

I moved to the north west in 2019. And would never go back to the black country . Here people are so much nicer and helpful. I am disabled and not had any abuse shouted at me and people are caring and helpful.

Hello Whiff I’m so sorry that you had a tough time at Ellowes Hall, I would hope that that was a sign of the times, rather than a reflection on Black Country folk.
There are good and bad everywhere.
I’m glad that you are happy now.

Wolverhampton is indeed part of the BC, I posted a map of the four areas up thread.

The story of the BC being so named because of industry is well known, but my late maternal grandmother reckoned that the name predates the Industrial Revolution, and was a reference to the nature and colour of the soil.
Many Old English place names are connected to soil, their nature and qualities.
Soil would have been a massive deal for people then, plants and vegetable growing being so vital.

Blinko

Great to see the BC championed here on GN. And to see how many of us there are both far and near.

Thank you Blinko, I’m glad that I started it

Kate Babby Road!

Thanks NanKate I love Birmingham.
I used to go at least three times a week in my teens, shopping and going to gigs.

The Rag Market was my absolute favourite haunt.

Do you remember the shop Oasis?
(Not the chain store!)

And I’m sure that you know the term ‘Round the back of Rackhams’! 😉
I bunked off school once with my friend Natalie and we spent the whole day in Rackhams, we thought it was so glamorous…

I was recently talking on FB to an old Brummie punk.
He worked at Oasis at the same time as Boy George (he used to be one of my heroes, but I’m not too keen now)

Callistemon21

I've only been to Derby once, I'm surprised it's unfriendly.

I suppose that it’s not ‘unfriendly’ as such, Calli, perhaps that’s a bit harsh, but it’s definitely not as friendly, and definitely not ‘chatty’.

I’ve also come across some very rude young and middle aged men in pubs, whereas it’s not like that at all in pubs there.

When MrC goes into places local to my dad, he is always blown away by how friendly and chatty everyone is.

I remember Rackhams well Fanny. In the Restaurant upstairs they used to have live models walking around wearing the latest fashions. I’m a lot older than you so that may have been stopped in later years.

Do you remember Barrows another department store? Also Lewis’s that had a so called Zoo on the roof. To be honest it was only a few rabbits and gerbils etc but I was impressed.

I don’t remember Oasis, but I visited the Kardomah for a frothy coffee in a glass/Pyrex cup and saucer.

Happy Days.

Anyone remember the greeting ‘Hello my lover’ and ‘I’m going to catch the buzz’?

NanKate my mom was a big fan of Beatties.
We often used to go to the ones in Dudley and Wolverhampton.
She did a lot of dressmaking, so we’d spend a lot of time in the haberdashery department.

I remember the models in the restaurant in the Dudley branch.
I used to love having a milk shake in a posh knickerbocker glory glass there.
And cream cakes off the trolley.

I must have been about six, seven, eight…

The Dudley shop had lots of stairwells where the scary punks loitered about smoking.
Little did I know that I’d soon become something similar.

A clash of two worlds, it’s like something from a film.

Happy days indeed 🥲

Beatties had models walking around the restaurant, used to be allowed a Kunzle cake as a treat, top floor, next to its little lending library (a very long time ago).
I remember them ringing the hand bell to close the outdoor Market for the last time, (now replaced with the awful Civic Centre); been in the centre of W'ton for centuries and Turner painted it.

Oh really? I’ll have to look for that Turner. Thanks

I used to get lots of my clothes from Oasis. Lovely cheesecloth shirts and stuff. Its still there but sadly not what it was. My favourite clothes shop was Henrys in Union Street. Lovely mini skirts for 50p. Anyone remember a store called The Beehive in Brum?