Happy Black Country Day! 🏭🥳🍻

We used to love Mad O'Rourke's pubs in the Black Country. I think there's only one left now, The Pie Factory in Tipton. Many years, ago, one of the first Indian Restaurants we went to was Mr Dave's in Lye.

I often went to Mr Dave’s!
You took your own booze 🍷

Went to lots of balti places in The Lye, and I don’t even like Indian food

I think that there still might be a Pie Factory on the road from Stourbridge to Kingswinford

I don’t know how I haven’t mentioned this yet.
James OBrien is from Kidderminster.

That's it Fanny we took our own booze! We found the place quite a novelty back then.

I always thought that Adrian Chiles was from the BC, him being a West Brom fan, but he’s from Quinton

Kate, you were right about the Pie Factory

My brother saw a lot of famous bands in Dudley before they became famous. He well remembers seeing Slade many times .

Whiff

My brother saw a lot of famous bands in Dudley before they became famous. He well remembers seeing Slade many times .

That would definitely have been at JB’s.
Everyone played early gigs there; including Bowie, U2 and Dire Straits

To add to the list:

Henry Searle 🥇

Just found out my children's old school Ridge primary has won the Black country school games championship. It was a lovely school at the time my children where there it was the smallest school in Dudley brough. Within walking distance from where we lived. Congratulations to the children who took part. 🎖️

I found out yesterday that someone really famous was born in Wolverhampton, and I can’t remember who on earth it was 🤦‍♀️

Just remembered, not really famous at all, but I was just surprised - Judith Keppel

Congrats Whiff!

She must be famous, I knew who she was instantly! 😀

Callistemon21

She must be famous, I knew who she was instantly! 😀

I was on a group on FB where some US folk were moaning about the fact that their first Millionaire on WWTBAM went to a posh school.
You can imagine their reaction when I told them about Judith, and her being the cousin of Queen Camilla!

FannyCornforth

Callistemon21

She must be famous, I knew who she was instantly! 😀

I was on a group on FB where some US folk were moaning about the fact that their first Millionaire on WWTBAM went to a posh school.
You can imagine their reaction when I told them about Judith, and her being the cousin of Queen Camilla!

You can imagine their reaction when I told them about Judith, and her being the cousin of Queen Camilla!
But, in fact, even posher! 😂😂😂

Yes, she actually is, isn’t she!
Her winning question was about Eleanor of Aquitaine, who she is also related to

Did anyone here go to Tipton Grammar School?

Suki My mom taught at two places in Tipton in the mid 80s - early 90s.

One was called Batman’s Hill, I think. Could that be the same school?

She also taught at a special unit for school aged girls who had had babies.

It was the first of its kind in the UK, at least.

News folks for those who come from Birmingham and The Black Country.

Yesterday Sunday 31 July on BBC Sounds 'Open Book' DH tells me two authors were interviewed who have written books, all set in Birmingham inter-war time. DH knows I would be interested being a Brummie.

They are Natalie Marlow who has written ''Needless Alley' the first in a new crime series which now sits on my Kindle waiting for me to start reading! Looking up where Needless Alley is, I find it is just a little way from The Burlington Secretarial College where I went when I was 16 years old!

I haven't as yet researched the other book 'Hokey Pokey' by Kate Mascarenhas, which I think could be spooky!

Anyway I thought some of you might be interested as it could be on 'your patch'.

That's interesting Kate. My DH calls Needless Alley Unnecessary Street.

I like that Kate 😄

I’ve just WhatsApp my sister in Italy and she says her office was very near Needless Alley. If you look on Google maps they show a photo of the Alley now, which looks a bit swish.

Funny how the Crooked House pub has just been sold and now it's burnt to the grown.🤔

Yes Whiff. How sad. We visited there once. It happened with a pub near us. Sold. They couldn't get planning permission for what they wanted. Pub burned down.

I loved the Kathleen Dayus books about growing up in Hockley.